Unable to Use External Monitors In Native Resolution

Question

I have a Dell Latitude 7640 laptop with Intel Iris Xe Graphics that is hooked up to a Dell TB16 Thunderbolt dock and, through that dock, display to a HP 27xi monitor and a pair of HP LP2065 monitors.

I've been having trouble trying to get those two HP LP2065 monitors display in their native 1600x1200 resolution. The HP 27xi monitor is able to display in its 1920x1080 native resolution fine. But for some reason, Windows is only allowing me to go up to either a 1280x1024 or 1280x960 resolution max for the other two LP2065 monitors.

I've already ensured the latest Windows, Dell & Intel drivers & updates are installed. I've even hunted down HP's drivers for these old LP2065 monitors and installed them and the problem still persists.

Running Intel Graphics Command Center, I'm able to see that the system is able to detect the display's native resolution listed right there. Yet I can't select those resolution options anywhere.

The kicker here is that I'm able to hook up an older Dell XPS 13 9360 with Intel UHD 620 Graphics to this exact dock setup and it's able display fine on all monitors in their native resolution.

What is going on here?

Why can't Iris Xe support the other two monitors in their native resolution that its predecessor UHD 620 could?

BenjaminWKI · Answer

Hello? Is there anyone in here?

ejn63 · Answer

See here https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/i-cannot-set-my-screen-resolution-with-windows-10/5e1810e2-11b2-48fa-b6ff-3a0fe424eaea

BenjaminWKI · Answer

See (and read) the third paragraph of my post.

BenjaminWKI · Answer

Anyone who could provide any actual assistance in here?

ejn63 · Answer

Have you tried a custom resolution utility? https://custom-resolution-utility.en.lo4d.com/windows

BenjaminWKI · Answer

Yes. I've already tried to use CRU.exe, back at the start of the month, to try and force the resolution onto my monitors. It wasn't successful and have posted my dilemma on their forums: https://www.monitortests.com/forum/Thread-Custom-Resolution-Utility-CRU?pid=14838#pid14838

mreuss · Answer

Me too. Latitude 5530 with two LP2065 at the USB dock.

Worked (with occasional flickers) fine in 1600x1200 presumably until SupportAssist installed the new InteUHD/Iris Xe Graphics Driver and Intel Graphics Command Center Application A12 late July. (31.0.101.4369)

Same symptoms, Intel Command center is showing the correct resolutions and the type of the monitor, Window Systemcontroll shows generic PnP monitors with resolutions only up to 1280x1024.
Didn't succeed by rolling back to the previous 31.0.101.4091 driver either, so maybe this is a red herring...

mreuss · Answer

I got this advice from Intel support: 'We strongly advise bringing the system to a clean state and  suggest a DDU clean-up of the drivers,  followed by a   clean install of the latest working OEM suggested driver.  After performing these steps, the Intel Command Center and System Control should display the same available resolutions, and the issue with HP Monitors being shown as generic PnP Monitors should be resolved, if there is not an innate issue with the drivers, which should be pointed out to Dell for revisal in that case.'

mreuss · Answer

I did two experiments:   deactivate bitlocker, disable Wifi, unplug network boot into safe mode run DDU 18.0.6.5 portable, clean and reboot execute Intel-UHD-Iris-Xe-Graphics-Driver-and-Intel-Graphics_F3YY0_WIN64_31.0.101.4369_A12.EXE and let it install drivers and intel control GUI -> still tied to wrong resolution, reboot, no change. Round two:   deactivate bitlocker boot into safe mode run DDU, clean and reboot execute Intel-UHD-Iris-Xe-Graphics-Driver-and-Intel-Graphics_09Y20_WIN64_31.0.101.4091_A10_01.EXE, chose extract only. from Device Manager , point it to the folder where I previously unextracted to, windows finds and installs intels 4091 driver -> in graphic settings I can now choose 1600x1200 (recommended)  -> after connecting to network, intel control did automatically install from the windows store. Didn't dare to reboot yet So, kind of solved, until the Dell update forces the 4369 on my machine again?  - Unfortunately it is marked as critical safety update...

BenjaminWKI · Answer

Great work experimenting to get it working on your system, @mreuss

I've only managed to work around my issue by acquring a secondhand Dell WD19TBS Thunderbolt dock as I needed to get my setup up and running for my work at home as soon as possible. Immediately after plugging the newer dock all my monitors were working at their native resolutions.

However, when I tried with an even newer Dell WD22TBS Thunderbolt dock at my workplace, I found that this time my central monitor at my workplace, a HP LP2465 (a widescreen of the LP2065) hooked up via HDMI without any converter, can't be identified by the driver. It turns up as a "non-PnP" monitor regardless of what cables I use or even if I unplug the other two monitors (another 2 LP2065s) which are running of the DisplayPorts. It's proven not to be monitor issue as plugging that monitor direct via HDMI to the laptop's integrated HDMI ports gets it fully working with it's native resolution.

Again, this highlights something really weird about the Dell Thunderbolt docks. And the plot twist is that if I hook up that HDMI cable through another Thunderbolt to HDMI display adapter and have that adapter plugged through the dock's Thunderbolt port, the monitor gets identified and it runs at it's full native resolution!

Latitude

Unable to Use External Monitors In Native Resolution

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