@sunnybabu While the MST hub is connected, go to Start > Settings > System > Sound, then change the default audio output device back to your built-in speakers. It sounds like connecting the MST hub caused your system to send audio over DisplayPort to one of the displays, so if they don’t have built-in speakers or external speakers connected, then you won’t hear anything in that case.
I don’t know if a device to allow two laptops to connect to the same Thunderbolt dock simultaneously. If it existed, it would probably be called a Thunderbolt host switch, because there are USB host switches, which are essentially USB hubs that allow you to plug USB devices into a hub and then have that hub connected to two separate host systems, and then you toggle which system can see those devices at any given time. But I haven’t seen that for switching a Thunderbolt device between two systems. If you don’t need to use the laptop’s built-in display while docked though, one thing you could do would just be to keep both laptops closed and stacked one on top of the other. That will at least make it faster to move the Thunderbolt cable back and forth, assuming both systems have a Thunderbolt port on the same side.
@sunnybabu Dell doesn't use calendar years to identify models, but based on your description this sounds like an XPS 13 9333. You can verify by checking your system model within Windows (there are various ways to do that), or the BIOS, or by going to support.dell.com and entering your Service Tag -- which you should never post here.
Anyhow, no that upgrade isn't an option. The Mini-DisplayPort output is soldered onto the motherboard, and a USB-C port would require a fair amount of circuitry on the motherboard to deal with USB data and power delivery in addition to video output, plus circuitry to support with the reversibility of a USB-C cable. None of that would be present on a motherboard that was designed only for a Mini-DisplayPort output. And getting a motherboard for an XPS 13 model that came with USB-C wouldn't work because its ports wouldn't line up to the chassis cutouts on your current system.
But you can run multiple independent displays from a Mini-DisplayPort output either via daisy chaining (if your displays support it) or an MST hub like this one. The total bandwidth requirements of the displays connected to the hub can't exceed the bandwidth available from that single source, but the XPS 13 9333 would support DisplayPort 1.2, which would give you enough for dual QHD/1440p displays or triple 1080p.
@sunnybabu Adding to my above reply, the XPS 13 9343 does not support any type of docking station, at least not if you want the docking station to provide power to the system. Docking stations use either proprietary connectors like Dell's older E-Port solutions, or newer options like USB-C and Thunderbolt 3. The XPS 13 9343 does not have either of those connector types. The closest you can come would be a "universal" dock that used a regular USB port, such as one of Dell's Dxxxx dock models. But those docks would not be able to provide power to an XPS 13 9343, and they rely on "indirect display" technology called DisplayLink -- not to be confused with DisplayPort -- which can create some issues. And they will not run triple displays from an XPS 13 9343. Dell's latest dock model in that lineup, which is called the D6000, can run triple displays, but only when it is connected to a USB-C port in order to run the third display from the native GPU output on the USB-C port. Your system does not have that, so you would have to connect the dock via USB-A "regular USB", and in that case the D6000 can only run two displays. And again, the dock would not provide power to the XPS 13 9343 either.
If you want full docking station functionality with triple displays, you will need a newer system. If your K20A dock is a regular WD19, then in order to run triple 1080p displays from that dock, you will need a system that supports DisplayPort 1.4/HBR3 over USB-C. That didn't arrive on the regular XPS 13 until the 9300 model. On the XPS 13 2-in-1, it arrived on the 7390 model (the regular XPS 13 7390 does not support it). If your K20A dock is a WD19TB, then you can use any XPS 13 model that supports Thunderbolt, which arrived with the 9350 model.
@sunnybabu K20A is a regulatory code, not a model code. The actual model of that dock looks like either a WD19 or a WD19TB. Those are USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 docks. You cannot use those types of docks with a system like the XPS 13 9343 that does not have a USB-C port. There aren't any adapters that will allow you to use that dock with that system.
Can you please suggest feasible options to connect to my current Dell XPS 13 9343 with only DisplayPort to my Dell K20A Docking station and project 3 monitors of Dell S2721H 27 Inch Full HD 1080p, AMD FreeSync IPS.
@jphughan Sadly I should replace my laptop then, I have no issues expect cant use multiple monitors. I hope Dell can offer some exchange credits for upgrade
Also you are correct my Dock is WD19TB. Can WD19TB project simultaneously to 3 of these monitors- Dell S2721H 27 Inch Full HD 1080p, AMD FreeSync IPS.
Lastly, Does WD19TB dock charge Lenovo laptops (thinkpad/ideapad). I'm seeing people say they cant even have monitors detected when using Lenovo laptops with WD19TB. Can you please let me know if either of these can work with the Dell WD19TB dock that i have? Is support for thunderbolt only the req for it to work?
@sunnybabu If all you want is multi-display output rather than a dock, your XPS 13 9343's Mini-DisplayPort output can run triple 1080p displays if you get triple display MST hub. This one is one example, although since it has dual DisplayPort outputs plus an HDMI output, while your displays only have HDMI inputs, you would need active DisplayPort to HDMI cables/adapters -- not the much more common passive type -- in order to run your displays through this hub. Otherwise you might be able to find a triple HDMI MST hub, but I haven't looked for one. And yes, an MST hub will allow you to run your displays in Extend mode, not Mirror mode.
If you decide to get a new laptop, I do not believe Dell offers a trade-in program to get credit on the new laptop.
The WD19TB would be able to run triple 1080p displays as long as you're using that dock with a system that supports either DisplayPort 1.4/HBR3 over regular USB-C, or Thunderbolt 3. If you have a Thunderbolt 3 system, even DisplayPort 1.2/HR2 support will be fine. The IdeaPad 5 you linked only supports regular USB-C and DisplayPort 1.2/HBR2, so it would not be able to run triple 1080p through a dock. It would be limited to dual 1080p.
Also, if you plan to run triple external displays AND the built-in display simultaneously, the only Intel GPU that can handle that right now is the new Intel Xe GPU built into Core 11th Gen CPUs. Older Intel GPUs only support three total displays simultaneously. And even some systems with NVIDIA GPUs still have the display outputs wired to the Intel GPU, and in that case you would be limited to whatever the Intel GPU could support in terms of max displays.
The WD19TB can also provide up to 90W of power to a non-Dell laptop, which is enough power for typical laptops. So yes you should be able to use that fine. At my home I have an older Dell WD15 dock and a Lenovo ThinkPad Thunderbolt 3 Dock Gen 2. I also have both Dell and Lenovo laptops. The Dell laptops work fine with the Lenovo dock, and the Lenovo laptops work fine with the Dell dock. However, certain special functions may not work. For example, the Power button on the dock that can be used to control the system only works when the dock and system are from the same vendor because there's currently no industry standard for an external Power button. So that won't work if you pair a Dell dock with a Lenovo system. And other things like MAC Address Passthrough and PXE boot won't work, but those are typically enterprise features. Lastly, you MIGHT not be able to update the firmware of the WD19TB from a non-Dell system. I'm not sure on that though. That's how the older Dell docks worked, but I'm not sure about the WD19 dock family models.
@sunnybabu Well I found a triple HDMI MST hub that plugs into a Mini-DisplayPort connection. Here it is. It's a bit expensive, but it's a lot less expensive than a new laptop. And of course it's just a display adapter, not a full docking station.
@jphughan Clearly you have super knowledge on this.
So in summary to run 3 external monitors with laptop monitor on. I need Thunderbolt 3 + 11th gen Intel Xe GPU?
Can you please advise which laptops have such configuration that I can buy. Does latest Dell XPS 13 have this? or Lenovo ThinkPad's etc., My need is for day trading stocks, so I need all monitors on always
The other ThinkPad's i have shortlisted previously will not work for 4 displays correct, even though they have thunderbolt3, because they lack 11th Gen intel processer? and Ideapad have latest 11th gen Processor but lacks Thunderbolt 3 ?
@jphughan Thank you. Last question, so i'm bit confused when you say if the laptop as "Core 11th Gen CPU" then they should work for my need, so the below ideapad should work correct ? what I'm I missing here plz? Does all 11th Gen CPU support 4 monitor display?
@sunnybabu If you have a Core 11th Gen CPU, you don't need Thunderbolt -- although it's fine to have it. A Core 11th Gen CPU will support DisplayPort 1.4/HBR3, which means it would be able to run triple 1080p even over regular USB-C, without Thunderbolt.
Yes, the new XPS 13 9310 uses Intel Core 11th Gen CPUs and therefore has the new Xe GPU, and also has Thunderbolt. But I'm not going to look through all ThinkPad models or other laptops to provide you a list of which models have that CPU. You should be able to check CPU specs yourself.
The only other way to run four total displays from a laptop would be to have a laptop that has a discrete GPU and has the display outputs wired directly to that GPU, but that is fairly rare and typically found only on larger, higher-end laptops. Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Extreme works this way, for example.
@sunnybabu What I said assumes you're using a laptop where the Intel GPU actually controls the display outputs. That is typically true, and even if you have a discrete GPU, its capabilities will often be equal or better than the Intel GPU. However, Lenovo's spec sheet for that system here says that it only supports 3 total displays (2 external) and only supports DisplayPort 1.2. It's possible that is an error, but another possibility is that it is accurate and the reason is that the display outputs are wired to the GeForce MX GPU, which has fairly low-end capabilities. If that is accurate, then DisplayPort 1.2 means you won't have enough video bandwidth to run triple 1080p through a USB-C dock, and the 3 display max means you would not be able to run triple displays and the internal display simultaneously regardless of resolution.
@jphughan I bought that MST hub and surprisingly its doesn't play volume either from my laptop nor from monitors. I bought these brand new dell monitors. Even if the monitors doesn't have audio output, wouldn't it allow to play the audio from laptop?
So I found this where it says I can connect to multiple laptops simultaneously, as such was wondering if I can use this and my dell WD19TB simultaneously? if yes how?
jphughan
9 Legend
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14K Posts
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May 25th, 2021 17:00
@sunnybabu While the MST hub is connected, go to Start > Settings > System > Sound, then change the default audio output device back to your built-in speakers. It sounds like connecting the MST hub caused your system to send audio over DisplayPort to one of the displays, so if they don’t have built-in speakers or external speakers connected, then you won’t hear anything in that case.
I don’t know if a device to allow two laptops to connect to the same Thunderbolt dock simultaneously. If it existed, it would probably be called a Thunderbolt host switch, because there are USB host switches, which are essentially USB hubs that allow you to plug USB devices into a hub and then have that hub connected to two separate host systems, and then you toggle which system can see those devices at any given time. But I haven’t seen that for switching a Thunderbolt device between two systems. If you don’t need to use the laptop’s built-in display while docked though, one thing you could do would just be to keep both laptops closed and stacked one on top of the other. That will at least make it faster to move the Thunderbolt cable back and forth, assuming both systems have a Thunderbolt port on the same side.
ejn63
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30.7K Posts
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February 21st, 2021 15:00
The ports are on the system board, so no - they cannot be upgraded. And no, later model system boards won't fit in the chassis you have.
Which model system do you have - the 9343 or the 9350 (check the setup screen, F2 at powerup)?
jphughan
9 Legend
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14K Posts
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February 21st, 2021 15:00
@sunnybabu Dell doesn't use calendar years to identify models, but based on your description this sounds like an XPS 13 9333. You can verify by checking your system model within Windows (there are various ways to do that), or the BIOS, or by going to support.dell.com and entering your Service Tag -- which you should never post here.
Anyhow, no that upgrade isn't an option. The Mini-DisplayPort output is soldered onto the motherboard, and a USB-C port would require a fair amount of circuitry on the motherboard to deal with USB data and power delivery in addition to video output, plus circuitry to support with the reversibility of a USB-C cable. None of that would be present on a motherboard that was designed only for a Mini-DisplayPort output. And getting a motherboard for an XPS 13 model that came with USB-C wouldn't work because its ports wouldn't line up to the chassis cutouts on your current system.
But you can run multiple independent displays from a Mini-DisplayPort output either via daisy chaining (if your displays support it) or an MST hub like this one. The total bandwidth requirements of the displays connected to the hub can't exceed the bandwidth available from that single source, but the XPS 13 9333 would support DisplayPort 1.2, which would give you enough for dual QHD/1440p displays or triple 1080p.
jphughan
9 Legend
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14K Posts
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May 19th, 2021 13:00
@sunnybabu Adding to my above reply, the XPS 13 9343 does not support any type of docking station, at least not if you want the docking station to provide power to the system. Docking stations use either proprietary connectors like Dell's older E-Port solutions, or newer options like USB-C and Thunderbolt 3. The XPS 13 9343 does not have either of those connector types. The closest you can come would be a "universal" dock that used a regular USB port, such as one of Dell's Dxxxx dock models. But those docks would not be able to provide power to an XPS 13 9343, and they rely on "indirect display" technology called DisplayLink -- not to be confused with DisplayPort -- which can create some issues. And they will not run triple displays from an XPS 13 9343. Dell's latest dock model in that lineup, which is called the D6000, can run triple displays, but only when it is connected to a USB-C port in order to run the third display from the native GPU output on the USB-C port. Your system does not have that, so you would have to connect the dock via USB-A "regular USB", and in that case the D6000 can only run two displays. And again, the dock would not provide power to the XPS 13 9343 either.
If you want full docking station functionality with triple displays, you will need a newer system. If your K20A dock is a regular WD19, then in order to run triple 1080p displays from that dock, you will need a system that supports DisplayPort 1.4/HBR3 over USB-C. That didn't arrive on the regular XPS 13 until the 9300 model. On the XPS 13 2-in-1, it arrived on the 7390 model (the regular XPS 13 7390 does not support it). If your K20A dock is a WD19TB, then you can use any XPS 13 model that supports Thunderbolt, which arrived with the 9350 model.
jphughan
9 Legend
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14K Posts
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May 19th, 2021 13:00
@sunnybabu K20A is a regulatory code, not a model code. The actual model of that dock looks like either a WD19 or a WD19TB. Those are USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 docks. You cannot use those types of docks with a system like the XPS 13 9343 that does not have a USB-C port. There aren't any adapters that will allow you to use that dock with that system.
sunnybabu
15 Posts
0
May 19th, 2021 13:00
Can you please suggest feasible options to connect to my current Dell XPS 13 9343 with only DisplayPort to my Dell K20A Docking station and project 3 monitors of Dell S2721H 27 Inch Full HD 1080p, AMD FreeSync IPS.
Many Thanks
S
sunnybabu
15 Posts
0
May 19th, 2021 14:00
@jphughan Sadly I should replace my laptop then, I have no issues expect cant use multiple monitors. I hope Dell can offer some exchange credits for upgrade
Also you are correct my Dock is WD19TB. Can WD19TB project simultaneously to 3 of these monitors- Dell S2721H 27 Inch Full HD 1080p, AMD FreeSync IPS.
Lastly, Does WD19TB dock charge Lenovo laptops (thinkpad/ideapad). I'm seeing people say they cant even have monitors detected when using Lenovo laptops with WD19TB. Can you please let me know if either of these can work with the Dell WD19TB dock that i have? Is support for thunderbolt only the req for it to work?
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15.6" Touchscreen Laptop - 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 - GeForce MX450 - 1080p
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2-in-1 Touchscreen Laptop - 10th Gen Intel Core i7 - 1080p
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s 14" Laptop - Intel Core i7-8665U - 1080p - Windows 10 Professional
Many Thanks
jphughan
9 Legend
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14K Posts
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May 19th, 2021 14:00
@sunnybabu If all you want is multi-display output rather than a dock, your XPS 13 9343's Mini-DisplayPort output can run triple 1080p displays if you get triple display MST hub. This one is one example, although since it has dual DisplayPort outputs plus an HDMI output, while your displays only have HDMI inputs, you would need active DisplayPort to HDMI cables/adapters -- not the much more common passive type -- in order to run your displays through this hub. Otherwise you might be able to find a triple HDMI MST hub, but I haven't looked for one. And yes, an MST hub will allow you to run your displays in Extend mode, not Mirror mode.
If you decide to get a new laptop, I do not believe Dell offers a trade-in program to get credit on the new laptop.
The WD19TB would be able to run triple 1080p displays as long as you're using that dock with a system that supports either DisplayPort 1.4/HBR3 over regular USB-C, or Thunderbolt 3. If you have a Thunderbolt 3 system, even DisplayPort 1.2/HR2 support will be fine. The IdeaPad 5 you linked only supports regular USB-C and DisplayPort 1.2/HBR2, so it would not be able to run triple 1080p through a dock. It would be limited to dual 1080p.
Also, if you plan to run triple external displays AND the built-in display simultaneously, the only Intel GPU that can handle that right now is the new Intel Xe GPU built into Core 11th Gen CPUs. Older Intel GPUs only support three total displays simultaneously. And even some systems with NVIDIA GPUs still have the display outputs wired to the Intel GPU, and in that case you would be limited to whatever the Intel GPU could support in terms of max displays.
The WD19TB can also provide up to 90W of power to a non-Dell laptop, which is enough power for typical laptops. So yes you should be able to use that fine. At my home I have an older Dell WD15 dock and a Lenovo ThinkPad Thunderbolt 3 Dock Gen 2. I also have both Dell and Lenovo laptops. The Dell laptops work fine with the Lenovo dock, and the Lenovo laptops work fine with the Dell dock. However, certain special functions may not work. For example, the Power button on the dock that can be used to control the system only works when the dock and system are from the same vendor because there's currently no industry standard for an external Power button. So that won't work if you pair a Dell dock with a Lenovo system. And other things like MAC Address Passthrough and PXE boot won't work, but those are typically enterprise features. Lastly, you MIGHT not be able to update the firmware of the WD19TB from a non-Dell system. I'm not sure on that though. That's how the older Dell docks worked, but I'm not sure about the WD19 dock family models.
jphughan
9 Legend
•
14K Posts
0
May 19th, 2021 14:00
@sunnybabu Well I found a triple HDMI MST hub that plugs into a Mini-DisplayPort connection. Here it is. It's a bit expensive, but it's a lot less expensive than a new laptop. And of course it's just a display adapter, not a full docking station.
sunnybabu
15 Posts
0
May 19th, 2021 15:00
@jphughan Clearly you have super knowledge on this.
So in summary to run 3 external monitors with laptop monitor on. I need Thunderbolt 3 + 11th gen Intel Xe GPU?
Can you please advise which laptops have such configuration that I can buy. Does latest Dell XPS 13 have this? or Lenovo ThinkPad's etc., My need is for day trading stocks, so I need all monitors on always
The other ThinkPad's i have shortlisted previously will not work for 4 displays correct, even though they have thunderbolt3, because they lack 11th Gen intel processer? and Ideapad have latest 11th gen Processor but lacks Thunderbolt 3 ?
Many Thanks
sunnybabu
15 Posts
0
May 19th, 2021 15:00
@jphughan Thank you. Last question, so i'm bit confused when you say if the laptop as "Core 11th Gen CPU" then they should work for my need, so the below ideapad should work correct ? what I'm I missing here plz? Does all 11th Gen CPU support 4 monitor display?
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15.6" Touchscreen Laptop - 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 - GeForce MX450 - 1080p
How about AMD Ryzen 7 5700U - 1080p, do they support for WD19TB dock and 4 monitor display?
jphughan
9 Legend
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14K Posts
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May 19th, 2021 15:00
@sunnybabu If you have a Core 11th Gen CPU, you don't need Thunderbolt -- although it's fine to have it. A Core 11th Gen CPU will support DisplayPort 1.4/HBR3, which means it would be able to run triple 1080p even over regular USB-C, without Thunderbolt.
Yes, the new XPS 13 9310 uses Intel Core 11th Gen CPUs and therefore has the new Xe GPU, and also has Thunderbolt. But I'm not going to look through all ThinkPad models or other laptops to provide you a list of which models have that CPU. You should be able to check CPU specs yourself.
The only other way to run four total displays from a laptop would be to have a laptop that has a discrete GPU and has the display outputs wired directly to that GPU, but that is fairly rare and typically found only on larger, higher-end laptops. Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Extreme works this way, for example.
jphughan
9 Legend
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14K Posts
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May 19th, 2021 16:00
@sunnybabu What I said assumes you're using a laptop where the Intel GPU actually controls the display outputs. That is typically true, and even if you have a discrete GPU, its capabilities will often be equal or better than the Intel GPU. However, Lenovo's spec sheet for that system here says that it only supports 3 total displays (2 external) and only supports DisplayPort 1.2. It's possible that is an error, but another possibility is that it is accurate and the reason is that the display outputs are wired to the GeForce MX GPU, which has fairly low-end capabilities. If that is accurate, then DisplayPort 1.2 means you won't have enough video bandwidth to run triple 1080p through a USB-C dock, and the 3 display max means you would not be able to run triple displays and the internal display simultaneously regardless of resolution.
sunnybabu
15 Posts
0
May 25th, 2021 16:00
@jphughan I bought that MST hub and surprisingly its doesn't play volume either from my laptop nor from monitors. I bought these brand new dell monitors. Even if the monitors doesn't have audio output, wouldn't it allow to play the audio from laptop?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HPGM9LC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HPML3R3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Also, Was wondering if there is any way to connect 2 dell laptops simultaneously to WD19TB dock.
As Always Many Thanks
Sr
sunnybabu
15 Posts
0
May 26th, 2021 16:00
@jphughan Perfect you r indeed Rockstar
So I found this where it says I can connect to multiple laptops simultaneously, as such was wondering if I can use this and my dell WD19TB simultaneously? if yes how?
https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Dual-Monitor-Docking-Station/dp/B011NLY5J6
Thx