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XPS 13-9380, D3100 dock, 3 monitors
Hi, I bought the 3100 docking station for this laptop, and have been really disappointed. Trying to hook up two 4k monitors, and one 2k monitor. I don't game, so I think 30hz is probably fine (?) but right now with the 3100 (Displaylink) things are blurry and a bit laggy. If I switch to the TB16, will I get what I want here? i.e can the 620 video card support that? The spec sheet (https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/149091/intel-core-i7-8565u-processor-8m-cache-up-to-4-60-ghz.html) says 3 monitors, but doesn't really clarify in what combinations. Or am I forced to think about an external graphics card? Many thanks!
DELL-Chris M
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June 17th, 2019 09:00
Trying to drive two 4K 3840x2160 60Hz monitors plus a 2K 60 Hz monitor is well beyond the capabilities of the D3100. You can see the D3100 supported resolution chart here and below =
Using any PC onboard Intel GPU, the TB16 can only drive two 4K 3840x2160 60Hz monitors. But not a 3rd 2K.
I cannot think of any Dell dock that could do what you want with that onboard GPU. Hopefully another user can post some possible 3rd party docks.
jphughan
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June 18th, 2019 10:00
@niks42 you might want to consider the newer WD19TB dock rather than the TB16. It will run dual 4K displays from a 9380 as long as one of the displays is attached via the dock's "upstream" USB-C port, using something like a USB-C to DisplayPort adapter/cable. You can run those in addition to the built-in display, but you would NOT be able to run dual 4K displays PLUS another external display of any meaningful resolution simultaneously when all of them are connected to the dock.
The D6000 can run up to three 4K displays plus a built-in display, but the Dxxxx docks like the D3100 and D6000 use DisplayLink technology rather than tapping into native GPU outputs like other docks (including the TB16 and WD19TB), and DisplayLink can introduce a lot of drawbacks. I wrote about them in this thread, specifically the post marked as the answer. That's likely responsible for the lag and blurriness you're seeing now.
I really don't think you'll consider 30 Hz an acceptable experience, even if you don't game. At 30 Hz, even the mouse cursor feels laggy, as will any videos you watch that were shot at 60 fps rather than 30.
The Intel GPU in your system can support up to 3 simultaneous independent displays, all up to 4K resolution, but yes there are additional sources of limitations around how they can be connected based on the bandwidth of the outputs you're using and such. But conversely, even if bandwidth is available, the Intel GPU will only ever support 3 simultaneous independent displays, regardless of resolution or how they're connected. Your intended display setup must not exceed ANY sources of limitations from the GPU in terms of display quantity and resolution, OR bandwidth of the outputs/peripherals in use. (Note: Displays attached via DisplayLink, such as through the Dxxxx docks do NOT count towards your display quantity limit because those are not driven directly by the GPU.)
And just as a general note, I really discourage the use of the term "2K resolution", because so many people use it incorrectly to refer to 2560x1440 that its use becomes ambiguous, and when dealing with questions where bandwidth is a factor, knowing the actual resolutions involved matters. "2K" strictly speaking is a professional film resolution of 2048x1080, because that's about 2000 (2K) pixels of horizontal resolution -- but when used in the consumer world, 2K actually refers to the nearest equivalent and slightly lower resolution of 1920x1080. In the same way, 4K is also technically a film resolution but in the consumer space refers to the nearest equivalent of 3840x2160. If you meant to discuss 2560x1440 resolution, the unambiguous names for that resolution are QHD and 1440p, so I'd recommend typing the extra 1-3 characters. :) I suppose it could informally be called "2.5K", since that resolution is far more than 2000 pixels across, but that's not an official term.
niks42
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June 17th, 2019 09:00
Thanks Chris, really helpful.
With the TB16 - with 2 external 4k monitors at 60Hz, would that also allow the concurrent running of the laptop's screen itself at 4k @ 60Hz?
Thanks again.
DELL-Chris M
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June 17th, 2019 10:00
Based on Dell Thunderbolt Dock (TB16) Information and Specifications PDF, yes.
sevensphere69
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August 1st, 2019 09:00
Hello,
I've bought a D3100 two to hook up 2k monitors with my XPS 9380 laptop.
quick question @niks42 how did you connect your D3100 to your XPS9380 ?
Let me know,
Regards,
jphughan
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August 1st, 2019 15:00
@sevensphere69 you can use any USB-C to USB-A dongle. I use this one. Or you might want to get a different dock. The D6000 can connect via USB-A or USB-C natively, and when connected via the letter, it can also charge the system. Or you might want to avoid DisplayLink-based docks like the Dxxxx models entirely because DisplayLink technology comes with some potentially significant drawbacks that I explained in a post in this thread, specifically the post marked as the answer. If you want to use a "native GPU" dock with that system, you should look at the WD19 or WD19TB. The main difference is that the former will be limited to dual displays at 1920x1200 (or a single 2560x1600 display, or a 4K display only at 30 Hz), whereas the latter would be able to run dual displays up to 4K 60 Hz and even some triple display configurations.
Side note: Fyi, "2K resolution" is a dangerous thing to say because so many people use it to refer to 2560x1440 resolution, which is incorrect, and the ambiguity can matter for technical reasons, such as in this case when discussing docking station capabilities. 2K resolution is technically a film resolution of 2048x1080, but when used to refer to "consumer" resolutions, it actually refers to the nearest and slightly lower consumer equivalent, which is 1920x1080, aka Full HD or 1080p -- because 1920 is very close to 2000, i.e. 2K, horizontal pixels. Similarly, 4K is also technically a film resolution of 4096x2160 pixels, but when used in the consumer world refers to the slightly lower resolution of 3840x2160, aka Ultra HD or 2160p. If you meant to refer to 2560x1440 resolution, the correct and unambiguous terms for that resolution are 1440p or QHD (or I guess you could call it 2.5K, but nobody does), and using either of those terms instead of 2K would make it much clearer to everyone what you're talking about. The reason it can matter is because the bandwidth difference between 1080p and 1440p displays affects available display configurations in certain setups. For example, if someone had a regular WD19 dock and said, "Why can't I run dual 2K displays?", if they were trying to use dual 1080p displays, that should be possible -- but if they were trying to run dual 1440p displays, that would not be possible because the WD19 doesn't have enough bandwidth for that when used with an XPS 13 9380. But if someone says "2K" meaning one resolution and someone else assumes they mean the other, you could end up going down the wrong path on troubleshooting for a while.