How to Enable Display Stream Compression on Latitude, Precision and XPS

Affected Products:

• Latitude 9520
• Latitude 9420
• Latitude 7x20
• Latitude 7320
• Latitude 5x21
• Latitude 5x20
• Latitude 3x20
• Latitude 3320
• Precision 7760
• Precision 7560
• Precision 5760
• Precision 5560
• Precision 3561
• Precision 3560
• XPS 17
• XPS 15
• XPS 13
• XPS 13 2-in-1

Steps to enable DSC:

1. In the search box on the taskbar, type Device Manager. Then select Device Manager from the program list that is displayed. The Device Manager window should open and look similar to the example shown below:
   
2. In the Device Manager, open the section Display adapters. This section displays which graphic card is in use by the computer.
   
3. Right-click the displayed graphic card and click Properties
   
4. Click the Details tab, select Driver key in property drop-down Property. This displays which driver path is in use by the graphics card.
   
   
   Warning: The next step is a Windows Registry edit:

   • Backup the Registry before proceeding, reference How to Back Up and Restore the Registry in Windows.
   • Editing the Registry can cause the computer to become unresponsive on the next reboot.
   • Contact Dell Technical Support for assistance if you have concerns about performing this step.
5. In the search box on the taskbar, type regedit. Then select regedit from the program list that is displayed. If prompted by User Account Control, click Yes to open the Registry Editor. The Registry Editor window should open and look similar to the example shown below.
6. On the window Registry Editor, click the folder HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
   
7. Go to Edit and click Find.
   
8. The Find dialog box opens. Type in DpMstDscDisable and click the Find Next button.
   
9. It starts the search and displays the first entry result when found. It looks similar to the example shown below.
   
10. Check if the driver path in Registry Editor is the same as driver path in Step 4. If it is not the same, Press F3, or click Edit and Find Next, to find the next entry for.
    
11. If the driver path in Registry Editor is the same as driver path in Step 4. Click DpMstDscDisable to edit it is value to 0, then click the OK button.
    
12. Restart your computer to enable the DSC feature.

For more information, see Dell Knowledge Base articles:

• Dell Systems Supporting HBR3 Specifications
• Monitor Experiences Intermittent Blanking when Connected to Dell Docking Stations