ISSUE: 4k monitor only getting 30hz instead of its native 60hz

[ImABaldEagle]

Hi everyone!

 

I've searched quite a lot to find an answer to this question, but I'm not convinced I've found any proper solutions...

I'll link my build here for reference: https://pcpartpicker.com/user/imabaldeagle/saved/yxWkTW

 

So the issue I'm having is that my 4k monitor will only run at 30hz instead of 60, as it has for most of the time I've owned it. I recently upgraded my build and replaced 2 of my old monitors (both 1080p, one 60hz, one 144hz) with 3 new ones (all 1080p, 144hz). This leaves me with those 3 monitors as well as my 4k monitor. My assumption is that my current video card, EVGA GTX 1070 8GB FTW, isn't powerful enough to run the 3 1080p 144hz monitors alongside the 4k monitor at 60hz. Instead I've had to run the 4k monitor at 30hz. Unfortunately, until the 3080s become available again, I won't have a more powerful graphics card to test this on. I've already ruled out the cable as the potential issue.

 

I'd just appreciate if someone who knows their stuff can confirm my suspicion or potentially provide me with additional troubleshooting options. Thanks guys

 

Edit: I'd like to note that this is my first post, so please let me know if I didn't provide the right information or if I'm violating any rules by posting this and I'll get it sorted out ASAP. Thanks!

[Bombastinator]

Howdy and welcome
 

pcpartpicker link is not clickable. Required a copy/paste to make work

 

mostly it showed a new rig with lots of cpu, a 1070, and a buttload of monitors.  More or less as described.
 

You seem to be looking only for some sort of high level help.  I am not one such, though such things do exist here.  I’ll leave my sadly very unprofessional thoughts anyway as at least it’s something. 
 

I’m not even sure that a 1070 even has the guns to run a single 4k monitor at 60hz all by itself. If it does my suspicion is only barely.  Have you tried plugging in ONLY the 4k monitor?  It may not run 60hz even then.  If it does though it points to there just being too many monitors. It’s also possible that having all the monitors plugged in earlier may have kicked down a max setting, and you’re going to have to go into monitor settings and move the bar back up manually. 
 

An experiment:

turn the computer off from the PSU.  Really off. Remove all monitors BUT the 4k one.

turn the computer on and go to monitor settings in utilities and see if the 60hz option is selected or not selected but selectable.  If not, select it. 

[GhostRoadieBL]

is this happening only in games or everywhere in the desktop? It's unlikely your card can't drive all your monitors and more idling on the desktop. 

what method did you setup the monitors? just plug everything in and let it run, plug everything in and use "nvidia surround" to setup the 3x1080p monitors? or something else. 

when you unplug your 1080p monitors can you run 60hz on your 4k screen? 

are there any splitters, capture cards, etc in between the card and the monitor? 

 

in Nvidia control panel, under Change Resolution, can you change the monitor Hz setting? you should be able to click on each of your monitors and check the frequency, bit depth (8 bit, 10bit etc), colour profile (4:4:4, 4:2:2, etc). first thing I would try is set 8bit colour, 4:2:2, limited range, and then apply and try to set it to 60hz. 

 

[ImABaldEagle]

Using the 1070 that I'm using now, the monitor has run flawlessly at 60hz in the past alongside 2 1080p monitors, one of them at 144hz and the other at 60hz. Now, in all instances (idling, gaming, anything else I do), the monitor is only running at 30hz. It's the fastest it is able to be set to in the Windows display settings. When it's plugged in by itself it does reach 60hz BUT there is another interesting thing to note: this can be achieved using a display port to hdmi cable, which is what I used in the past with my old monitor setup. When I try to use that cable with my new monitor setup, the monitor acts as if there is no input through it. 

 

I had plugged all the monitors into the video card, no software was used to configure them, only the display settings in windows. There are no splitters of any kind in between the cables: just straight cables from the card to the monitors. I'll download the nvidia control panel and try messing with the settings, then get back to this post. I appreciate the quick responses. Thanks guys!

[Alex Atkin UK]

6 hours ago, ImABaldEagle said:

Using the 1070 that I'm using now, the monitor has run flawlessly at 60hz in the past alongside 2 1080p monitors, one of them at 144hz and the other at 60hz. Now, in all instances (idling, gaming, anything else I do), the monitor is only running at 30hz. It's the fastest it is able to be set to in the Windows display settings. When it's plugged in by itself it does reach 60hz BUT there is another interesting thing to note: this can be achieved using a display port to hdmi cable, which is what I used in the past with my old monitor setup. When I try to use that cable with my new monitor setup, the monitor acts as if there is no input through it. 

 

I had plugged all the monitors into the video card, no software was used to configure them, only the display settings in windows. There are no splitters of any kind in between the cables: just straight cables from the card to the monitors. I'll download the nvidia control panel and try messing with the settings, then get back to this post. I appreciate the quick responses. Thanks guys!

I've had problems getting stuck on 30Hz recently, it was either the HDMI sockets and/or the cable.  Still not sure which, but unplugging/plugging back in eventually sorted it.

It was also only showing only 2 lanes on DisplayPort in NVIDIA settings instead of the 4 it should have, which was a big clue.