BenQ XL2720Z at 144Hz working but not really?

[LiMiTx8]

So I'll have multiple questions and I'm not sure if it's graphics card, monitor or cable related so bear with meh.
I've been using a BenQ XL2720Z with an MSI GTX 970 for over a year now. I bought a display port cable for it because I wasn't sure (still not sure to be honest, never tried anything else other than the display port) if the cable I got with the monitor would work with a 144hz refresh rate.
Since there wasn't a single resolution with the 144hz option, I set up my own. Didn't do anything really, just went into the control panel and made a custom 1920x1080 res with 144 hz but changed nothing else there.

First issue goes back to when I first plugged in the display port cable. Resolution is working, refresh rate is what it's supposed to be but sometimes when I start up my PC and turn on the monitor, I get a "no signal detected" message. A quick reset fixes the problem so I never really looked into it but due to other issues, and because I'm still having the same thing I figured I should ask about it at this point. Why is that? Any ideas? Is it normal with a display port or the monitor and graphics card I'm using?

Second issue is a fresh one, happened an hour or two ago. First some backstory: I have a laptop that I'm using mainly for a Teamspeak server. It's half a laptop, meaning it's missing the monitor panel but otherwise working. We had a blackout, the spare monitor I was using with the laptop died so I took the laptop and plugged it into my main monitor(the BenQ) using a D-sub cable to restart the server and whatnot (Since the laptop is old as heeeeell) while I still had the display port cable connected to my graphics card, PC was running too. Figured I can swap between the two without restarting or turning anything off. I wasn't paying attention and for some reason instead of unplugging anything from the laptop, I unplugged the graphics card side of the dp cable. I was like eh, just gonna plug it back in. I did that, screen came back but it went into a much smaller aspect ratio with like a 1024x768 resolution. "I'll just re-select the resolution I was using" says I, but the control panel didn't show any other options apart from the first 2 maybe. Kinda like when it doesn't detect your video card I think. Quick restart and I had to re-select the "full" display mode on my monitor and I wanted to enable my original resolution but it disappeared along with all the other ones. I only had some default, factory resolutions set to 60hz max, nothing I could raise higher than that. I thought for some reason it reset something and I just have to make a new custom resolution. I did that and I kept getting "out of range" messages and it wouldn't revert back from the test of the new resolution (It would just go into a "no signal detected error and I would have to reset). I got scared that I broke my graphics card so I kept restarting but it wouldn't revert back from that 144hz resolution for some reason. After like 3 or 4 restarts and trying different things, I did a fresh install of the nvidia driver so that I can try again after it reset my resolution to the default. I did it again, and still wasn't working. Tried it again with 120hz, screen was flickering like it's being shocked by a taser(no sound, but the words were bouncing around, they looked like sound waves but still readable tho). No error message here so I could revert back to the original. 144hz was still not working. I pretty much gave up at this point and figured I will have to buy a new graphics card, or cable or both, I don't know. Did another restart so I could at least write this topic to see if you guys could help me, checked on the resolutions and all my original ones, along with the custom set 144hz resolution was there. I selected it and it's working now. I did nothing really, but it came back. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

So I guess my question is: Did I fuck something up? What fixed it? I shouldn't ever ever EVER plug two different cables into my monitor or accidentaly unplug the displayport cable from a graphics card while the PC is running?
I'm not even sure it was working properly anymore, maybe I'm lucky and even tho I'm having this no signal detected error it still starts for some reason, but the cable or the monitor or my graphics card is a faulty one. I guess I should test the cable I got with the monitor to see how it works. It's a DVI-D I think? Says Dual Link on top. Can that handle 144 hz or if I want that I should definitely stick with display port?

Yes, I can't keep my framerate above 140 in every game obviously so we could argue why do I need that high of a refresh rate. Mainly because it's a 144hz monitor but I'll also get a 1080 or 1080ti later when it's available here and it doesnt cost a fortune

Any help ? 

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, LiMiTx8 said:

So I'll have multiple questions and I'm not sure if it's graphics card, monitor or cable related so bear with meh.
I've been using a BenQ XL2720Z with an MSI GTX 970 for over a year now. I bought a display port cable for it because I wasn't sure (still not sure to be honest, never tried anything else other than the display port) if the cable I got with the monitor would work with a 144hz refresh rate.
Since there wasn't a single resolution with the 144hz option, I set up my own. Didn't do anything really, just went into the control panel and made a custom 1920x1080 res with 144 hz but changed nothing else there.

First issue goes back to when I first plugged in the display port cable. Resolution is working, refresh rate is what it's supposed to be but sometimes when I start up my PC and turn on the monitor, I get a "no signal detected" message. A quick reset fixes the problem so I never really looked into it but due to other issues, and because I'm still having the same thing I figured I should ask about it at this point. Why is that? Any ideas? Is it normal with a display port or the monitor and graphics card I'm using?

Second issue is a fresh one, happened an hour or two ago. First some backstory: I have a laptop that I'm using mainly for a Teamspeak server. It's half a laptop, meaning it's missing the monitor panel but otherwise working. We had a blackout, the spare monitor I was using with the laptop died so I took the laptop and plugged it into my main monitor(the BenQ) using a D-sub cable to restart the server and whatnot (Since the laptop is old as heeeeell) while I still had the display port cable connected to my graphics card, PC was running too. Figured I can swap between the two without restarting or turning anything off. I wasn't paying attention and for some reason instead of unplugging anything from the laptop, I unplugged the graphics card side of the dp cable. I was like eh, just gonna plug it back in. I did that, screen came back but it went into a much smaller aspect ratio with like a 1024x768 resolution. "I'll just re-select the resolution I was using" says I, but the control panel didn't show any other options apart from the first 2 maybe. Kinda like when it doesn't detect your video card I think. Quick restart and I had to re-select the "full" display mode on my monitor and I wanted to enable my original resolution but it disappeared along with all the other ones. I only had some default, factory resolutions set to 60hz max, nothing I could raise higher than that. I thought for some reason it reset something and I just have to make a new custom resolution. I did that and I kept getting "out of range" messages and it wouldn't revert back from the test of the new resolution (It would just go into a "no signal detected error and I would have to reset). I got scared that I broke my graphics card so I kept restarting but it wouldn't revert back from that 144hz resolution for some reason. After like 3 or 4 restarts and trying different things, I did a fresh install of the nvidia driver so that I can try again after it reset my resolution to the default. I did it again, and still wasn't working. Tried it again with 120hz, screen was flickering like it's being shocked by a taser(no sound, but the words were bouncing around, they looked like sound waves but still readable tho). No error message here so I could revert back to the original. 144hz was still not working. I pretty much gave up at this point and figured I will have to buy a new graphics card, or cable or both, I don't know. Did another restart so I could at least write this topic to see if you guys could help me, checked on the resolutions and all my original ones, along with the custom set 144hz resolution was there. I selected it and it's working now. I did nothing really, but it came back. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

So I guess my question is: Did I fuck something up? What fixed it? I shouldn't ever ever EVER plug two different cables into my monitor or accidentaly unplug the displayport cable from a graphics card while the PC is running?
I'm not even sure it was working properly anymore, maybe I'm lucky and even tho I'm having this no signal detected error it still starts for some reason, but the cable or the monitor or my graphics card is a faulty one. I guess I should test the cable I got with the monitor to see how it works. It's a DVI-D I think? Says Dual Link on top. Can that handle 144 hz or if I want that I should definitely stick with display port?

Yes, I can't keep my framerate above 140 in every game obviously so we could argue why do I need that high of a refresh rate. Mainly because it's a 144hz monitor but I'll also get a 1080 or 1080ti later when it's available here and it doesnt cost a fortune

Any help ? 

DisplayPort can do 144hz as can DVI but if choices need to be made go with DisplayPort. But what OS are you running? Since you got a 970, are you doing all this through the Nvidia Control Panel? There should be an option for 144hz so you shouldn't need to do any customizing, at least as far I know. I'm not sure what your issue is, but I'd attempt to uninstall and reinstall the Nvidia drivers for your GPU. Something is corrupted somewhere it sounds like since your monitor is all out of whack. Something like this should be plug n' play, so start from scratch and do a reinstall. That'd be my guess to at least rule out corrupted drivers. Somewhere smarter may have a better opinion than me, so hopefully they can chime in.

[LiMiTx8]

I tried all that, that's the thing. Since this monitor and graphics card I did at least 2 complete windows reinstalls and countless driver reinstalls(DDU and everything) and the issue is still here. 

My config: Windows 10 64bit, 16 gigs of hyperX fury ddr4 memory, Asus Maximus Ranger VIII mobo, MSI GTX 970, i5 6600k oc-d at 4.8ghz. The issue is definitely with either my monitor, my graphics card or the cable. Cable I could test, and honestly I don't know why I didn't test it with the DVI-D cable already, graphics card is going to be replaced soon-ish, monitor I can't do anything about since I don't have a spare 144 hz monitor laying around and I don't expect of getting a new one anytime soon.

[Glenwing]

2 hours ago, LiMiTx8 said:

I tried all that, that's the thing. Since this monitor and graphics card I did at least 2 complete windows reinstalls and countless driver reinstalls(DDU and everything) and the issue is still here. 

My config: Windows 10 64bit, 16 gigs of hyperX fury ddr4 memory, Asus Maximus Ranger VIII mobo, MSI GTX 970, i5 6600k oc-d at 4.8ghz. The issue is definitely with either my monitor, my graphics card or the cable. Cable I could test, and honestly I don't know why I didn't test it with the DVI-D cable already, graphics card is going to be replaced soon-ish, monitor I can't do anything about since I don't have a spare 144 hz monitor laying around and I don't expect of getting a new one anytime soon.

Try unplugging the monitor from power for a minute.

[inZaniac]

So, I know I am going to be that guy and say that I am having the same problem here, there is something I would like to note and as this is a similar issue I don't think starting a new thread would be of much use.

 

I have an Asus monitor of some sort (can't remember the model #) but last night I turned off my computer and then today when I went to go turn it on, the computer cannot detect the monitor itself, however it seems to know when the cable is being plugged in and taken out. 

 

I also have a 970 and have the latest drivers as of March 8th 2017

[inZaniac]

3 hours ago, Glenwing said:

Try unplugging the monitor from power for a minute.

well what do you know, I tried this solution and it worked, thanks  hopefully it helps the original poster

[LiMiTx8]

I've been testing things for 2 days now. On monday I couldn't even start my PC anymore. It would just spam me with the no signal message even after like my 8th restart so I plugged in the DVI-D Dual Link cable I got with the monitor. Instantly working AND a selectable 1920x1080 resolution WITH 144hz option. I messed around with it a bit, got no out of signals or anything but I still wanted to stick to the display port cable or at least figure out if that caused my issues so I turned the cable around. The side that was in the monitor now is in the graphics card and I also unplugged everything from my monitor. Now it's working properly with the DP cable. For 2 days now I haven't had any no signals or out of reach errors but it looks like my monitor wants to select a different input(or tries detecting thins through DP once, it can't, then it detects it again...didn't really pay attention on that one small, quick blink in the corner when I start up my PC) at boot but then it instantly goes with DP and without any hickups it does what it has to.

So, I guess...issue resolved?
Could the cable be faulty? I checked on both ends and it doesn't say "plug this into your graphics card/monitor" so I assume it doesn't matter? Is this the case?

[Glenwing]

5 hours ago, LiMiTx8 said:

I've been testing things for 2 days now. On monday I couldn't even start my PC anymore. It would just spam me with the no signal message even after like my 8th restart so I plugged in the DVI-D Dual Link cable I got with the monitor. Instantly working AND a selectable 1920x1080 resolution WITH 144hz option. I messed around with it a bit, got no out of signals or anything but I still wanted to stick to the display port cable or at least figure out if that caused my issues so I turned the cable around. The side that was in the monitor now is in the graphics card and I also unplugged everything from my monitor. Now it's working properly with the DP cable. For 2 days now I haven't had any no signals or out of reach errors but it looks like my monitor wants to select a different input(or tries detecting thins through DP once, it can't, then it detects it again...didn't really pay attention on that one small, quick blink in the corner when I start up my PC) at boot but then it instantly goes with DP and without any hickups it does what it has to.

So, I guess...issue resolved?
Could the cable be faulty? I checked on both ends and it doesn't say "plug this into your graphics card/monitor" so I assume it doesn't matter? Is this the case?

It's more likely unplugging the cable and replugging it solved the issue, not changing the direction. Probably just loose connection or something.