Limited resolution over Thunderbolt 3 - Gigabyte Z490 Vision D

[FloGer]

Hello,

 

My motherboard (Gigabyte Z490 Vision D) has Thunderbolt 3 integrated. It even has a DisplayPort input, to be able to "pipe" the display signal from the GPU through Thunderbolt, and only having one cable leaving the computer all the way to the desk. 

I specifically bought this motherboard, because my desk is a bit further away from my computer than usual, and only wanted one long cable, instead of many. It's a similar setup than Linus' in this video.

 

Here are the important parts of my setup:

• Motherboard: Gigabytes Z490 Vision D
• GPU: GTX 1070
• Monitor: LG34WK95U-W

One important detail of this setup, is that the display I use has a native resolution of 5120x2160. This resolution requires DP1.4 in order to run it at 60Hz.

 

My issue is: When running a display port cable directly from the computer to the monitor, I get the full resolution at 60Hz.

As soon as I pipe the video signal through the Thunderbolt connection, my maximum resolution drops to 4K (the 5K ultra-wide does no longer show up in the display settings).

(Setup when piping through: GPU <-DP-cable-> Motherboard DP input <-Thunderbolt cable -> Monitor)

 

So far I have tested the following with no result:

• I have updated drivers (BIOS, Thunderbolt driver on the motherboard, GPU drivers).
• Run the nVidia DisplayPort updating tool
• Contacted LG support (very helpful, but the issue does not seem to be on the display side)
• Contacted Gigabyte support (very slow to answer, I'm only at the 3rd message within 2.5 weeks... It's e-mail based, not chat. So...)
• I have tested using a shorter TB3 cable from closer to the computer (tested while in touch with LG support).

What I would like to diagnose, but don't know how:

• Can I detect which DisplayPort version the current display is using? Basically, is my display falling down to DP1.2 when I'm piping it through TB3?

Would any of you know how I can get faster answers from Gigabyte? Any other means of contact than their e-support?

 

Thanks in advance,

Flo

 

Thunderbolt Control Center:

 

Directly through DP:

 

Piped through TB3:

 

 

Edited August 26, 2020 by FloGer
Image formatting

[Applefreak]

AFAIK Thunderbolt 3 only supports 4k @ 60 Hz

[PorkishPig]

This is likely an issue with your integrated graphics. Max supported resolution for the UHD 630 is 4096x2304@60Hz over DP. I believe Nvidia Control Panel and Windows Display Settings will round down to the nearest known resolution (4096x2304 -> 3840x2160).

 

See https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/199332/intel-core-i9-10900k-processor-20m-cache-up-to-5-30-ghz.html for integrated max resolutions for the i9-10900k. This is an example of a supported CPU for your motherboard, you did not provide your CPU.

 

I would suggest disabling your onboard graphics in your BIOS.

[FloGer]

2 hours ago, Applefreak said:

AFAIK Thunderbolt 3 only supports 4k @ 60 Hz

The manual of the monitor specifies 5120x2160 @ 60Hz over Thunderbolt (page 24 on this link). So I guess that this is not the issue. 

[FloGer]

3 hours ago, PorkishPig said:

This is likely an issue with your integrated graphics. Max supported resolution for the UHD 630 is 4096x2304@60Hz over DP. I believe Nvidia Control Panel and Windows Display Settings will round down to the nearest known resolution (4096x2304 -> 3840x2160).

 

See https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/199332/intel-core-i9-10900k-processor-20m-cache-up-to-5-30-ghz.html for integrated max resolutions for the i9-10900k. This is an example of a supported CPU for your motherboard, you did not provide your CPU.

 

I would suggest disabling your onboard graphics in your BIOS.

Interesting point. However, I specifically waited for the Z490 chipset to come out in order to have integrated GPU support for DP1.4 (basically, being able to have video if I don't have a GPU for whatever reason). (Edit: I just read through Intel ARK, and see that there is support for DP1.4, but not for 5K resolutions with onboard graphics.)

 

Furthermore, the manual of the motherboard specifies under "Onboard graphics" (page 10 in this PDF file) through Thunderbolt a max resolution of 5120x2880@60Hz with 24bpp. Perhaps the 24bpp is the hicup.

When using the onboard HDMI port (which is the only way to output video other than TB3 on this Motherboard), the maximum resolution is 4K@30Hz. But I'm not using this.

 

I will try to dig a bit regarding the onboard graphics. I have an i9-10900 (non K due to availability at the time) in there.

 

Screenshots from the manual:

1.

 

2.

Edited August 26, 2020 by FloGer
Typo

[FloGer]

I went to the BIOS and tried completely deactivating the integrated graphics. It doesn't change anything. 

 

But I remembered that there were some Thunderbolt specific settings in the BIOS that I did not understand. Maybe you understand them better than I do?

 

Here are some "screenshots":

 

[PorkishPig]

46 minutes ago, FloGer said:

I went to the BIOS and tried completely deactivating the integrated graphics. It doesn't change anything. 

AFAIK, none of these options will control display output. I'm actually not sure what would be causing it then, seems to me like this would be a bug in the BIOS if the issue occurs even with onboard graphics being disabled on a BIOS level.

[FloGer]

9 minutes ago, PorkishPig said:

None of these options will control display output. I'm actually not sure what would be causing it then, seems to me like this would be a bug in the BIOS if the issue occurs even with onboard graphics being disabled on a BIOS level.

I agree with that. I've gotten 2 BIOS updates in the 4 months I've had this motherboard.

 

And judging by the quite haze answers I get through the online support, it seems like there is something fishy on Gigabyte's side. But I don't know how to get it moving faster. Or get an answer other than "we're looking into it".

 

Thanks for your time anyway.

[FloGer]

I've solved the issue! Just posting this in case anyone else has the same issue one day.

 

I haven't fully understood the underlying tech specifics, but here is how I got it working (not HDR yet, but I'm sure I'll get it working in a couple of days):

• Forget the Gigabyte Z490 Vision D, it will NOT work with this motherboard
• You need to use a TB3 AIC card - with Titan Ridge (it's a Thunderbold revision)
• You need to plug in 2 DisplayPort cables from your GPU into your TB3 AIC. They will combine into one video stream through a single TB3 cable. And the monitor will run at the full resolution

From what I gathered, is that TB3, initially, only supported DP1.2 (which supports 4K@60Hz max if I'm not mistaken). In 2018, they added support for DP1.4 (which supports up to 8K@60Hz I believe), but in a weird way. Meaning that the input stream into the TB3 controller, is still only DP1.2, but once on the TB3 layer, it supports DP1.4. Meaning that it combines the 2 DP1.2 streams into 1.

 

Sorry if my "technical explanation" is somewhat approximate, but that's my best understanding as of now.

 

I hope this helps someone down the line.

[orlandocollins]

@FloGerLooks like you and I are in the same boat. I keep checking back to see if I can get this monitor to display in 5k. Frustrates me to no end that they still advertise that the B550 Vision D supports a 5k monitor through thunderbolt when it doesn't.....

[FloGer]

On 2/9/2021 at 3:50 AM, orlandocollins said:

@FloGerLooks like you and I are in the same boat. I keep checking back to see if I can get this monitor to display in 5k. Frustrates me to no end that they still advertise that the B550 Vision D supports a 5k monitor through thunderbolt when it doesn't.....

My solution was to get rid of the Gigabyte motherboard and I got an AsRock one with a Thunderbolt add-in card.
In order to make the 5K work, I had to plug in 2 DP cables from the GPU to the add-in card though! It's got something to do with dual-link over DP ... some technical stuff... anyhow, it works now ^^
 

The remaining issue is that I cannot wake the comupter up through TB. This may have to do with the fact that I've got an optical TB cable and not a copper one.

[gtdevo]

Will this work now on the Z590i Vision D with just a SINGLE DP 1.4 in and with it being thunderbolt 4 OUT now on the Z590?
as there is only one DP IN on the motherboard.

 

I'm looking at combining the Z590i Vision D (mini-ITX version) with RX5700xt to get 5k on the LG Ultrafine 5k monitor - expecting to get 5k using the GPU --> Display port IN --> Thunderbolt Out --> LG Ultrafine 5k.
Will I only achieve 4k?

 

 

Here's the Z590i specs:
Integrated Graphics Processor+Intel® Thunderbolt™ 4 Controller:

1. 2 x Intel® Thunderbolt™ 4 connectors (USB Type-C® ports), supporting DisplayPort and Thunderbolt™ video outputs and a maximum resolution of 5120x2880@60 Hz with 24 bpp (via single display output)
   * Because of the limited I/O resources of the PC architecture, the number of Thunderbolt™ devices that can be used is dependent on the number of the PCI Express devices being installed. (Refer to Chapter 1-7, "Back Panel Connectors," for more information.)
   * Support for DisplayPort 1.4 version and HDCP 2.3.
   (Graphics specifications may vary depending on CPU support.)

[FloGer]

No idea. I've you've got the time, money and return policy: please try!

On 3/26/2021 at 9:27 AM, gtdevo said:

Will this work now on the Z590i Vision D with just a SINGLE DP 1.4 in and with it being thunderbolt 4 OUT now on the Z590?
as there is only one DP IN on the motherboard.

 

I'm looking at combining the Z590i Vision D (mini-ITX version) with RX5700xt to get 5k on the LG Ultrafine 5k monitor - expecting to get 5k using the GPU --> Display port IN --> Thunderbolt Out --> LG Ultrafine 5k.
Will I only achieve 4k?

 

 

Here's the Z590i specs:
Integrated Graphics Processor+Intel® Thunderbolt™ 4 Controller:

1. 2 x Intel® Thunderbolt™ 4 connectors (USB Type-C® ports), supporting DisplayPort and Thunderbolt™ video outputs and a maximum resolution of 5120x2880@60 Hz with 24 bpp (via single display output)
   * Because of the limited I/O resources of the PC architecture, the number of Thunderbolt™ devices that can be used is dependent on the number of the PCI Express devices being installed. (Refer to Chapter 1-7, "Back Panel Connectors," for more information.)
   * Support for DisplayPort 1.4 version and HDCP 2.3.
   (Graphics specifications may vary depending on CPU support.)

 

[Silentfan]

With the Asrock X570 ITX TB3 3840x2160@120 Hz works over one cable.

(with RTX 3090).
 

But I have a problem with the Corning glass fiber cable: When the PC has shut down, I don`t always get a signal at startup. If the signal is there, then it is stable. But this is not perfect (the pc should always be running...).

With a short - non fiber glass - Thunderbolt cable = it works perfect.

Ideas: I try two TB-docks and/or the Z590i Vision D with TB4. Here you can set a few thunderbolt settings (as like at extern Titan Ridge), at Asrock you can only change the security level...

 

edit 1: Now I have tested with a PCI Card (Titan Ridge): same problem = with glass fiber Corning cable I don't get a signal everytime. Only 100% with a short active cable. In the next two days I get for a other test a other TB-dock.

 

edit 2: O other TB-dock doesn`t change anything. I will use two cables (Displayport + USB extension) to connect the other room (Display/Mouse/Keyboard/Sound).

 

[Silentfan]

unnecessary