Maximum HDMI output and higher resolutions/refresh

[estugarda]

I'm using my Asus i7 N76VZ (NVIDIA GT-650M GPU) laptop with a 1920*1200 external monitor via HDMI output (HDMI out cable + HDMI>DVI adapter), and now with all the new big high resolution IPS displays available, I've decided to upgrade my display. With 34" 21:9 displays in mind. However, to my absolute horror, I have just learned that HDMI output is limited when it comes to high resolutions and framerates. I wasn't able to find out exactly anything about any actual numbers. Only bits and pieces. Nothing official. I wasn't even able to find out which HDMI version my laptop has.

So what is the maximum resolution of HDMI output on my N76VZ with NVIDIA GT-650M GPU?
At what refresh rates?
Which version of HDMI it is on N76VZ? (1.3/1.4?)

If the HDMI cannot go higher than 1920*1200 at 60Hz, is there any other way except for HDMI to get the higher resolution out of my laptop? Say at least 2560x1440, if not 4K.

[Archangel1994]

Even their own product page doesn't list it...

 

Send an E-Mail to ASUS support. If it has HDMI 1.4 you're good but only at 30Hz I believe for 3440x1440 and guaranteed only 30Hz at 4K

[Glenwing]

The 650M supports 1.4a, so it's unlikely the laptop would have anything less.

 

HDMI 1.4a has the bandwidth to do 2560x1440 at 60Hz or 1920x1080 at 120Hz, although these aren't part of the official HDMI spec so they may not initially appear as supported resolutions in Windows.  If that's the case you'll just need to set it using a custom resolution through the NVIDIA control panel.

[estugarda]

Even their own product page doesn't list it...

 

Send an E-Mail to ASUS support. If it has HDMI 1.4 you're good but only at 30Hz I believe for 3440x1440 and guaranteed only 30Hz at 4K

Yeah. That's the first place I checked. I also contacted the customer service, but they are out of this earth slow and unhelpful. I've had nothing but terrible experience with them before. I don't count on any help from Asus customer service. If they really cared, they would list the info in specs, or at least in the manual, which I read from start to end.

 

So it's positive that I won't be able to get more than 30Hz on 3440x1440? Would it at least work on 30Hz? What does 30Hz on LCD actually mean? I'm not a gamer, but I do use an external display alot for CAD. Would it strain my eyes?

 

The 650M supports 1.4a, so it's unlikely the laptop would have anything less.

 

HDMI 1.4a has the bandwidth to do 2560x1440 at 60Hz or 1920x1080 at 120Hz, although these aren't part of the official HDMI spec so they may not initially appear as supported resolutions in Windows.  If that's the case you'll just need to set it using a custom resolution through the NVIDIA control panel.

Some random people said it has HDMI 1.4 not 1.4a. Another weird thing I heard is that the HDMI could be attached to integrated Intel HD4000, so this could also throttle it down. I'm not sure about that. If the HDMI is 1.4, can I at least count on 2560x1440 @ 60Hz?

[Glenwing]

Yeah. That's the first place I checked. I also contacted the customer service, but they are out of this earth slow and unhelpful. I've had nothing but terrible experience with them before. I don't count on any help from Asus customer service. If they really cared, they would list the info in specs, or at least in the manual, which I read from start to end.

 

So it's positive that I won't be able to get more than 30Hz on  3440x1440? Will it at least work on 30Hz? What does 30Hz on LCD actually mean? I'm not a gamer, but I do use an external display alot. Would it strain my eyes?

 

Some random people said it has HDMI 1.4 not 1.4a. Another weird thing I heard is that the HDMI could be attached to integrated Intel HD4000, so this could also throttle it down. I'm not sure about that. If the HDMI is 1.4, can I at least count on 2560x1440 @ 60Hz?

 

Yeah, what I said applies to anything HDMI 1.3 and up.

 

30Hz means the display re-draws the image on its screen 30 times a second.  It's the maximum number of individual frames that can be shown in a second, so you will essentially be capped at 30fps, which makes for a pretty poor experience for most people.  It won't necessarily strain your eyes, low refresh rates won't cause flickering like you would see on old school CRT displays, although your brightness settings could cause flickering depending on what kind of backlight technology the display maker chose to use.  That's a separate issue from refresh rate though.

 

Being attached to the Intel HD graphics is a possibility, you can check this in the NVIDIA control panel as it will have a little chart somewhere in there that tells you which graphics adapter each port is linked to (I think it's in the PhysX setup page).  That might impact performance in games, but it wouldn't affect what refresh rate the monitor could run at.  HDMI 1.4 is HDMI 1.4.  It may not matter though since I think the NVIDIA GPU can still be utilized for monitors even when the port is supposedly attached to the Intel chip.  I think there is some level of integration between the Intel and NVIDIA GPUs that allow them to share in some way.

[estugarda]

I know how refresh rate works, I just don't know about how it would affect my everyday work, as I never tried anything below 60Hz for CAD purposes. It sure doesn't sound very good.

Regarding the brightness flickering possibility, which  backlight technologies are there? I thought there is only the LED and the older bulbs thing. Most are LED nowdays, right?

 

I don't seem to be able find the mentioned chart in NVIDIA Control Panel. It only says that my external monitor (DELL 2407WPFHC) is a DVI-PC display (in Display>Change resolution), and in "Set PhysX..." it actually states that my external display is connected to 650M, and laptop display to HD4000. GO figure. I do have NVIDIA set up as the preferred graphic processor for everything. Also the Intel HD4000 settings don't even list the external display anywhere, just the laptop display...

[Glenwing]

I know how refresh rate works, I just don't know about how it would affect my everyday work, as I never tried anything below 60Hz for CAD purposes. It sure doesn't sound very good.

Regarding the brightness flickering possibility, which  backlight technologies are there? I thought there is only the LED and the older bulbs thing. Most are LED nowdays, right?

 

I don't seem to be able find the mentioned chart in NVIDIA Control Panel. It only says that my external monitor (DELL 2407WPFHC) is a DVI-PC display (in Display>Change resolution), and in "Set PhysX..." it actually states that my external display is connected to 650M, and laptop display to HD4000. GO figure. I do have NVIDIA set up as the preferred graphic processor for everything. Also the Intel HD4000 settings don't even list the external display anywhere, just the laptop display...

 

Actually it has to do with how the brightness control is implemented, regardless of whether it's using CFL or LED lighting.  The more common method is called PWM, which pulses the light at high frequency at a set brightness level.  To adjust the perceived brightness, the light's duty cycle is shortened, meaning it is activated for a shorter amount of time during each pulse.  For example at 20% brightness setting the light would be on for 20% of the time and off for 80% of the time during each pulse, so overall it lets out 20% of the light as full brightness, when it would be on for 100% of the time during each pulse.  Depending on the PWM frequency the manufacturer chooses, and how sensitive the viewer's eyes are, flicking might become perceptible as the brightness setting is lowered.  The more expensive and less common method for is to use an actual dimming circuit, or DC brightness control.  Monitors advertised as "flicker-free" are using this method.

 

I think that is the chart I was talking about (more of a diagram I guess), it should show all the display outputs organized by which graphics adapter they are linked to, as well as a box showing each display connected to each port.  Like I said though I'm not actually sure how accurate that will be in this case though, since laptop GPUs and integrated graphics seem to have a higher level of cooperation than with desktop hardware.

[Newil]

@estugarda Did you got a way to put higher resolutions than 1920*1200 on external monitor with your Asus Laptop?

I have this problem now and would like to know if there's a way to support 4k with my Asus N76VZ. I read that a usb 3.0 to DisplayPort adapter could do the trick, but i'm not sure.

[Glenwing]

Please don't revive 6 year old threads