GL552VX cannot display 4k resolution on a 4k TV. - solved

[drleco]

Just a week ago, I got ASUS ROG GL552VX laptop as a working rig. YEY! 😄

Yesterday, I've plugged in LG 49UH610V 4k TV to laptop's HDMI, with Project option set to "Second Screen Only", hoping it'll go full 4k (3840x2160). At this point, it doesn't matter if its 30Hz or 60Hz or anything in between, since I probably do not have an HDMI 2.0 cable. I just wan to make it go 4k on TV. 🙂

TV's original resolution was 1920x1080, so I went to display settings, hoping to simply change it to 3840x2160. WRONG!

It appears it's not an easy feat...

When I opened Intel Graphics Control Panel, and went to resolution settings for the LG 4k TV, the highest resolution available was 1920x1080. When I tried to set a custom resolution to 3840x2160 @ 60 HZ, it said that it exceeds the bandwidth, so I went for 3840x2160 @ 30 Hz instead, knowing the laptop can do that one easily. After successfully saving 4k@30Hz res, when I went to LG 4k TV resolution selection drop down menu, the highest resolution was still 1920x1080.

One interesting thing is that yesterday, I've successfully connected laptop to DELL U2412M monitor, over it's VGA port, using HDMI-to-VGA adapter. Without any manual settings, picture went to monitor's default 1920x1200 resolution.

Laptop specs:
- i5 6300HQ
- Intel HD Graphics 530 graphics (integrated on i5)
- nVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M GPU
- 8 GB RAM
-1 TB HDD


What I've learned by now:

- Intel HD 530 CAN push 4k through HDMI.

- I'm not sure if it can do 4k @ 60Hz through HDMI using HDMI 2.0 cable, since Intel says it can do that only through Display Port. This should be checked, though.

- Laptop's GeForce GPU is used solely for image processing acceleration, but it doesn't control HDMI. That means, if required, GeForce renders the image and sends it to Intel HD 530 to project it through HDMI. Kind of a bottleneck, right?

- I've went to dedicated ASUS drivers page here,, where I've found VGA drivers for both Intel and nVIDIA graphics, so I've downloaded both.

- When trying to install Intel driver, I get the following message: "The driver being installed is not validated for this computer. Obtain the appropriate driver from the computer's manufacturer. Setup will exit." This means it doesn't allow installation because the currently installed ASUS driver has some additional functions, and the new driver may impair some of the laptop's functionalities.

- I have also posted this question on Intel Community forum here, so you can check the reply I got. Basically asking me to install the latest Intel HD Graphics 530 driver from ASUS drivers page dedicated to my laptop.


Please shoot any questions or ideas, and I can also provide printscreens, and logs, if required.

THANKS IN ADVANCE! 😄

[xeromist]

Are you sure the TV will accept the 4K input mode you are setting on your laptop? Some TV manufacturers cheap out on the HDMI chip to the point that the inputs don't match the panel. For instance, when 120hz was first being rolled out a lot of TVs would only accept 60hz input and then just display each frame twice to get 120hz. Similarly, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the "4K" TVs available now only do 4k in very limited conditions. Maybe it works with some physical connections but not others, or it only works for a small set of modes. You would have to check the TVs manual to determine what input modes are available on which input connections.

[drleco]

Tnx for the tip. It's a fair point, I'll check that. Hopefully it's not the case, but it smells like it... 😞

[drleco]

I've checked all spec sheets I could find, both in print and online, and It seems that the TV is quite capable of displaying 4k through HDMI.

But, looking for a solution, I got an advice from my friend to check whether my HDMI cable is capable of pushing 4k. After quick online search, I've found a quite helpful article on C|Net: https://www.cnet.com/news/why-all-hdmi-cables-are-the-same/


It seems there are just two types of HDMI cables that may interest me (the ones without Ethernet capability):

1. Standard (a/k/a Category 1) => Up to 1080i (or perhaps even up to 1080p)
2. High-speed (a/k/a Category 2) => Up to 4k@60Hz

Considering that I bought my HDMI cable in 2010, it is quite possible that it's Category 1. So, the next order of business is to get my hands on a proper High-speed HDMI cable and check whether this will solve the issue.

[davemon50]

I haven't gotten into the whole 4K era yet, I'm one of those slow technology adopters who likes to wait until others have lost their own hair first and provided the slow people like me with solutions and recommendations and lessons learned. Then I buy. But at any rate, since you are now focusing on cables, I wonder if you have checked out THIS ARTICLE ON CNET, where the reviewer has an interesting commentary on HDMI cables. With the convergence of TV and PC monitor technologies, I'm not sure why manufacturers haven't started adopting DisplayPort options yet. I guess to keep costs consumer-friendly and competitive, but anyway that's another topic. 🙂

[drleco]

Thanks for the link. I've read that one, as well as the rest of the series on the topic by the same guy. Quite informative. 🙂

I stumbled by chance into a fairly priced 4k HDR TV, as I was trying to find just a larger screen, moving from 37" to 50"-ish range. Initially, I planned to get a good 1080 TV, without any gimmicks such as Smart TV, 3D, and such. As it turned out, a newsletter from a good retailer "called me to action".

After checking a few reviews, 4k tech and screen size vs. viewing distance science, I've decided I just might get into the 4k game. So here I am, battling it out, as an early-ish adopter.

In case you have any questions, shoot. I might even pop a good advice. Or not. 🙂

[drleco]

Solved!

It was the cable!

I've used a HDMI cable purchased two weeks ago, and after connecting laptop and TV, TV's resolution automatically changed to 4096x2160. In display settings I couldn't get it over 30Hz, though, but that's ok for me, as I'll use this setup to watch movies, which are mostly 23.99 fps. In case I manage to get it to work on 60 MHz, I'll post the experience here.

So, the moral of the story is, ALWAYS CHECK THE CABLING FIRST!

Thanks anyway!

[davemon50]

What cable branding and model?