Vyper III Gaming with external monitor - have I made a huge mistake?

[mbuk2k]

Hi,

Have recently taken delivery of a Vyper III 15.6 gaming laptop, specced up pretty high.

Though I love that fact that it's relatively light and portable, and quiet when doing general 'office' admin stuff, the main point was to power gaming on my existing Dell S2716DG 1440p 144Hz G-sync external monitor with external keyboard and mouse.

But here's the problem, I did not check the display outputs...

The laptop only has one display output. It's an HDMI, and my monitor will only run at 60Hz through the HDMI.

I realise it's an older monitor and that it may be possible to solve this by buying a new monitor that runs at 144Hz through HDMI 2.0... but I cannot for the life of me find out whether the HDMI port on the Vyper III is 2.0 or just 1.4??

If anybody knows this information please let me know. I've emailed PCS and tried calling but was 15th in the queue and ended up being cut off.

If the worst is true and the HDMI is only 1.4, I think my only option is to chalk it up to experience/idiocy and return the machine.

If it is miraculously an HDMI 2.0 port, can anyone recommend a decent 27" 1440p monitor to go with this setup?

 

[AgentCooper]

I’m not a laptopper but there’s a few that spring to mind on the forum who know their stuff.

@barlew, @fevieira, either of you able to answer the above query?

 

[mbuk2k]

Thanks for the call outs Agentcooper.

Also worth saying the laptop has a USB-C/Thunderbolt output but doesn't appear to transmit video through this port. I already bought a Thunderbolt-to-DisplayPort cable to try and it didn't even detect the monitor.

An interesting point is that when running games on the external monitor, the FPS counters will often show frame rates of 100+. But I'm fairly certain this is just the framerate being delivered to the monitor - not the framerate that the monitor is 'displaying'.

Both Windows and Nvidia control panel will only allow me to set the refresh rate at 60Hz for the external monitor. I'm happy to buy another monitor, but this all seems to boil down to whether the HDMI on the Vyper is 1.4 or 2.0.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can solve this.

Edit: I've just found this thread here where mod @SpyderTracks states

The HDMI on the Vyper will handle 1440p 144hz quite happily. It also has Thunderbolt 3 which you could use with an adapter to DP

I can only assume this means that the HDMI is 2.0 and my monitor is the problem. This is great news... in that I hopefully don't have to return the laptop, just buy a newer monitor.

However am confused why my Thunderbolt-to-DP cable didn't work.

 

[FerrariVie]

Unfortunately, I can't be of much help here, as I don't have an external monitor. However, I was able to borrow a Philips 75Hz one for a few minutes to test it out for you, and I can confirm that it did work as 75Hz using the HDMI port (I have a Nova chassis, not Vyper though). It was set up to use 60Hz by default, but once I went to the advanced display settings on windows, 75Hz was indeed available. Also keep in mind that neither my laptop nor the monitor have G-Sync, so I'm guessing that your issue might have something to do with this?

Have you looked into the manual of your laptop? It might give you more detailed info about the video output ports. I could see on mine that my Type C port does output video, as they mention "Displayport over Type C"

 

[mbuk2k]

Thanks for your investigations @fevieira

My laptop came only with the generic PCSpecialist Welcome Booklet, no specific Vyper manual. Which I admit is odd. Is there a way to find it through my PCS account area?

Regarding your G-Sync point, it's a fair thought, so I had a look in to it. Turns out the Nvidia Control Panel doesn't even show the G-sync option anymore (it's usually in the "Display" menu labelled "Set up G-SYNC" but it's not there!). I guess this suggests it's not supported - by the monitor - through HDMI.

I've ordered a new monitor arriving tomorrow which might solve things. Will update then for posterity in case anyone else finds this problem. In the meantime all other suggestions welcome.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thanks for your investigations @fevieira

My laptop came only with the generic PCSpecialist Welcome Booklet, no specific Vyper manual. Which I admit is odd. Is there a way to find it through my PCS account area?

Regarding your G-Sync point, it's a fair thought, so I had a look in to it. Turns out the Nvidia Control Panel doesn't even show the G-sync option anymore (it's usually in the "Display" menu labelled "Set up G-SYNC" but it's not there!). I guess this suggests it's not supported - by the monitor - through HDMI.

I've ordered a new monitor arriving tomorrow which might solve things. Will update then for posterity in case anyone else finds this problem. In the meantime all other suggestions welcome.

It sounds like your windows isn't configured yet. Did you order with windows or without?

 

[mbuk2k]

It sounds like your windows isn't configured yet. Did you order with windows or without?

With Windows. Can you expand?

edit: under Activation settings it says "Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account". And I had to go through the windows setup upon first boot up.

 

[AgentCooper]

And did you run Windows update repeatedly until no more were found?

 

[chrisg4u]

G-sync only works through DP and not HDMI

 

[Martinr36]

Thanks for your investigations @fevieira

My laptop came only with the generic PCSpecialist Welcome Booklet, no specific Vyper manual. Which I admit is odd. Is there a way to find it through my PCS account area?

Regarding your G-Sync point, it's a fair thought, so I had a look in to it. Turns out the Nvidia Control Panel doesn't even show the G-sync option anymore (it's usually in the "Display" menu labelled "Set up G-SYNC" but it's not there!). I guess this suggests it's not supported - by the monitor - through HDMI.

I've ordered a new monitor arriving tomorrow which might solve things. Will update then for posterity in case anyone else finds this problem. In the meantime all other suggestions welcome.

Did you not get a CD/DVD with it with the manual on

 

[mbuk2k]

And did you run Windows update repeatedly until no more were found?

Yes absolutely, as instructed in the welcome pack.

@chrisg4u ok makes sense. But in the the context of this main issue, do you think this means a G-Sync monitor will only run at 60Hz through HDMI...even if G-Sync isn't enabled (because it doesn't work through HDMI)

 

[mbuk2k]

Did you not get a CD/DVD with it with the manual on

Nope. This laptop doesn't have a CD/DVD drive anyway.

 

[FerrariVie]

Thanks for your investigations @fevieira

My laptop came only with the generic PCSpecialist Welcome Booklet, no specific Vyper manual. Which I admit is odd. Is there a way to find it through my PCS account area?

Regarding your G-Sync point, it's a fair thought, so I had a look in to it. Turns out the Nvidia Control Panel doesn't even show the G-sync option anymore (it's usually in the "Display" menu labelled "Set up G-SYNC" but it's not there!). I guess this suggests it's not supported - by the monitor - through HDMI.

I've ordered a new monitor arriving tomorrow which might solve things. Will update then for posterity in case anyone else finds this problem. In the meantime all other suggestions welcome.

I found my manual from Clevo on the internet, so if you manage to get the model number on the back cover of your laptop, we might be able to help you find it.

The description of my display ports are exactly this:
One DisplayPort 1.4 over USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C Port
One Mini DisplayPort 1.4
One HDMI-Out Port

But they don't mention what is the version of the HDMI, though.

G-sync only works through DP and not HDMI

I think you're right, but then if the Vyper doesn't have a DP, then it means that it also does not support G-Sync? Anyway, that should not prevent him from changing the refresh rate of the monitor, right? Even though the G-Sync is not supported.

Maybe @mbuk2k should disable G-Sync on the monitor options, if there is one option for that.

 

[mbuk2k]

Here's the numbers from the label on the back cover:

 

[FerrariVie]

Here's the numbers from the label on the back cover:

I could not find the manual for that specific model, unfortunately. Maybe you should check the DVD that came with the laptop, as suggested by @Martinr36 , or maybe @SpyderTracks knows where to get it?

 

[SpyderTracks]

I could not find the manual for that specific model, unfortunately. Maybe you should check the DVD that came with the laptop, as suggested by @Martinr36 , or maybe @SpyderTracks knows where to get it?

You'd need to ask PCS, TongFang don't have a public repository like other chassis manufacturers.

There won't be an issue using the thunderbolt port though, I would concentrate on using that. There may be a BIOS setting you have to adjust to disable GPU switching as by default it will be on the iGPU.

 

[mbuk2k]

There won't be an issue using the thunderbolt port though, I would concentrate on using that. There may be a BIOS setting you have to adjust to disable GPU switching as by default it will be on the iGPU.

Ah so you're saying the system might be defaulting to the iGPU through the Thunderbolt, which is why the Thunderbolt-to-DP cable didn't work? (I've tried this cable already and the monitor wasn't even recognised.)

 

[mbuk2k]

Maybe you should check the DVD that came with the laptop

@FeVieira it didn't come with a DVD! It has no DVD drive :/ Thank you for trying to find the manual though.

@SpyderTracks I'll look in to this BIOS option, thanks. But on current set up, the Thunderbolt/USB-C-to-Displayport cable I bought failed to even cause the monitor to be recognised. It was this cable: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B081ZZSV2S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[mbuk2k]

UPDATE AND APOLOGIES

Okay so the Thunderbolt-to-DP cable has suddenly, after two days, started working!

It initially allowed for 85Hz and G-Sync... then when I turned on V-Sync in the NCP it unlocked all the refresh rates including up to and including 144Hz!

This is really bizarre and my apologies for taking up all your time. But hopefully this can help someone else in the future.

FWIW - possible solution: I think the reason the cable started working is because I changed the NCP settings to "Power management mode : Prefer maximum performance" where it's default setting was "Optimal Power" (edit: "Adaptive" seems to work too). This may be a soft version of what you recommended @SpyderTracks... i.e. it was defaulting to iGPU when just in Windows... but I cannot be sure.

 

[SpyderTracks]

UPDATE AND APOLOGIES

Okay so the Thunderbolt-to-DP cable has suddenly, after two days, started working!

It initially allowed for 85Hz and G-Sync... then when I turned on V-Sync in the NCP it unlocked all the refresh rates including up to and including 144Hz!

This is really bizarre and my apologies for taking up all your time. But hopefully this can help someone else in the future.

FWIW - possible solution: I think the reason the cable started working is because I changed the NCP settings to "Power management mode : Prefer maximum performance" where it's default setting was "Optimal Power". This may be a soft version of what you recommended @SpyderTracks... i.e. it was defaulting to iGPU when just in Windows... but I cannot be sure.

I’m fairly certain that windows wasn’t fully configured at a driver level. It’s likely windows updates has been installing things in the background since you last tried it.

There’s no problem with the thunderbolt connecting to an external display, so it was always a config issue rather than a limitation of the port.

Main thing is that it’s working, that’s great!