Surface Pro 4 Incompatibility with Ultra-wide Monitor

Anonymous
2016-04-12T04:59:50+00:00

Last year I had purchased a brand new Samsung 29" ultra-wide curved LED monitor S29E790C to use with my older Surface Pro 2, and it worked like a charm. I would have it set to only display on the external display, and the graphics ran smoothly. However, much to my dismay, when I bought a brand new Surface Pro 4 (256 GB, i5, 8GB RAM model), the external monitor will, under no circumstance, adjust the native resolution properly.

The maximum option available is the 1920 x 1080 (recommended), and it's getting pretty frustrating trying to multitask using a 21:9 monitor with fat 3" black bars on either side of the active display area. I am using a regular Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter cable, which I have eliminated as the cause of the issue -- tried swapping it out with the other 4 identical ones I have as backups. I have heard tales of others experiencing the same exact issue with the newest design of the Surface moving to a 4:3 resolution in later models. Any input is appreciated.

Surface | Surface Pro | Display and screen

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Anonymous
2016-10-13T12:16:05+00:00

Here is my current status for connecting my ultra wide Samsung monitor to my Surface Book /Surface Dock:  

I ordered 2 cables for testing - one cable is a mini display port to display port; and the second is an active mini display port to HDMI.  My monitor has a display port and 2 HDMI interfaces.  

The first cable I received was the mini display port to display port and when I connected this it was a complete and immediate success!!  The monitor switched over right away and had the correct resolution of 2560x1080.  To say I was happy was an understatement.  I installed the monitor drivers for the display port and all is as it should be.

The second cable I received was the active mini display port to HDMI.  I disconnected the display port cable and plugged in this new cable and I had the same issue as with the passive mini display port to HDMI meaning it would not recognize the higher resolution so the monitor and my surface both stayed black.  All of this was the same exact issue as before.  I am not sure if the current monitor drive installed was interfering, but honestly, was not about to make more changes at this point.  I went through the typical reboot, reset the surface dock, etc, but no luck.

If you only have an HDMI port, it may be worth trying the active mini display port to see if that will work.  For my configuration, the display port seems to work the best.

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Anonymous
2016-04-23T22:50:42+00:00

IT WORKED! 

I used the display port on my LG Ultra Wide (29UM55-P), instead of HDMI, and connected it to the mini display port on the Surface Pro 4 and now I have the native resolution (2560 x 1080) again on my LG.  Looks fantastic!

Here is the cable I used:

http://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-DisplayPort-Thunderbolt-Compatible/dp/B00C7RJQPY?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref\_=oh\_aui\_detailpage\_o00\_s00

If you have a monitor that is not working with HDMI-to-MiniDisplayPort adaptors on the Surface Pro 4 I recommend going display port with cable.

Good luck all!

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  1. Anonymous
    2018-01-02T16:51:37+00:00

    I did not try testing the most recent changes with HDMI but it never worked with earlier tests.  Both the monitor and SP4 have DVI ports.  I bought a cable on Amazon that was recommended in a post here.  Then I contacted MSFT through the CEO's office and obtained a very high level support rep who worked with me, and tech support, for months.

    At first it did not work.  Finally, after many months of waiting, one of the DVI ports worked with the monitor, the other did not.  The SP4 never worked directly with the monitor.  ( For those just entering the thread, "didn't work" means the screen would flicker, have static lines, be in constant motion, and flash to black repeatedly It was unreadable, and always vibrating or flashing).

    My SP4 and dock were brand new.  The first set of instructions from regular support destroyed both the SP4 ( bricked it ) and the dock.  These were then exchanged for brand new ones.  Ultimately, MSFT sent me a dock with the updated firmware.

    At no time was I ever able to get the alternate DVI port on the dock to work.  The monitor always worked fine from HDMI using a Dell Desktop ( purchased through the Microsoft Store ), but it was always problematic with both a Surface Book and the Surface Pro 4.  Both use the same dock.  I had 3 different docks, and none of them worked properly, so I do believe the flaw is in the dock, although the SP4 would never support the monitor except through the dock.

    After several months of waiting ( and we know that means no one was really working on the issue at MSFT ), the company said they were closing the case ( problem never fully resolved ) and shortly thereafter they released the new Surface Pro.  I have no idea if it works any better with this issue, but I doubt it.

    As for me, considering all of the issues I've had with the Surface Book ( all well documented ) and the SP4, I first invested in a Mac Book Pro, using Parallels for my Windows development.  It worked fine, so instead of getting a Surface Studio for my desktop, I went to an iMac 27" also with Parallels.  I do have some issues transitioning to a different OS, but Apple Support is immediately available at the consumer level, and they stay with you to resolve the problem.  It's a night and day difference.  The quality of the display is great, and now I can actually route messages and even my phone through my computer(s).  The SP4 is still here, and the old Dell Desktop and Ultra Wide are OK for the grandkids when they are here.

    I wish I could give you a more positive answer.  I've been strictly in the MSFT camp since 1982, and I actually remember the days when support and quality were important factors, and solving issues was a priority.

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-01-02T03:39:10+00:00

    What started to work? Did the adapter start working after the Creators update? I really want to know since I bought an LG ultrawide with only HDMI ports and can't get it to run at 2560 x 1080.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-12-26T15:19:04+00:00

    After Creators update, something happened. It started to work again. (I had to do the manual update, because it was not available from windows update).

    So, the problem was Windows 10 for Sourface Book.

    Tks everybody that tried to help me.

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