Intel Graphics Command Center sometimes showing Combine Displays option, often not

[Beem]

Hi Intel,

When using the Intel Graphics Command Center software, the option to combine displays is only available sometimes. I have not been able to figure out what causes the option to be available or not, all of my tests have been on the same machine using the same displays. For instance right now I do not have the option and can't seem to get it to appear, while a few days ago it was there and I used my three external screens as one single screen.

Any help on the issue would be appreciated.

My machine is a Lenovo P1 Gen7 with a Core Ultra 9 185H. I have three Gigabyte M32U screens connected through a Lenovo Thunderbolt 4 hub (2 on DP, 1 on HDMI). All drivers are up-to-date according to Lenovo's Vantage software. I'm not using the dGPU, internal Intel GPU only.

Any idea why the option to combine screens would be there one day and not the next? Anything in particular that can trigger it to (dis)appear?

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello Beem,

Thanks for posting in the communities, I just have some few clarification about your concern. Please see the following questions below:

1. Do you want to duplicate your laptop display on your external monitor, or extend your display across three screens?
2. Have you checked your Windows Display Settings to configure your display?
3. Have you tested using one or two external monitors? What were the results?
4. What is your current graphics driver?
5. When you say you are using only the iGPU and not the dGPU, does that mean your laptop has a dGPU?
6. Could you tell me the reason why you not using your dGPU, if you have any?
7. How did you disable your dGPU? Was it through the BIOS, or did you not install the driver for it?

This will greatly help me further understand your siutaion and provide you better solution.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Beem]

Hi Dhanniel, thanks for your reply. Let me go over your questions:

1. Do you want to duplicate your laptop display on your external monitor, or extend your display across three screens?
   
   Neither. Duplicating and extending the desktop on the external displays works fine. I have my desktop extended across all three screens without issues. I'm looking for the option to Combine displays, so my machine sees all three screen as one big single screen.
   
   For the record: this has worked before, with this setup (same laptop, same monitors, same software, same driver). I was able to use the IGCC software to combine all three external screens into one. But now the option to Combine them is no longer there. It was gone before, but then showed up again after a few days. This is my main issue, the IGCC software sometimes showing the option to Combine displays, but often does not.
2. Have you checked your Windows Display Settings to configure your display?
   
   I have, but the option to Combine displays is, as far as I know, not something that can be done in the Windows Display Settings.
   
   
3. Have you tested using one or two external monitors? What were the results?
   
   I have tried with a single and two external monitors connected, but the option to Combine displays has not showed up.
   
   
4. What is your current graphics driver?
   
   My current graphics driver, according to Lenovo Vantage, is: Intel Graphics Driver - 10 (21H2 or Later)/11 (21H2 or Later)- 32.0.101.6078
   
   
5. When you say you are using only the iGPU and not the dGPU, does that mean your laptop has a dGPU?
   
   It does. As with many laptops mine has both an iGPU and a dGPU. The dGPU is only used when applications require it (I think Windows manages this) or when applications are explicitly configured to use the dGPU. 
   
   
6. Could you tell me the reason why you not using your dGPU, if you have any?
   
   See previous answer. It can be enabled per application, but I'm not sure if it can be run exclusively without the iGPU (for things like just the Windows desktop etc). So basically everything runs on the iGPU, unless I run a 3D game.
   
   
7. How did you disable your dGPU? Was it through the BIOS, or did you not install the driver for it?
   
   I did not actively disable it. But al long as applications don't require it, Windows doesn't use it and will only use the iGPU. 

I hope these answers give you more to go on. I really appreciate the help.

So just to be clear: I'm looking for a way to consistently get the option to Combine displays in IGCC. It has been there before, I've used it successfully, but most of the time the option to Combine displays is not available. I've seen the option a few times, it has been gone in between, only to pop up again after a few days.

[DeancR_Intel]

Hello Beem,

Please see the following steps and let me know if the issue still persists after this:

• I suggest  using the latest WHQL graphics driver available (let us know the exact driver version you are using).
• A clean driver installation using DDU in safe mode is recommended. Follow this link for instructions.
• You could also test using the latest non-WHQL driver. This driver goes through all Intel quality assurance processes and is safe to use for evaluation.

Best regards,

Dean R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Beem]

Hi Dean,

Thanks for your reply. 

I did as you described:

• I cleaned my Intel display drivers using the DDU in safe mode.
• Rebooted and installed the Intel® Arc™ Pro Graphics - Windows driver version 32.0.101.6303 (https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/741626/intel-arc-pro-graphics-windows.html)
• Rebooted again. 

This did not have the expected effect. In fact, with this driver I was no longer able to run my three 4K screens at 60Hz. Two could run at 60Hz, but one would always drop down to 30Hz no matter what I tried. Also, the option to combine displays did not appear in the Intel Graphics Command Center.

Then I tried the other (non-WHQL) driver, so I again cleaned the display drivers with DDU in safe mode, rebooted, then installed Intel® Arc™ & Iris® Xe Graphics - Windows version 32.0.101.6332/32.0.101.101.6253 (https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/785597/intel-arc-iris-xe-graphics-windows.html).

This fixed the issue with my refresh rates; I was now able to run all three 4k screens at 60Hz again. However the software bundled with this driver was different. No Intel Graphics Command Center, but Intel Graphics Software. It ran fine as far as I could tell, but I could not find the option to combine displays in it. Also, because I was unfamiliar with this software I did not know where it might show up, if for some reason things did work as expected.

So I ended up uninstalling that too and reverted back to the drivers that were installed by the Lenovo Vantage software, which (as far as I can tell) is the slightly older 32.0.101.6078 WHQL version.

I did however find a workaround for getting the Combine displays option to appear in the Intel Graphics Command Center! If I put my system to sleep and then wake it again, the option to Combine displays is there. It's not ideal, but at least I seem to get the option reliably this way.

Any ideas why the option to Combine displays would show up after the system has gone to sleep?

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello Beem,

I just want to clarify a few things. I see that it was previously working on your laptop. Can you tell me if you were using the Lenovo Thunderbolt 4 hub at that time? Also, do you remember when this issue occurred? Was it after a Windows update or a driver update?

In the meantime, I see that your laptop has an Nvidia dGPU. According to some resources I found online, Nvidia can also support combined displays. Could you try acess your Nvidia control panel to check if it will work. You may also contact Lenovo or Nvidia for further support on this matter.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Beem]

Hi Dhanniel,

The reason I've seen it working before is, I think, related to the workaround I described in my previous post: after my laptop has gone to sleep and awakes again, the option to Combine displays suddenly appears. So what I think happened before is that during the day, at some point, my laptop went to sleep (during lunch or whatever). Then I continued working, at some point checked for the option to Combine and it was there. Then other days when my laptop had not gone to sleep yet that day, the options wasn't there.

Because, just to be clear, I can now reliably get the option to appear by putting my laptop to sleep and then wake it again.

As for your questions:

I've been using the Lenovo Thunderbolt 4 hub the whole time; when it's working and when it's not. I don't think the issues are related to driver updates; as mentioned above, I think the Combine option showing up before was due to the machine having gone to sleep. I'm not aware of any (Windows) updates that were done in the meantime.

Regarding the option to combine displays through Nvidia software: That is also something I've explored. However, my machine does not have the option to run exclusively on the dGPU; the iGPU will always be used by default in Windows. Only individual applications can use the dGPU. I'm not sure how this works internally exactly, but from what I understand the dGPU will generate the image and then will push it to the iGPU buffer to get displayed on a screen. So the iGPU will always be in between. So anyway, the NVidia software will only have the option to combine displays when the monitors are connected to it directly. But since the iGPU is always in between, the dGPU will not detect the individual monitors and as such won't have the option to combine them. I may be off on some of the finer details here but in general that's how it works, I think.

Long story short, I'm not sure if it's worth exploring this issue any further. It would be nice if I did not have to put my laptop to sleep for the Combine option to show up in Intel Graphics Command Center, but it's a workable workaround. 

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello Beem,

Thanks for the clarification on this matter. Technically speaking, since you are using three displays and external monitors, the dGPU will be automatically used. Generally speaking, the dGPU is primarily what is working on your laptop. You may also contact your laptop manufacturer to confirm this and to check if your dGPU can support 'Combined Display.' Let me know if you have further inquiries about this.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Beem]

Hi Dhanniel,

---

Technically speaking, since you are using three displays and external monitors, the dGPU will be automatically used. Generally speaking, the dGPU is primarily what is working on your laptop.

---

I don't think that's correct. The NVidia software indicates no monitors are connected to it, but instead they are all connected to the iGPU. Furthermore, the hardware sensors indicate no activity whatsoever on the dGPU. Not until an application is specifically asked to run on it. Like I said in my previous post, the dGPU software also had the option to combine display, but this will not show up because the dGPU is not being used.

I feel like you're ignoring, or not reading, part of my posts though. I already said that the combine displays option in your Intel software works, though only after putting the laptop to sleep first. So this indicates the iGPU is being used, and not the dGPU. I've asked you twice now if you have any idea why the option appears after putting the machine to sleep first. But going by your replies, I have to assume you have no idea either. Which is fine, some issues are weird and difficult to explain, but it would be nice if you could at least acknowledge the question.

Anyway, I have a reliable workaround, putting my machine to sleep and then having the option appear in the IGCC software. I'm still very curious why the option would appear only after sleep mode, but I feel we're not going to find that answer here.

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello Beem,

I understand your point and appreciate the detailed post and reply regarding your issue. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. Since you have already performed a clean installation using DDU in safe mode, you also found a workaround on this issue. But please allow me to further investigate this on my end and get back to you with an appropriate answer.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello Beem, 

Thanks for patiently waiting, as I have investigated this internally and found some things on the previous interaction. 

It appears that you have downloaded and installed the Pro version of the Intel graphics driver. Since your system uses the Intel® Arc™ Pro A-series, which is designed for professional high-performance graphics, you need the appropriate driver version. The 'Pro' designation indicates that it's the professional version within the Intel Arc GPU family, specifically built for workstations, both mobile and desktop.

Therefore, I recommend installing the latest driver (32.0.101.6458/32.0.101.6257) from the Intel website and performing a clean installation. Please follow these steps for a clean installation:

1. Disconnect from the internet to make sure the driver will not be automatically updated by Windows.
2. Go back to the Intel Graphics entry in the Device Manager.
3. Right-click Intel Graphics and click Uninstall.
4. In the device removal dialog box, check Delete the driver software for this device and click OK.
5. Restart the computer after the uninstallation is complete.
6. Open the Device Manager.
7. Expand the Display adapters section again.
8. If no older drivers are stored in the system, the graphics controller in Device Manager should now be listed as Microsoft Basic Display Adapter, Standard VGA Graphics Adapter or similar. If not, repeat steps 2 through 5.
9. Reboot the computer when prompted.

Execute Clean installation of driver:

1. Click the .exe to initiate the driver installation.
2. Agree to the Intel Software License Agreement.
3. Click the checkbox to Execute a clean installation.
   1. A clean installation removes all old drivers and restores Intel settings to the default value
4. Click Start to begin the install.
5. Reboot the system if prompted.

If the above method cannot resolve the issue, try to use Display Driver Uninstaller to uninstall the graphics driver first, refer to:

How to Use the Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to Uninstall an Intel® Graphics Driver

After installing the latest driver, please download the IGCC beta version and check for any changes. It's normal for the latest graphics driver to not include IGCC, as this software can be downloaded separately. Additionally, could you let me know if your three monitors are in landscape or portrait orientation mode?

For more information about the combined desktop, please check this resources:

• Unable to Use Combined Desktop Feature for Displays in Portrait Orientation
• How Do I Enable Combined Desktop in IGCC (Intel Graphics Command Center)?
• What is Collage Display or Combined Desktop?

Please let me know the outcome, and I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hi Beem,

Let me know if you have the chance to look at the information that I have provided on my previous reply. At your earliest convenience please provide the answer to me so we can further investigate and resolve the issue. 

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Beem]

Hi Dhanniel,

Apologies for the late reply. I have not had the chance to try you last suggestions yet. I've been ill and not been at my machine much. Will try to have a look later this week.

Thanks.

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hi Beem,

No worries at all. Please let me know if the combined display still doesn't show up after following the recommendations. Thank you.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hi Beem,

I wanted to follow up and see if you had a chance to try the recommendations I sent earlier. Please let me know if they resolved your issue.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hi Beem,

Since I haven't heard back from you, I will close this inquiry now. If you need further assistance, please submit a new question, as this thread will no longer be monitored.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician