Multiple monitors fail initialization using MST switch with Windows 10

[GDyck]

Reposting as requested (original query was closed due to holiday related delay in responding), with the additional information that was requested.

If I have multiple monitors connected to a MST switch, when Windows is started or awakened from a sleep state the monitors fail to initialize. If the internal monitor is enabled I find system performance is sluggish, as if a process is hung in a loop consuming CPU. When a single monitor is connected to the MST switch it is initialized properly, and I can connect additional monitors and they are initialized properly.

This is a new configuration that has never been used successfully before this.

There are three external monitors in the configuration being used. A fourth internal display also exists in the configuration, but should be unavailable, and ignored, because the laptop is closed when the failure occurs.

The three external monitors are all ViewSonic model VS15453.

The cables being used are DisplayPort to DVI-D (dual link) - not certain if they are active or passive.

A photo of the cable connections, topology screen shots, an Intel Graphics report, and a dxdiag report are in the attached document.

[AlHill]

I have a NUC7i7BNKQ, using a StarTech USB-C to 2-Port MST HDMI Hub, that drives two ViewSonic VA2256-mhd monitors using HDMI-HDMI cables on Windows 10 (installed January 2019), without any issues.

Doc

[GDyck]

Is there any additional information I can collect and provide to help diagnose the cause of this problem. This feels like a concurrency driven problem caused by multiple child devices becoming available concurrently on a system with multiple processors.

[AdrianM_Intel]

Hello GDyck, 

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities.  

Please run the following tools on your computer and attach the reports generated. 

1. Intel® System Support Utility (Intel® SSU) 

• Intel® SSU Download link 
• Open the application and click on "Scan" to see the system and device information. By default, Intel® SSU will take you to the "Summary View". 
• Click on the menu where it says "Summary" to change to "Detailed View". 
• To save your scan, click on "Next", then "Save". 

2. DXDIAG 

• Go to Start > Run or Windows Key + R. 
• On the Run prompt, type "dxdiag" then click OK. 
• On the DirectX Diagnostic Tool window, click on Save All Information. 
• Browse to a folder, type in a filename then click Save. 

Note: Please connect the monitors when generating the reports.

Questions:

• What is the model of the MST switch?
• Have you tested a straight connection without the Thinkpad docking station?
• Have you tested a different docking station?
• Can you please share a picture showing how the monitors are connected?

The docking station might cause some issues not saying at this point that it's the cause but Intel does not recommend the use of any kind of adapters. This is because we cannot test all of them, so we cannot guarantee that these are going to work.

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000026412/graphics-drivers.html

Please share the information to further assist you!

Regards,

Adrian M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

A Contingent Worker at Intel

[AdrianM_Intel]

Hello GDyck, 

Were you able to check the previous post? 

Let me know if you need more assistance. 

Regards,

Adrian M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

A Contingent Worker at Intel

[GDyck]

Requested SSU report

[GDyck]

Requested DxDiag report

[GDyck]

MST cabling photo

The three monitors are connected to the SIIG MST switch. The SIIG MST switch is connected to the docking station, and to a USB port for power.

[GDyck]

Response to questions-

• What is the model of the MST switch? A SIIG CE-DP0D12-S1 DisplayPort 1.2 to 3-Port MST Splitter
• Have you tested a straight connection without the Thinkpad docking station? No. The laptop has a mini-DP connection, which is not compatibile with the full sized DP plug on the switch.
• Have you tested a different docking station? No.

I do not believe this is a hardware related issue.

I believe this is an INTEL Graphics *driver* issue, since there is no problem when I restart the laptop after docking with a single monitor plugged in, and the other two monitors are properly recognized if I plug them in *after* the first monitor has been initialized. My guess is that there is a timing/serialization issue during initialization, possibly related to multiple ACPI "Output Device Status Change" events, one for each device, being generated when all three of the monitors are connected at the time of the restart. That the i7-5600U processor in the laptop has 2 cores, each supporting 2 threads, for a total of 4 simultaneously executing threads, may also be part of the scenario required to expose the problem.

[AdrianM_Intel]

Hello GDyck, 

Upon checking the connections there some things that might be causing this kind of behavior:

1. Docking station.

2. SIIG MST switch.

3. The SIIG MST switch is connected to the docking station not connected to the laptop directly. (Recommended to not use adapters but you might try to set it up connected to the computer instead of the docking station.)

4. The USB port for power.

In order for us to diagnose issues with the drivers we recommend using straight connections DP to DP, HDMI to HDMI, VGA to VGA. as previously mentioned, this is a new configuration that has never been used successfully before in your setup. I can see that based on the specs of your computer it has a mini DisplayPort & VGA ports(link), I will suggest to try a straight connection using any of those ports (mini DisplayPort to mini DisplayPort) or (VGA to VGA) and test if the monitor wakes up successfully after it goes to sleep. my recommendation is to check this with the manufacturer of the switch and docking station since those devices can be customized by the manufacturers and also can present performance\ limitations functionality.

Regards,

Adrian M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

A Contingent Worker at Intel