3008WFP, DP stuck at 640x480

Displayport..what? VGA, RCA (yellow) or what?

DisplayPort the actual name of the port. The 3008wfp has the following ports:

2 DVI-D
1 HDMI port
1 DisplayPort
1 VGA
1 componant
1 Composite
1 S-Video

DisplayPort is fairly new. I bought one of the new Radeon 5870 cards just to be able to use the DisplayPort connection on my Dell 3008WFP monitor.

Any luck since your last post?

I'm using a Macbook Pro on a 2408WFP monitor via a mini-Displayport to Displayport cable. Resolution is stuck at 640x480. I tried to different computer and two different cable, always the same problem.

And it's common : try a search with "640x480"

P.

Hi,

Thanks for the quick feedback : I was about to call them. I don't like the experience of talking with them over the phone. Last time I returned a monitor I specifically asekd them : "will the replacement one gonna be NEW or REFURBISHED?" They told me it was gonna be new. And of course I got a refurbished monitor, the one that I now have problem with.

Tell me, if I ask yet again for a replacement monitor, is there a chance the EDID for the Displayport connexion won't be broken? 

Otherwise, yes, there is a program called SwitchResX that could allow me to import EDID profil from an old mac to the new one. My question is the following : are EDID profil connexion specific? Do I need a specific EDID profile for the Displayport?

Thanks a lot!

P.

Nah, nothing what so ever from Dell on this issue.

I suspect it's a corrputed EDID issue, and though I've dealt with having to reload the EDID info into the EEPROMS before... that was only with DVI ports. I don't know enough about Displayport to want to risk it.

I gave up trying to fix the monitor, and just wrote a custom EDID-override monitor driver for my Windows 7 install... but I've no idea how you'd do that on a mac. There is a lot of info on how to create custom monitor drivers for various flavours of linux however, so I'm certain you could do it with a little research. Assuming your using some version of OSX that is.

It was irritating, but at least with the new monitor driver I'm back to getting the full range of resolutions on my 30" monitor. I just wish Dell support would be a little more forthcoming with assistance with these sorts of issues.

Good luck!

dak

That's the downside of Dell - thier prices are usually the cheapest, but they do end up cutting corners on the support end of things. Not to say there aren't some amazing people working in their support teams... just they're few and far between.

In any case, I just read the EDID info from my DVI-D ports and used that as the starting point for my custom monitor .inf file for use with the Displayport. I took a very quick look at the switchresx website and at first glance it looks like it could do the trick. It doesn't seem to actually try and touch the monitors EEPROMs, instead it looks like it overrides the monitors EDID info and uses it's own - which is just what you need.

Hi,

Ha. You'll laugh at this one. First of all, thank you for the tips : using SwitchResX I was able to export the EDID profile form another Mac I own. I used it to setup a custom profile that I'm now using to... successfully connect my Macbook Pro Unibody 13" to my Dell 2408WFP monitor via a mini-Displayport to Displayport cable. 

Below you'll find the EDID data I used. 

But wait, here's the funny part. I called Dell. They tried to put the blame on the cable (I tried with two different cable) and the computer (I also tried with different computers and another Dell 2408WFP monitor). Finally they accepted to send me a replacement monitor. But... they call me back half an hour latter to tell me the replacement was cancel. I asked why. The guy said he spoke to a specialist and was told that 640x480 is the DEFAULT RESOLUTION FOR DISPLAYPORT. It was funny, really : I told him to check it out either on the Displayport website or on Wikipedia. He did.

Then he connected me with a «senior technician» who asked me right away : "This Displayport... does it look like a USB connector?" I didn't undesratnd at first and told him it looks like a Displayport connector. I found out a couple of minute latter that HE DIDN'T KNOW A THING about Displayport connectors. So I told him to look it up on Dell's website. After a while, he agreed (again) to send me (another, it's my third) replacement monitor, which I will get latter this week. I'll see then if the EDID profile is corrupted (or whatever the problem is) on the other one. SwitchResX is a work around, a good one, but it not a solution for a faulty monitor.

Anyway, thanks for the comments and the support Dkaardal.

P.

Mode = 1920 x 1200 @ 59,950Hz

Pixel Clock............. 154,00 MHz Non-Interlaced

                       Horizontal Vertical

Active.................. 1920 pixels 1200 lines

Front Porch.............   48 pixels   3 lines

Sync Width..............   32 pixels   6 lines

Back Porch..............   80 pixels  26 lines

Blanking................  160 pixels  35 lines

Total................... 2080 pixels 1235 lines

Scan Rate...............  74,038 kHz 59,950 Hz

Image Size..............  519 mm 324 mm

Border..................    0 pixels   0 lines

Sync: Digital separate with

* Negative vertical polarity

* Positive horizontal polarity

Heh, well like I said... they had to cut corners somewhere. Of course they do sell just about everything under the sun, so it's not that uncommon to find someone in tech support who isn't completely up to speed on the newer technology.

Still, I do try to have a stiff drink before I call Dell tech support.

Glad you've got your monitor working at it's native rez now though. Keep the fix in mind even if the new one works out - I've found that the EDID info gets corrupted pretty easily on the newer Dell monitors. One bad power outage seems to be enough sometimes.

Thanks for putting the data in the thread though - hopefully others can benefit from our painful experiences!

dak.

Hi,

Got my second replacement monitor from Dell, it fixed every single problem I had with the other one. It's the same model 2408WFP, but there are a few important differences. I thought I could post about them so it may help others.

I got the following information using SwitchResX :

1) The monitor that was ALL WRONG was : a Dell 2408WFP, EDID version 1.3, product code 10912 (2AA0) (A02A) (which means, I think that it was REV A02A : you CANNOT rely on what's written on the sticker on the back of the monitor for that info especially when you get a replacement monitor, use SwitchResX).

2) The new monitor that is WORKING (with everything : Diplayport connexion as well as mini-Displayport to DVI adapter) : a Dell 2408WFP, EDID version 1.4, product code 11168 (2BA0) (A02B) (so I guess is REV A02B). Notice the difference in the EDID version AND in the REV version.

If you have a Dell monitor, same model (2408WFP) and are experiencing problems with your connexions (using a Mac computer), check those info, call Dell for a replacement. 

That's it. 

P.

I recently ran into a very similar problem with a Radeon HD 5850 and a Dell 23" U2311H monitor using DisplayPort.  After trying to install a monitor calibration tool called MagicTune, all of a sudden my monitor was only showing a max res of 640x480 under "Generic PnP monitor" and seemingly nothing would fix it.  I tried reinstalling video card drivers, monitor drivers, and even reinstalled Windows.

I stumbled upon this thread and after reading through it, was afraid the monitor's EDID was corrupt.  Turns out, all I had to do to fix my issue was power cycle the monitor...unplugged power and plugged it back in.  This immediately caused Windows to see the monitor correctly and set it to native resolution....a stupidly simple fix that's hopefully permanent.  Hoping that this post will help others that may run across this issue.

Hello Parneix,

Could you please dump the EDID of the working monitor and make it downloadable somewhere? I'm having the same issue with my Macbook Unibody and would like to update EDID in my monitor to make it work and avoid exchanging my only monitor with Dell.

Thanks in advance.

Hi,

I posted a solution on Apple's forum a while ago. I copied and pasted it below. I hope it helps you in a way or another:

For example (and hoping it will help others) here are the data you need to setup a custom profile for the Dell 2408WFP :

Descriptor #0 - Timing definition:
Mode = 1920 x 1200 @ 59,950Hz
Pixel Clock............. 154,00 MHz Non-Interlaced

Horizontal Vertical
Active.................. 1920 pixels 1200 lines
Front Porch............. 48 pixels 3 lines
Sync Width.............. 32 pixels 6 lines
Back Porch.............. 80 pixels 26 lines
Blanking................ 160 pixels 35 lines
Total................... 2080 pixels 1235 lines
Scan Rate............... 74,038 kHz 59,950 Hz

Image Size.............. 519 mm 324 mm
Border.................. 0 pixels 0 lines

Sync: Digital separate with
* Negative vertical polarity
* Positive horizontal polarity

Hey DKAARDAL, I use the very same monitor with you:DELL 3008WFP，and have the same trouble with you. but I don't know how to make driver by myself. can you kindly give me the driver you wrote by yourself and in use? please email: <ADMIN NOTE:Email id removed per privacy policy>,thanks a lot!

Problem: If your DELL monitor will only display 640 * 480 when connected via DisplayPort (OR HOW TO FIX the corrupt EDID issue).

Solution: Turn it off at the wall. (or pull out the power cord)   Yup, it is that simple

======================================================

That will completely reset it when it powers on & then Plug n Play will recognise it as a high res monitor again.

Thank "morgante replied on 06-05-2010 8:38 PM" for the above answer.  

My experience.

I had 2 * DELL 30" (displayport) + 1 * DELL 24" (DVI) running off a AMD 7950. All working fine when I went to bed. In the morning the 30" screens were in "Powersaver mode" & I couldn't see my PC. Only the 24" screen worked but I couldn't change the resolution of the 30" screens.

After many restarts, I still couldn't see anything on my 30" VDU until I tried plugging via DVI. This narrowed it down to the DP interface.

I pulled the power cord out of the back of the screen. Waited a minute & plugged it back in. Instant success. No need for SwitchResX or any other driver override hacks.

Enjoy.