- MICROSOFT PROJECT ON A 4K MONITOR DRIVERS
- MICROSOFT PROJECT ON A 4K MONITOR FULL
- MICROSOFT PROJECT ON A 4K MONITOR PRO
- MICROSOFT PROJECT ON A 4K MONITOR WINDOWS
MICROSOFT PROJECT ON A 4K MONITOR FULL
I tried seven manufacturers' DisplayPort cables (mini DP to full DP) but none were sufficiently slim to fit alongside the dock connector. But that port is partially obscured by the dock connector when docked. The Surface Book also has a built-in mini DisplayPort.
MICROSOFT PROJECT ON A 4K MONITOR PRO
While the official chart above indicates the Surface Pro 4 is similarly limited, Brad Sams of Petri has determined that you can in fact use two 60 Hz 4K displays on a Surface Pro 4 by connecting one to the tablet and one to the dock.īut here's where things get odd. The Surface Book's inability to power two 4K displays at 60 Hz renders it objectively less capable than the Surface Pro 4.
MICROSOFT PROJECT ON A 4K MONITOR WINDOWS
Leaving it unresolved would be acutely disappointing given that it renders Windows Hello ineffective (the camera can't see you) and Surface advertising shows 4K displays connected to a Surface Pro 4 with its display on:Īnd that brings me to another point. Presumably this limitation is a solvable problem that Microsoft should solve. The workaround I am using right now to power the two monitors at 30 Hz requires the internal display to be off, with the lid closed. Still, there's room to improve the Surface Book I know that my Surface Book has a GPU (two, in fact), but if it cannot power two 4K displays at 60 Hz, those GPUs might as well be the kind you would put into a $50 Kindle Fire or other bargain device. Of course I mean that in the snarkiest way.
So I will retire the Surface Book to an exclusively mobile role, replacing it with an actual workstation with an actual GPU. I am not willing to use buttery-smooth and luxurious 60 Hz 4K displays at 30 Hz.
MICROSOFT PROJECT ON A 4K MONITOR DRIVERS
Happily, many of those have been software bugs related to drivers or Windows 10 in general.īut this one is apparently a hardware limitation, so I am disappointed. And as weaknesses go, it's not alone several other problems have afflicted the Surface Book and Surface Dock among their wider audience. It is an embarrassing weakness in a device that Microsoft pitched with exuberance and bravado. In fact, the chart shows (and I have confirmed) that the Surface Book and Dock both in fact support a single 4K monitor at 60 Hz.Īs far as I am concerned, this concession breaks Surface Book's promise as a viable workstation replacement. I admit to having assumed that 60 Hz would be supported since the Surface Book and Dock both use DisplayPort 1.2 ports, which is the version required for 60 Hz 4K support. Such formal documentation is effectively an official concession that the Surface Book does not and in all likelihood will never support dual 4K displays at a proper 60 Hz refresh rate. I've highlighted the relevant row, but to put it succinctly: Surface Book + Two 4K monitors = 30 Hz. Today, the Twitter account linked me to a support page concerning connecting a Surface to an external display, which contains the following chart: So I had hope that Microsoft would correct this deficiency. The Surface Book is ostensibly cutting edge hardware with an Intel Skylake CPU and enough power to be " the ultimate laptop." Nearly two years later, and with two high-end Philips 60 Hz 4K monitors on my desk, the idea of 30 Hz is an anachronism. Back then, I wrote about 30 Hz televisions that were cheap enough to warrant their use by programmers despite the lag. 30 Hz was acceptable for a programmer's display in workstations built in early 2014.
Now, based on a combination of the latest patches and a bit of trickery involving turning off the built-in display by closing the lid while leaving the computer on, I can power the two monitors concurrently, but only at 30 Hz.ģ0 Hz is acceptable for televisions, but not for monitors. It was a game of patience and hope that Microsoft would eventually fix the Surface Book and/or the Surface Dock-doing whatever was necessary to deliver on their promise of dual 4K support.ĭuring that month, the dock was flatly unable to power up the two monitors concurrently. Notably important to me was the support of my two 60 Hz DisplayPort 1.2 4K monitors.Īfter a month of ownership, despite significant effort, I had not successfully used my two monitors concurrently. When needed, I could grab it and take it to a meeting on the go. By that I mean its primary role would be as a serious workstation in a mostly-fixed position at my office. I purchased the Surface Book based in large part on its promise of being a viable mobility-enhanced replacement for my office workstation.