Posted 27 November 2023

4k monitors: what's the oldest chipset/CPU you've used to run one or multiple?

Hi,

I'm tempted in pairing up some older computers with newer monitors. I'm interested in hearing about real world computer set ups you might have used with 4K monitors, especially multiple monitors.

For example, the i7-6500 is capable of running three 4k monitors at 60Hz via DisplayPort. Have any of you done this, or have you fixed QHD works better?

Not necessarily for gaming, even just Web browsing etc.
Community Updates
New Comment

8 Comments

sorted by
's avatar
  1. EndlessWaves's avatar
    It can be complicated because there are various back end components that can limit things, some of which are provided by the system manufacturer and some of which are provided by the GPU manufacturer.

    The only way to know for certain is to find the documentation laying out the multi-monitor limitations for your particular motherboard/system, and that was often never openly published to begin with.

    Generally the DisplayPort bandwidth limits are per port/pipe so that's not a concern unless you're using MST (hubs/daisy chaining) to run multiple displays off a single port.

    As far as I can see on the Intel side it's essentially got three independent outputs which can natively be DP 1.2, HDMI 1.4 or a couple of more specialised options so the GPU should be capable of doing what you want (provided it's not attached to an H110 chipset or other Intel product segmentation barrier).

    But hardware at that age with three full bandwidth DisplayPort outputs, or one of them routed through an internal HDMI 2.0 converter, is going to be fairly scarce.
    BrambleJam1S6's avatar
    Author
    Generally the DisplayPort bandwidth limits are per port/pipe so that's not a concern unless you're using MST (hubs/daisy chaining) to run multiple displays off a single port.

    Yes, this is where I'm at I think. If I understand this, its an issue of the ports available and the limitations of the hardware/onboard Intel GPU itself.

    For example the Optiplex 7050 SFF has two DP1.2 ports and a HDMI, but the hardware (if I recall the Intel blurb) states a maximum of three monitors can be configured via the onboard graphics? I don't have an inline graphics card.

    So, theoretically with the two DP1.2 ports mentioned above, would I be right in assuming it might be possible to do one of the following?

    One 4K monitor with each port for a total of two monitors.
    Two QHD monitors with one port, and a third QHD monitor with the other port for a total of three monitors
    Three 1080 monitors utilising one DP port or some combo of the two ports but nonetheless being restriced by the onboard graphics to a maximum of three monitors, ie: three 1080 monitors with one port or two monitors on one and the third on the second port? (edited)
  2. C0mm0d0re_K1d's avatar
    The video output and supported resolution, is determined by the graphics card or integrated gfx in the system, and the connection available.

    What is you aim?
    BrambleJam1S6's avatar
    Author
    A three monitor set up ideally. I'm intrigued to see what the i7-6700 (in an Optiplex 7050 SFF) can do.

    The blurb at Intel says it's capable of running a 4K monitor at 60hz via DP, and also states it can run "three monitors" but I'm unsure if that's implying it can run three 4K monitors, let alone in extended mode?

    The Optiplex has DP 1.2 and I'm unsure whether that means bandwidth will limit me to either four 1080 monitors, two 2K monitors or one 4K monitor.