Having an issue when trying to use 144hz monitor with my laptop

[chrillone77]

I have the asus rog gl552vw dh-71 gaming laptop. I currently have a 144hz monitor and tried to use it with this laptop. I got an adapter that went from hdmi to dvi dual link, so I believe I own the right cable. The issue is that I don't get the option to select 144hz in settings, only up to 60hz. Does my GPU (960M) or laptop not support 144hz? Also when playing certain games, I get a horrid screen tear for whatever reason. Any solutions or input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Barty1884]

I believe the implementation for the 900 series cards was HDMI 1.4, which *can* support 1080p 144Hz (or 120Hz)

Where are you looking in settings? Windows itself? Or the Nvidia control panel?

What resolution is the 144Hz monitor? What monitor specifically? If the monitor happens to support DisplayPort (it should for 144Hz, I would think), HDMI to DP might be a smoother option.

 

[TMTOWTSAC]

I've seen the same thing, that HDMI 1.4 has enough bandwidth for 120Hz@1080p. But I've never seen an actual device that implements it. And only a few 144hz monitors support 144hz over HDMI 2.0 even though it's fully within spec.

 

[chrillone77]

I believe the implementation for the 900 series cards was HDMI 1.4, which *can* support 1080p 144Hz (or 120Hz)

Where are you looking in settings? Windows itself? Or the Nvidia control panel?

What resolution is the 144Hz monitor? What monitor specifically? If the monitor happens to support DisplayPort (it should for 144Hz, I would think), HDMI to DP might be a smoother option.

1080p, 1920 by 1080. It is the acer GN246HL 144hz monitor. I am looking under display--advanced display properties--display adapter properties--monitor--screen refresh rate. And yes I believe it does support displayport, which is probably a more efficient option. Also, on the screen tearing part of my issue I have vsync enabled in game but am still receiving the tear, any thoughts on how to solve that problem? Thanks a lot.

 

[Barty1884]

Look in Nvidia's control panel, there should be an option under the "resolution" tab for refresh rate.

As for the screen tearing, that can occur when your FPS is either higher or lower than the monitors native refresh rate.
It's not usually an issue for lower, as a 144Hz monitor can also run adequately at 60Hz.... but stranger htings have happened.

 

[chrillone77]

Look in Nvidia's control panel, there should be an option under the "resolution" tab for refresh rate.

As for the screen tearing, that can occur when your FPS is either higher or lower than the monitors native refresh rate.
It's not usually an issue for lower, as a 144Hz monitor can also run adequately at 60Hz.... but stranger htings have happened.

All I see under nvidia control panel is the tab for 3d settings with three subsections underneath it. Possibly because I'm running a mobile GPU?

 

[Glenwing]

You are using an HDMI to Single-Link DVI adapter. HDMI to Dual-Link DVI adapters do not exist as HDMI does not support that capability, any adapters you find labelled as such are fake. The only way to connect to your monitor is through a native Dual-Link DVI port (unlikely on a laptop) or a $100 DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI converter.

See here: https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/729232-guide-to-display-cables-adapters-v2/?section=high_refresh_displays

In regards to HDMI 1.4, it is capable of 1080p 144 Hz, but many monitors choose not to implement that capability, including the Acer GN246HL that the OP is using (though there are examples of monitors that do support 144 Hz over HDMI 1.4, and in fact I own one).

See here: https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/729232-guide-to-display-cables-adapters-v2/?section=hdmi_60hz_limit

This capability of HDMI is irrelevant anyway though, since the OP is using an adapter. Compared to a Single-Link DVI/HDMI 1.2 connection which both use a single TMDS link at 165 MHz (≈1080p 60 Hz) HDMI 1.4 supports 1080p 144 Hz by doubling the signal frequency from 165 MHz to 340 MHz, but still single-link. Dual-Link DVI supports 1080p 144 Hz by adding a second TMDS link, while the signal frequency is kept at 165 MHz.

When using a passive HDMI to DVI adapter, you will not have a second TMDS link because the HDMI connector only has pins for one link, and you will not have the increased signal frequency because the DVI port on the receiving end will (probably) not support more than 165 MHz. So you are limited to a Single 165 MHz link, which means no more than 1080p 60 Hz. Yes, HDMI and Dual-Link DVI both support 1080p 144 Hz, but they support it via different methods, and neither of them supports the other's method of doing it.

(Though I should mention there are some exceptions, as some displays have DVI input ports are capable of running at up to 340 MHz even though this is outside DVI spec, but in these cases HDMI to DVI passive adapters will work for full HDMI 1.4 bandwidth, for example the Dell U2711, which can reach 2560×1440 through an HDMI to DVI adapter; but this is very rare).

 

[chrillone77]

You are using an HDMI to Single-Link DVI adapter. HDMI to Dual-Link DVI adapters do not exist as HDMI does not support that capability, any adapters you find labelled as such are fake. The only way to connect to your monitor is through a native Dual-Link DVI port (unlikely on a laptop) or a $100 DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI converter.

See here: https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/729232-guide-to-display-cables-adapters-v2/?section=high_refresh_displays

In regards to HDMI 1.4, it is capable of 1080p 144 Hz, but many monitors choose not to implement that capability, including the Acer GN246HL that the OP is using (though there are examples of monitors that do support 144 Hz over HDMI 1.4, and in fact I own one).

See here: https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/729232-guide-to-display-cables-adapters-v2/?section=hdmi_60hz_limit

This capability of HDMI is irrelevant anyway though, since the OP is using an adapter. Compared to a Single-Link DVI/HDMI 1.2 connection which both use a single TMDS link at 165 MHz (≈1080p 60 Hz) HDMI 1.4 supports 1080p 144 Hz by doubling the signal frequency from 165 MHz to 340 MHz, but still single-link. Dual-Link DVI supports 1080p 144 Hz by adding a second TMDS link, while the signal frequency is kept at 165 MHz.

When using a passive HDMI to DVI adapter, you will not have a second TMDS link because the HDMI connector only has pins for one link, and you will not have the increased signal frequency because the DVI port on the receiving end will (probably) not support more than 165 MHz. So you are limited to a Single 165 MHz link, which means no more than 1080p 60 Hz. Yes, HDMI and Dual-Link DVI both support 1080p 144 Hz, but they support it via different methods, and neither of them supports the other's method of doing it.

(Though I should mention there are some exceptions, as some displays have DVI input ports are capable of running at up to 340 MHz even though this is outside DVI spec, but in these cases HDMI to DVI passive adapters will work for full HDMI 1.4 bandwidth, for example the Dell U2711, which can reach 2560×1440 through an HDMI to DVI adapter; but this is very rare).

Thanks for the information, I appreciate it. Probably going to invest in gaming PC soon anyway, so not too big of a deal for now.