The monitor won't show anything through the display port unless another signal is active.
The monitor won't show anything through the display port unless another signal is active.
I’m evaluating my setup and noticed more signs of instability. To bridge the gap until a better solution arrives, I opted for an ASUS TUF F15 FX506HC laptop paired with a Ugreen C display dongle. This allowed me to use both monitors while keeping the main HDMI port open on my AOC G2260VWQ6 monitor. After installing the dongle and cleaning up unnecessary files, I tested it. It seemed functional initially—signal detected and power indicator green—but the screen wouldn’t activate. I double-checked connections and even tried the original cable, but the issue persisted. Later, when the laptop powered on with the dongle connected, the monitor still didn’t turn on despite showing a signal. I suspected either a displayport problem or a deeper issue. Eventually, I bought an HP Thunderbolt dock from eBay, but it produced identical results on both ports. Internally, my laptop relied on Intel graphics, while externally it appeared to use dedicated graphics—though I haven’t confirmed this with photos. Given the lack of clear signals and persistent failures, I’m leaning toward a monitor replacement rather than continuing with these temporary fixes.
You're experiencing some inconsistent issues with the displayport over USB-C connection. It sounds like the cable might be loose or damaged, which could cause intermittent problems. Additionally, it seems the monitor may be detecting itself as a connected source but not functioning properly, possibly showing a blank screen or unresponsive cursor.
I had attempted a second displayport cable after installing the Thunderbolt dock, which produced the same outcome—monitor detected the signal but failed to power on. To clarify the situation, when connecting the laptop via DisplayPort while HDMI remains active, an image appears when switching to DisplayPort. However, if DisplayPort is the sole active source, the monitor powers off completely, regardless of whether the displays are combined or separate, and the mouse pointer vanishes when attempting to move it to another screen. I noted the issue of displays appearing connected to different adapters, which raised concerns about missing settings. It seems possible that the monitor, being over five years old and predating most Thunderbolt standards, might not interpret all incoming data correctly, relying on other sources to complete the picture.
It seems the problem relates to the dedicated GPU being activated only when the laptop switches from the integrated graphics to the dedicated one. Try removing all monitors, adjust BIOS settings to prioritize the dedicated GPU, and attempt again. I've encountered similar issues with other Asus models before. Poor internal communication, limited to Intel systems.
I just checked the BIOS settings and there’s no way to switch the main GPU. If you’re using the NVIDIA control panel, it seems the laptop is set to use Intel’s built-in graphics. Updating the BIOS isn’t available because I’m on version 313, which is newer than the ASUS support page that lists version 311.
Confirm your BIOS settings correctly—check if "Graphics Settings" is still accessible under "Advanced Settings." Asus would likely keep that feature enabled. Also, consider using Windows performance mode to avoid GPU switching issues.
The BIOS offers a graphics settings menu, but only allows adjusting RAM allocation for the integrated GPU. Initially, I set the power plan to performance mode and confirmed the laptop was powered on. There was no way to enable high-performance graphics settings beyond using the NVIDIA control panel to force DGPU usage. I then tested the HDMI output, which appears directly connected to the iGPU. It seems the best solution might be disabling the built-in display or using the HDMI port as a workaround, possibly with another machine set up for dual monitors. The experience suggests this laptop’s main feature has been compromised by ASUS.
In the Configure Surround PhysX area of 3D settings, the dGPU features two displayport connections (since most Thunderbolt dock interfaces include at least two video ports, suggesting these links are physically connected to onboard Thunderbolt hardware). The internal display and HDMI output are linked to the iGPU, though no specific port type is labeled for them.