Display and scaling issues on Windows 10 (3 monitors - 4k display + lower res)

[iddo123]

Hi,
Recently I purchased a new 27" 4K monitor and upgraded my machine from win 8.1 to win 10 in order to get better support for higher DPI for my multi monitor rig.

Here are when the problems started:
1. the main problem is that with the main monitor set to 175% scale (looks good) the two other monitors are set to 100% scaling - (icons/text looks giant - basically almost unusable). If I set it to a lower scaling (on the 4K monitor) I can't read the text or see the icons as they are so small.
2. when the monitors goes to sleep things get massed up - icons on the main monitor turn tiny and open tabs on the main monitor move to the 24" monitor for no reason.

My system:
Intel 5820k - 6 core + Asus X99, 32GB ram. Asus GTX970. latest nvidia drivers.

Displays:
1. 27" Dell 4K - main (connected using DP).
2. 24" Dell 1920x1200 (connected using DVI).
3. 23" LG 1680x1050 (connected using HDMI).

I talked to MS and the representative (who had really poor English and I am not sure knew what he was talking about) said that the only way this will work is if I connect the 2 lower res displays to a second GPU. I have a few but they are old GT210 is the newest (I have 8800GT which is super old). I tried to connect the GT210 but it is not recognized by win 10 and I can't seem to install it along with the 970GTX to see if it will work or not (buying something newer just for the very low chance that it will help seems kind of silly).

Ideas on what I can do?
Iddo

 

[iddo123]

Any ideas?

 

[JasonCoder]

Windows, for some reason, still fails to run different DPI on multiple screens. You either go 4k all the way or expose this limitation. Windows can't render different scaling options.

 

[nerp]

Yeah your options are to get all monitors to be the same resolution and size or try a second gpu, though I'm not sure if that would work. I wouldn't spend money testing it only to find out it doesn't. Maybe someone can confirm. Depending on what you're doing with the monitors, you might be able to get away with a low-power budget card to accomplish this.

 

[iddo123]

How come MS is not getting hell from users for not fixing this?
Win 10 isn't new and 4K isn't new - both are around for 1 year or more - this should have been resolved long long ago.

I am not going to buy 2 4K monitors just cause MS can't fix one of the most basic things in the system.

I am sure there are plenty of users who work with different hi-dpi and non hi-dpi screens at the same time - there needs to be a way around this - there is very little online to suggest that other people are having this problem (and I looked).

If anybody solved this with another GPU I would very much like to know - I am willing to buy another low end GPU for the other 2 screens - but spending money on something that will not work isn't my idea of a good investment either...

 

[Ketchup]

I am pretty sure KaRLiToS is running displays of different sizes. I don't know if he messes with scaling, but you can ask him.

As far as who else to contact, you may want to try Nvidia instead, since your screen is hooked up to one of their cards.

 

[nerp]

How come MS is not getting hell from users for not fixing this?
Win 10 isn't new and 4K isn't new - both are around for 1 year or more - this should have been resolved long long ago.

I am not going to buy 2 4K monitors just cause MS can't fix one of the most basic things in the system.

I am sure there are plenty of users who work with different hi-dpi and non hi-dpi screens at the same time - there needs to be a way around this - there is very little online to suggest that other people are having this problem (and I looked).

If anybody solved this with another GPU I would very much like to know - I am willing to buy another low end GPU for the other 2 screens - but spending money on something that will not work isn't my idea of a good investment either...

This might not really be MS's fault so much as the fault of Intel, AMD and nvidia for not supporting this.

 

[iddo123]

I am asking this on nvidia's forums as well - not much luck so far - maybe I should contact them directly (not on their forums), not sure if they have any real one on one tech support.

 

[mikeymikec]

Windows's multi monitor support has been shaky for as long as I can remember. Also, I found it hilarious on Win10 how there's a new scaling option which MS apparently recommends, because it actively "doesn't recommend" the older DPI scaling technique, yet the latter works better (particularly on windows like Device Manager); the new technique makes the text fuzzy, the old technique renders text correctly.

Hopefully now that MS no longer has to worry about getting a new version out of the door every x years, perhaps they can spend some real time in plugging the holes in the implementation.

Perhaps trying to get some high-profile attention on this such as from reviewer sites (Anand, TR, etc) might help?

 

[iddo123]

I actually don't have the blurry issue.
My problem is mostly with scaling - and I can't get around the fact that this needs to have some sort of resolution (no pun intended).

Look at what MS demoed here for example - it is surface specific but the icons looks exactly the same on all screens - this is not what I see - in my case the icons on the two lower res monitors are way larger even at 100% - what are they doing that I don't?

 

[nerp]

I'm thinking drivers. Do you have proper monitor drivers for each monitor?

 

[iddo123]

Win 10 monitor drivers - but I'll try - what do I have to loose.

 

[JasonCoder]

This might not really be MS's fault so much as the fault of Intel, AMD and nvidia for not supporting this.

Works fine on Mac.

 

[nerp]

Works fine on Mac.

Good point. There are a lot fewer hardware combos that have to be supported driver-wise on the Mac though.

 

[thesmokingman]

I am pretty sure KaRLiToS is running displays of different sizes. I don't know if he messes with scaling, but you can ask him.

As far as who else to contact, you may want to try Nvidia instead, since your screen is hooked up to one of their cards.

The problem is a physical one. He's got three panels all of different resolution, let alone size and neither are divisible to each other. This is why we shouldn't piecemeal dissimilar displays together. And for the record, Nvidia cards are not tolerant of mismatched sizes. Karl's using two 1440P sides and 4K in the middle. WIth his AMD setup which supports some mismatching he can get it to look ok. However the OP is using three diff panels. That's just asking a bit much imo.

 

[Jembo]

I've mentioned this software twice but rest assured I'm no shill for them. Look into DisplayFusion. It costs money but is pretty good multi-monitor software.

I haven't used it in awhile so don't know if they've built 4k support into it yet, but if it still comes with a trial then give it a whirl. Simply assign certain apps to always open on the same monitor & you may not have to mess with scaling on other monitor besides the main. Not a perfect solution but could make things easier.