Minimal suggestions to drive the Acer ET430K at 60 Hz Success, strangely

[BarkingGhostar]

So, I was playing around with a nearly three year old non-gaming desktop running 16GB of RAM with an Intel i7 4770K and noticed when connected solely to a Samsung UN43MY6290 43" monitor the internal graphics of the i7 couldn't muster better than 30 Hz. In fact, 64-bit Windows 7 Pro had it set to 29 Hz. Yikes!

Again, this is a non-gaming PC, but the refresh rate of that low is like watching 50 Hz incandescent light bulbs flicker. I know, according to the Samsung manual, it can accept 60Hz, but I am guessing the 4770K is lacking. So, before letting the wife go get me the Acer ET430K I feel that I should get and install a dedicated video card capable of supporting 3840x2160P60.

I am not sure it matters for this non-[PC] gamer which house to sit myself in (AMD vs. Nvidia) so i guess that means I am open to suggestions on both sides. Let's put a budget of ~US$100. Anyone? My two sources for the video card would be either Micro Center or Amazon.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Well, you just learned the ugly truth about Intel iGPUs - they only have HDMI 1.4(b) outputs, even Kaby Lake, so they won't be able to drive 4K60 displays, over HDMI. If your motherboard has DisplayPort, you can get an Active DP-to-HDMI2.0 converter (I use the Club3D model, as it was popular back in the day, got it off of Newegg on ebay for around $30-35). NVidia Kepler and newer cards, support 4K60 at a reduced color-depth, over even cards with only HDMI 1.4b ports, like the GT630/730. Though, that is less than ideal.

For best quality, I recommend an RX 550, 560, 460 (if you happen to find one), or higher AMD card. Reason being, is that I have 4K UHD 40" TVs as displays, and I've seen quite a few issues with NV cards and HDMI 1.4/2.0 outputs, they still have some issues. My AMD cards with native HDMI2.0 outputs, have been pretty flawless.

Edit: Like I said, I've had issues with NV cards, even a GTX950 2GB, which is Maxwell v2 arch, and supposedly HDMI2.0, but I couldn't get it to work properly at a higher color depth, like I could my AMD cards. It wasn't any better output than my GT630/730 Kepler cards, that only support HDMI1.4b.

Whereas, my Sapphire Nitro RX 460 4GB card (no longer being sold, unfortunately), is GREAT in 4K UHD.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

OK, but can I squeak by with a 2GB card or is the recommendation really for >2GB? Jeez, I'm starting to sound cheap.

 

[VirtualLarry]

If you're doing 4K, even desktop work, I would recommend a 4GB card.

Oh, and just a note, if you're interested in 4K Netflix, AMD cards don't currently support that, only NV cards with 4GB or more of VRAM, and Intel's 7th (and I expect, 8th) Gen iGPUs.

So, no GT1030 either, need a minimum of a GTX1050 ti 4GB card for it.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

I do not do Netflix. I do Amazon Prime, but I do that in this home office via an Xbox One S using the AP app.

 

[happy medium]

Web browsing/ desktop use with a gtx1030 @ 4k would be just fine.

Read this......

Quote:"Desktop seems to work "just fine" at 4k/60Hz over HDMI 2 & is smooth and snappy, a way away from the intel's performance"

https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/gt1030-for-desktop-4k-decent-call-or-missed-a-trick.2508065/

$70 at Newegg.....
https://m.newegg.com/products/N82E16814125973

 

[VirtualLarry]

Happy, do you know why my GTX1060 3GB (OEM, in an HP Gaming PC), won't do full color depth on my 4K UHD TV, like my AMD cards will? Is it possible that these OEM GTX1060 cards only have (or are tested out to) HDMI1.4, and not HDMI2.0? Because that's what the display looks like on text, it looks like the low-color-depth 4K60 support that I get from my GT630 (Kepler, same as GT730) card, which does only have HDMI1.4 support, and it's sort of stretched out to support 4K60. IOW, it seems like it's detecting my HDMI2.0-capable 4K UHD TV as only supporting HDMI1.4 on my GTX1060 card, with the newest drivers.

Either way, my AMD card seems to look better over HDMI2.0.

Also, my Intel iGPU G4600 / HD 630, using a Club3D DP-to-HDMI2.0 adapter, is also working well, and I'm on that system now. But the NV cards, text has red and blue shaded banding on vertical lines.

 

[happy medium]

Another gt1030 with display port and HDMI 2.0
https://m.newegg.com/products/9SIA1UH5TS201

Gt1030 will handle 8k 60hz.

www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gt-1030/specifications?ClickID=dozcb2omsk0ry2m2nsb0nwhtssxboskyhymy

 

[happy medium]

Happy, do you know why my GTX1060 3GB (OEM, in an HP Gaming PC), won't do full color depth on my 4K UHD TV, like my AMD cards will? Is it possible that these OEM GTX1060 cards only have (or are tested out to) HDMI1.4, and not HDMI2.0? Because that's what the display looks like on text, it looks like the low-color-depth 4K60 support that I get from my GT630 (Kepler, same as GT730) card, which does only have HDMI1.4 support, and it's sort of stretched out to support 4K60. IOW, it seems like it's detecting my HDMI2.0-capable 4K UHD TV as only supporting HDMI1.4 on my GTX1060 card, with the newest drivers.

Either way, my AMD card seems to look better over HDMI2.0.

Also, my Intel iGPU G4600 / HD 630, using a Club3D DP-to-HDMI2.0 adapter, is also working well, and I'm on that system now. But the NV cards, text has red and blue shaded banding on vertical lines.

Sorry I'm at work, ill get back to ya.
That's a good question.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I suppose, it could be because my 4K UHD TV is an obscure black friday-special brand, and it's not in NV's database in their drivers, and the ClearText font-smoothing is wrong for my display on NV cards, thus the red/blue NTSC-like banding.

 

[amenx]

Nvidia will sometimes default to limited RGB on 4k instead of full. I have to manual select full RGB then works flawlessly (4:4:4) on both Gtx1070 & GTX 970. I suspect some displays may be more finicky than others with certain GPUs.

 

[wilds]

If the display has a Display Port connection, the i7-4770k can easily do 4k60.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Another gt1030 with display port and HDMI 2.0
https://m.newegg.com/products/9SIA1UH5TS201

Link is broken.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

If the display has a Display Port connection, the i7-4770k can easily do 4k60.

I haven't bought the Acer ET430K yet. I've been testing on a Samsung UN43MU6290 43" 4K monitor, which only has hdmi2.0 for digital interfaces. It was here that I noticed the refresh limitation. I was surprised it resolved the one-pixel horizontal, vertical and checkerboard test patter when I tested in store via USB.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

So, I picked up the Acer ET430K today and connected it to the PC via DP. Windows splash screen and then the login screen appeared, but if I had to guess I suspect the login screen wasn't 4K, but more just HD. Even more strange was that as soon as I logged in the screen went black. Thinking that maybe some sort of attribute in the BIOS needed to be inspected/adjusted for DP, I tried to get into the BIOS. Whenever I selected upon POST to go into the BIOS it skipped it and just went into the Windows splash/login screens. Maybe the IGP on this 4770K isn't robust enough to feed this monster monitor.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

OK, this morning I decided to try something different. I was needing to boot into Linux first so I reconnected the old Samsung T240HD 24" TV via DVI, which is what I had been using for about nine years. I forgot I left the Acer connected via DP. Well, LM booted and both monitors came alive after logging into. The Acer was set as default with the Samsung acting as an extended desktop. I didn't waste time trying to verify the refresh rates as I wanted to test in Windows again. Powered down, swapped SSDs, and booted into Windows 7 with no problem for both monitors.

Both monitors were configured for 59 Hz refresh, but 60 was the only other supported option so I changed it. Also, the Acer was defaulted at the primary (something about DP connected monitors?) but I successfully changed this just to see if it would work. Odd that it would work with two monitors connected but not one.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Necro ... I actually did buy this product before the end of 2017. And now it is acting like the panel, its power supply or something else is dying. I need to go dig through the original carton for the warranty, but shockingly while I can still pull the Acer ET430K wmiiqppx product page on the manufacturer's website, it says nothing about warranty. Only NewEgg stated three years but I need to confirm that and if that is correct quickly begin measures to have this thing looked at.

The symptoms are I began seeing horizontal lines about 1/4 to 1/3 the way down the screen. It is in a band of about 3 inches wide. The lines are so thin to almost being on the individual pixel thickness. This arises and then goes away and seconds later the screen goes completely black as if the IPS panel lost power. It comes back seconds later and may repeat. This started last night and has already done it once this morning. Not the GTX 1060 card feeding it video because the card cannot get the IPS panel to complete go without power, only signal.

What is said about this is that under Linux this thing had been flawless. I most assuredly used my then Costco Amex card to buy this at MicroCenter in 12/2017, but since that account was closed because of Costco's move to Visa there ain't anything I can do to file a claim with them. Anyone else experience such a thing with their Acer ETxxxK series 4K monitor?

 

[VirtualLarry]

The symptoms are I began seeing horizontal lines about 1/4 to 1/3 the way down the screen. It is in a band of about 3 inches wide. The lines are so thin to almost being on the individual pixel thickness. This arises and then goes away and seconds later the screen goes completely black as if the IPS panel lost power. It comes back seconds later and may repeat. This started last night and has already done it once this morning. Not the GTX 1060 card feeding it video because the card cannot get the IPS panel to complete go without power, only signal.

HDMI or displayport? Sounds like the cable needs replacing. I highly doubt that it's the panel itself.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

I doubt it is the GPU because nothing that I know of (but there is my ignorance) that can get it to turn the power off to the IPS panel while the monitor thinks it is working and not loss of signal. If a signal was lost, the monitor begins to scan all inputs, which never happens. Also, a loss of signal changed the LED indicator on the chassis from green to amber (red is off) and it stays green.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Someone else in a private conversation thought it was the GPU but like the cable idea neither can tell the IPS panel to lose while the chassis thinks it is on. So, either a panel, power supply feeding the panel, or even the video processor board. None of which helps me. But, I changed DP ports on the card and will try another DP cable. I guess I could also try another DP port on the monitor, too.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Swapped out the DP cable and tried another DP input on the monitor and the problem continues. I guess I need to go buy a 43" 4K TV with DP and HDMI2 input as the only available monitors in this size are way more than I care to pay for considering I only got 3 years out of a $500 buy.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

OK, I have tested both DP ports on the Nvidia card and both on the display and problem persists. I also tested the two HDMI 2.0 ports on the card to the HDMI2.0 ports on the display and ... problem persists. I then booted the IGP using the DP on the motherboard and the problem persists. I put everything back the way it was operating without any issue for 35 months and then tried something different. I went into the Display settings in Linux Mint and changed the resolution from 3840x2160 to 2560x1440 and the problem went away. Now this is a scaled rez so i also tried 1920x1080. Both of the less-than-4K settings worked without the problem rearing its ugly head.

That pretty much tells me that the input side of the board cannot handle even static image at 4K without failing. Why this is only now becoming a problem I do not know. It is as if some sort of capacity in the monitor's video processor had failed. Unfortunately unlike a TV I'm not likely to find parts for it even if I were willing to open up the chassis. Wife seems willing to take this monitor off my hands for the 2560x1440 resolution. Ain't that nice of her?

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Today I was monkeying around with the monitor and the wife sat there looking at the floor asking me, "Have you tried this cable?" I look at her as she is holding up a 2' long HDMI cable with ferrite cores on it that I bought from Monoprice Cable way back in 2008-2010 era. I thought she was nuts and not understanding the situation so I gave it a try. Disconnected the DP cable and attached this rather short, cheap and old cable that was much thicker than the one Acer provided or any of the ones I tried that were bought in the last couple of years and behold, using HDMI2.0 no effing flickering and no black IPS panels.

I checked both what the monitor said it was receiving for a signal and also the Nvidia software and it is running at native 4K60 without issue. OK, come one, someone tell me how the el cheapo worked?

 

[VirtualLarry]

LOL. Tell you Wife, "Good Job!".

 

[BarkingGhostar]

I'm just going to go sit in a corner and think about what I did wrong.