Z68A-GD80 DVI Port Woes

[JeremyP]

I've been having problems (like many others) getting the on board DVI port to work. I've done some testing and here is what I've found.

My monitor is an ASUS VE247H.

A direct connection between the DVI port of the mainboard and my monitor results in no output. Monitor gives a "no signal" message. A single link or dual link DVI cable yields the same result. There is no difference between the two.
A DVI to HDMI adapter connected to the HDMI input of the monitor works.
A DVI to VGA adapter connected to the VGA input of the monitor works.
An HDMI to HDMI connection from mainboard to monitor also works.
Monitor worked with my previous PC connected via DVI. Monitor also works with Z68A-GD80 and a discrete card connected via DVI. That should rule out the monitor being the issue.

At this point I figured the DVI port was just faulty. I have already received a call from MSI, after discussing my DVI problems in a Newegg review, and was instructed to RMA the board back to Newegg for a replacement. Before taking everything apart, I decided to try the only other "monitor" available to me with a DVI input, my Samsung DLP TV (model#HLP4663WX/XAA). So I directly connected the mainboard to the TV (DVI to DVI), with a single link DVI cable and amazingly, that worked.

This leads me to believe there is definitely some issue with the way the BIOS handles communication to/from the monitor, and not just a faulty DVI socket.

Another observation I've made, the same monitor is detected differently depending on what interface is being used. For instance, when I connect via HDMI, the Intel Graphics and Media Control Panel shows my display as "Digital Television VE247".

If I connect with VGA, the display shows up as "Monitor VE247".

Hopefully this is of some use to MSI. We really need these port issues fixed.

 

[Bernhard]

A valuable fault analysis indeed. 
Please copy this post and also send it to MSI technical, as we are all users here, just like you. >>Posting Guide<<

 

[owcraftsman]

Have you tried a HDMI connection with the Asus VE247H? The reason I ask is the DVI-D connection "D" meaning Dual with that monitor may not be compatible with the Single link out put of the motherboard. You would think it's backward compatible but maybe not. I hope this helps you avoid an RMA GL

 

[HU16E]

Not really sure if this may be a possible factor or not, our board HDMI port is compliant v1.4, maybe an issue with the backwards compatibility with v1.3 devices & cables? After everyone contacts & opens a ticket with MSI Tech Support, please be sure to post their response.

 

[JeremyP]

Have you tried a HDMI connection with the Asus VE247H? The reason I ask is the DVI-D connection "D" meaning Dual with that monitor may not be compatible with the Single link out put of the motherboard. You would think it's backward compatible but maybe not. I hope this helps you avoid an RMA GL

Yes, I tried every connection I could to the monitor. Straight HDMI from board to display worked. Using the DVI port on the board and some adapters, DVI -> HDMI (worked), DVI -> VGA (worked), DVI -> DVI (doesn't work).

And FYI, in DVI-D, the "D" is for DIGITAL not dual. The mainboard has a DVI-I port, the "I" meaning integrated. It supports both digital (DVI) and analog (VGA) connections from the same port.

Not really sure if this may be a possible factor or not, our board HDMI port is compliant v1.4, maybe an issue with the backwards compatibility with v1.3 devices & cables? After everyone contacts & opens a ticket with MSI Tech Support, please be sure to post their response.

AFAIK, the monitor is HDMI v1.3 compliant, the cable I'm using definitely is. I have no problems with an HDMI connection though. Either straight HDMI from board to monitor, or DVI port on board -> DVI to HDMI adapter -> HDMI cable to monitor. I've contacted support with my results thus far and linked them to this thread as well. Their reply "Ok, thank you for the update. I will look further into this and update you as further information becomes available."

I've RMA'd the board back to newegg for a replacement and will repeat this process when I get it back (probably another week). I even went as far as to try one of the beta BIOSes before RMAing, no improvement there.

 

[Henry]

For sake of argument re: DVI-D vs DVI-I read this:
http://www.datapro.net/techinfo/dvi_info.html

 

[MarkedOne]

Another observation I've made, the same monitor is detected differently depending on what interface is being used. For instance, when I connect via HDMI, the Intel Graphics and Media Control Panel shows my display as "Digital Television VE247".
If I connect with VGA, the display shows up as "Monitor VE247".

This have to do with  the Intel Software , not your Board;  not long time ago HDMI was to connect a TV, So your Intel Software label it as TV.

as for you monitor not working in DVI, have you try to set the mode of the monitor to Digital instead of analog ?

 

[JeremyP]

This have to do with  the Intel Software , not your Board;  not long time ago HDMI was to connect a TV, So your Intel Software label it as TV.

as for you monitor not working in DVI, have you try to set the mode of the monitor to Digital instead of analog ?

There is no Digital/Analog setting. Does any modern monitor have this setting? It should be handled by the adapter reading the EDID over DDC. Which I figure is why the Intel Software labels the HDMI connection to my monitor as TV, and VGA connection as monitor. Different EDID for different inputs.

 

[MarkedOne]

There is no Digital/Analog setting. Does any modern monitor have this setting?

My Dells have it, as your's too, should read the manual, so I will not to do it and copy and paste it in this tread  

Some monitor name it     analog / digital      other      vga / dvi  I use it to be able to have my server and my pc on same monitor

vga = analog
DVI = digital

page 3-3

 

[JeremyP]

I can and have read the manual. That's an input selection screen, it exists so you can toggle between the ports on the back of the monitor. You already know this as you "use it to be able to have my server and my pc on same monitor." If you read my first post and followed along with the troubleshooting I was trying to do, you should be able to figure out I'm more than capable of knowing what input I'm on and how to change it.

 

[MarkedOne]

.... If you read my first post and followed along with the troubleshooting I was trying to do, you should be able to figure out I'm more than capable of knowing what input I'm on and how to change it.

Yes I read it and I see you don't try the dvi-vga selection with the menu, it's not the first time I see monitors behaving like yours... 

A DVI to VGA adapter connected to the VGA input of the monitor works.

At this point I figured the DVI port was just faulty.

If the DVI port signal pass true the VGA adaptor , and not directly to the DVI input, it means the monitor don't automatically fall on the DVI input, it's why I ask you to do it manually with the menu. I have a Monitor here with a similar problem, it  work fine with all my PC except one, that I have it play with the source button to put it on digital ( DVI) to make it work