multiple 4k monitors on 16.04, issues

Question

The problem is supporting two external 4k monitors from a notebook that has a built in 4k display.

I can run either external 4k monitor from HDMI or mDP just fine on all desktops (Unity, Gnome, Gnome classic, Gnome Flashback (Compiz) and Gnome Flashback (Metacity)). But I experience several problems using both external monitors along with the builtin display.

I would like to know if anyone has had any luck configuring two external 4k monitors to a notebook with a native 4k display. The hardware specifications indicate it is possible.

Hardware:

• Dell Precision 7710 notebook (one HDMI port and one mDP port)
• No docking device being used.
• Nvidia M5000M graphics card
• Dell P2715Q diplays
• 16.04 using 4.4.0-31

Testing

• Testing done with both Nvidia 361.45 and 367.35 drivers installed.
• Testing with different desktops
• Testing with single HDMI monitor
• Testing with single mDP monitor

Results

Unity desktop - With two monitors the settings crashes when I attempt to go into System Settings -> Displays. Nothing has allowed me to configure two external monitors under unity. Tests were done using both Nvidia driver versions noted above.

Gnome Flashback (both types) - Using one external screen with either connector works fine, but screen positions are not remembered and must be restart each login (usually associated with a reboot). Using two externla monitors does not work. The system will not let me login and always cycles back to the login page.

Gnome Classic - insufficient testing done on this desktop.

Gnome - THis is the most successful combination. Running with the Nvidia 361 drivers works the best. The Nvidia 367 drivers would not work. The three displays would always be presented as mirrored and the settings would not allow the builtin to be primary and the externals to be secondary. Only be reverting back to the Nvidia 361 drivers was I able to configure the external monitors. When running with one monitor all is well. When running with two external 4k monitors the system will boot up and I can login. The screen locations are remembered (good) but the system will usually freeze in 10 - 60 minutes. The system is completely unresponsive. No mouse or keyboard interaction, no disk activity evident and none of the displays (clock or interactive output on a terminal window) are updated.

Misc The nvidia tool does not show any displays with either driver or any desktop. I am using the system tools supplied with Ubuntu.

Answer 1

I got both external 4k monitors working correctly.

The solution was a combination of kernel and nvidia driver.

Since I last posted I was using the 4.4.0-31. I upgraded to the 4.4.0-34 kernel but that caused even more problems. Things that worked in -31 no longer worked in -34. One example is a video converter to take mDP output and convert it to VGA for a conference room projector. Under -31 it worked perfectly, using -34 it would not recognize the projector at all.

I then recently updated the kernel to -36 and at the same time purged the existing nvidia drivers and installed 370.23. This combination of kernel and video drivers allowed me to use both external 4, monitors along with the built in 4k display on the notebook.

Answer 2

I can confirm similar issues, currently Ubuntu semi-noob but learning quickly and experimenting. Lenovo T550 with Geforce 940M and 3K panel. Driver version 367.35 properly installed and running uniquely on Geforce. I used the drivers provided from NVidia, experimented with several versions (a few weeks ago) but appeared similar..

When connecting/using the 4K panel (Asus PB279Q) via displayport the mouse is properly responsive when working on the laptop panel. But... when the mouse moves to the external Asus 4K panel, first the mouse movement is a little choppy and irregular. Shortly after that, the Ubuntu UI appears to be crashing completely.

External monitor now working on 4K, later when I have time I'll try to figure out if decreasing the resolution helps avoiding it or not...