USB-C (Thunderbolt) to DVI-D not able to display 2560 x 1600 (only successful at 1280 x 800)

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HW specs:
Surface Pro 9
Surface Dock 2
DELL 3007 WFPHC (30") monitor
BlueRigger USB-C (Thunderbolt) to DVI-D (10 feet) cable

I know that my monitor is capable of running 2560 x 1600 resolution, as I have used it at that resolution with past computers.

With the above listed hardware, I was able to successfully get it to work at 1280 x 800 resolution, but when I try to go above that (it shows the options for 1920 x 1080 and 2560 x 1600) it displays a garbled/scrambled image on the screen.

I also tried plugging the BlueRigger cable directly into the USB-C port on my Surface itself and it only shows the 1280 x 800 and 1920 x 1080 options, though only the 1280 x 800 option works.

According to the Surface app on my Surface, it says that my Surface and Surface Dock 2 are both fully up to date in terms of firmware and updates.

I’m trying to diagnose whether this is a faulty cable or a product limitation either of the cable itself, the Surface, or the Surface Dock 2. I’m thinking for now that the monitor is not the issue as I was successfully running 2560 x 1600 resolution with my previous machine as recently as last week.

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Hi, Dylan,
Welcome to the forums. Passive DVI-D converters of this type are limited to the DVI-D Single-Link speed. (It’s theoretically possible to make an active DVI-D converter capable of higher speeds, but I’ve never seen one, and the last time we considered it, the chips required didn’t exist.) Unfortunately, that means this adapter supports a maximum resolution of 1920x1200 at 60Hz, or 4K at 30Hz.

It should be able to carry 1920x1080, though, and it sounds like you haven’t been able to use that resolution. If 1920x1080 is good enough for your needs, we can send a replacement for you to test. Just contact us through our support email address with your order number and shipping address.

For testing purposes, it’s probably best to stick with the direct surface-to-display connection until you can get that working, then try to add the dock. If the Surface supports HDR/deep-color or high framerates (above 60Hz), you could try setting it to 24 bit color (8 bits per channel) and 60Hz (or lower) while you try to get the cable working.

Do keep us posted.

  • Robert @ BlueRigger