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Hi,
I have a Surface Book 3 and originally I was connecting my Samsung F27T450FQN External Monitor using a Surface USB-C to HDMI Adapter directly to my Book 3 and it worked fine. With needing to be more productive, I recently got a second external monitor (Dell P2717H) as well as the new Surface Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station.
Instead of connecting the Samsung monitor using the existing adapter cable directly to my Book 3, I connected the USB-C end to the docking station and the display showed up. When I connected the Dell monitor to the docking station using a similar HDMI to USB-C cable (Brand: Plugable), the display didn't show up. I unplugged both devices from the docking station and this time, plugged the Dell monitor first and the Samsung after, and the now the display shows up on the Dell monitor and not the Samsung (roles reversed).
I even went to the extent of buying a DP to DP cable (Up to 4K at 60 Hz / DP 1.2), but that didn't work - both monitors didn't detect the cable, so I assumed I got the wrong cable. I read the troubleshoot pages for using dual monitors and the cables to use in various situations but I'm not sure what to buy / return.
Where did I go wrong? What are next steps? Thanks in advance!
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
Hi Akehnji A,
We haven't heard from you, so we assume that your issue has already been addressed. We will not be monitoring this thread moving forward so, if you need further assistance, please create a new thread to discuss these concerns by clicking this link: Create a new question or start a discussion (microsoft.com)
Thank you for understanding.
Kind regards,
Lavenia
Possibly. You may check and confirm the details by reaching out Samsung team.
Based on the article I shared, what’s new in Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock - Surface | Microsoft Learn.
You can daisy chain more monitors by connecting a series of display devices using a wired connection from monitor to monitor in a series, rather than connecting each monitor directly to Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock.
Check if the other monitor you have supports DisplayPort 1.2 and Multi-Stream Transport (MST). Refer to the following instructions on the shared article under "Connect multiple monitors to devices without USB4/Thunderbolt 4".
Update:
I purchased the DP to USB cable for the Dell Monitor and upon plugging the cable into the docking station, the Dell monitor still says no signal and shortly enters power save mode. Funny enough when I disconnected the Samsung monitor via the HDMI to USB-C cable, my Surface Book 3 screen populated on the Dell monitor and the Samsung monitor went to a black screen with the blue power light blinking. Upon plugging the Samsung monitor into the docking station, while leaving the Dell connected, the Samsung monitor remained a black screen. I even went to Settings to see if my Book 3 would detect another display and that failed (see below). Do I possibly have the wrong monitors for Multi-Stream Transport (MST)?
To answer your first question, it displays no signal and enters power save mode.
"Using your DP to DP cable to connect to both may not be supported by the adapter. Instead, we prefer to utilize a direct cable, such as a Display Port to USB-C cable, which does not require any adapters. You can connect the first monitor using the HDMI to USB-C connection, and the second monitor using a Display Port to USB-C cable without the need of adapters."
Response: Got it, I'll return the current DP to DP cable I have and get a DP to USB-C cable and see if that works.
Additionally, the firmware is up-to-date as well. Thank you for sharing the two articles for more information as well!
Hi Akehnji A.,
Thank you for reaching Microsoft Community. We appreciate for sharing your concern to us.
We understand that you're trying to connect two external monitors to your Surface book 3 via Surface thunderbolt 4 dock. I am here to help and let us both isolate the issue.
What does the second monitor display when they are both connected? No signal, or does it only show a black screen?
Using your DP to DP cable to connect to both may not be supported by the adapter. Instead, we prefer to utilize a direct cable, such as a Display Port to USB-C cable, which does not require any adapters. You can connect the first monitor using the HDMI to USB-C connection, and the second monitor using a Display Port to USB-C cable without the need of adapters.
You may try to update the Surface Thunderbolt 4 dock firmware and see if problem persist. See Update your Surface Dock - Microsoft Support.
You might also find this article helpful: What’s new in Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock - Surface | Microsoft Learn.
Kind regards,
Lavenia
