Intel Windows 15.45.14.4590 Drivers STILL do not support EDID overrides.

[kd]

Custom resolution support (custom refresh rates, EDID overrides etc) has not been working on Intel graphics.

Despite the release of drivers which supposedly allow EDID overrides, the functionality is still broken.

Here is the timeline:

• 15.40.32.64.4568 test driver was posted by Bryce@Intel in this forum thread ( (Bryce's has since edited his post so you wont find mentions or links to that driver anymore)).
  • This driver apparently works with 3rd party EDID tools, but only supports 4th gen in Windows 10 and 5th gen in Windows 7-10. (per the release notes)
• 15.45.14.4590 (21.20.16.4590) (the vulkan driver release) was noted by Bryce@Intel to finally support the "use of 3rd party EDID applications for internal and external panels on Intel platforms." for 6th gen in Windows 7-10 and 7th gen on Windows 10. (see this screenshot of his post, in case it is edited again: http://s7.postimg.org/civhz5muz/screenshot_2017_02_23.png http://s7.postimg.org/civhz5muz/screenshot_2017_02_23.png )
  • The problem is, this driver still does not allow EDID overrides

To be more clear - EDID override functionality advertised in the vulkan 15.45.14.4590 (21.20.16.4590) drivers still does not work.

As a result, Skylake and Kaby lake users (and users on other Intel core w/ combinations of Windows that aren't supported by the 4568 driver) still cannot apply EDID overrides either with a 3rd party utility, or with the tool built into the intel graphics control panel.

• Does the 4590 driver release intentionally not support EDID overrides, and was Bryce was simply reporting a miscommunication?
  • If that is the case, is intel still planning to support EDID overrides with the next driver release?

This is still a very important issue for many users and obviously being unable to change the monitor's refresh rates is still a disappointment for video watching/gaming/overriding broken monitor EDIDs.

PROBLEM

Latest intel drivers do not support EDID overrides (custom refresh rates/resolutions) on Skylake with Windows 7.

Expected: successful EDID overrides on both built in, and external monitors.

Result: the intel driver still refuses to accept overrides, on either panel.

HARDWARE

Dell Inspiron 15 7559, BIOS 1.2.1 (latest), 2x8GB DDR3-L 2133, i7-6700HQ (stepping 3 revision R0)

I tested

- HD530 with 4590 drivers installed, nvidia optimus enabled (gtx 960m)

- HD530 with 4590 drivers installed, nvidia drivers uninstalled (optimus OFF)

With the following monitors:

- Internal 1080p, 60hz display (LG LGD04B9)

- External 1440p, 60hz display (BenQ BNQ801B) over HDMI

All combinations failed to allow custom resolutions.

SOFTWARE

Windows 7 sp1, 64 bit.

HD530 driver version 21.20.16.4590, vBIOS version 1024.0

GTX960m driver version 376.60 (I tested both with the nvidia drivers installed and without them installed - both showed same behavior, see above)

I used both

- Built in custom resolution utility (which did not work)

- CRU by ToastyX v1.3 (which did not work, even after a reboot)

CONFIGURATIONS

I tried to add custom refresh rates (61, 63hz) to

- Built in panel ALONE, with external panel disconnected. Both the intel built in tool failed ('max bandwidth exceeded'), and the CRU tool failed (after applying settings, the new custom refresh rate does not show up as an option in Windows)

- Built in panel, but with external panel connected. Both the intel tool & CRU failed.

- External panel. Both the intel tool & CRU failed.

In all cases, the laptop was connected to AC power and when the external panel was tested the desktop was set to 'extend'.

REPRODUCE

1. Grab a skylake laptop with Windows 7.
2. Install the 4590 drivers which Bryce@Intel indicated supports EDID overrides.
3. Grab the 3rd party EDID utility (CRU: https://www.monitortests.com/forum/Thread-Custom-Resolution-Utility-CRU https://www.monitortests.com/forum/Thread-Custom-Resolution-Utility-CRU ) and try to add a custom refresh rate.
4. Follow the directions (restart graphics driver/reboot)
5. Attempt to find refresh rate you added (Screen resolution -> advanced settings -> monitor tab -> Screen refresh rate [xxx]) and be disappointed but not all that surprised.

Alternatively, try to use the custom resolution/refresh rate tool in the intel control panel. Even if you set a refresh rate of 1hz less than default, it spits out the 'bandwidth exceeded' error.

There are countless threads on this topic, the first one even being marked as 'fixed' when the driver problems still in fact haven't been fixed.

Please tell me somebody is looking into this...

[idata]

Hello margroloc,

Intel engineering is aware of this issue and currently working on this.As you mentioned, there is an existing thread related to this issue./thread/78158 [9024844] Custom resolution not workingIf you have additional concerns, they must be posted in the thread listed above.Regards,Juan Carlos

[idata · Accepted solution]

Hello margroloc,

I would like to recommend you to check and download the driver posted by Bryce./message/449637# 449637 https://communities.intel.com/message/449637# 449637Please refer to it as the solution for the issue.In case you experience further issues, I would recommend posting your findings in the thread shared above.Regards,Juan Carlos

[dazinger92]

As this thread is now dated, this issue, at long last, deserves a huge bump.

First thing's first: the referenced URL is no longer valid.  Can you update that URL, or provide the details in this thread?  If that solution is useful still in 2023, I would be very much interested in what it instructs.  If no longer accurate, then we can work on an alternate solution.

Secondly: The priority of this issue seems to have gone up because, there is now the Arc chipset, and Intel is actually trying to get in the market for dedicated graphics cards.  There is even a gamer app that replaces the old Windows Store app called Command Center and so I really think it's time to use the opportunity to catch up to the competitors with allowing custom resolutions.  EDID overriding is one super simple way to accomplish this, I believe, and all the competing companies have them already implemented.

Lastly: I highly suggest implementing, or rather, reimplementing the direct support for Miracast configuration.  Yes -- We all know Intel, nearing the start of the 6th Gen line, removed Miracast support altogether which, previously, had the option to scale the size of the display.  So, Miracast support is gone, and so it would take some work to get it back in after all this time.  Yet, I highly suggest the Engineering team reconsider putting it back as an option, especially considering the second point above, IMHO.

On the point of Miracast, there is also the issue of available Wireless bandwidth for the custom resolution, if that's even possible.  I tried many ways myself to get it to work/function using some tools, but it always turned out to be a Miracast driver shortcoming, not an Intel one.  So, I don't know if Miracast has some sort of updated graphics API that the Engineering team could benefit from in that manner.  Just an idea.

[dazinger92]

So, I was actually able to find some information about the EDID properties with Miracast, because I was curious.  Could someone look here and see if my assertions are correct?

I believe that this test is an example of what sort of scenario would arise if the EDID had a mismatch between the Miracast sink and the graphics driver.  However, I'm not entirely sure what is the true purpose of having matching EDIDs here, because according to this test that I linked below, if the driver has an invalid EDID (e.g. a mismatched EDID between the Miracast sink and the driver) then this test will fail.

Interestingly, the test is listed in the Category: Compatibility.  So, I would think that this is perhaps suggesting that EDID overriding does not affect the EDID that Miracast would provide.  So, if Intel were to implement EDID overriding, you can't use that with Miracast and this test would fail, produce an error log in Windows, and the wireless display wouldn't connect properly.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/test/hlk/testref/e3862d07-381b-4821-9c53-f1d60173a6c3

I know nothing, really, about the Miracast driver.  It only appears when a wireless display is connected, so who really knows if that really matters or not how it gets its EDID value, and whether or not it can be overridden.