HP Prodesk 600 G6 mini - 3 monitors?

[RickMtl]

My client has a new HP Prodesk 600 G6 mini and wants to use 3 monitors.

He can get two monitors working by using the DP ports on the mini.  His problem is the USB-C port, it doesn't seem to work.

Things I tried:

- update BIOS to latest (Dec 2/21) v 2.09.02

- updated the UHD 630 driver from v27.x.x to the latest from the HP site v30.0.100.9921 (Oct 19/21)

- bought a new USB-C -> VGA cable just in case it was the cable

- tried with just the USB-C port to one monitor and doing a cold boot

- ran Windows system file checker (SFC /scannow), that found and fixed an error and reboot rescan is no good

- updated to Windows 10 Pro 21H2 and post 21H2 updates

We can't seem to get the USB-C port to work.  I'm not sure if the USB-C cable is v3 or v3.1, maybe that can be a problem?

Should we get a USB-C -> HDMI cable instead of the VGA?

I tried to install the Intel Driver & Support Assistant to work, but while it does install and shows up in the Control Panel's Program listing, when we try to run it, is crashes and won't scan for Intel updates.

Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

Richard

[itsmyname]

@RickMtl --  it doesn't seem to work.

In what way? No output to the 3rd monitor? 

Does the monitor has multiple video-inputs (VGA? DVI? DisplayPort? HDMI?), and is the monitor "listening" to the active video-input?

> Should we get a USB-C -> HDMI cable instead of the VGA?

It is worth a try, especially if you find a computer-store with a "no questions asked" return-policy.

Some DisplayPort monitors can be "daisy-chained" -- there is one "input" DisplayPort on such monitors, and one "output" Displayport.   Hopefully, the graphics-adapter will recognize the "daisy-chaining".

[RickMtl]

Correct, the 3rd monitor (connected to USB-C) is completely black.

Strange new info.....

We used the same USB-C to VGA cable but connected to a new HP Elitebook Firefly (i7-10th gen, 16G ram, 1TB SSD Win10) and the monitor works. 

So, we can assume the cable and monitor are good.

I've seen this once before and I will try to get the latest Intel Graphics drivers that sometimes are better than the files from the HP site.

Will keep you posted.

[RickMtl]

It doesn't work with 2 monitors.  I suspect it is a hardware issue with the USB-C port.

Here is my reasoning.

- we know the USB-C->VGA cable and monitor are good as we can use a new HP Elitebook Firefly 15 with the same cable and monitor and the monitor will be detected on the laptop and we can duplicate/extend the laptop video to the external monitor

- that same cable / monitor connected to the HP 600 G6 mini will not be detected and nothing appears on the external monitor

- we tried everything to update the HP mini:  Windows 10-21H2, latest HP BIOS, latest Intel Drivers, ran SFC/scannow looking for corruption, but we can never get the HP mini to detect multiple screens if the USB-C is used

- the HP mini will detect 2 screens if the 2 screens are the 2 DP ports on the mini.

- tried the Intel Graphic app and checked all the settings and they are good, but it won't detect any monitor connected to the USB-C port.

The mini is new and under warranty.  I am wondering if there is anything else I can try before calling for a new motherboard?

I read that some USB-C ports are not for external display, but from my research, the HP Prodesk 600 G6 mini should be able to use the USB-C port for an external monitor.

Thanks

Richard

[SDH]

EDITS:  In bold below.  Some HP literature refers to your PC as a Mini, and others to it as the Desktop Mini (DM).  I've added in a second PDF showing the HP FLEX IO v2 Option Cards this can take, and below is a pic showing some added info from the HP build-to-order site for your DM, from today:

What type of monitor input is available on each of his two monitors?  I'll post part number info on an excellent BizLink-made HP DisplayPort to DVI adapter that we've used a lot of with zero out-of-box failures.  There also is a newer sleeker one from HP that we had too many failures with.

If there is digital input on both monitors I'd never use a DP-to-VGA adapter, by the way.  There are Dell DP-to-HDMI adapters we've used bought from eBay for use with some monitors if you need to use HDMI (I believe also made by BizLink) with success.  

Not all USB-C ports support video.  Many don't in my experience.

You have a HP "Flex Port" built in from reading your QuickSpecs document.  There are little HP Flex Port-to-DisplayPort adapters you can screw in to provide a third DP port.  The default at the HP build to order site is that is included currently.  Important... read up on that and review a related HP video link, HERE .  See below... I'm not sure your Mini is capable of supporting a third video output based on the QuickSpecs quote noted.

I"ve attached your QuickSpecs, latest version released early this month, which states:

"• Support for up to three video outputs via two standard video connectors and an optional third video port connector which provides the following choices: DisplayPort, HDMI, VGA, or USB Type-C with DisplayPort Output on MT/SFF/DM."  Note that they do include the Mini in that quote, as the "DM".  You want the version 2 type of these FLEX IO cards... see the attached PDF below for a QuickSpecs on them.

There is an available second HP Flex Port option with a video capable USB-C port but that must be added on at the factory.  It has 100W power capacity and provides a video uplink from the Mini to a "HP Mini-in-One 24 monitor", including video-capable USB-C uplink from that monitor to next monitor.  My guess is you don't have that add-on, and that this option may be necessary to get any USB-C video capability for your Mini, not just for that HP monitor.  That sounds expensive vs if you could simply add in a compatible v2 HP Flex Port-to-DP adapter.  The Mini's QuickSpecs indicate that at least for some boxes in this family a USB-C adapter could be placed in the first Flex Port and fed power from a high power USB port on the backplane.

Check back in a bit for the HP good vs bad DP to single-link DVI adapter info.  I discovered the difference while working on getting some picky 5MP FDA-certified mammography monitors working with nVidia Quadro cards.  We ended up using dual-link DVI cables, and have found DVI cables to be more solid than DP cables at the plug ends.  I do like DP cables if the ports are present on both the video card(s) and the monitors (they were not), and if there won't be up/down stand/sit motorized workstation tables used (there was, lots of that).

Finally, I'm sure you know you have no room for an add-on video card in the Mini.  See your QuickSpecs, attached below:

[SDH]

More than you want to know:

We recently found the newer HP DP to DVI adapter to have nearly a 50% failure rate and the older one from BizLink, REV F, to have 100% success rate.  For those of you who don't know... if you use one of these adapters hooked up to a dual-link DVI port on a video card even if you use a dual-link digital-only cable you will end up with a single-link DVI cable equivalent bandwidth... not enough to drive those 5MP monitors.  Stock DisplayPort and DVI dual-link digital-only cables both have about the same high bandwidth, but those special monitors have only one dual-link DVI backplane input connector, and we drive two of them from one Quadro video card which has only two dual-link DVI output ports on its backplane.

HP does sell an "active" DP to Dual-Link DVI adapter that gets its power from an adjacent USB port on the workstation's backplane.  That got me 5MP images on each monitor but the medical imaging conformance software could not work through that adapter.  At 12k each for those monitors I was motivated to get them going with W10 (required now for security).  We drive each pair of them with a Quadro K2000D card (which only has two dual-link DVI ports on its backplane).  We also use two dual-link DVI digital-only cables, and some special monitor setup tricks with the W10 Display App, and then the nVidia control panel.  Those are the 2 central medical monitors and the right/left side color 2MP "paperwork" monitors are driven off the primary PCIe x16 top slot, via a K2000 or K2200.

Here's some pictures for you:

[RickMtl]

Thanks for your reply.  I never realized you can add another port to the HP mini.  Who would have thought with a tiny 7"x7" case there would be room 🙂

I'll have to read up on this feature but it looks like very interesting.  Even if it doesn't solve this issue, it is good to know this option even exists.

My local distributor is closed until after NY so I'll call them about this idea.

Thanks!

[RickMtl]

Thanks for all the good info about DVI.  I know they are a pain and I probably have 6-7 DVI to VGA adapter now (DVI-I, DVI-D, single link, etc).  There are really confusing.

I rarely see any monitor these days with any DVI input, but I will check with my client if they have any.

He is leaning towards getting a new wide monitor (equivalent to two regular ones) and forgetting about the 3rd output.

I'll test the USB-C port with a USB-C to regular USB and see if that port can read/write to a USB key to confirm the port actually works.

Thanks again for the info

[SDH]

Just to make sure we're on the same page...

You earlier talked about using a DisplayPort to VGA adapter.  VGA is also know as D-Sub.  It is analog, not digital.

That is why I never use one of those... straight DisplayPort to monitor (via a DisplayPort cable) or straight DVI to monitor (via a DVI cable), or HP DisplayPort to DVI adapter to DVI cable to monitor is what we use.  DisplayPort plug ends are relatively weak compared to DVI plug ends.  I have seen DP plug ends partially torn open, and luckily that did not short out the monitors involved.  Here is what a DP-to-VGA adapter looks like:

[RickMtl]

Thanks for your reply.  Yes, we are on the same page and I agree.

The problem isn't with the two DP ports as those always work with the monitors.  My client uses adapters like you showed.

The problem is when he wants to use a 3rd monitor (with VGA input), he has to use the HP 600 G6 mini's USB-C port for the third output.  So, he bought a USB-C -> VGA adapter for the 3rd monitor.  He knows that the USB-C -> VGA adapter/cable are good as he can use that (USB-C adapter-cable-3rd monitor) connected to his new HP Firefly 15 laptop's USB-C port and the laptop outputs graphics perfectly.

It looks like there is a problem with the USB-C port on the HP 600 G6 mini as there doesn't appear to be any signal coming out of it and we know the USB-C adapter/cable and monitor are good.

My local HP distributor/service center is closed until after New Years so I'll call them and ask if that particular SKU supports any USB-C monitors or if I need to get that HP Flex IO option cards.

Thanks for your help

Strangely, with the HP 600 G6 mini, the 3rd monitor is completely black as if there is no signal coming out of the USB-C port.  We also tried with just one DP port monitor/cable connected just in case it drew too much power, ie just the ONE adapter cable to the monitor (the one that works with the Firefly 15 port), it was still black and Windows never detects a 2nd monitor if anything is connected to the USB-C port.