Intel HD Graphics 620: Does my display adapter support HDMI 2.0 necessary for a 4k display?

Question

I want to connect my laptop (Inspiron 15 5000 Series) to a 4k display. When I read online about this it seems that HDMI 2.0 is a necessaity to handle the large resolutions / refresh rates involved to get full benefits of a 4k display.

Use case: I'm not going to use this to play games. Most of my use-case is editing documents, emails, spreadsheets and some engineering drawings and video (watching not editing).

The goal behind going 4k is to boost productivity by having more things open at once to read side by side.

I looked into the Dell specs and they only mention an HDMI without going into the details of what type or whether it will support HDMI 2.0 / 4K TV.

Dell Link to Laptop Manual and Specs

How do I tell whether my Dell Inspiron Laptop (i7 7500 U processor) supports this?

I looked under the Display Adapters and can see that I have an "Intel HD Graphics 620" listed.

Will this suffice to tell me if this display adapter will support HDMI 2.0 / 4k display?

Or should I be checking out some other settings?

Thanks!

Solution

You should, in the first instance, be checking the manufacturer's specifications for your laptop.

While the Intel HD Graphics 620 does indeed support 4k @ 60Hz over DisplayPort and seems to suggest that HDMI is limited to 1.4. It is possible for manufacturers to put in buffering or conversion devices that allow higher rates by actively converting it themselves but you may be limited to lower refresh rates or resolutions due to being HDMI 1.4 or lower.

For example, as you didn't mention the specific laptop, the Inspiron 13 7000 series specifically mentions HDMI 2.0 under the "ports" section:

Ports

1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A
1 Power adapter
1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C™ (DP/Power Delivery)
1 HDMI™ 2.0 out
1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A with PowerShare
1 Universal audio jack

---

From your edit it appears that the 5000 series laptops are "midrange" and lack extra hardware needed to support HDMI 2.0. Due to the HD 620 seemingly being limited to HDMI 1.4, you would need an active DisplayPort to HDMI 2.0 chip to convert the signals within the laptop in order to support and HDMI 2.0 output.

From Inspiron 15 5584 Laptop

Ports

1 SD Card Reader
1 USB 2.0
1 Power
1 Optional USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C™ (data only)
1 HDMI 1.4b
1 RJ45
2 USB 3.1 Gen 1
1 Headphone & Microphone Audio Jack

If the "new and improved" version does not support HDMI 2.0, I would not expect the previous version to support it either.

It seems that the extra care and attention required was deemed worthwhile for the "performance" 7000 series, but not for the 5000 series machines.

But that doesn't mean you cannot get 4k support, only that 4k @ 60Hz is out of reach. You will be able to use a 4k display, but you will be limited to 24Hz. This puts fast paced gaming out of reach but playing films and browsing the internet should be fine.

If you wanted faster refresh rates then you could knock it down to 1080 and easily get 60Hz with a hopefully minor drop in fidelity. You wont be playing games at 4k on an Intel HD 620 at any rate.

Comments

[Dan Dascalescu]

I had a similar problem with the same 620 graphics card. Turns out it supports 5K@60Hz, but over Thunderbolt.

[curious_cat]

@DanDascalescu That's ironic since my dell laptop model does not even have a Thunderbolt port I think!

[curious_cat]

Thanks! I just edited my question to add the information.

[Mokubai]

@curious the "new 15" specifically states HDMI 1.4b, so it may well be that for your series HDMI 2.0 is out of reach. dell.com/en-uk/shop/laptops-notebooks-and-2-in-1-laptops/…

[Mokubai]

@curious_cat I have added some more info. Specifically that you can do 4k, just not 4k@60.

[curious_cat]

Great! Thank you. That helps a lot! No, I'm not going to use this to play games. Most of my use-case is editing documents, emails, spreadsheets and some engineering drawings and video (watching not editing). The goal behind going 4k is to boost productivity by having more things open at once to read side by side. So based on what you wrote I should be able to work with a 4K TV?

[curious_cat]

Just to clarify, I should be able to just connect directly to a 4k TV with an HDMI cable, correct (so long as I can live with the 24 Hz refresh)? No adapters etc that you spoke about needed?

[Mokubai]

@curious_cat yes, it should just work with only a cable and nothing else. 60hz might look smoother when moving Windows or scrolling but 24hz shouldnt be too bad, it's what we're used to with films. Some people are more sensitive to it than others.