Dell Precision 5540 Instruction Manual

Latitude 5540
External Display Connection Guide
Regulatory Model: P127F
Regulatory Type: P127F001
June 2023
Rev. A00

Notes, cautions, and warnings
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your product.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid
the problem.
WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.
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Chapter 1: Before you begin.......................................................................................................... 4
Check the graphics options on your computer............................................................................................................ 4
Modes of connection.......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Turn off the internal display..............................................................................................................................................5
Chapter 2: Connect external displays............................................................................................ 6
Integrated graphics............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Troubleshooting..................................................................................................................................................................10
Chapter 3: Getting help and contacting Dell................................................................................. 11
Contents
Contents 3

Before you begin
You can connect up to four 4K external displays or one 8K display using the Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports and HDMI port
available on your Latitude 5540.
Before you begin, ensure that you:
●Check the graphics options on your computer.
●Check the ports available on your external displays and decide on the mode of connection.
Check the graphics options on your computer
The number of external displays supported depends on the type of graphics card available on your computer.
For more information on the graphics card available on your computer, run Dell SupportAssist on your computer, or scan your
hardware at www.dell.com/support.
The following are the graphic options that may be installed in your computer:
●Intel Iris Xe Graphics (Integrated graphics)
●Intel UHD Graphics (Integrated graphics)
●NVIDIA GeForce MX550 (Discrete graphics)
Modes of connection
Depending on the connectors available on your external display, you can connect the displays to the Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C)
ports or HDMI port on your computer using:
●HDMI cable
●Thunderbolt 4 cables, adapters, or docking stations
●USB-C cables, adapters, or docking stations
NOTE: To experience the full resolution supported by your external displays, use appropriate cables. For example, use
DisplayPort or HDMI cables for 4K and above resolution.
NOTE: USB-C or Thunderbolt docking stations can be used to connect external displays to the computer using a single
USB-C cable, while charging the computer. For more information about the types of docking stations available from Dell,
see the knowledge base article 000124295 at www.dell.com/support.
NOTE: USB-C adapters can also be used to connect external displays to the computer, though these do not allow power
charging simultaneously. For more information about the types of USB-C adapters available from Dell, see the knowledge
base article 000125728 at www.dell.com/support.
These are the Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports and HDMI port available on your computer:
NOTE: The devices connected to the ports on the left side of the computer have priority over the ports on the right. While
connecting external displays, it is recommended that you connect the displays to the left ports.
USB-C and Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports available on your computer
NOTE: When connecting a display indirectly using an adapter or docking station, it is recommended that you connect the
display to the docking station first, then connect the docking station to the Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) port on your computer.
1
4 Before you begin

Turn off the internal display
There may be instances where you may want to turn off the computer's internal display to connect more external displays.
You can turn off the display of your computer by using the Intel HD Graphics Command Center.
To turn off the computer's display:
1. In the Windows search bar, type Intel Graphics Command Center and press <Enter>.
2. Accept the Intel Graphics Command Center software license agreement.
3. On the Intel Graphics Command Center window, click Display. The list of active displays is listed under the Connected
Displays section.
4. Click the ellipsis (...) at the upper right corner of your primary display, then click Extend > Display 2.
5. Click the ellipsis (...) at the upper right corner of display 2, then click Make Display Primary.
6. Click the ellipsis (...) at the upper right corner of your computer's display, then click Disable.
Before you begin 5

Connect external displays
You can connect up to four external displays to the Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports and HDMI port on your computer.
The number of displays supported depends on the following:
●Whether you are using integrated graphics or discrete graphics.
●If the internal display is enabled or disabled.
●Your docking station may also limit the number of supported external displays. Check the documentation that came with your
docking station.
The following table summarizes the number of supported external displays:
Table 1. Display support (up to 4K/60 Hz)
Graphics card Supported external
displays with computer
internal display on
Supported external
displays with computer
internal display off
Intel UHD Graphics (Integrated graphics) 3 4
Intel Irix Xe Graphics (Integrated graphics) 3 4
NVIDIA GeForce MX550 3 4
Table 2. Display support (up to 8K/60 Hz)
Graphics card Supported external
displays with computer
internal display on
Supported external
displays with computer
internal display off
Intel UHD Graphics (Integrated graphics) 1 1
Intel Irix Xe Graphics (Integrated graphics) 1 1
NVIDIA GeForce MX550 1 1
Integrated graphics
Connecting external displays to Latitude 5540
NOTE: When connecting a display indirectly using an adapter or docking station, it is recommended that you connect the
display to the docking station first, then connect the docking station to the Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) port on your computer.
With the computer display turned on
You can connect external displays directly to Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports and HDMI port, or up to two external displays using a
docking station.
●Connect an external display using a direct USB-C or Thunderbolt cable:
2
6 Connect external displays

●Connect an external display using a direct HDMI cable:
●Connect an external display using a USB-C to Thunderbolt/HDMI/DisplayPort adapter:
Connect external displays 7

●Connect up to two external displays using a USB-C docking station:
●Connect up to three external displays using direct USB-C or Thunderbolt cables and a direct HDMI cable:
8Connect external displays

●Connect up to three external displays using a USB-C docking station:
With the computer display turned off
NOTE: Ensure that you turn off the computer's internal display before connecting the external displays. For more
information, see Turn off the internal display.
NOTE: Connect and configure at least one external display before disabling the computer internal display.
You can connect external displays using the Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports and HDMI port.
●Connect up to four external displays using a USB-C docking station and a direct HDMI cable:
●Connect two external displays using a docking station and two more external displays using a USB-C to HDMI/DisplayPort/
Thunderbolt 4 adapter:
Connect external displays 9

Troubleshooting
The display output resolution cannot reach 4K@60 Hz while connecting
the display monitor with a HDMI-to-DP or DP-to-HDMI dongle from the
docking station to the system
Question
When I connect a display monitor to the computer using an HDMI-to-DP or DP-to-HDMI dongle from a Dell WD19/WD22
Thunderbolt docking station, the display output resolution cannot reach 4K@60 Hz (only 4K@30 Hz).
Cause
This is due to a hardware limitation while connecting dongles to the Dell WD19/WD22 (Limited Graphic bandwidth) Thunderbolt
docking station.
Workaround
Connect the monitor directly to the HDMI or DP ports on the Thunderbolt docking station.
10 Connect external displays

Getting help and contacting Dell
Self-help resources
You can get information and help on Dell products and services using these self-help resources:
Table 3. Self-help resources
Self-help resources Resource location
Information about Dell products and services www.dell.com
Tips
Contact Support In Windows search, type Contact Support, and press
Enter.
Online help for operating system www.dell.com/support/windows
www.dell.com/support/linux
Access top solutions, diagnostics, drivers and downloads, and
learn more about your computer through videos, manuals and
documents.
Your Dell computer is uniquely identified by a Service Tag or
Express Service Code. To view relevant support resources for
your Dell computer, enter the Service Tag or Express Service
Code at www.dell.com/support.
For more information on how to find the Service Tag for your
computer, see Locate the Service Tag on your computer.
Dell knowledge base articles for a variety of computer
concerns
1. Go to www.dell.com/support.
2. On the menu bar at the top of the Support page, select
Support > Knowledge Base.
3. In the Search field on the Knowledge Base page, type the
keyword, topic, or model number, and then click or tap the
search icon to view the related articles.
Contacting Dell
To contact Dell for sales, technical support, or customer service issues, see www.dell.com/contactdell.
NOTE: Availability varies by country/region and product, and some services may not be available in your country/region.
NOTE: If you do not have an active Internet connection, you can find contact information about your purchase invoice,
packing slip, bill, or Dell product catalog.
3
Getting help and contacting Dell 11