John C. Menzies
I have a Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-74PR and recently purchased an MSI PRO MP161 E2 external monitor. The monitor would not power up with mini-HDMI and reported no HDMI data when connected via USB-C. This is not uncommon but there is a simple solution. The key takeaway is that for portable monitors like the MSI PRO MP161 E2 (same for other external monitors I have tried e.g. the Lenovo) some computer HDMI slots will not provide HDMI data and power, and the USB-C slot does not support DP Alt Mode and will not supply HDMI. The solution is to connect the mini-HDMI cable AND the USB-C cable to the computer or alternatively connect the mini-HDMI cable to the computer the USB-C cable to external USB power.
Solution Summary for Reference:
- Issue: External monitor (e.g., MSI PRO MP161 E2) unresponsive when connected to a laptop (e.g., Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-74PR) via HDMI or USB-C.
- Symptoms: HDMI alone doesn’t power or display; USB-C powers the monitor but shows “No HDMI” or no video.
- Cause: Monitor requires USB-C for power and HDMI for video; laptop’s USB-C port may not support video output (DP Alt Mode).
- Solution:
- Use both HDMI (Mini-HDMI to HDMI) for video and USB-C for power if the laptop can provide power via USB-C.
- Alternatively, use an external USB-C power adapter to power the monitor, allowing only the HDMI cable for video.
- Verify monitor detection in Settings > System > Display and use Windows + P to select display mode (e.g., Extend, Duplicate).
- Applies to: Laptops with HDMI and USB-C ports (without DP Alt Mode) and/or portable monitors requiring USB-C power and HDMI video.