AMD 7840 connecting an external monitor is very flaky

Which Linux distro are you using?
Fedora 42 KDE Plasma 6.4.2

Which kernel are you using?
6.15.4-200.fc42.x86_64

Which BIOS version are you using?
3.9

Which Framework Laptop 13 model are you using?
AMD Ryzen™ 7040 Series

Hey there,

I’m running into issues when connecting an external monitors since the day I got the laptop. I had exactly the same issue with Ubuntu 22 and Ubuntu 24, now with Fedora 42 the exact same way. Never tried on Windows.

When connecting a monitor using USB-C, it is very frequent that the resolution is capped to a very low value (640x480) - unusable - and the settings panel says this is the only supported resolution for the screen.

I have to unplug - replug a lot of times to have it working as expected. Sometimes switching the USB-C port works, but I can’t tell if it is a coincidence or not. Sometimes inverting the USB-C port also works, but maybe also a coincidence.
Bottom line is: I very frequently struggle connecting an external monitor through USB-C port, no matter the expansion port I’m using. Sometimes, I completely give up, as I can try a dozen of times without any success.

I saw multiple topics (here or on reddit) talking about external monitors support issue, but none that described exactly what I experience (display works but resolution is capped).

It rarely happens at my home when connecting my USB dongle with two screens and USB PD. It essentially happens when connecting a unique monitor / TV using a direct USB-C cable or a USB-C dongle with HDMI. Rarely, the display works as expected but the laptop doesn’t charge.

Does anyone experience it as well or have a solution?

Thanks!

Léo