problems with high resolution with hd 4k series graphics

What is the output of:

sudo lshw -C display; lsb_release -a; uname -a; sudo dmidecode -t 1; xrandr

Thanks

the output of requested command:

 *-display
       description: VGA compatible controller
       product: Haswell-ULT Integrated Graphics Controller
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 2
       bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
       version: 09
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: msi pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
       configuration: driver=i915 latency=0
       resources: irq:63 memory:d0000000-d03fffff memory:c0000000-cfffffff ioport:4000(size=64)
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 14.10
Release: 14.10
Codename: utopic
Linux Daniel-Dell 3.16.0-44-generic #59-Ubuntu SMP Tue Jul 7 02:07:39 UTC 2015 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
# dmidecode 2.12
SMBIOS 2.7 present.

Handle 0x000E, DMI type 1, 27 bytes
System Information
 Manufacturer: Dell Inc.
 Product Name: Inspiron 7537
 Version: Not Specified
 Serial Number: 5J6R1Z1
 UUID: 4C4C4544-004A-3610-8052-B5C04F315A31
 Wake-up Type: Power Switch
 SKU Number: Inspiron 7537
 Family: Shark Bay ULT

Screen 0: minimum 8 x 8, current 1366 x 768, maximum 32767 x 32767
eDP1 connected primary 1366x768+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 344mm x 194mm
   1366x768 60.0*+ 40.0
   1360x768 59.8 60.0
   1024x768 60.0
   800x600 60.3 56.2
   640x480 59.9
HDMI1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
VIRTUAL1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

Your release has 9 days of support left
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

I suggest you upgrade to Vivid soon. The new kernel and Xorg may help

OK. ill try that and keep you posted.

i tried an distro upgrade and am currently running 15.04. i tried running the same command as before.

 *-display
       description: VGA compatible controller
       product: Haswell-ULT Integrated Graphics Controller
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 2
       bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
       version: 09
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: msi pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
       configuration: driver=i915 latency=0
       resources: irq:63 memory:d0000000-d03fffff memory:c0000000-cfffffff ioport:4000(size=64)
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 15.04
Release: 15.04
Codename: vivid
Linux Daniel-Dell 3.16.0-44-generic #59-Ubuntu SMP Tue Jul 7 02:07:39 UTC 2015 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
# dmidecode 2.12
SMBIOS 2.7 present.

Handle 0x000E, DMI type 1, 27 bytes
System Information
 Manufacturer: Dell Inc.
 Product Name: Inspiron 7537
 Version: Not Specified
 Serial Number: 5J6R1Z1
 UUID: 4C4C4544-004A-3610-8052-B5C04F315A31
 Wake-up Type: Power Switch
 SKU Number: Inspiron 7537
 Family: Shark Bay ULT

Screen 0: minimum 8 x 8, current 1366 x 768, maximum 32767 x 32767
eDP1 connected primary 1366x768+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 344mm x 194mm
   1366x768 60.0*+ 40.0
   1360x768 59.8 60.0
   1024x768 60.0
   800x600 60.3 56.2
   640x480 59.9
HDMI1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
VIRTUAL1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

unfortunately nothing has changed.
what version number is xorg supposed to be at. maybe that wasnt upgraded. is there a way to chek this?

see http://askubuntu.com/questions/138408/how-to-add-display-resolution-fo-an-lcd-in-ubuntu-12-04-xrandr-problem and/or https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Config/Resolution

1. find out the resolutions that your screen hardware is capable of
2. convert the desired resolution/refresh rate into a modeline (with the cvt command), something like
cvt 1920 1080 60
3. define the resolution in xrandr (based on the output of the cvt command)
xrandr --newmode "1920x1080_60.00" 173.00 1920 2048 2248 2576 1080 1083 1088 1120 -hsync +vsync
4. allow the eDP1 connection use that resolution
xrandr --addmode eDP1 "1920x1080_60.00"
5. switch to that resolution
xrandr --output eDP1 --mode "1920x1080_60.00"

(adapt the figures to your system!)
After a reboot the old resolution will be set again, if you want to make that permanent you have to add the information to system configuration files.

OK and by configuration file you mean the xorg.conf file?

Also how do I find the maximum screen resolution for my hardware?

Not necessarily.
There is the possibility to define additional resolutions in an xorg.conf file, but you can also put the xrandr commands into some system startup scripts, e.g. ~/.xprofile or /etc/gdm/Init/Default
see e.g. https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Config/Resolution#Setting_xrandr_changes_persistently

i tried running those commands. i cant get past the command xrandr --addmode eDP1 "1920x1080_60.00".
this is the output <X Error of failed request: BadMatch (invalid parameter attributes)
                                Major opcode of failed request: 140 (RANDR)
                                Minor opcode of failed request: 18 (RRAddOutputMode)
                                Serial number of failed request: 33
                                Current serial number in output stream: 34>

and this is the out put of xrandr --output eDP1 --mode "1920x1080_60.00"
                                              xrandr: cannot find mode 1920x1080_60.00

im not sure why it wont accept this resolution. i also suspect that other resolutions would behave the same way.

Before you can use
xrandr --addmode eDP1 "1920x1080_60.00"
you have to define that mode first with a command like
xrandr --newmode "1920x1080_60.00" 173.00 1920 2048 2248 2576 1080 1083 1088 1120 -hsync +vsync
(Check the figures first, they have to be in line with the output of the "cvt lines cols freq" command!)

it fails on newmode and add mode too everything’s consistent.

sudo cvt 1920 1080 60
[sudo] password for daniel:
# 1920x1080 59.96 Hz (CVT 2.07M9) hsync: 67.16 kHz; pclk: 173.00 MHz
Modeline "1920x1080_60.00" 173.00 1920 2048 2248 2576 1080 1083 1088 1120 -hsync +vsync

xrandr --newmode "1920x1080_60.00" 173.00 1920 2048 2248 2576 1080 1083 1088 1120 -hsync +vsync
X Error of failed request: BadName (named color or font does not exist)
  Major opcode of failed request: 140 (RANDR)
  Minor opcode of failed request: 16 (RRCreateMode)
  Serial number of failed request: 33
  Current serial number in output stream: 33

daniel@Daniel-Dell:~$ xrandr --addmode eDP1 "1920x1080_60.00"
X Error of failed request: BadMatch (invalid parameter attributes)
  Major opcode of failed request: 140 (RANDR)
  Minor opcode of failed request: 18 (RRAddOutputMode)
  Serial number of failed request: 33
  Current serial number in output stream: 34

xrandr --newmode "1920x1080_60.00" 173.00 1920 2048 2248 2576 1080 1083 1088 1120 -hsync +vsync
X Error of failed request: BadName (named color or font does not exist)
  Major opcode of failed request: 140 (RANDR)
  Minor opcode of failed request: 16 (RRCreateMode)
  Serial number of failed request: 33
  Current serial number in output stream: 33

Try using a different name without underscore, like

"1920x1080-60"

source: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/851704/xrandr-errors-badname-named-color-or-font-does-not-exist