Mac mini stops seeing DisplayPort monitor after a power loss

hello Apple community. question;

i have an Intel Core i7 2018 mac mini, running Monterey 12.5. it's driving two displays:

DELL 2007WFP, connected via Thunderbolt > DVI cable

HP LA2206, connected via DisplayPort cable to a Western Digital WD50 NVMe game dock (itself connected via Thunderbolt)

the dell is always fine no matter what.

the HP is not seen by the os, after a power loss, until i physically reseat the DisplayPort cable. and i've also tried connecting it with a thunderbolt > DisplayPort cable as well direct to the mac mini and same issue exists in that scenario. so perhaps it's the monitor itself or the use of DisplayPort.

does anyone have any insight you can offer? Thanks.