Ask HN: How on earth are you using your Apple computer with external displays?

Sorry you are having issues, but I have found the support for multiple monitors to be great all the way back to a Mac IIci I got in 1989. At the moment I am running a 16" M1 MB Pro with an LG 5K over Thunderbolt. It finds the monitor and puts my spaces back to the right monitors every time I plug it in. It sleeps and wakes from sleep with no issues.

I have had Macs for over 30 years and never experienced these kinds of issues and have used laptops with external monitors (except for some random issues while running beta system software). I have to believe there is something about your software environment that is different. I hope you find the issue, but I can tell you from a large office full of Macs and my own personal experience that your situation is not typical. Good luck.

Thanks for your anecdote. I'm trying to isolate variables with little success

Is your monitor 60hz, or a higher refresh rate?

27" LG Ultrafine 5k running at 60 Hz. The connection is Thunderbolt 3, direct to the 16" M1 16MB Pro, no dock. The monitor has a USB 3.1 hub built in and that has also been well behaved. This is the latest rev of the LG Ultrafine, the 27MD5KL. It has been flawless. Their first couple of versions had some issues. See the following for more info on those versions:

https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/371124/difference-...

I have also used this laptop with lots of generic HDMI displays plugged in directly to the HDMI port. No issues. I have had mixed success with no name USB-C to HDMI adaptors. Some of those have problems. I throw those away or send them back.

I am using Bartender and BetterSnapTool. Nothing else third party that messes with windows or spaces. Hope it works out for you.

I will add that I have this same monitor and have used it with no problems with the last 3 MacBook Pro revisions, a MacBook Air from 2018, a Mac mini that’s over a decade old (with an hdmi adapter) and an iPad Pro.

More anecdata: Same monitor. I use the cable that came in the box.

I've had it fail to detect the monitor approximately 1% of the time I plug it in -- it seems to happen once every 3 months or so. This is fixed by pulling the cable out and plugging it back in.

Other than that, I habitually unplug the monitor before putting the laptop away in the evening because the built-in charger makes the fans spin up on my macbook pro.

On my desk I have 6 of these same LG 5K monitors sibling comments are talking about, 2 to a 2019 MBP16, and 4 to a Mac Studio.

On the MBP, I need one TB3 cable to each side of the MBP, not both to the same side. MBP screen is active as well, so it’s driving all three.

On the Mac Studio, I run 4 x TB3 cables into the back. Occasionally (once a week?) the four monitors sometimes seem to wake out of order. I tap touch ID twice to off-and-on-again them, second time’s a charm.

I am running a 16" MacBook Pro (2019), M1 MacBook Air and an 14" MacBook Pro with M1 Max. The latter is my daily driver for work, and personal computing. Monitors: - Eve Spectrum 4k 144Hz - HP Z25XS (2560x1440) - HP Z27k 4k - Some old 24" 1920x1200 HP monitor - CForce CF015 portable monitor

All the monitors work fine with all the Macbooks. To my surprise, even the Adaptive Sync with 144Hz works on the Eve Spectrum monitor. Even the scaling at 4k is fine: 4k scaled to 2560x1440, which is okay at 27". The laptops are connected either via Thunderbolt 4/USB-C cables (OWC 2m cable and the cables came with the monitors) or a OWC Thunderbolt 4 dock (and USB-C or Thunderbolt from there). The exception is the 24" monitor, which is connected via DP whenever I need it.

Like others here, I found that Thunderbolt 4/USB-C works best. My setup had similar issues with waking up and connecting the monitors when I used a mixture of HDMI and DP. Since switching, no more issues. The switch was expensive though :(

The work-issued Lenovo P15s Gen2, on the other hand, has all kinds of issues with this same setup: scaling in Windows 10 is crap and blurry depending on the application, monitors blank out every once in a while, going from 60Hz to 144Hz is a flickering nightmare, sleep and waking up just don't work, ...

I haven't run into the visual issues you mention but I've definitely run into a lot of problems regarding failure to wake.

Currently using: 2 Gigabyte M28Us (scaled to 1440p) and 1 Dell S2716DGR, all running at 144hz on various different Macs. One of the M28us is passing through the mouse, keyboard, and webcam.

I don't have any issues with the 2017 era MacBook Pro using random display port to USB-C cables I bought off amazon.

I did have a bunch of issues with the M1 Pro MacBook. I used it exclusively in clamshell mode and 90% of the time it failed to wake up and detect the monitors in general. To get it working, I had to continuously unplug and plug the cables back in. Sometimes this worked on the first try, other times it took 10 minutes of messing with the cables. I upgraded to using certified Thunderbolt 4 cables on the M28Us but that didn't fix the problem.

Currently I'm running a baseline Mac Studio. The biggest issue I have is that the display order changes most of the time when I wake the computer. Every now and then it seems to not pick up one of my displays and I have to unplug it and plug it back in. It's a little bit annoying but definitely not as frustrating at the M1 Pro MacBook.

> but I've definitely run into a lot of problems regarding failure to wake.

In starting t belove there's just some collective failures with modern laptop power design. Multiple laptops from different manufacturers have had similar power issues waking up from sleep states and many even went on to just straight up die, as nothing seemed to power up anymore.

I’ve always used my MacBook pros with external displays and haven’t ever had these issues. I use a Samsung 4K monitor that I’ve had for a few years now, but even before that I don’t remember having issues. Max mini also works fine with the same.

Likewise. Currently I have a HP Z27 27-inch 4K UHD Display. I just connect the cable (USB-C) and it works. I have adjusted the scaling manually for personal preference. No issues (even in the past with other monitors).

At work we also got a batch of LG 27" Class 4K UHD IPS LED Monitors (27UK850-W). Again, just work.

The main thing to note here is I picked these monitors because it only requires a single USB-C connection for display and power.

Is your monitor 60hz, or a higher refresh rate?

Any non-apple 4k monitor gives me an actual headache using macos because of the scaling. Windows and ubuntu on the other hand work with these monitors since they scale their os differently (I run at 4k at 150% zoom).

The solution is (unfortunately) to spend money on the lg ultrafine 5k or studio display. These have a higher PPI compared to every other monitor on the market. I run my lg ultrafine at native scaling. No more headaches and my productivity using macos 10x'd.

I’ve plugged a series of Airs and one Pro into the same 24” Dell monitor for close to a decade now. It’s been via DisplayPort, DVI, and HDMI. Right now it’s via HDMI through a USBC breakout box.

Every once in a while it will be a little flickery, or offset weirdly. This always indicates that I didn’t plug the cable in correctly when I put the laptop on the desk. Re-seating it always fixes it.

I use the laptop closed. Don’t like multiple displays.

Life is not perfect for me, the driver for the Wacom tablet on my desk never recognizes it when I wake up the computer, so I have to unplug and reconnect the tablet. Which is annoying given that I don’t have a mouse/touchpad/etc available on the desk. (I’m an artist, I use the tablet for pretty much everything.)

Dunno what you’re doing. I assume you’ve checked obvious things like connecting it with a guest account. And maybe trying the computer on other displays outside your home?

Good luck finding a cause, this sounds super annoying.

What is the horizontal resolution on this 24" Dell monitor?

1920×1200.

The person you are replying to refers to "high resolution monitors", which probably means a lot higher than 1920.

(He also mentions "high refresh rate".)

LG 43UD79-B[1]; CalDigit TS3 Plus[2]; Mac Mini M1 and 2017 MacBook Pro. Almost every possible combination of TB->TB, USBC->DP, TB->(dock)DP->USBC, USBC->HDMI, HDMI->HDMI, etc with or without the dock, with different USBC->HDMI converters, with different cables - just works, getting smooth 4K@60. Use a good USBC/TB cable though, 90cm is max.

I've also tried the Mini's HDMI port with all kinds of very weird screens and capture cards, including an old WaveShare 7" 1024x600 that doesn't even send an EDID - that kinda worked too.

[1]: https://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-43UD79-B-4k-uhd-led-monito... [2]: https://www.caldigit.com/ts3-plus/

I have a caldigit thunderbolt 3 dock with my 2019 16” MBP. I’m running two monitors off of the dock with a third off of a USB-C to DisplayPort adapter, other than waiting for my Mac to recognize my displays (maybe 20s max), it remembers my layout consistently and works reliably.

Basically same experience for me. CalDigit TB 3 dock, 2019 16" MBP.

I use 2 external displays, a 27" Dell and a 24" Dell. Works very reliably. Dock settings, window locations, everything is solid.

Most of the cheaper docks AND adapters are utter crap, though. That makes the entire ecosystem hard to negotiate, for a lot of users. It's unclear to me how Apple can help with that, though.

Same with their USB-C Pro dock, that is TB3 but works well on USB-C too. 2x4k@60Hz over TB3 and 2x1080P@60Hz over USB-C if on another machine. It charges well enough to not worry either. But again, yeah that recognition time is terrible on the same machine mostly(2020 MB Pro 16" Intel with the 8GB ATI)

Zero issues here. I have written https://taoofmac.com for nearly twenty years, had multiple monitor setups (literally many combinations of many monitors), am currently at the “single ultra wide” stage in life, to which I plug in my Macs via HDMI/DisplayPort (Intel legacy) or Thunderbolt (M1 Pro).

At one point I had one 5K and two 4K displays plugged into a single machine, but now I just have 5120x2160 (or thereabouts) at 75Hz (it’s a 2018 LG monitor). And I share the same monitor with a couple of PC laptops as well (which struggle to match the Macs), so there’s plenty of switching going round.

I've always exclusively used Macs with multiple monitors (I even used to take them in my Computer Science classes more than a decade ago and use the monitors in the CS labs) and never had any issues.

Currently, I have a 27inch iMac 2020 with a BENQ monitor (whilst I await for my new M1 Macbook Pro to be shipped) and works flawlessly.

I even have my PS5 on my desk plugged into the monitor and can switch between the sources and experience no glitches.

I'm not sure what could be the cause of your issues but I don't think it's macs. Perhaps something else is going on with your setup?

This has always been a problem with MacBooks for as long as I remember, with different technologies, screens, adapters/hubs, and MacBook revisions.

I just came to terms with having to re-plug the cables once in a while or whatever seems to be the workaround for the current technology's woes.

I constantly run into the slow wake issue. I have resorted to the following procedures to get my external monitor to wake from sleep.

If in clamshell mode, wake external monitor first and then press any key on the keyboard.

If not in clam shell, press any key on keyboard and WAIT for the external to wake before login. I have noticed that entering keystrokes like password on the login screen somehow disrupts the Macs process to detect the external from sleep.

If none of the above work, unplug/plug the usb-c hub. Works 100% of time.

If undocking while in clamshell, open mac lid first and ensure it's displaying, then disconnect the usb hub. If I don't do this, sometimes the on-board monitor will stay black because it still thinks the external monitor is connected. When in this condition, it takes forever for the macbook to figure out the external is no longer connected. Holding the power button and restarting fixes it.

I use a 24" LG 24MK600M with a 2021 MBA M1. It's connected through Ugreen usb-c hub via hdmi.

One workaround that I had explored to fix the external monitor wake issues was to find a terminal command that would unload/load the usb drivers to "reset" the usb ports. From there, I could write it into a script with a hotkey and run it every time the monitor fails to display. I used to run a script to fix my ethernet connected via usb-c that would not be detected on boot for my Linux laptop. The script basically unloaded and loaded the usb drivers, which fixed it every time. Unfortunately, unloading usb drivers on the mac is not easy.

Generally I plug into one or two external 4K Dell displays, models P2715Q and U2720Q, with either USB-C to USB-C, USB-C to DisplayPort, or in the past, Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort.

I avoid HDMI ever since I once found I was limited to 30Hz at 4K, and DisplayPort solved that at the time. Today's HDMI standards are a bit hard to follow, so I have just stuck to what's already working.

The P2715Q needs to be power cycled from the wall outlet now and then. If your Mac detects it and sends it signal, but the screen remains black, this is probably the case. I've seen this with several Macs over the years, so I'm comfortable saying it's an issue with the display.

Coworkers have recently observed their U2720Qs occasionally failing to be detected by their 2021 MacBook Pros if they use the same USB-C port to connect to it after sleeping through the night. A reboot of the Mac has clears the issue, and I haven't seen it happen with other models I plug in the same way, so it's likely not the display's fault.

Otherwise, I have to say this setup has been quite reliable across several Mac laptops of different architectures, price points, and pixel densities; lid open or lid closed.

I plug my P2715Q into a Dell dock which goes into my M1 MBA. The Dell dock is DisplayPort to the mini DP of the 2715. I get 4K at 60hz. I also use a Display Link as a second display when needed.

M1 Air, Philips PHL272P7VU, all peripherals hanging off the monitor's USB hub. Works fine except for:

1) macOS doesn't support controlling external display brightness, a utility called "MonitorControl" solves that.

2) Audio L/R balance on the USB audio adapter gets set wonky periodically, it's apparently a common issue with external audio to the point that there is a utility called "Balance Lock" to kludge past it.

I didn't know MonitorControl existed, it's exactly what I've been looking for - it actually properly controls my LG external display's brightness and contrast via DCC.

Also check out Lunar if you want more automated adaptive brightness: https://lunar.fyi

There’s a comparison table between Lunar and MonitorControl here: https://lunar.fyi/#comparison

MonitorControl’s DDC code for M1 is borrowed from Lunar so they both do the same thing at the low level.

What's the deal with 27" 5K displays nowadays? I really like my 27" 5K iMac's display, and when I need to replace the iMac I'd like to stick with that size and resolution display. It's a great DPI and big enough that many things that I used to need two monitors for I can do fine on one.

But it appears that the only ones actually available are an LG (who make the panel for the 27" iMacs) and the new Apple Studio Display. The LG model is something like 5 years old and costs around $1300, which is almost as much as the Studio Display ($1600).

I would have expected all the major monitor makers to have added 27" 5K displays several years ago and for the price have come down to maybe the $700-1000 range depending on the features.

Did others make them and then everyone else dropped out leaving LG which stopped development but kept the old model in production?

Vanishingly small demand I think. There is that HP 32” used for medical imaging which is the same age and retails for around 8k USD with a similar dpi, but you can't use it with a Mac.

It’s also worrying that there isn’t a redesigned M1 version of the 27” iMac. I’m hoping they’ll announce it soon… would be a shame if they killed it off.

For those of us who like 5k panels at these specs, it feels like a huge regression to use anything else.

I have asked a similar question here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31148924

Basically, I have resorted to a power board that has individual switches for my monitor on my desk. I switch the monitor off at the end of the day and then on again in the morning. a full power cycle seems to be the cheapest way of getting connected each morning.

If I don't my 'Mac Book Pro 16" - M1 Pro' will do very strange things, like a strange mirrored 1024x768 4:3 mirrored mode until I unplug the usb-c to DP cable and cycle the power on the monitor. I have also found I need to leave the monitor off for a good 30 seconds (capacitor discharge?) to get a connection again.

I have also seriously considered tinkering with a HomeKit power switch and some shortcuts automations.

This post has triggered my PTSD. I had Dell tell me that their only monitors which were compatible with Macs were AUD$1000k+ each, and Apple tell me that the only monitors compatible with them were available from the Apple Store (also AUD$1000k+ each). Determined to not fall into this trap of paying $1000k for a 24-inch monitor, I tried a range of hardware to get things to work.

Setups that did not work for me:

- 2019 MacBook Pro (Intel), Kensington SD4600P Dock, Dell U2412M, Dell U2415

- 2021 MacBook Pro (M1 Max), Dell WD19TB Dock, 2x Dell S2721QS

- 2021 MacBook Pro (M1 Max), OWC Thunderbolt Dual DisplayPort Adapter, 2x Dell S2721QS

- 2021 MacBook Pro (M1 Max), Lenovo ThinkPad Universal Thunderbolt 4 Dock, 2x Dell S2721QS

Setups that worked for me:

- 2019 MacBook Pro (Intel), Dell WD19TB Dock, Dell U2412M, Dell U2415

- 2019 MacBook Pro (Intel), Dell WD19TB Dock, 2x Dell S2721QS

- 2021 MacBook Pro (M1 Max), OWC Thunderbolt 4 Hub, 2x Dell S2721QS

I do still get the occasional strange issue with the M1 and OWC Thunderbolt 4 Hub, such as sometimes one display will not wake, or sit at 30hz until I reconnect it, but for the most part it is an enjoyable configuration.

I suspect that there is a compatibility issue with the M1 and the Dell S2721Q/QS monitors when connected via DisplayPort which contributed to my woes.

My best experience boils down to:

1. Stick to basic “non-smart” monitors that provide a USB-C port

2. No hubs/docks, single USB-C cable between monitor and Mac

3. Use Lunar for adaptive brightness: https://lunar.fyi

From what I tried so far, the LG 27” 4K line has worked the best for me, with no video signal issues, no sleep/wake problems, good DPI scaling and smooth brightness control through DDC.

And I’ve used it with all MacBook Pro models since the first 2016 TouchBar until the current M1 Max.

I've got my main 4k Dell screen plugged in via HDMI. Then I've got two Dell 2.7k displays hooked up with this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C69HG33?psc=1

There is a little glitchiness but it is confined to:

1. the main display snows on startup very briefly every time so it requires a half second of patience.

2. once a month or so the main display just doesn't wake up from sleep and i have to restart the display, but this isn't a daily occurrence.

3. the displaylink adapter causes a "your screen is being monitored" warning message to pop up on the unlock screen which is ignorable.

I was running that on my M1 mini with 3 displays and on my Mac Stadium.

That might not be sufficiently pro-level enough for some, but I'm able to game on the main 4k display fine (although I don't tend to play bleeding edge games). I haven't needed to upgraded the other monitors to 4k and mostly use them to park chat apps and music streaming and other stuff. If you need wrap-around 4k monitors for your 3+ screen Eve Online gaming or whatever it is these days then it might not work for you. I don't push that DisplayLink adapter terribly hard.

I have no special settings and the firmware on the monitors are probably many years old.

YMMV.

EDIT: I'm running 2xDell U2713Hm at 2560 x 1440 @ 60.00Hz and 1xDell P2715Q at 5120 x 2880 scaled to 2560 x 1440 @ 30.00Hz. Wonder if that 30Hz is why subnautica looks a little choppy, I figured it was doing well just to be playing under Rosetta at all.

Am I the only one here who never has his Windows laptops reconnect to external displays in the orientation and arrangement he tells it?

For 20+y, I've never had external monitors reliably stay where I tell them with Windows (every version of Windows I've had issues with: 2k, XP, 2k3, 7, 2k8, 2k12, 10 (didn't own/use ME, Vista, or 8/8.1)

Yet when I connect external monitors to my Macs, they always stay in the place and orientation I tell them (I do travel (until just before covid (haven't been onsite since Aug '19)) consulting, and would routinely use customer external monitor setups with my MacBooks ... eg - while connecting to a rotatable monitor with one MBP, it would always remember that monitor in portrait mode, while I could connect to another monitor in landscape, and it'd remember that monitor that way)

Compare that to the customer-issued laptop with customer-issued dock and monitor ... and it would forget the external monitor AND the location AND orientation every Dang WEEK I was onsite!??!!!

My friend tried to run 3 external monitors on his 2019 Intel 8-core 16" 32gb MacBook pro and it gets to melting temperature, throttles, and just sits there with a spinning beachball disc for most of the day. Lid closed, vertical cooling stand! Seriously.

My wife has a 16" MacBook pro 2019 with a pathetic 16GB of ram. When she connects a 4k 30hz Sony x800h tv to her MacBook (via HDMI dongle) it heats up terrifically and throttles down to about 1/10th speed and the mouse jumps across the screen and button pushes can take minutes. Her solution? Avoid external monitors! Seriously.

I am able to use my 8-core 32gb 2019 MacBook pro with a 4k tcl s405 4ktv & HDMI dongle but it takes about 5 minutes each day to get it to sync to the dongle that never gave me problems with a 2018 MacBook pro. I had to change my calendar reminders to add minutes to the alarm first thing in the morning it's SO FLAKEY! Seriously.

So two out of three of us are enjoying external HDMI monitors with our MacBook pro 2019. But we aren't enjoying them very much!

Are you working in a high EM interference or radiation zone? I would be surprised if they were rated to work there.

(It might just be a very close microwave)

Also you could try to wrap your adapter with tinfoil (this was a real fix for some adapters with poor shielding).

This was my thought too.

A couple bad devices sucks, but all of them. Continually having issues.

Based on your story, I’d be inclined not to fault the hardware yet, but try and measure your environment.

Do you have good clean power?

Can you take your hardware to family/friends house and test it there?

I use an inexpensive USB dock with a single HDMI port for my M1 air, on a single 27 inch 4K monitor. It works with a single port and also provides gigabit network and power, and works at 60Hz.

It’s one that supports DisplayPort 1.4 for the link between the laptop, so it can fit 4k60 over the available lanes, but then HDMI to the display. There are many like it, but this is mine: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08SLS9W72 - the internal DP1.4 support is essential and relatively new.

Some more here about that, https://dancharblog.wordpress.com/2021/01/03/4k60-monitor-pl...

I’ve found that if I use it with a USB extension cable it works, but my wireless mouse stops working reliably - even on other computers. I think the extension cable throws off interference in the 2.4Ghz range. Apart from that, no issues.

This article explains some solutions:

https://medium.com/@parttimeben/mac-it-just-works-horribly-c...

Unfortunately, as the article says, these issues go way back... Weird that Apple has just neglected them for decades.

I've been having issues with my M1 Air and most recently my Studio. I've used a few different LG displays, and right now am using a usb c connected LG wide screen. The Studio is better than the Air, but it often fails to wake the monitor from sleep. Sometimes the power button on the monitor will help, but other times I have to unplug and replug.

One stupid workaround I've done is set a hot corner to "put display to sleep." Sometimes I hit my touch ID, and nothing happens, but I know the Studio is awake. If it's awake I can slide the mouse to the hot corner to sleep, then move it again and it will wake up the monitor.

I really don't understand why this is still an issue with these otherwise amazing machines.

Same with two displays. Drove me nuts. The worst is with a dock.

I'm simply reaolved to the fact that MacOS is terrible with multiple monitors, it's simply not designed to work like that.

It did seem to get a little better the last year though. Still not anywhere close to the ppug and play experience of windows.

I'm using the command:

displayplacer "id:8B1B0572-EEDF-1A21-596C-DD3D9EE1AEB2 res:3008x1692 hz:60 color_depth:8 scaling:on origin:(0,0) degree:0" "id:FFD872A9-4636-D17D-303C-CEECD89D6403 res:3008x1692 hz:60 color_depth:8 scaling:on origin:(3008,-32) degree:0"

to force my 2020 13" core i5 MBP to set the screen correctly. I have to use it every time I unplug my OWC thunderbolt3 hub plugged with two Viewsonic 4k 27" (same model, it seems to be confusing to OsX)

check https://github.com/jakehilborn/displayplacer Beside that I'm almost good, without any artifacts you mentioned

I have a Caldigit TS3 Plus dock that I've used with a 2018 15" MBP, a 2019 16" MBP and a M1 Max MBP.

External monitor support has been pretty reliable on both - moreso on the M1 Max than the 2019 or 2018 one. I drive two external displays: - LG Ultrafine 5K 27" display over TB3 (directly connected) - LG 27UK850 4K 27" display over DP (from the dock)

On the 2018 MBP, I always had to connect the ultrafine 5K first, then the dock, and then it worked pretty reliably. This was also necessary on the 2019 model. On the M1 Max model, it just works for me.

On the M1 mini, I used to drive the same monitors, but with the 4K display connected over HDMI. Also used to just work reliably.

My (affordable) 2013 11-inch (Intel-based) MacBook Air supports two external (Apple) displays without any issues. In fact, I have two Apple Thunderbolt Displays (A1407) daisy-chained to each other and connected to the thunderbolt port, working flawlessly (with added benefit of integrated ethernet, webcam, and speakers). Since getting added to "Apple Obsolete List", I was hoping to replace the machine with an M1 MacBook Air, but paused bc of lack of multiple monitor support. M2 MacBook Air not supporting it either is a real disappointment, and not sure what to do other than hope Apple re-enables this basic feature on its low-end Mac before my 2013 completely dies.

Does it have to be DisplayPort? I always just use HDMI and I've never had a real issue (the monitor might not turn on until I get past the login screen or something, but things always shake out by the point where it matters). I've used 2014 and 2019 MBPs (the latter with a dongle)

I don't know for sure (or why) it would be the port, just offering a data point. I'm currently on a 1080p Dell monitor but I've had the same experience with 4k LG monitors and with at least one other monitor whose brand I can't remember (and even with a couple of TVs, and at least one projector)

The new MacBook pros won’t drive 4k over hdmi for me. However DisplayPort over usb c gets me the whole 4k at 144hz my monitor is capable of, but at the cost of not providing power or forwarding my monitor’s usb ports, so I lost the ability to plug in one port and be finished docking the MacBook in my upgrade.

It’s a shame that I ended up having to have a mess of cables for power, mouse/keyboard/peripherals and display when docking, but it works.

Funnily enough, DisplayPort in theory should be a lot better because USB C uses DisplayPort -- both in DisplayPort and Thunderbolt alternate modes. A HDMI monitor and a semi-modern Mac inevitably involves an LSPcon.

Similar problems with my M1 air. The Dell monitor I had connected in a weird color mode YCbCr which make the screen look washed out and everything was blurry with 1440p. Then I found out about the no 2 external monitors problem after I had already bought it. Ended up buying a LG 4K ultrafine which works great and using this to drive my 2nd vertical 1080p:

https://www.hypershop.com/products/hyperdrive-dual-4k-hdmi-1...

I just plugged the monitors that I already had with the cables I already had and it all worked perfectly the first time.

over the years I've switched monitors and cables several times and everything continues to work.

I have a 2015 iMac

Never had an issue when using a single external monitor. That across Macbook Pros going back to 2013.

Dual external monitors are a different beast. Here I get random issues depending on the external monitors ranging from:

- random reorganisation of my apps

- different resolutions not working well

- one monitor constantly flickering (this may be due to the use of a docking station)

Waking up from sleep works 99% of the time with a single press on the keyboard.

A bigger issue for me is theac not actually going to sleep when I turn off the screen.

So, not sure about your specific problems. Macs can be fiddly, but they tend to work for my professional use case (programming).

You are very lucky. I had so many issues with external monitors. I have regularly seen coworkers fiddling with dongles, cables and trying different monitors.

The issue seems also software related because if you would try the same screen or dongle with another MacBook it works fine, but it keeps failing on the malfunctioning MacBook. It is infuriating because the interface provides zero feedback.

The most annoying bug for me is when you "unplug in the wrong order" and the MacBook screen does not wake up when not plugged to an external monitor. You have to go back to your monitor and replug it and then "unplug in the correct order".

I can't speak for anything but my old Mac Mini (late `09). I have two monitors connected to it, both using 3rd party adapters I bought on Amazon. They go bonkers every now and then and I have to jiggle the cables on them to get them working.

I've always blamed that on the adapters and cable connectors and, of course, Apple's bullshit proprietary connectors. It's really only been slightly annoying though.

But I only paid about $550 for my Mac Mini. I'd be very pissed if that was the case with a brand new 4k Mac Studio rig.

I use a single Dell 2721DE with USB-C to provide display, peripherals and Ethernet for my MacBook M1. From time to time the MacBook has issues reconnecting peripherals from sleep, which I end up resolving by unplugging USB-C, power cycling the monitor and plugging USB-C back in. The weird bit for me is that USB disks on one child hub always work fine, the keyboard and mouse on another child hub are the ones that will not be rediscovered.

AFAIK the problems are entirely due to the MacBook Air M1.

I have a CalDigit TS3 thunderbolt dock. it works just fine with my old (2018) MacBook Pro, and my new (2022) MacBookPro. I have 2 27 inch Dell 4k monitors. One of them is connected to the dock via DisplayPort. Another one is connected to the dock via USB-C to HDMI. Works like a charm.

I also have my personal 2015 MacBookPro, and I don't really connect that to external monitors these days. If I wanted to, I'd use thunderbolt 2 (mini display port) to display port cables.

I have a Eizo 4k but when M1 MBA goes to sleep, at random moments the display switches on and off repeatedly in very quick successions that I felt it could damage the display, I disabled MBA from sleeping but only to let the display turn off after a moment.

And when in use, mouse cursor intermittently juggles until I let MBA sleep for a slight moment and it fixes.

I do wish those get fixed, especially the sleep problem as I have to keep my MBA turned on forever.

This and similar devices from the same brand have worked for me most of the time, this one for me does drive my 240Hz monitor correctly. https://a.co/d/26KVNYg

Apple laptops do have some problems waking up properly with external monitors. It’s not the cable or the monitor but the computer not handling the situation properly.

The only laptops that do are ones with docking ports.

At some point on my MacBook Pro with two LG Thunderbolt/USB C displays, both of which can charge the Mac, I got used to plugging in the secondary display first and the primary display second.

It's possible that Apple has fixed the bug/feature that originally trained me to perform this ritual, but I haven't had any problems since. Sleep/wake cycle works fine with both external monitors powering down and up as expected.

I have the Intel macbook pro hooked up to 2 4k monitors with the lid closed. If I ever disconnect, then the next time I connect it always puts my monitors in a random arrangement and forgets the scaling preferences for both my monitors. One of them regularly goes blank and I have to manually reconnect it.

My non mac computers do not have these issues on these monitors.

My intel mac mini works just fine with two 1920x1200 displays both over usb-c to displayport. The HDMI port is utter shit.

Dunno how much they messed up with the M1/2 yet because I don't dare upgrade. Waiting for more kinks to be ironed out software compatibility wise.

I haven't made the jump to 4K where the problems seem to be though. Still hoping for the ressurection of 16:10 displays :)

I have a 2018 Mac mini and have problems waking it up from sleep. It was significantly worse when using the HDMI port on the Mac mini, I would get snow on the external display. Switching to USB-C eliminated the snow, but it still takes a long time for the monitor to receive the signal when waking up.

I have a 2011 MacBook Pro and had no problems on the same monitor.

All but one of my monitors are or were sold by Apple. So they were tested and are usb c and need no dongles. The other is a low dpi monitor with no special features besides hdr.

The three apple approved monitors generally work well, requiring a reboot sometimes only if I unplug them.

The other one I constantly have to fix the settings for.

It sucks. I wish apple employees had multiple displays.

Anecdote: At work, I have a Samsung 27″ 4k monitor and a MacBook Pro. I found that USB-C works best. I tried another type of cable and the picture looked like crap until I switched back to USB-C. Both the computer and the monitor need to be connected to power directly, via their own power cables. I don’t use any hub/dock.

I know I am only a single data point, but I have not experienced any issues at all with the following configuration:

- HP Pavilion 32 QHD (firmware AVT111)

- USB-C/Thunderbolt connection (apple brand thunderbolt cable)

- M1 MacBook Pro 16"

I keep the laptop lid open as a second screen, when I plug/unplug things just go where they were the last time it was in that state.

I‘m in the same boat. It‘s the single most annoying thing about the Mac experience. I have NO IDEA what Apple is waiting for.

I discovered that VESA certifcation for DisplayPort cables makes a big difference. My go-to brand here is Accell. I stopped messing with HDMI long ago.

My two monitors are Dell QHD, which have proven very reliable. I am using them with a MacBook Pro M1 14”. They are connected with USB-C to DP cables to a Thunderbolt 4 docking station (also from Accell).

I am using these exact cables for this reason, same issues. They did seem to resolve the resolution/refresh rate problem, but I'm getting visual noise/the sleep/wake problems

I spent $7000 on an Apple Pro XDR display so I could avoid your problem. On the one hand, that’s outrageous and I knew it. On the other hand, it is a truly stunning display at the pleasure to use every day.

But yes, it simply should not have to be this way.

My biggest problem with using my MacBook Pro 2021 with an external monitor is that fan always goes to max speed and is very noisy. This stresses me and I’ve stopped using external monitors. The problem occurs even if I connect to a smaller external monitor.

I don't at the moment, because I didn't bother getting a USB-C to anything adapter .. but I used to just use the Apple HDMI or VGA adapter on my older MacBook Pros easy peasy - worked with any and every brand external monitor I tried

2017 MBP to Anker minidock to HDMI to 47” Samsung TV.

2012 Mac mini to HDMI to Epson projector.

With the Samsung, a restart requires me to reset the underscan. Interestingly, the slider is in the correct spot when I open monitor settings, but I have to drag it a tiny bit to get it to kick in.

I have a LG monitor with my Macbook Pro, flickering is a problem. It is a shame because I really like the fact I only need a single USBC for both power and monitor. It is annoying, and it definitely hurts your eyes.

I have then switched to a HP non-retina monitor.

I have 2 large monitors and a dell dock. I have to install some drivers for the dock but that’s it. Résolution is what it should be. Refresh rate as well.

I currently have a M1 and before I had some older max book pro. Like 2018. Work fine on my wife 2020 mba.

Using USB3 connection.

I only use one 4k display. I use a usb3->DisplayPort cable. I’ve never had issues with using one external display with the MacBook shut. I don’t usually use it with the laptop open, maybe that is part of the issue (not that it should be).

The only issues I have ever had are from buggy HDMI ports on docks. Once I switched to USB-C to Display Port cables, I have had zero issues running dual 4K displays on my Macbook Pros of various models. Currently an M1 Max 16".

Multiple displays work for me, but some features seem half-baked.

I am a heavy user of Spaces and for the life of me, I haven't found a way to regain access to Spaces that I've moved to an external display once I disconnect it from my macbook.

Hmm. That is interesting. When I disconnect, the Spaces for the external just become added to the set of Spaces for the internal. When I reconnect, the Spaces go back to the external. Running Monterey. Any chance you are running a third-party window manager that is getting in the middle of that process?

No, not at all - just MacOS 11.6

They should transfer over to your main display (at least that's what happens for me).

This utility might help you see what's going on: https://github.com/Jaysce/Spaceman.

And while we're on Spaces, this utility forces mission control to show full thumbnails of all spaces by default: https://github.com/briankendall/forceFullDesktopBar

Thanks for this. I'll give it a try.

New-ish 4K LG monitor + HDMI cable. Zero issues with both Mac mini M1 and Intel MacBook Pro 16" running at "Retina" resolutions. I wish I could offer advice and sorry you're experiencing so many glitches!

Have you considered getting someone with some Mac skills to help. Your tone is that its something wrong with Apple hardware but as you said an entire professional industry does it so it's a problem on your end.

2021 m1 MacBook Air, 2x 4K displays, a 5210x1440 and a 3k X 1440 ultrawide - caldigit ts3, and 2x displaylink adapters - no issues at all with them - the caveat is that I did pay for SwitchResX to make things work.

I use LG 5K monitors pretty exclusively with my macs (lots), and the only problems I have are with cable-stress (I think one of the included cables out of ~20 monitors got damaged and wobbly, so I replaced it.)

My monitors have always worked fine with my Macs. I actually have/have had the same models as you.

I rarely use the internal display.

I make sure to use good quality cables and displays (Dell 4K and Acer 2K at 144 hz, currently).

Same. I have an Acer ultrawide.

2 different MacBooks (an intel pro and m1 pro). Each connected to an Anker dock. The docks are connected via HDMI to an HDMI/USB KVM switch from CKL, then I have a 20ft HDMI cable and USB cable to run across the room to my desk.

The only time I hit issues is if I reboot the laptops while disconnected from the docks. They won’t pick up the monitor unless they’re logged in when I connect them.

Otherwise, I toggle back and forth between them with the KVM remote with no issues.

Which KVM do you use that has a remote? That's so handy.

Or the guy you’re asking but rather, one guy up. I use a couple cheap IOGear KVMs with remotes and they work fine.

Remote may be a bit of a misnomer. The CKL KVMs ( https://cklkvm.com/ ) have a wired remote.

That said, the “remote” is pretty simple. It uses what looks like a mini-A to mini-A USB cable, but they use the connector as a 6th pin. I needed the remote to be further away, so I cut the stock cable and used 6 wires of an Ethernet cable to add an extra 15ft.

I have an M1 Air and I use it with a Samsung CRG9 monitor. For a while I had to manually set the refresh rate, which was annoying, but since the latest MacOS update I haven’t had any issues.

I use a Macbook Pro with an Anker USB/HDMI hub dangling from each side. I end up with the laptop (on a mount) between two 24inch monitors

Split keyboard and an Apple trackpad off two the side

I couldn't get my M1 MBP that #dayjob supplied me to work with my dual monitors (1x USB-c -> 2x DP adapters), so I got them to issue me a Linux laptop. No problems.

Never had any issues neither with 2011 MacBook Pro nor with m1pro 2021.

Just used official and sometimes Ali express converters and old asus, relatively new benq displays.

I’ve used the Uni branded usb-c to DisplayPort and HDMI with both Intel and M1 based MacBook/Mac Mini daily. Haven’t had any issues on an ultrawide.

You don't post which displays you are using. Or how they are really connected. Tell us what your setup is.

I’ve never had these issues and I just use cheap cables and multiple adapters, like thunderbolt to usbc.

I bought LG 4k display and MacBook m1. I’m using usb-c cable supplied with display. It worked fine.

I have LG monitor that faithfully awakens, usbc to HDMI. Have you checked your power setting?

Never have an issue. I got a Thunderbolt 4 Razer docking station and it just works

My Macbook Pro is connected to a Dell QHD display for years without any issues.

Mine - MBP M1 Pro 14" + Eve Spectrum + Thunderbolt 4

I... plug it in?

Try Thunderbolt