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External Monitors with the new Macbook Pro M1
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External Monitors with the new Macbook Pro M1

dustincdustinc Member, Patron Provider, Top Host
edited December 2020 in General

Anyone buy the new Macbook Pro M1? Have you tried connecting two external monitors? I took the leap without much research, and it looks like.. sadly.. by design, the new Macbook Pro M1 supports one external monitor. That's just shocking and sad.

I am accustomed to using the official Apple dongles, whereby the external monitors are connected via HDMI to the Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapters. Now it looks like I'll have to go with an actual docking station in order to make this possibly work.

I ordered a Targus USB-C Universal Dual Monitor 4K Docking Station, Black DSU31001 for testing, and it should work, at least based on the reviews https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08H5TQZ8Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you own one of these and have a clean setup please share :)

Comments

  • I'll just leave this here... https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/24/m1-macs-able-to-run-six-external-displays/

    With additional hardware it should not be much of a problem.

    Thanked by 3Andrews dustinc Edmond
  • AndrewsAndrews Member
    edited December 2020

    according to Apple only Mac Mini M1 supports two external monitors

    Thanked by 1dustinc
  • Macbook M1 Air/Pro both only support one additional monitor... bear the grunt of being the first 'beta' tester :/

    Thanked by 1dustinc
  • Return it and get the 16 inch :)

    Thanked by 2PieHasBeenEaten Ouji
  • dustincdustinc Member, Patron Provider, Top Host

    @Amplificator said:
    Return it and get the 16 inch :)

    I have it, but was hoping to go with something more modern and got stuck with this :joy:

    Thanked by 1Wolf
  • More modern? I would call it "less capable" for now :)
    I'm sticking to my MBP16 until a few generations in with these new chips.

    Thanked by 1yoursunny
  • Unfortunately Apple will have you in dongle hell

    Thanked by 1dustinc
  • jhjh Member

    Some of those docking stations are really expensive and for not much more, you can get a half decent external GPU and connect your laptop to that instead

  • FranciscoFrancisco Top Host, Host Rep, Veteran

    @jh said:
    Some of those docking stations are really expensive and for not much more, you can get a half decent external GPU and connect your laptop to that instead

    Not supported on MLS.

    Francisco

  • HarambeHarambe Member, Host Rep

    Your limit is 1, unless you go the janky DisplayLink route - which will work, just not great.

    If I needed 2 monitors connected, I'd be returning the MBP for a Mac Mini. Or you could just hold onto your 16" MBP for now and wait until mid-late next year when they have the higher end apple silicon ready for the MBPs.

    Gotta remember the first models were only the low end/very consumer models (2 thunderbolt ports), even if they overshot the target on CPU performance.

    Thanked by 2dustinc Ouji
  • dustincdustinc Member, Patron Provider, Top Host
    edited December 2020

    @dustinc said:
    Anyone buy the new Macbook Pro M1? Have you tried connecting two external monitors? I took the leap without much research, and it looks like.. sadly.. by design, the new Macbook Pro M1 supports one external monitor. That's just shocking and sad.

    I am accustomed to using the official Apple dongles, whereby the external monitors are connected via HDMI to the Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapters. Now it looks like I'll have to go with an actual docking station in order to make this possibly work.

    I ordered a Targus USB-C Universal Dual Monitor 4K Docking Station, Black DSU31001 for testing, and it should work, at least based on the reviews https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08H5TQZ8Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    If you own one of these and have a clean setup please share :)

    For those curious, the Targus USB-C Universal Dual Monitor 4K Docking Station, Black DSU31001 did the trick. Dual external displays.

    For now, I can live with this - doesn't look too bad. It is essentially the docking station, connected to a power cable, two HDMI cables connected to the docking station (they were previously connected to the apple dongles), and 1x USB-C to USB-C from the Macbook to docking station, which serves as power too.

    So at the end of the day, the only thing added is the docking station (no extra cable as this eliminates the apple power supply) I do have a standup desk at home with a tray to hide cables, so I'll clean it up and throw the docking station in there.

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