I upgraded from a 2014 MacBook Pro that I used in clamshell mode connected to a mouse, keyboard, lots of USB peripherals, and 3 external displays (non-retina ones). This wasn't a perfect setup -- I would occasionally have all of my USB devices die for what I think are power-related reasons, but I didn't have any major issues with reliability. I knew that switching over to a new MacBook Pro would be difficult. I had been running High Sierra on the 2014 because it was stable and hadn't caused any problems for me, and the new computer would come with Catalina, which has its own challenges. I knew I would also have to find USB-C alternatives for connecting my peripherals. But the 16" MacBook Pro seemed improved enough to make it worth the trouble. However, I've been having a lot of issues trying to slot it into my current desktop setup. (I decided to set up the new computer fresh instead of using Migration Assistant in the hopes of avoiding problems, BTW.)
It took a lot of experimentation to get all 3 displays working at the same time, and even after I thought I had it, one or more of them will sometimes not wake up after sleep, requiring me to unplug and replug. My desktop wallpaper will spontaneously reset on one or more the monitors for no apparent reason. I have also had the computer shut down while in sleep or have trouble waking up when the monitors are connected (all of them just sort of blinking on and off). I've also had USB disconnects at a considerably higher rate than before. My Logitech M705 mouse's cursor was intermittently jerky until I moved the receiver to a different hub that was farther away from the rest of my setup, so I'm guessing there was some kind of interference. The point is, my experience with the computer so far has mostly involved trying to squash these kinds of bugs.
Some of this may be due to the HP Thunderbolt Dock 120W G2 that I was trying to use. I got a good deal on it second-hand, and while it does appear to work fine for a while, it is flakey. However, I am not sure that all of these problems can be attributed to it. I only have one monitor attached to it (since more than that won't work) but I still have problems with the monitors connected directly to the computer. I also think that most of these issues can probably be attributed to Catalina and or USB-C/Thunderbolt rather than the MacBook Pro itself, but that's kind of academic.
Is there anyone who has two or three monitors connected to a 16" MacBook Pro with rock-solid reliability? I am willing to get a different dock/hub if necessary. I'm also considering going with a very large Ultrawide display if that might simplify matters. Any input would be appreciated.
It took a lot of experimentation to get all 3 displays working at the same time, and even after I thought I had it, one or more of them will sometimes not wake up after sleep, requiring me to unplug and replug. My desktop wallpaper will spontaneously reset on one or more the monitors for no apparent reason. I have also had the computer shut down while in sleep or have trouble waking up when the monitors are connected (all of them just sort of blinking on and off). I've also had USB disconnects at a considerably higher rate than before. My Logitech M705 mouse's cursor was intermittently jerky until I moved the receiver to a different hub that was farther away from the rest of my setup, so I'm guessing there was some kind of interference. The point is, my experience with the computer so far has mostly involved trying to squash these kinds of bugs.
Some of this may be due to the HP Thunderbolt Dock 120W G2 that I was trying to use. I got a good deal on it second-hand, and while it does appear to work fine for a while, it is flakey. However, I am not sure that all of these problems can be attributed to it. I only have one monitor attached to it (since more than that won't work) but I still have problems with the monitors connected directly to the computer. I also think that most of these issues can probably be attributed to Catalina and or USB-C/Thunderbolt rather than the MacBook Pro itself, but that's kind of academic.
Is there anyone who has two or three monitors connected to a 16" MacBook Pro with rock-solid reliability? I am willing to get a different dock/hub if necessary. I'm also considering going with a very large Ultrawide display if that might simplify matters. Any input would be appreciated.
