2 XDR Studio Displays workaround?

[All Taken]

Hoping somebody can answer this:

I have an M5 Max which can handle 2 XDR 5K displays at 120Hz.

Partner has an M4 Pro which can't. It can do 2 XDR 5K at 60hz, however, trying to get the second display to show up requires workaround with dummy HDMI etc which is a faff.

Question is can a dock with dual TB5 like the Ivanky Fusion Ultra negate that? Would the fact it handles X displays on the chain somehow allow both displays at 60hz or is this wishful thinking until/if Apple allow 60Hz when connecting to 2 displays on a chip incapable of 2x 5K 120?

My thinking is the dock itself might negotiate 5k 60 for both displays when faced with a M series chip which can't do full fat 5K 120.

Appreciate any help.

 

[PaulD-UK]

@All Taken
I can't answer for the Ivanky dual dock, but a Thunderbolt 4/5 dock doesn't negotiate anything of itself.
The TB protocol allows tunnelled PCIe or DP data passthrough directly to the devices, so that computer and device can negotiate the appropriate mode of operation.

Furthermore, if a high bandwidth device, like a 120Hz monitor, comes online first (when connected to a TB dock), then that device gets all the bandwidth, and a further monitor will end up running at a lower rate...

In this respect the problem is exactly the same as when multiple monitors are directly attached to the Mac.

However, there is possibly one circumstance that could improve matters?:
If you use TB's daisy-chain facility, and insert a TB3 (or TB4?) dock before each Studio XDR, then possibly both the monitors could be forced to connect at 60Hz?

The two TB3 docks (with each being connected to a Studio XDR display) could be connected to two output ports of a TB5 dock.

This is highly speculative, but the principle of inserting a 'bandwidth-limiting' device into a TB daisy-chain does provide a solution, when getting multiple monitors (of a previous-generation) to work together properly, when one is connecting first and starving the second one of bandwidth.

 

[txb_811]

@All Taken
I can't answer for the Ivanky dual dock, but a Thunderbolt 4/5 dock doesn't negotiate anything of itself.
The TB protocol allows tunnelled PCIe or DP data passthrough directly to the devices, so that computer and device can negotiate the appropriate mode of operation.

Furthermore, if a high bandwidth device, like a 120Hz monitor, comes online first (when connected to a TB dock), then that device gets all the bandwidth, and a further monitor will end up running at a lower rate...

In this respect the problem is exactly the same as when multiple monitors are directly attached to the Mac.

However, there is possibly one circumstance that could improve matters?:
If you use TB's daisy-chain facility, and insert a TB3 (or TB4?) dock before each Studio XDR, then possibly both the monitors could be forced to connect at 60Hz?

The two TB3 docks (with each being connected to a Studio XDR display) could be connected to two output ports of a TB5 dock.

This is highly speculative, but the principle of inserting a 'bandwidth-limiting' device into a TB daisy-chain does provide a solution, when getting multiple monitors (of a previous-generation) to work together properly, when one is connecting first and starving the second one of bandwidth.

I try to use an apple TB3 cable (40gb ,100w) connect M4 PRO MacBook pro, the XDR work 5k 120hz. the second monitor (dell 4k 60hz) can not work.

I guess method use two TB3 docks doesn't work.

 

[joevt]

Connect using a USB-C cable (not Thunderbolt) to limit the displays to Thunderbolt 2 speed instead of Thunderbolt 3 speed?