Dell 4K MST display port monitor and M1 Mac Mini

[RealEvil]

Hi,

I have a 2014 iMac 5K. I have 1 older external Dell 4K monitor plugged in at 60hz. It is - I believe - MST which I think means that despite being on 1 cable it kind of has 2 inputs behind the scenes?

Anyway, I'd like a Mac Mini M1 I think. I don't want to replace this Dell 4K monitor too.

Will it work at 60hz via a display port cable on the M1?

I'd then buy another monitor with 4K 60 HDMI input.

Thanks

 

[Stephen.R]

MST is a technology for sending two DisplayPort streams, down a single physical cable. It has two possible uses, only one of which Apple supports:

1. Daisy chain a second display (i.e computer < - display port -> display #1 < - display port -> display #2)
2. Drive a high-resolution display, that would otherwise require two physical DisplayPort cable connections.

Apple supports the 2nd variant, in some configurations. Apple does not support the first variant, in any configuration to my knowledge.

Even in the 2nd variant, I don't believe there's any reason to use MST: it's used for e.g. driving 5K+ displays back before DisplayPort could provide enough bandwidth in a single stream. I'd be surprised if you're actually using MST, even though it may be enabled.

To run two displays from the M1 Mac mini, you will need to run one from one of the USB-C/TB3 ports, and one from the HDMI port.

 

[RealEvil]

MST is a technology for sending two DisplayPort streams, down a single physical cable. It has two possible uses, only one of which Apple supports:

1. Daisy chain a second display (i.e computer < - display port -> display #1 < - display port -> display #2)
2. Drive a high-resolution display, that would otherwise require two physical DisplayPort cable connections.

Apple supports the 2nd variant, in some configurations. Apple does not support the first variant, in any configuration to my knowledge.

Even in the 2nd variant, I don't believe there's any reason to use MST: it's used for e.g. driving 5K+ displays back before DisplayPort could provide enough bandwidth in a single stream. I'd be surprised if you're actually using MST, even though it may be enabled.

To run two displays from the M1 Mac mini, you will need to run one from one of the USB-C/TB3 ports, and one from the HDMI port.

Thanks for the reply.

I am using MST - I had to enable it on the Dell UP3214Q (its 6 years old) and my late iMac 2014 5k was - I think - one of the first Macs that could drive a 4K display at 60hz but only via MST meaning I can only connect one 4K 60hz display to this iMac despite it having 2 DP ports

So do you know if the M1 Mac Mini would drive my monitor at 4k 60hz which appears to require MST AND let me use a 4k 60Hz display plugged into HDMI?

 

[bobeagle]

Thanks for the reply.

I am using MST - I had to enable it on the Dell UP3214Q (its 6 years old) and my late iMac 2014 5k was - I think - one of the first Macs that could drive a 4K display at 60hz but only via MST meaning I can only connect one 4K 60hz display to this iMac despite it having 2 DP ports

So do you know if the M1 Mac Mini would drive my monitor at 4k 60hz which appears to require MST AND let me use a 4k 60Hz display plugged into HDMI?

Pretty sure M1 Mac mini supports 4K@60 from HDMI and 6K@60 from one and only one of the USBC. However it doesn't support USBC-DP daisy chain, nor 2 monitors from both USBC ports