Dell U3223QE with another monitor setup

[BlueDan85]

Hi all,

I'm looking to upgrade my current monitor to a Dell U3223QE and I have a question around keeping my current monitor in the setup and how that would work.

I have M2 pro for work and M1 pro for personal, the U3223QE comes with an embedded hub so I guess I can connect ethernet and other devices to that one and have power delivery as well through a cable connected to a Macbook. If I want to use my current monitor as a secondary one, can I just connect that one to the Macbook? would that work? I'm guessing I can't just connecting it to the U3223QE.

Does a thunderbolt dock makes any difference? although not sure if I want to buy a separate dock just for the second monitor.

Thanks!

 

[drrich2]

If I want to use my current monitor as a secondary one, can I just connect that one to the Macbook? would that work? I'm guessing I can't just connecting it to the U3223QE.

Did you get the answers to your questions?

If you connect the old monitor to the U3223QE then you're daisy chaining, and the connection between Mac and U3223QE would have to handle the bandwidth demands of both the U3223QE (4K at 60-Hz refresh rate) and the old monitor. I'm guessing you plan to use the DisplayPort-over-USB-C connection. I was skeptical about that, but Dell has a page on the monitor that says this (if you scroll way down):

"Expand your productivity: Experience uncompromised picture quality by daisy chaining two 4K monitors. U3223QE is the world’s first 31.5" 4K monitor which allows daisy chaining of an additional 4K monitor at full resolution via USB-C—enabled by Display Stream Compression (DSC)."

Yay! But the little thing at the end to click on pops up this note: "Based on Dell analysis of publicly available data, August 2021; applicable only to Dell 4K monitors that feature Display Stream Compression technology."

But then I Googled and turned up this thread:

Daisy chain two U3223QE from Mac M2 Pro?​

A Dell Community Manager said

"Can you daisy chain two U3223QE? Yes, as long as the computer video source port is Thunderbolt, USB-C, or DP. This explained in the online U3223QE User's Guide.

Will the Mac M2 Pro be able to drive two U3223QE at 3840x2160 60Hz? That is unknown by Dell. You should pose that question to Apple users on the Apple Forum."

So the monitor can do it if the Mac can. Did a little more digging. Another Dell page had a lot of info. On that (scroll up, not just down) I found a table stating with DisplayPort and USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode, Mac output is only duplicate, and "Extended mode is supported exclusively with M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra, M2 Pro, M2 Max, M2 Ultra, M3 Pro, or M3 Max."

Lower on the page:

"

Operating system capability​

• macOS only allows monitor daisy chaining via Thunderbolt.
• The primary monitor must be connected to the MacBook using Thunderbolt and the primary monitor must have a Thunderbolt Out port.
• Thunderbolt active cable must be used.

"
So, I think that finally answers at least part of your question. I suspect by now you've long since found the answers yourself, but I thought someone else might benefit if we posted this info. anyway.

I've got a Dell U2723QE 'open box' on order from a Woot! sale, which is why your thread title caught my eye (even though your's is the 32-inch).

 

[BlueDan85]

Did you get the answers to your questions?

If you connect the old monitor to the U3223QE then you're daisy chaining, and the connection between Mac and U3223QE would have to handle the bandwidth demands of both the U3223QE (4K at 60-Hz refresh rate) and the old monitor. I'm guessing you plan to use the DisplayPort-over-USB-C connection. I was skeptical about that, but Dell has a page on the monitor that says this (if you scroll way down):

"Expand your productivity: Experience uncompromised picture quality by daisy chaining two 4K monitors. U3223QE is the world’s first 31.5" 4K monitor which allows daisy chaining of an additional 4K monitor at full resolution via USB-C—enabled by Display Stream Compression (DSC)."

Yay! But the little thing at the end to click on pops up this note: "Based on Dell analysis of publicly available data, August 2021; applicable only to Dell 4K monitors that feature Display Stream Compression technology."

But then I Googled and turned up this thread:

Daisy chain two U3223QE from Mac M2 Pro?​

A Dell Community Manager said

"Can you daisy chain two U3223QE? Yes, as long as the computer video source port is Thunderbolt, USB-C, or DP. This explained in the online U3223QE User's Guide.

Will the Mac M2 Pro be able to drive two U3223QE at 3840x2160 60Hz? That is unknown by Dell. You should pose that question to Apple users on the Apple Forum."

So the monitor can do it if the Mac can. Did a little more digging. Another Dell page had a lot of info. On that (scroll up, not just down) I found a table stating with DisplayPort and USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode, Mac output is only duplicate, and "Extended mode is supported exclusively with M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra, M2 Pro, M2 Max, M2 Ultra, M3 Pro, or M3 Max."

Lower on the page:

"

Operating system capability​

• macOS only allows monitor daisy chaining via Thunderbolt.
• The primary monitor must be connected to the MacBook using Thunderbolt and the primary monitor must have a Thunderbolt Out port.
• Thunderbolt active cable must be used.

"
So, I think that finally answers at least part of your question. I suspect by now you've long since found the answers yourself, but I thought someone else might benefit if we posted this info. anyway.

I've got a Dell U2723QE 'open box' on order from a Woot! sale, which is why your thread title caught my eye (even though your's is the 32-inch).

Wow, thanks for your explanation! I actually haven't found an answer yet but that sounds promising, my current monitor is a bit old (U2715H) so it may not work but I'll try as soon as I get a U3223QE. Waiting on a good deal for Black Friday/cyber Monday 🤞

 

[drrich2]

If I understood correctly, I think daily chaining the monitors hoping to get 2 separate display spaces (rather than the 2 showing you the same image, one a mirror of the other) isn't going to work on a Mac.

But hooking each monitor to the MacBook Pro separately should work, as long as that MacBook Pro can handle 2 external displays of that resolution and refresh rate.