Early 2001 Macbook Pro and 4K

[patseguin]

I can't seem to find a definitive answer on this. I was using an external 2560 1440 monitor with my Mac and I just bought an LG 4K monitor. I have it connected to my Mac with DP and it is only doing 1920 1080. I am running the Sierra preview and the display settings only give me 2 options - one for native which just does 1920 and another "scaled" option that lets me choose from 2 resolutions 1920 1080 and something else smaller.

Can my Mac somehow do 4K even at 30Hz on this monitor and if so how do I do it when the prefs pane doesn't give me any options?

 

[JTToft]

Try Alt-clicking the "Scaled" button in System Preferences. I'm not entirely sure it can do 4K even at 30 Hz, but you should at least get more options than what you're seeing.

Also, we have practically the exact same machine.

 

[snaky69]

I can't seem to find a definitive answer on this. I was using an external 2560 1440 monitor with my Mac and I just bought an LG 4K monitor. I have it connected to my Mac with DP and it is only doing 1920 1080. I am running the Sierra preview and the display settings only give me 2 options - one for native which just does 1920 and another "scaled" option that lets me choose from 2 resolutions 1920 1080 and something else smaller.

Can my Mac somehow do 4K even at 30Hz on this monitor and if so how do I do it when the prefs pane doesn't give me any options?

The 2011 can't do 4K AFAIK.

 

[patseguin]

Try Alt-clicking the "Scaled" button in System Preferences. I'm not entirely sure it can do 4K even at 30 Hz, but you should at least get more options than what you're seeing.

Also, we have practically the exact same machine.

That did it, thanks! It let me choose 3840 at 30Hz. No optimal but still 4K. The UI doesn't seem to scale like Windows does though so I have tiny windows and fonts...

 

[JTToft]

That did it, thanks! It let me choose 3840 at 30Hz. No optimal but still 4K. The UI doesn't seem to scale like Windows does though so I have tiny windows and fonts...

- Good to know. For the scaling, you'd need a HiDPI option to run 1080p or 1440p in HiDPI mode. If System Preferences doesn't give you that, you may need SwitchResX.

 

[patseguin]

So do people with Retina MacBook's have this issue with tiny UI and fonts? I would have thought that OS X would have automatic scaling like Windows 10 does.

 

[robvas]

So do people with Retina MacBook's have this issue with tiny UI and fonts? I would have thought that OS X would have automatic scaling like Windows 10 does.

Retina Macs don't have that problem. Your video hardware can't do the output to high resolution and then scale down.

 

[patseguin]

Retina Macs don't have that problem. Your video hardware can't do the output to high resolution and then scale down.

Not sure I follow. I selected 3840 2160 @ 30Hz and it switched to that resolution. Windows and fonts are tiny now. Should the OS be able to change the DPI or something?

 

[robvas]

Not sure I follow. I selected 3840 2160 @ 30Hz and it switched to that resolution. Windows and fonts are tiny now. Should the OS be able to change the DPI or something?

It doesn't work like that. Retina Macs draw the screen at a higher resolution and then scale it down to what you have the 'scale' and then output it at your screens native resolution.

You don't have a Retina Mac so you can't do that. You can only scale down, not up.

Have you tried enabling hi dpi?

https://www.tekrevue.com/tip/hidpi-mode-os-x/