How would I connect 2 4K displays to my Intel Macbook Air 2020?

[questionwonder]

I'm going to pass on the new Apple Studio Display because of the price and because I can't connect 2 of these monitors to my late 2020 MB Air (last Intel version).

But now I want to get 2 27-28 inch 4K displays to increase productivity to replace my 24 inch 1080p, and I know there are lots out there that are pretty cheap. I don't want to spend >$500 each

How would I connect 2 4K monitors to my Air with only 2 USB ports while still being able to charge the laptop?

 

[DrCC]

Use a Thunderbolt 3 or 4 dock, you will use 1 cable for both monitors and charging. The Intel version will work well with it.

 

[questionwonder]

Use a Thunderbolt 3 or 4 dock, you will use 1 cable for both monitors and charging. The Intel version will work well with it.

Do you use one and if so can you recommend one?

 

[DrCC]

I use a OWC Thunderbolt 4 Hub and an older Kingston Thunderbolt 3 dock.

Any Thunderbolt 3/4 dock will work for 2 x4K @60 Hz displays, the only thing you need to figure out is how many ports you need on it and what is your budget. There are a lot of them available on the market, some are $200, some are more than $400. If it is Thunderbolt 3 or 4, it should be capable of driving two 4K displays @ 60 Hz on your Intel MB Air. Most will also have Power Delivery so it will also charge your laptop, only a few of them don't have Power Delivery. Pay attention to the Power Delivery wording when shopping for one.

 

[questionwonder]

Do you use one and if so can you recommend one?

Can you also recommend any monitors?

I use a OWC Thunderbolt 4 Hub and an older Kingston Thunderbolt 3 dock.

Any Thunderbolt 3/4 dock will work for 2 x4K @60 Hz displays, the only thing you need to figure out is how many ports you need on it and what is your budget. There are a lot of them available on the market, some are $200, some are more than $400. If it is Thunderbolt 3 or 4, it should be capable of driving two 4K displays @ 60 Hz on your Intel MB Air. Most will also have Power Delivery so it will also charge your laptop, only a few of them don't have Power Delivery. Pay attention to the Power Delivery wording when shopping for one.

Hi DrCC. I want to drive 2 LG 4K monitors on my 2020 Air. Do you know if I will have problems running hot or slowing down with 2 vs 1 monitor? If 2 is too much for this little machine, I will wait for the M2 and go all out next year.

 

[DrCC]

Can you also recommend any monitors?

Hi DrCC. I want to drive 2 LG 4K monitors on my 2020 Air. Do you know if I will have problems running hot or slowing down with 2 vs 1 monitor? If 2 is too much for this little machine, I will wait for the M2 and go all out next year.

I am using an LG 27UL650-W . It is rated as a very good monitor, but my eyes get tired after a few hours. Better to look for a Benq or Asus 4K monitor with eye care technologies, if you spend a lot of hours in front of a monitor, get the one that damages your eyes the least. Both Benq and Asus have Eye Care monitors.
Honestly, I would spend top $ on the best monitors you can find for your eyes, prescription glasses or eye surgeries are very expensive, and you will never fully get your eyes back. 4K or high-resolution monitors also help with that, the text is sharper than 1080p or 1440p, grainy text stresses the eyes a lot. That's why for 4K don't go over 27", the pixels per inch will be lower and it will stress your eyes more if you sit close to them.

The Intel MB Air should be able to power 2 external 4K displays. I am using a Windows machine with an 8th gen Core i7 chip and it is OK with 2 external displays + the built-in display, you will be able to get by until the M2 comes along. Intel Macs do get hot no matter what you do. Consider buying a laptop cooling pad to better manage the heat.