Im trying to get 5 monitors hooked to my M1 Mac Mini, OS 11.4 Year Model 2020

[Unique Visuals]

Multi Monitor help needed. Please Help and Thanks in advance.
I tried to follow the videos and Im lost as to what I need to order and the order of properly connecting it all up for the best quality.

Do I have the right stuff on order so far? (What I have on order so far posted at bottom.)
Additional Docks?
Additional Adaptors?
Additional Hubs?
Additional Cables? What kind exactly?
Downstream?
Upstream?
Active?

Other questions:
Can you hot swap monitor cables?
Do I need to power down when hooking everything up?

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#1 Im currently running one Dell UltraSharp 43-inch 4K USB C Monitor U4320Q (3840x 2160 @ 60 Hz.) (Currently Driven by USB C) ModelYear 2020
https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model/b5661cd4

#2 One Dell UltraSharp 27-inch 4K USB-C Monitor: U2720QM (3840x 2160 @ 60 Hz.) (Currently Driven by HDMI) Model Year 2020
https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model/11f01cd5

#3 I would like to add my other identical to the above Dell UltraSharp 27-inch 4K USB-C Monitor: U2720QM (3840x 2160 @ 60 Hz.) Model Year 2020
https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model/11f01cd5

#4 Plus a DELL U2713HM Display 27-inch (2560 x 1440) (@ 60 Hz.) Model Year 2012
https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model/6a897

#5 Plus a Visio 32" TV Monitor via HDMI

—————————————————
On Order, not sure what I need:

Startech.com USB 3.0 to Dual DisplayPort Adaptor - 4K 60Hz Part # USB32DP24K60

CalDigit dock, TB 3.0 Plus Dock Thunderbolt 3 Dock: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...PV8DF&linkId=48b1faf03dd2bc8b4929e13961b7a959

CalDigit DisplayPort 1.2 to HDMI 2.0 (DP to HDMI) Active Adapter 4K 60Hz UHD (3840 x 2160) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HL13637/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Monotremata]

Your two Dells are it. The M1 Mini only supports two monitors, one over HDMI and one over USB-C/Thunderbolt. The last Intel model only supports 3.

 

[Unique Visuals]

Your two Dells are it. The M1 Mini only supports two monitors, one over HDMI and one over USB-C/Thunderbolt. The last Intel model only supports 3.

There are many that have done this using docks and adaptors. Up to 6 monitors. + an iPad. I just can't follow and understand what is needed and where to hook it all up to. Here is one by Rusian Tulupov that has been featured story on MacRummors.

 

[jazz1]

Your two Dells are it. The M1 Mini only supports two monitors, one over HDMI and one over USB-C/Thunderbolt. The last Intel model only supports 3.

This guy got along with no monitors OP, once you accomplish it please post a picture. Good luck on your quest. I run two monitors off of my M1 MacMini. I actually wish I had more monitor space to play with. P.S. the pic is from the Dr. Strangelove movie

 

[ipsedixit]

I want to see this.

🍿

 

[joevt]

monitor 1: HDMI - Dell UltraSharp 27-inch 4K USB-C Monitor: U2720QM (3840x 2160 @ 60 Hz.)
monitor 2: DisplayPort - Dell UltraSharp 43-inch 4K USB C Monitor U4320Q
monitor 3,4,5: DisplayLink https://www.displaylink.com/products

Whatever you want to use for video or games should be connected to #1 or #2.

If you already have the StarTech on order then you need one more DisplayLink adapter. Buy a second StarTech or check the DisplayLink products guide.

The CalDigit TS3 Plus (or most any Thunderbolt dock based on Alpine Ridge) is good for adding USB controllers (up to 22 Gbps total with 4 different USB controllers). The ASM1142 ports will have slightly faster USB 3.0 than the FL1100 ports. The Thunderbolt port will have better USB 10 Gbps than the ASM1142 port which is limited to 8 Gbps but that doesn't matter for DisplayLink which uses only USB 3.0. The USB 3.0 from the TS3 Plus is better than the USB 3.0 from the M1 Mac. I don't know if you'll see a difference in DisplayLink video appearance.

Newer Thunderbolt docks using Titan Ridge or Goshen Ridge are limited to 10 Gbps total USB (they use USB hubs connected to a single USB port instead of separate USB controllers). Correction: Titan Ridge can do 20 Gbps total because the downstream Thunderbolt port is a separate USB port from the USB port used for the hubs.

Goshen Ridge is Thunderbolt 4 which supports USB4. M1 Mac also supports USB4. When a USB4 host is connected to a Thunderbolt 4 dock, it uses USB tunnelling. That means the USB controller in the M1 Mac will get used instead of the USB controller in the Thunderbolt 4 dock even though the USB controller of the M1 Mac is inferior.

 

[Unique Visuals]

Thanks for the info. I have ordered another StarTech USB 3.0 to Dual DisplayPort Adapter 4K 60Hz.

On monitor 2. DisplayPort - Dell UltraSharp 43-inch 4K USB C Monitor U4320Q) Would that connect to the DisplayPort 1.2 on the back of the CalDigit TS3? Or using a port off of one of the StarTech adaptors?

 

[joevt]

I made a correction about Titan Ridge Thunderbolt docks - they can have two separate USB ports (one for internal USB hubs and one for the downstream Thunderbolt port)

On monitor 2. DisplayPort - Dell UltraSharp 43-inch 4K USB C Monitor U4320Q) Would that connect to the DisplayPort 1.2 on the back of the CalDigit TS3? Or using a port off of one of the StarTech adaptors?

Monitor 2 can be connected to a DisplayPort port or a Thunderbolt port of the CalDigit TS3 Plus or any downstream Thunderbolt device. But maybe you can test what it's like to have 4 DisplayLink displays instead of just 3.

Monitor 3,4,5 (and maybe 6 if you like) will be connected to the two DisplayLink adapters which you can connect to the CalDigit TS3 Plus or M1 Mac mini or maybe even the USB hubs of the displays you are connecting (that would be interesting: to see a display being driven by a DisplayLink adapter that is connected to itself - it would make the display a single cable display since only the USB cable of the display would be connected upstream).

Different USB ports will have different speeds. You'll want to make sure each DisplayLink adapter can get a full 4 Gbps.

In order of performance:
1) M1 USB : slow USB 4Gbps
2) M1 Thunderbolt : slow USB 9.7 Gbps (but DisplayLink will connect as USB 3.0 so this will be like #1 above)
3) TS3 Plus FL1100 (x2) : 4 Gbps (4 ports each; upstream is limited by PCIe 2.0 x1 but probably better than #1)
4) TS3 Plus ASM1142 : 4 Gbps (the first port with max performance probably)
5) TS3 Plus ASM1142 : 7.9 Gbps (but DisplayLink will only use 4 Gbps)
6) TS3 Plus Thunderbolt : 9.7 Gbps (but DisplayLink will only use 4 Gbps)

Other notes:
-M1 iMac have a superior ASM3142 USB controller for the two USB only ports supporting the full 9.7 Gbps each.
- For the ASM1142 ports they share a 7.9 Gbps PCIe upstream. It might be possible to apply a firmware update to make both ports support USB 10 Gbps but no one has tried it (just use a ASM1142 firmware updater in Windows but maybe there's a reason CalDigit made it only USB 3.0 so doing the update might break something - don't do it unless you can save the existing firmware beforehand).

Testing:
- Try each port, see if you can notice a difference with something like playing videos full screen.
- See what happens when you connect both DisplayLink adapters to the same FL1100 (each FL1100 has 4 ports that share the same 4 Gbps upstream so this would effectively give each display only 1 Gbps or 1.3 Gbps depending on how many are connected).
- If you want to save the faster USB ports of the dock for USB 10 Gbps devices, then connect one DisplayLink adapter to one of the FL1100 and the other adapter to the other FL1100. In the picture at https://www.caldigit.com/ts3-plus-interface-bandwidth-allocation-and-diagram/, group #1 and group #2 are the two FL1100 - don't connect both DisplayLink adapters to the same group (except to test if it affects performance) . They should have marked the Thunderbolt port as #5.

 

[Unique Visuals]

Thanks again for the info. I have four sorta running, two have some yellowing and brown tints that can't be adjusted out. Still waiting on more stuff to get here. I will update when I get something positive.

 

[Kaida]

the startech is working like an external gpu. unitek has something similar

Unitek Y-3702 USB 3.0 to HDMI Converter, 18cm Length, Black

Convert USB to HDMI interface. Support full HD 1080P resolution. Support mirroring, extension, multi-screen and screen rotation mode. Applicable to most of the monitors and displays. Bus-powered, no need to draw power from power adaptor.

www.amazon.sg

 

[joevt]

the startech is working like an external gpu. unitek has something similar

Right. It's just another DisplayLink adapter so it's more than just similar.
https://www.mstronics.com/p/2503/unitek-y-3702-usb3-0-to-hdmi-converter-with-premium.html
It only supports a single 1080p or 2048×1152 display, which means it must be using an older DisplayLink chip.

The closest match on the DisplayLink product guide is the STARTECH USB 3.0 TO HDMI ADAPTER Max Resolution: 2048 × 1152

DisplayLink Products | Synaptics

Where to buy DisplayLink productsDisplayLink technology appears in a wide range of products from the world's leading PC and peripheral brands. It features in docking stations, monitors, adapters, and more.Products with DisplayLink technology are supported on Windows, macOS, Android and Chrome OS...

www.displaylink.com

 

[Unique Visuals]

I have 6 going but Im still tweaking and waiting on some more stuff to get here.

 

[OldMike]

Nice to see some options for multi monitor support. The OP has quite an ambitious project going 😀

I came across this product earlier today which looks very nice. Would be a great dock for M1 laptops also since it provides 100W power delivery in addition to allowing three 4K+ monitors. For $399, it appears to be a pretty nice dock that has DisplayLink built in.

ALOGIC | Experience True Connectivity

ALOGIC is the leading manufacturer in premium IT electronics and peripherals. We offer solutions for Apple, Samsung, Google and other devices including USB-C, USB-A and charging trolleys.

www.alogic.co

 

[joevt]

Nice to see some options for multi monitor support. The OP has quite an ambitious project going 😀

I came across this product earlier today which looks very nice. Would be a great dock for M1 laptops also since it provides 100W power delivery in addition to allowing three 4K+ monitors. For $399, it appears to be a pretty nice dock that has DisplayLink built in.

ALOGIC | Experience True Connectivity

ALOGIC is the leading manufacturer in premium IT electronics and peripherals. We offer solutions for Apple, Samsung, Google and other devices including USB-C, USB-A and charging trolleys.

www.alogic.co

That is a USB-C dock with two DisplayLink ports (like the StarLink adapters discussed in this thread) and one DisplayPort port from USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode with two DisplayPort lanes.

Question - does that 3rd DisplayPort port have an MST Hub chip to convert two lanes of HBR3 or HBR3 with DSC to four lanes of HBR2 for 4K60 or four lanes of HBR3 for 5K60 in the case where the displays don't support their max resolution with two lanes? If not then you need to buy the MST Hub seperately. Do M1 Macs support DSC for third party displays? Last time I checked, the answer was no (since Big Sur - even on Intel Macs; Catalina supports DSC).

 

[Unique Visuals]

Update: Im still working on it but so far its been a fail. I can get up to six displays running but not near the resolutions they should be.
Goal was to get at least three displays running at 4K 3840x2160 @60Hz. Getting more would be a bonus.
Display #3Dell U2720QM (Left) No matter what device I use to get the signal to the display it always shows as scaled down to 1920x1080. That is half of what it should do. Does not look very good, not sharp or crisp like the others. It looks better at a scaled down setting but that makes the viewing area smaller. Gaps around screen image projected.
I can get the Old Dell U2713HM (2012) to properly display at 2560 x 1440 @ 60.00Hz It seem to be a sharper image than when I use it for my old 2008 3.1 Mac Pro using the same resolution.

It is looking like what devices and DisplayLink software available at this time, wont work properly with this set up and may have to wait till someone comes up with something that can properly drive or divide the display signals. Im overwhelmed with so many notes and Im trying to get it all together as to what I tried with the devices. So I can post here.

Note: Im just an old guy with very limited memory recall and not very tech savvy anymore.

 

[Unique Visuals]

PS: In also experiencing a perturbing and frustrating "Wake from Sleep" Issues where on coming back awake the apps that were open are displayed on the wrong display and the Dell 27" (Left) driven by DisplayLink is changing desktop backgrounds.

 

[MacCheetah3]

Perhaps a silly question… Wouldn’t it be easier and possibly more cost effective to have two large, high resolution monitors?

• One display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz connected via Thunderbolt and one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz connected via HDMI 2.0

Depending how picky you are about PPI, you could do a 30-inch or so 4K and a 40 something inch 6K. Seems like it would provide a substantial amount of digital desktop space (to me).

 

[joevt]

PS: In also experiencing a perturbing and frustrating "Wake from Sleep" Issues where on coming back awake the apps that were open are displayed on the wrong display and the Dell 27" (Left) driven by DisplayLink is changing desktop backgrounds.

Ok, so while using DisplayLink, you shouldn't do Sleep. While Macs aren't doing anything, they don't use much power. Well, I guess doing DisplayLink uses some power, so that's a problem... So you need an app that can save window positions before sleep and restore them after sleep. Maybe that's something that SwitchResX can do? Or it would be a new feature that should be added. How does SwitchResX behave with DisplayLink displays?
https://www.madrau.com/srx_whatitdoes/whatitdoes.html

Depending how picky you are about PPI, you could do a 30-inch or so 4K and a 40 something inch 6K. Seems like it would provide a substantial amount of digital desktop space (to me).

Does anyone besides Apple make a 6K? Apple's 6K is only 32 inches.
Does any 8K have a 6K timing built in (since you can't make custom timings on M1 Macs and M1 Macs can't do higher than 6K)?

 

[Unique Visuals]

Ok, so while using DisplayLink, you shouldn't do Sleep. While Macs aren't doing anything, they don't use much power. Well, I guess doing DisplayLink uses some power, so that's a problem... So you need an app that can save window positions before sleep and restore them after sleep. Maybe that's something that SwitchResX can do? Or it would be a new feature that should be added. How does SwitchResX behave with DisplayLink displays?
https://www.madrau.com/srx_whatitdoes/whatitdoes.html

Thank you for the info again. I used to use SwitchResX and wanted to try it with this set up but I couldn't recall the name. I just found something else on a DisplayLink forum called "RDM" supposed to allow more options or custom settings. I will try SwitchResX first. I will check it out tomorrow and see if it helps.
I selected "computer doesn't sleep when displays do and that works. You are correct and it doesn't use much power so Im not really worried about it.

 

[MacCheetah3]

Does anyone besides Apple make a 6K? Apple's 6K is only 32 inches.
Does any 8K have a 6K timing built in (since you can't make custom timings on M1 Macs and M1 Macs can't do higher than 6K)?

My bad. I continue to forget how seemingly unusually slow those offerings are rolling out. You’re correct, I'm only seeing the Pro XDR as a 6K option and a Dell UltraSharp in an 8K model — both 32-inch. Just appears off to me considering how quickly TV manufacturers pushed 8K models, touting in general of 8K performance on elite products, and how much die-hard enthusiasts are playing with 8K content.

EDIT: Someone posted to Reddit about connecting an 8K monitor to an M1 MBA and was only able to choose up to 4K. The user didn’t elaborate on what all they tried to get a 6K resolution.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOS/comments/kzonsd/_/h1gfmlm

Any who…. I digress. It may simply be best for @Unique Visuals to wait and see what the upper tier replacement Apple Silicon Macs offer/officially allow.

Related: There are plenty of posts in the forum containing evidence some “pros” dove into the Apple Silicon too soon — buying systems they know/knew lacked the features they desire/need. The M1 Macs can be used by some prosumers, although, it certainly doesn’t look to be the intended user demographic.

 

[Unique Visuals]

Perhaps a silly question… Wouldn’t it be easier and possibly more cost effective to have two large, high resolution monitors?


Depending how picky you are about PPI, you could do a 30-inch or so 4K and a 40 something inch 6K. Seems like it would provide a substantial amount of digital desktop space (to me).

Yes I did a poor job of selecting monitors. I ordered the Mini and two identical 27" monitors in December. It took a month or more to get both here. I got busy working on another project and didn't start setting it up till late last month. I have had some vision problems come up and realized I needed/could use a much larger monitor and get more screen space at the same time. I didn't do enough homework to find out that those that are getting multiple displays to work end up with lots of malfunctions. In hind sight I should have just gone with 2 and maybe 3 of the Dell 43" so it all matches in resolution and DPI. If and when a good Thunderbolt 4 e-GPU come out that fully supports more than two displays, I will try that or just deal with my poor decisions.
Anyone want to buy two slightly used only a month Dell 27"? :-(

 

[Unique Visuals]

Update: I installed SwitchResX I was able to set the third monitor to display at its native resolution of 3840x2160@60Hz. I tested and all seemed to stick between restarts and shutdown/startsups. I then downscaled the two 27" so that it would come close to the same DPI displayed on the 43" so all screen elements appear near the same size and it is all working and holding now. I will do more checking and testing today.