M2 MacBooks Still Officially Support Only a Single External Display

[izzy0242mr]

That would be nice, but that would be a different model altogether. SOC changes everything.

It would compete more with the 14", for sure. I guess the current 13"/14"/16" MBP lineup basically is replicating the old 13"/15"/17" MBP Intel lineup of years past. But I don't think we were limited by the CPU as much on the Intel models. But we were definitely limited in GPU options, as some of the better GPUs were only available in the 15/17" models.

So yeah maybe the M2 is more akin to "having a lower GPU option," since the GPU is one of the bigger upgrades with the Pro/Max models.

 

[Enerccio]

If MBAir display is too tiny then buy an iMac. What the ****. I don't get rhetoric of some users here.

What the **** is wrong with you? You do realize people buy laptops to move them around, right? Like to take to office where they can have multiple monitors and then take it on road and home? JFC stop simping for apple!

 

[Enerccio]

M2 Air doesn’t have a fan. It’s possible that 2 external displays (with or without internal display) could heat the system to a point that it would permanently throttle. Apple isn’t going to go for that.

And, in general, a fanless portable computer is not really the candidate computer for running 2+ External displays.

What a load of bull.

 

[Enerccio]

I have an M1 13" MBP and can attach it to an external monitor at 4K60hz AND Airplay to my M1 iMac in extended mode in 4K60hz. Including the internal monitor, that's 3 screens running at >1080p 60hz with no apparent impact to performance. The 1 external monitor limit is arbitrary, they simply want you to buy a more expensive machine.

airplay ******** does not count

 

[Tyler O'Bannon]

What a load of bull.

Really? So you’re certain, and have tested in a lab, that with a chip that has no fan, and pushing external resolutions of 5K and 6K x2, and magically over 1 Thunderbolt bus at that, and it’s own internal display doesn’t even tax the chip to the point of any heat or throttling? Even though that even gets my MBP ramped up?

Now that is a load of bull.

 

[Enerccio]

Really? So you’re certain, and have tested in a lab, that with a chip that has no fan, and pushing external resolutions of 5K and 6K x2, and magically over 1 Thunderbolt bus at that, and it’s own internal display doesn’t even tax the chip to the point of any heat or throttling? Even though that even gets my MBP ramped up?

Now that is a load of bull.

If it can handle single 6k stream it can handle 4 1080p streams. Doesn't matter if there is fan or not. Anything else is pointless.

 

[Mat.Rynio]

What the **** is wrong with you? You do realize people buy laptops to move them around, right? Like to take to office where they can have multiple monitors and then take it on road and home? JFC stop simping for apple!

Read the whole topic and then reply since you just took my single sentence out of the context.

 

[redking317]

airplay ******** does not count

I connected my 10 years old Apple TV 3 to my 2nd desktop monitor via HDMI and airplay from MacBook Air to it and display works (almost) as well as natively connect 1st monitor. So it DOES count.

 

[ds234858y27]

Buy https://www.hypershop.com/products/hyperdrive-dual-4k-hdmi-adaptor-for-m1-macbook

 

[MauiPa]

don't forget it also supports an airplay display, so that is the built-in, an external, and an airplay display. (through appleTV anyway, I don't have anything else) I was surprised to stumble on it, but I tried it out out and it works fine

 

[thelinuxfan]

Apple today unveiled new MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro models powered by its new M2 chip, and tech specs on Apple's website confirm that both notebooks officially support only a single external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz.

The previous-generation MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro models with the M1 chip also supported only a single external display, according to Apple, but it was discovered that multiple displays can be connected to these notebooks with the use of DisplayLink adapters, and this will likely remain a workaround for the new M2 Macs.

The higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models support up to two external displays with the M1 Pro chip, and up to four with the M1 Max chip.

Article Link: M2 MacBooks Still Officially Support Only a Single External Display

TIL that something I've been doing on sub-$1000 PC laptops for over ten years is now somehow considered a "pro" feature in the Apple world.

LOL at this entire thread.

I assume aarch64 CPU is the reason it has "downgraded." I don't think it is a ploy to make anyone buy the pro, but I might be wrong. I know aarch64 is a huge improvement over x86.