I noticed on the tech specs Apple claims the M5 Max will drive four external displays over a single thunderbolt port. Has anyone had any experience getting this to work? Is there a dock that will support 4 external displays? I haven't found one in the usual manufacturers. Super interested to see if I could get a dock that would drive my setup with only having to connect a single TB cable for monitors + USB accessories + power.
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M5 Max four monitor dock?
- Thread starter Bearxor
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Hi,
it seems the Caldigit TS5 Plus works with 4 external displays if the computer is a M5 Max.
www.caldigit.com
it seems the Caldigit TS5 Plus works with 4 external displays if the computer is a M5 Max.
Thunderbolt 5 Dock | TS5 Plus | CalDigit – CalDigit
www.caldigit.com
So correct me if I'm wrong - but those docks only have three monitor connections. I was looking at the TS5+ and you only have two downstream TB ports and one displayport - meaning you can only connect three monitors.
Even according to CalDigits video:
The fourth monitor has to be connected via some sort of daisy-chain scenario. Meaning I'd have to buy a TS5+ connect two monitors to it, then buy something like an Element 5, connect it to one of the downstream ports on the TS5+, then connect two monitors to the Element 5.
While this does mean I'd only have to connect one cable to a M5 Max computer, it's still pretty messy and would just be way cheaper to continue plugging the fourth monitor into the macbook directly, which is what I'm doing on my M1 Max MBP currently.
Even according to CalDigits video:
The fourth monitor has to be connected via some sort of daisy-chain scenario. Meaning I'd have to buy a TS5+ connect two monitors to it, then buy something like an Element 5, connect it to one of the downstream ports on the TS5+, then connect two monitors to the Element 5.
While this does mean I'd only have to connect one cable to a M5 Max computer, it's still pretty messy and would just be way cheaper to continue plugging the fourth monitor into the macbook directly, which is what I'm doing on my M1 Max MBP currently.
Yes, Thunderbolt "hubs" have up to 3 outputs per 1 input.
There are also docks that take 2 Thunderbolt inputs as well. Ivanky has this, they have a new TB5 dock, it uses 2 inputs but it has 4 TB outputs and 1 HDMI and 1 Displayport. Though you're still limited by the Mac, like the Mac Studio can support up to 8 displays, but on this Ivanky dock the Studio only supports 4 because I guess it still has the 2 displays per Thunderbolt port limit, in contrast the M5 Max has up to 4 displays per Thunderbolt port (through daisy chaining).
FusionDock Ultra
iVANKY's FusionDock Lineup brings ports & productivity to your MacBook, Making it even Better. Whether you’re using a MacBook Air or Pro, there’s a FusionDock tailored to meet your needs. It’s about maximizing your creativity, efficiency, and enjoyment—so you can focus on what matters most.
ivanky.com
nothing of value to add to this thread, just wanna say I really respect the commitment to your battlestation and your mobility that you'd connect 4 monitors and peripherals with only a single cable. must be an awesome feeling lol
Alameda
macrumors 68000
Yes, I think this is how you accomplish it.
I just want to point out that if storage is part of the single cable dock plan, the four displays will take up so much Thunderbolt bandwidth that there won’t be a lot left for storage.
It depends on the displays but a 4K60 HDR display uses just under 20 gbps of bandwidth, so four of them will pretty much max out an 80 gbps port. I’m not sure how they’re claiming four 6K displays while still getting ten bit HDR.