Mac mini M1 with dual Thunderbolt 2 displays?

[SubduedTiger]

So while it seems to be the consensus that Mac mini is only capable of supporting one display, what about daisy chained dual Thunderbolt 2 displays that are each powered independently using an external source. Is there any chance that this setup is supported? If not, can someone help me understand why it wouldn't be supported? What is it exactly about the new Mac mini that precludes two monitors from being attached?

Edit: Dear Lord, does even one of these displays work with it, or am I stuck with Intel indefinitely with these?

 

[killr_b]

•Video Support
Simultaneously supports up to two displays:
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

•Thunderbolt 3 digital video output supports
Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C

•Thunderbolt 2, DVI, and VGA output supported using adapters (sold separately)
HDMI 2.0 display video output
Support for one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz
DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (sold separately)

This guy hooked up 3 displays:

 

[SubduedTiger]

•Video Support
Simultaneously supports up to two displays:
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

•Thunderbolt 3 digital video output supports
Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C

•Thunderbolt 2, DVI, and VGA output supported using adapters (sold separately)
HDMI 2.0 display video output
Support for one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz
DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (sold separately)

This guy hooked up 3 displays:

OK maybe I was misinformed here with the general support for two monitors. It's still so new, and Apple isn't really helping as much as they could with clarity across the lines. Thanks for sharing the video and these specs. Have you seen anything surrounding the M1 MacBook Air like that?

 

[4sallypat]

Daisy chaining TB2 ports on 2 of my 27" TB displays would be awesome!

 

[PowerMacBook]

•Video Support
Simultaneously supports up to two displays:
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

•Thunderbolt 3 digital video output supports
Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C

•Thunderbolt 2, DVI, and VGA output supported using adapters (sold separately)
HDMI 2.0 display video output
Support for one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz
DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (sold separately)

This guy hooked up 3 displays:

That is not the question of the original poster: what if you have two (2) Thunderbolt Displays and you want to connect these to the Mac mini M1? I received mine today, and indeed I cannot run two screens at the same time.
Since these displays don't have HDMI, that's not an option either.
I tried to connect by connecting the display to the adapter which has HDMI and Thunderbolt 2 but that doesn't seem to work.
Any suggestion is more than welcome! Thanks!

 

[JGH]

I've tried to connect for hours the MAC MINI M1with two thunderbolt MAC Monitors and I could not.
1- I connected one monitor directly from the MAC MINI Thunderbolt 3 with an adapter to the MAC Thunderbolt display.
2- Both monitors cannot work if connected with an external cable from monitor 1 to monitor 2
3- I use the other port of the MAC Mini M1, and used an HDMI to Display port and connect to my second Apple Thunderbolt display and did not work.
In the end, I returned the MAC Mini because this issue, MAC MINI does not support 2 APPLE Thunderbolt DISPLAYS.

 

[chrfr]

3- I use the other port of the MAC Mini M1, and used an HDMI to Display port and connect to my second Apple Thunderbolt display and did not work.

HDMI and DisplayPort adapters don’t work with the Apple Thunderbolt Display on any computer. Those displays only accept Thunderbolt input.

 

[AdeMorgan]

So while it seems to be the consensus that Mac mini is only capable of supporting one display, what about daisy chained dual Thunderbolt 2 displays that are each powered independently using an external source. Is there any chance that this setup is supported? If not, can someone help me understand why it wouldn't be supported? What is it exactly about the new Mac mini that precludes two monitors from being attached?

Edit: Dear Lord, does even one of these displays work with it, or am I stuck with Intel indefinitely with these?

One Apple Thunderbolt display does work (using an Apple TB3/2 adapter) but sadly like others have reported here when you daisy chain two as per your(my) original intel Mac mini setup, the second monitor kills the first and the resolution of the 2nd is like tripping on LSD however the USB hub in the second monitor appears to be active (ie camera, speakers and microphone) ... I currently have an active technical call with Apple on this as I was insistent that it seems crazy that the Thunderbolt4/USB-C ports will support a 1x6K monitor and their engineers haven't allowed it to support lower resolution options of 2x2K in extended desktop mode via the daisy chain ..... which after all is what all of us Mac mini users who invested in the 27" Apple TB displays are looking for?

I will update this when they come back to me over the next few days, but as their own sales technical team pre-sale had said to me 'it will(should) work' they have a reason to look into it and so having discussed the above with a senior technician who escalated it to Apples Product/Technical Team to look into this specific 'Apple' configuration (otherwise they will be getting the mini Mac back) ... I'm guessing they have engineered the OS for the mini/other lower spec Mac laptops to prevent 2 monitors on the Thunderbolt chain (thereby preventing 2x4,5 & 6K and hence why the second monitor option is directed in the specifications to use the HDMI port) probably not realising that there are still a huge number of 27" Thunderbolt Displays(2560x1440), very much alive.

So it may be a simple tweak in the OS/device drivers to get it to function based on the device ID in the chain ... optimistic I know. lol They did ring from the US late yesterday (after I'd gone to bed), so have asked for them to try again at a reasonable UK time over the next few days?!

I certainly don't want to go back to an Intel mini seeing the performance gains with one of the 27" and made it clear to them that the XDR Pro is out of price band but we would all probably like to see an Apple 4K TB3/4 version in 27-32" range with similar onboard hub (TB3/Ethernet/USBs/Sound/Facetime Camera) as (I assume) none of us liked the 'windows generic' LG desktop they replaced the Thunderbolt Display with?

Ade

 

[alexzm]

Hi @AdeMorgan - Thanks for looking into this - any update?