Mac Mini M2 - 2 x monitors

[gavinc]

I am planning to purchase a Mac Mini M2. I would like to also purchase 2 x 24inch monitors (not Apple). But, the lack of ports on mac mini concerns me. I can connect one monitor to a HDMI. How would I connect a 2nd monitor? I would prefer not to use a Mac monitor. Are there any options?

 

[Ben J.]

You can connect the second monitor to one of the thunderbolt/usbc ports with a minidisplayport cable (if it has minidisplayport), the minidisplayport connector fits in the TB port. Or get an inexpensive dock, doesn't have to be TB, with HDMI and USBC, USBA etc. The latter is my choice, as even if my M2Pro mini has two more TB ports than the regular mini, I need lots of connections. There are of course other options using adapters. Most any type of displays can be used this way. No need for apple screens. I have a 55" LG OLED TV and a 27" Benq on my mini.

 

[gavinc]

Thank you Ben. I was a bit concerned at the lack of ports. My old imac has a range on the back on the monitor and I have got used to using them.

 

[Ben J.]

Something like this Belkin would be fine, unless you want to invest in one with more ports, or even one with the multiple speed of thunderbolt, of course at the multiple price.

 

[theluggage]

Something like this Belkin would be fine, unless you want to invest in one with more ports, or even one with the multiple speed of thunderbolt, of course at the multiple price.

Check the small print: The HDMI on that dock only supports 4K up to 30Hz, rather than the usual 60Hz. If you’re using it with a 4K monitor that’s going to be jerky. That’s likely to be true of any cheap non-Thunderbolt USB-C dock: either the USB ports will be limited to USB 2.0 speed or the monitor connections will be limited to 4k@30Hz.

 

[gavinc]

I note that Dell do a 24inch monitor that can act as a hub. If I daisy-chained from that monitor to another Dell, I may solve the problem.

 

[Ben J.]

I don't know, but I doubt that displays can be daisychained like that. At least not by HDMI. But sure, my Benq 27" has a few extra USB3 ports and a SD card reader that come in handy.

 

[gavinc]

A useful comment - thanks. I thought I had found a way to crack this one. I will follow your original proposal with a separate hub.

 

[Ben J.]

About the limitations to refresh rate; it really depends on your needs. 60Hz or even 30Hz is no problem and doesn't "lag" when you use the mac for regular computer tasks with apps like Premiere or Lightroom. And do you need a 4k resolution? I know I certainly don't. 4k and 120Hz+ is for smooth rendering of games animations, mostly, I think. Slightly lower resolution, and you get the 60Hz+ refresh rate.

 

[gavinc]

I don't intend to game or use the computer for heavy operations. It is an office based system for running my small business from home. I will not need 4k resolution. We may merely select the 27 inch monitor which is what we are running at present (elderly iMac from 2011) rather than 2 x 24 inch. We are still refining the requirement.

 

[bzgnyc2]

I don't intend to game or use the computer for heavy operations. It is an office based system for running my small business from home. I will not need 4k resolution. We may merely select the 27 inch monitor which is what we are running at present (elderly iMac from 2011) rather than 2 x 24 inch. We are still refining the requirement.

I would tend towards the 2x24" @ 4K due to Apple's approach to scaling and fallbacks when it comes to monitor size and resolution. More recent macOS may not display sharply on a 27" display unless 5K resolution, which are pricey. All else being equal 1080p should be fine for what you are talking about but Apple dropped support for font smoothing and subpixel antialiasing starting with Mojave (partially restorable I think for that version only). For office work, sharp text is a must for me.

As such, 4K seems like the standard for the forseeable future. I picked out LG 24" 4K monitors for a family member ~ 5-6 years ago and they look good. I think they were $2-300 each at the time and prices are only better now.

As others have mentioned you should be able to connect one monitor via HDMI and the other via Thunderbolt/USB-C to DisplayPort right off the Mac Mini M2 both 4K @ 60. However even 4K @ 30 would be fine for office work. I did similar with a ~ 2016 MacBook Pro and Caldigit dock and it works well. Thunderbolt/DisplayPort cables don't cost much more than straight HDMI or DisplayPort.