MBP 14" M2Pro 3 External 4K Monitors

[colinwyatt]

Hi all. I have been searching through these forums, on YT and the answers are still not clear. I believe I have a simple request, but the answer is not sinking in. I hope that someone can help keep it simple and help.

Laptop Specs: MBP M2 Pro, 16GB, 1TB, macOS Sonoma 14.3.1

Use Case: I have 2x 28" 4K monitors + 1x 43" UHD TV. I want to use all three external displays whilst my laptop lid is closed. So, I only care about using external screens. It works perfectly with 1x 28" via USB-C > DisplayPort + 1x HDMI > TV. Great. But I cannot get my 2nd 28" monitor that is connected via usb-c to detect a signal.

So, I thought, ok, maybe I am going about this wrong. Maybe I need a decent dock that takes a Thunderbolt / USB-C connection and then outputs multiple 4K displays. I have looked at CalDigit, Ivanky Fusion Max1, and after watching several reviews etc, I am still confused, they dont appear to support 3 4K external displays.

What on earth I am missing? I dont want to buy 2 docks, The iVanky looked very expensive, but has dual host TB4 connection, so I thought, ok, expensive, but if it gives me 3 4K displays, then so be it.

Has anyone got this working? What if I had a dock that connected from a TB4 port, then connect 2x 4K Monitors to the dock. Lastly, connect the HDMI from the TV directly to the MBP. Would that work?

Thanks for lasting this long reading my post, but having only got the MBP mid last year, i cannot believe that there is not a solution.

Cheers, Colin.

 

[MacRS4]

I have a Studio Display, an LG5K, and a Dell 4K (via HDMI) plugged into mine. I had to put the LG and Studio into separate TB ports (well, the LG is via a dock). All 3 off of a single dock was horribly unreliable - one of the 3 screens would not start.

Add in a 10Gbe adapter and I've ended up with two docks.

 

[CanPhantom]

Check here:

How many displays can be connected to MacBook Pro - Apple Support (CA)

The number of external displays that you can use at the same time depends on your Mac model and the resolution and refresh rate of each display.

support.apple.com

The M2 Pro is limited to 2 external displays. Trying to cheat with a dock won't work. You might be able to get away with a third monitor via displaylink if one of yours supports that, but that's going to be a disappointing experience, particularly at 4k

 

[colinwyatt]

ok, thanks for your feedback, so you confirmed my concerns. What is slightly frustrating is the same chip in a mac mini or similar can support 3 external displays. So this looks like a controlled limit that has been applied. Maybe I will sell the MBP and get the Mac Studio which actually cost less than my MBP, which has double the ram etc etc. Oh well. More fooled me really.

Appreciate MacRS4, CanPhantom for your feedback. I did read several bits of official information, but unless you have the Max chip, its just not going to work. :-(

 

[CanPhantom]

What is slightly frustrating is the same chip in a mac mini or similar can support 3 external displays.

Well, it supports the same 3 displays. Two external + one internal.

 

[M3Stang]

Well, it supports the same 3 displays. Two external + one internal.

This just blew my mind but it's absolutely true lol. I got "around" this with my M3 Pro by having my two monitors and my MBP on a VESA mount as well. Its not quite what I had in mind but its much better than when I was using the same on my M1 13" over display link before I traded up for this one.