rMBP 2015 4k experience?

[niklamacz]

Hi, Macrumors,

I am thinking about buying the newst rMBP 13" model (early 2015) and a 4k monitor (3840x2160). I would like to ask you about your experience with a similar setup. I read that the new rMBP 13" is capable of running an external monitor with a 4k resolution @ 60 Hz, but I am not sure it will be smooth and whether or not it will be slowing my CPU.

Also, I own a wireless headset with an HDMI processor (Sony MDR-HW700DS) that is supposedly capable of 4k resolutions. But it would mean that I would have to use an HDMI cable (or possibly a mDP > HDMI cable) instead of a thunderbolt cable... would that be a problem for me or is there no difference?

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Hi, Macrumors,

I am thinking about buying the newst rMBP 13" model (early 2015) and a 4k monitor (3840x2160). I would like to ask you about your experience with a similar setup. I read that the new rMBP 13" is capable of running an external monitor with a 4k resolution @ 60 Hz, but I am not sure it will be smooth and whether or not it will be slowing my CPU.

Also, I own a wireless headset with an HDMI processor (Sony MDR-HW700DS) that is supposedly capable of 4k resolutions. But it would mean that I would have to use an HDMI cable (or possibly a mDP > HDMI cable) instead of a thunderbolt cable... would that be a problem for me or is there no difference?

All reports suggest that the 13 inch is fine running 4K screens. If you use it in clamshell mode then it'll be no worse than running the inbuilt screen if you want to rujn both then ofv course it'll slightly impact performance you'll be driving 2x as many pixels.

I have no idea what wireless headphones have to do with 4K or HDMI though. That bit of your post made little sense.

 

[niklamacz]

All reports suggest that the 13 inch is fine running 4K screens. If you use it in clamshell mode then it'll be no worse than running the inbuilt screen if you want to rujn both then ofv course it'll slightly impact performance you'll be driving 2x as many pixels.

I have no idea what wireless headphones have to do with 4K or HDMI though. That bit of your post made little sense.

Thank you for your response. My friend has a 4k monitor and I tried plugging my older rMBP late 2013 into it and it was horribly slow.

I am sorry for the misunderstanding. There is a video processor included with the pair of headset. The processor allows me to pass the video signal through it (the hdmi cable goes from the computer to the processor and the audio goes to the headset and video goes through another hdmi cable to my monitor).

 

[TheIguana]

4k @ 60hz is only supported over thunderbolt/displayport. You will max out at a refresh rate of 30hz over HDMI with all current MBPs.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Thank you for your response. My friend has a 4k monitor and I tried plugging my older rMBP late 2013 into it and it was horribly slow.

I am sorry for the misunderstanding. There is a video processor included with the pair of headset. The processor allows me to pass the video signal through it (the hdmi cable goes from the computer to the processor and the audio goes to the headset and video goes through another hdmi cable to my monitor).

Right got ya...

The 2013 will only do 4K at 30hz for both the HDMI and the Mini DP to DP connector.

The 2015 is still the same for HDMI, but 60Hz for the Thunderbolt (Mini DP 1.2) to DP port on the monitor. You will need the correct cable though.

If that little processor thing has no diplay port connection you won't be able to get 60Hz and you'll have the same slowness problems. Until there is a Mini DP to HDMI 2.0 you won't be able to use it @ 60Hz

 

[niklamacz]

Right got ya...

The 2013 will only do 4K at 30hz for both the HDMI and the Mini DP to DP connector.

The 2015 is still the same for HDMI, but 60Hz for the Thunderbolt (Mini DP 1.2) to DP port on the monitor. You will need the correct cable though.

If that little processor thing has no diplay port connection you won't be able to get 60Hz and you'll have the same slowness problems. Until there is a Mini DP to HDMI 2.0 you won't be able to use it @ 60Hz

Not even a mDP > HDMI cable would work (from MB's thunderbolt port to the processor's HDMI port)?

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Not even a mDP > HDMI cable would work (from MB's thunderbolt port to the processor's HDMI port)?

As far as I can tell there are none that go to HDMI 2.o and you would need HDMI 2.0 (not even sure HDMI 2.0 has been officially released yet) on the little box as well, it's all about bandwidth and HDMI 1.4 just hasn't got enough.

 

[niklamacz]

As far as I can tell there are none that go to HDMI 2.o and you would need HDMI 2.0 (not even sure HDMI 2.0 has been officially released yet) on the little box as well, it's all about bandwidth and HDMI 1.4 just hasn't got enough.

Ok, I just found out that the processor doesn't support 4k at 60fps. Only at 30fps. One would think that they would mention it somewhere in the specs if they brag so much about it being capable of 4k resolution.

That means no 4k monitors for me anytime soon, anyway thanks for your advices

 

[kevmodrome]

The processor does support 4k at 60hz. It even supports two monitors at 60hz. I am running one using the 2015 MBP 13" right now actually.

It is very laggy though. Crap Yosemite :/

 

[yjchua95]

Ok, I just found out that the processor doesn't support 4k at 60fps. Only at 30fps. One would think that they would mention it somewhere in the specs if they brag so much about it being capable of 4k resolution.

That means no 4k monitors for me anytime soon, anyway thanks for your advices

Actually it does. Only the Haswell-U used in the late-2013/mid-2014 support 30 Hz. The Broadwell-U in the early-2015 ones (current model) supports 4K at 60 Hz, but it CANNOT be done over HDMI. It can only be done over Thunderbolt or mDP.

And if you want a smooth 4K@60Hz experience, you're going to have to run it in clamshell mode.

 

[niklamacz]

As I said earlier yesterday, I have a pair of headphones with a processor that only has HDMI inputs and only supports 4k at 30Hz.

I might have come up with another solution, but I am not sure it would work. I thought maybe making the MacBook transfer (only) sound through an HDMI cable to the Sony processor and transfer the video through a Thunderbolt display straight to the monitor.

That would mean I would have to find a way to make the MB transfer ONLY sound and no video through the HDMI cable. Do you think it would be possible?

 

[Samuelsan2001]

As I said earlier yesterday, I have a pair of headphones with a processor that only has HDMI inputs and only supports 4k at 30Hz.

I might have come up with another solution, but I am not sure it would work. I thought maybe making the MacBook transfer (only) sound through an HDMI cable to the Sony processor and transfer the video through a Thunderbolt display straight to the monitor.

That would mean I would have to find a way to make the MB transfer ONLY sound and no video through the HDMI cable. Do you think it would be possible?

Just don't use the little box thing, attach the monitor with a mini DP1.2 to DP cable in the macs thunderbolt port and use the headphones wirelessly like they were designed to be used. No HDMI, no silly little box thing, no extra equipment or steps slowing the data transfer to the screen. I can't for the life of me see why you would insist on using it.

Edit: Just had a look at the headphones you need the box to transmit the sound don't you??

Seems a bloody pain to me but there you go.

You could just connect the HDMI to the box and and set that for sound in the sound preferences. and use the Thunderbolt and display port for the pictures, try with another TV before you buy to check it works. Use a thunderbolt to HDMI to check the picture to the screen if it has no DP input.

 

[niklamacz]

Just don't use the little box thing, attach the monitor with a mini DP1.2 to DP cable in the macs thunderbolt port and use the headphones wirelessly like they were designed to be used. No HDMI, no silly little box thing, no extra equipment or steps slowing the data transfer to the screen. I can't for the life of me see why you would insist on using it.

Sadly, the signal to the headset goes through the "little box" and there's no other way to use the headset except with the little box. And since the only two ways how to transfer audio signal to the little box is either via an HDMI or an optical (TOSlink) cable, I simply must use it with an HDMI cable

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Sadly, the signal to the headset goes through the "little box" and there's no other way to use the headset except with the little box. And since the only two ways how to transfer audio signal to the little box is either via an HDMI or an optical (TOSlink) cable, I simply must use it with an HDMI cable

Take a look above I edited my post with some ideas, you could also toslink the screen to the box and get the audio from there.