USB-C solution for two Mini Display Ports

[seanpaune]

I'm currently on a Mid-2012 MacBook Pro and it looks like it's time for me to replace it. On the current machine, I run three external monitors (two by Mini Display Port, one by HDMI) and two USB hubs. The hubs and the HDMI are easy enough to find adapters for, but the Mini Display Ports are proving problematic except for one dongle at a time.

Both Mini Display Ports are using Apple DVI adapters to run to two Dell monitors, btw.

Anyone have suggestions of a good solution here? I'm Googling like a mad man because I'd like to have my adapters in place before I even order the laptop.

 

[ZapNZs]

A Thunderbolt 3 hub that supports dual displays and supplies power is probably going to be the easiest solution. The CalDigit TS3 is one possibility. IIRC, Belkin and Kensington also make dual display charging TB3 hubs appropriate for the 15-inch. This way, one cable to the hub would do data, two displays (with USB-C or DP to DVI adapters), and charging, and one USB-C-->HDMI cable to the MBP would account for the third display. This would leave you with two free ports for anything else you might want to connect. Alternatively, you could purchase a less expensive USB-C hub with an HDMI out, where the hub would handle one display and data, two USB-C-->DVI cables would do the other two displays, and a charging cable would handle power (occupying all four ports, so you would be dependent on the hub for data - and, if the HDMI display is 4k + HDMI 2.0, while it could run 60hz with the right hub, you would need to run it as 30 hz to get full USB 3.1 speeds on data transfers.)

 

[seanpaune]

Thanks so much ZapNZs. It looks like you've set me down the correct paths. Of course, no solution is going to be cheap for sure. Amazing how messy researching this has been. Apple couldn't just make a "Here's all your old ports you dinosaurs" hub?!?

 

[robvas]

I don't know why Apple didn't make a USB-C to MiniDP hub

 

[seanpaune]

I don't know why Apple didn't make a USB-C to MiniDP hub

Considering how many years MiniDP had been around it really makes no sense.

 

[robvas]

Considering how many years MiniDP had been around it really makes no sense.

And to confuse people, they released a ThunderBolt 2 adapter!

 

[seanpaune]

So I think my final solution is going to be a hub with HDMI that also handles the data, and two C to Mini DP adapters.

Gah... thanks for this, Apple.