For some of us, the arrival of the M1 Macs – despite the speed gains – had a downside. Because according to the technical specifications, both the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro with an M1 chip can only handle one external display. However, it now appears that you can connect many more.
With this news came the Russian YouTuber Tulupov. He recently posted a video online showing all of Apple’s new M1 Macs running many more external displays. To make this possible, Tulupov used a DisplayLink adapter. These allow for much more than Apple recommends when it comes to connecting external displays.
According to Apple’s own documentation, the M1 MacBook Air and 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro up to one external display with a maximum resolution of 6K at 60 Hz. The M1 equipped Mac mini can handle two external displays: one external 5 or 6K display up to 60 Hz on the Thunderbolt 3 port, and an additional display up to 4K through the HDMI 2.0 port.
Up to six (!) External monitors (with minor limitations)
According to Tulupov, the use of DisplayLink adapters makes it possible to connect up to six different external displays to the M1 Mac mini, and up to five external displays when connected to the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. Tulupov used several external displays for the test, with a resolution of up to 4K.
However, there are limitations. The new Macs have limited bandwidth on the Thunderbolt ports. So they cannot simultaneously drive six (or five) 4K displays at full resolution. So even if you use the DisplayLink adapters and hubs, you will have to play around with the maximum resolution.
It is a temporary solution, because Apple does not recommend the maximum number of screens for nothing. Still, it can be a welcome addition to some early adopters among us.
In a andere video Tulupov shows that you can also use a DisplayPort adapter to connect extra monitors to an M1 Mac. You simply connect this adapter to the USB-C port. After installing the DisplayLink drivers, which are already Big Sur compatible, you can get started right away.
Do you already own a new Apple Silicon Mac? If so, how have you liked it so far?
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