Macbook Air M1: No 4K@60Hz possible on my 32" 4K BenQ EW3280U

Still the valid answer in Monterey. The issue happens in HDMI and Display Port connection.

Super helpful! This worked for me (using iMac M1, USB-4 port, and Cable Matters USB-C to 8k@60Hz HDMI cable).

Thank you for sharing. This worked for me.

JK

I have the same problem with the TB3->DisplayPort connection of my M1 Mac mini. HDMI works at 4K/60Hz, my Dell 3214Q only gets 4K/30Hz via DisplayPort/TB3. 4K/60 not available with SwitchResX, tried a lot of different cables.

I have a similar issue. MacBook Air M1 chip (8-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 16GB memory, 512GB). My monitor is Dell S3221QS, 4K, 32" curved monitor.

Connection through Display Port (QGeem USB C to Displayport Cable 6ft 4K@60Hz): it displays at 60Hz but monitor goes black every 10 seconds, so it's not useable at all. It displays fine at 50Hz. Apple support couldn't find a solution thus far. They asked me to see if Dell has a firmware update. They don't. At 50Hz, mouse movement is shaky, erratic. I am using Logitech MX Ergo over Bluetooth.

Additionally, when MBA is not connected to power, when I close the lid, no DP signal detected and monitor is black. When I connect to power, the issue goes away.

Connection through HDMI (over Anker Hub PowerExpand 8-in-1 USB-C PD 10Gbps Data Hub, Model A 8383). I get 60Hz refresh rate. But the monitor goes black every now and then for a few seconds. What's worse is when I unplug to use MBA by itself, then come back to replug, the monitor is not detected at all, at random. Sometimes it works.

And HDMI connection only works when I plug in Anker directly to MBA. If I use an USB-C male/female extension cable (1.8ft), the monitor is not detected at all.

I will call Apple again. In the meantime, any suggestions welcome.

Oh my god. I had the exact same issue with my M1 MBP 13" and Samsung M7 4K monitor. It drove me insane for 2 days until I was finally able to resolve it.

I was using a USB C 3.1 cable that supports 10GBPS and technically this should work. For some reason, the Mac was never showing me the 60Hz option and always defaulted to 30Hz. If I forced the resolution with SwitchResX, the output on the screen was blurry. 30Hz was driving me nuts as all the animations were not super smooth, but the fonts and rendered images and windows were pixel perfect.

I went through with a couple of the USB C cables and the issue still remained. Samsung support also confined that the USB C of the monitor supported 4K at 60Hz.

Here is what worked for me. My screen had additional setting under GENERAL > EXTERNAL DEVICE MANAGER > Anynet + (HDMI-CEC). This was disabled for USB C and enabled for HDMI 1 and HDMI 2. Once enabled of USB C, immediately 4K@60Hz was enabled and everything was pixel perfect and smooth.

Additionally, the USB C thunderbolt cable supports 40GBPS. The technical specs of 4K 60FPS state that 17.8GPS is required. So I am not sure if you would get the full benefit of the display by using a USB C alone. I will try the thunderbolt and see if that makes any difference. The specs from the monitor do not say if the USB C port is thunderbolt enabled.

I have a Dell S2721QS, which is an amazing monitor for it's price. And I found a workaround to this problem. And now the Displayport to USBC cable (a cheap one from Amazon) works.

And solved it. Of course it's a workaround, but it is fast enough to do it all the time or once you hook up the monitor.

If Default for display doesn't work.

This is what worked for me:

1. Connect the cable and the USBC, then go to Display settings, click Scaled and use the first option (1920x1080). When the display still turns off, and on take out the cable and put it back in.
2. When you put it back and doesn't turn black anymore, it's solved. Then choose the option: Default for display. But when it still turns black turn the USB cable around. (This sounds silly, but this works for me).
3. Then it at least works until you turn the monitor off. Sometimes it works on and on, and when it starts blinking again, just put the setting back to "default for display" and remove the cable, turn it around and put it back.

I think it works while the display is now not running 60Hz, but lower. But I realise that the quality of the display is way better than with an HDMI cable. So this certainly brings out the best of the display.

Then again, I hope apple finally solves this issue, while real honest products are for the users, not for the buyers.

Thank you.

You are lucky - it does not work at any refresh rate on USBC on the Mac mini M1

I have a 2020 intel macbook air and 2020 macbook pro. Bought a usb c to hdmi specifically rated and tested for 4k @60hz. Cannot get the mac to do while my xbox and pc do it no issues.