Can you get a 4K / 120Hz support from a Thunderbolt 4 port on 2021 MacBook Pro?

I have a monitor that support 4K/120HZ with an HDMI 2.1 input. If I get an adapter to connect to the TB4, will that get me to 4K/120Hz? The technical spec isn't clear as to whether that would work.

Posted on Oct 25, 2021 5:29 AM

Similar questions

2017 Macbook - Not able to connect to 4k monitor via USB C port I'm trying to connect my 2017 MacBook to a Samsung M8 Monitor however the monitor is not able to detect the MacBook via the USB C port input. Since I'm not sure if the issue is with the monitor or the MacBook, I did the following steps to make sure the monitor was functional. The USB C port on the M8 Monitor is able to detect and charge my dell latitude laptop and Samsung galaxy tab s7+ without any issues. I tried using a different USB C cable but still can't connect to the MacBook. The other peripherals connect fine with the different USB C cable. The MacBook is able to connect to the monitor via HDMI input. I used a USB C hub for the MacBook and connected the HDMI to the USB C hub. Ideally, I would prefer using the USB C cable for a cleaner setup. I noticed a weird behavior when I power down the MacBook completely, connect the monitor's USB C cable and turn on the MacBook, the MacBook will charge but still not display on the monitor. However when I disconnect and reconnect the USB C cable while the MacBook is turned on, the MacBook does not charge or connect to the monitor. I tired to reset the MacBook PRAM and SMC but it didn't help. The MacBook is currently running the latest Ventura OS.
5715 6
Is Mac Studio compatible with older Cinema Display? I am thinking of upgrading from a 27" iMac to a Mac Studio but I already have a 27" Apple Cinema display with the DisplayPort connector. I'm wondering if there's a way to use that display with the Mac Studio.
5584 9

33 replies

Jan 24, 2022 10:08 AM in response to Mr. Keys

4K at 60 Hz with High dynamic range is supported by HDMI 2.0, which is featured on the direct HDMI output ports on M1 Pro and M1 Max models that have HDMI output ports.

MelmixX

Level 1

8 points

Dec 20, 2021 10:32 PM in response to MannyNYC

All the people I've seen test this has not gotten it to work. It works when going to displayport but not HDMI. Ive seen speculation that this is because MacOS does not support necessary features of HDMI and it is a MacOS limitation. The speculation is based on earlier similar testing where if you used bootcamp you could go this route.

Dec 21, 2021 6:38 AM in response to MelmixX

if you look in this article about DisplayPort Dual-Mode, you will see that there are technical issues converting to HDMI at high speeds and high resolutions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort#DisplayPort_dual-mode_(DP++)

The conclusion that "MacOS is holding out on you" is unfounded.

These interfaces are switching on the hairy edge of maximum switching speeds of ordinary digital logic. 40 GigaHertz over four lanes means each signal could be changing states at 10 Gigahertz, or 0.1 nanosecond -- that is very fast.

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Can you get a 4K / 120Hz support from a Thunderbolt 4 port on 2021 MacBook Pro?