Mac recognizing dual external displays as one monitor

Hi


I am trying to connect my two BenQ external monitors to my M1 Macbook Pro 13. I am not using any cheap connector but using a Dell WD22TB4 Docking station to connect both monitors. The problem is both monitors are on. and showing the same display as each other. however, in the system display settings, I only see one external monitor connected. the second monitor isn't even showing up there. even though both monitors show the same display together.


I have installed Display Link Manager. and have checked all cables. tried with both HDMI as well as DisplayPort 1.4. but no success.


Any ideas on how to fix this?

Posted on May 29, 2023 6:46 PM

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Posted on May 30, 2023 9:54 PM

The M1 MacBook Pro only supports one external monitor.


If you are using DisplayLink technology, you can attach more. DisplayLink requires not only a third-party software driver on the computer – but a DisplayLink implementation (chips and software) in the hub/dock or monitor that's going to implement the second video port or display. The driver creates a virtual software display, and then sends updates to that display to the matching hub or monitor over a data connection. So it's not as "first class" as direct monitor support in the M1's GPU, but it might work out for many productivity applications.


Looking at Dell's site, I see no indication that the WD22TB4 supports DisplayLink technology. I think it is counting on the fact that a Thunderbolt connection can carry two DisplayPort sessions. (Aside: This is something that the LG 5K and Apple 5K/6K displays rely on. They use both sessions, each carrying the signal for half of the display.)


Unfortunately, while the M1 chip is sophisticated enough to support a single 5K or 6K monitor, it does not appear to be sophisticated enough to support two independent monitors using either DisplayPort chaining or the two Thunderbolt / DisplayPort sessions. That's reflected in Apple's specifications, which say that the 13" M1 MBP supports a single external monitor, and that it has Thunderbolt 3. (Thunderbolt 4 certification would have required the machine to be able to drive two external displays.)


https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-thunderbolt-dock-wd22tb4/apd/210-bdqh/pc-accessories#techspecs_section


There may be other hubs that you can attach to your Mac that would support DisplayLink technology and would allow you to have a second monitor (using compressed video sent over USB-C). The Synaptics site lists some of them.


https://www.synaptics.com/products/displaylink-graphics


Just be aware that DisplayLink is not the same thing as DisplayPort. DisplayPort is a standard for the direct connection of a display to a device (computer, tablet, etc.), whereas DIsplayLink is a clever workaround for when your hardware doesn't support as many direct connections as you'd like.


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Mac recognizing dual external displays as one monitor

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