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User profile for user: OmskInfo
OmskInfo Author
User level: Level 1
39 points

MacBook Pro 13-inch 2020 2.3GHz Intel i7 doesn't show external monitor native 2160p resolution

I just purchased a 27" monitor with 3840 x 2160 resolution. When I connect it to my MacBook Pro 13-inch 2020 2.3GHz i7 computer, the system says it has a native resolution of 2560x1440 as can be seen here:


However, if I connect my M2 MacBook Air 13" 2023 to this same monitor, it shows it with the full 3840 x 2160 resolution. Same adapters and everything.


It was my understanding that the MacBook Pro 13-inch 2020 i7 should have no problem with 3840 x 2160

screens. The specs for that model say the following:


  • Up to two external 4K displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz at millions of colors


So why won't my Intel MacBook Pro see the full resolution but my M2 MacBook Air will? Is it because the Intel system is still on Big Sur but the M2 is on Ventura?

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 11.7

Posted on Sep 25, 2023 5:16 AM

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User profile for user: Servant of Cats
Servant of Cats
User level: Level 6
17,122 points

Posted on Sep 28, 2023 8:29 PM

Is Big Sur telling you that the native resolution of the monitor is 2560x1440? Or is it telling you that the system is running in a Retina "UI Looks like: 2560x1440" mode, where drawing takes place on a 5120x2880 canvas that the system downscales to fit onto the 3840x2160 screen?


I'm running Ventura 3.1, which seems to have gotten rid of the screen you're looking at in Big Sur. If I go into the Displays Preferences, I just see a set of five icon buttons ranging from Larger Text to More Space. But in System Information, under Graphics/Displays, the system reveals the "UI Looks like" and (Canvas) "Resolution" – and the monitor itself has consistently reported receiving 3840x2160 input regardless of the chosen Displays setting.



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User profile for user: Servant of Cats
Servant of Cats
User level: Level 6
17,122 points

Sep 28, 2023 8:29 PM in response to OmskInfo

Is Big Sur telling you that the native resolution of the monitor is 2560x1440? Or is it telling you that the system is running in a Retina "UI Looks like: 2560x1440" mode, where drawing takes place on a 5120x2880 canvas that the system downscales to fit onto the 3840x2160 screen?


I'm running Ventura 3.1, which seems to have gotten rid of the screen you're looking at in Big Sur. If I go into the Displays Preferences, I just see a set of five icon buttons ranging from Larger Text to More Space. But in System Information, under Graphics/Displays, the system reveals the "UI Looks like" and (Canvas) "Resolution" – and the monitor itself has consistently reported receiving 3840x2160 input regardless of the chosen Displays setting.



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MacBook Pro 13-inch 2020 2.3GHz Intel i7 doesn't show external monitor native 2160p resolution

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