Best connection from Thunderbolt 5 to NEC Multisync PA301w

that PA301w appears to be a 2560 by 1600 display, with 10-bit color (HDR)

2x displayPort input

2x Dual-Link DVI input

two cables from your Macs ThunderBolt ports using adapter/cables to DisplayPort should give you good results on each display. Only genuine ThunderBolt Docks (NO USB-C Docks) can support connecting up to two displays.

If you want to use the display's USB hub, connect a USB-c adapter/cable from a ThunderBolt/USB-C port to a USB-B input on the display, to get two USB-A downstream ports. (There are probably better solutions if you are internet on buying a Dock anyway.)

what model M3 fell short of your expectations?

M4 models are only very slightly different --

how many displays depends on proceesrr type {(plain) PRO, MAX, ULTRA}

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The same rules we learned for the M1 and M2 and M3 mostly still apply to the M4 models. Display interfaces are generated deep inside the system on a chip. How many there are depends on the exact type of Processor:

M3 (plain) like the 13-in and 15-in supports up to ONE External fully hardware-accelerated external display.

Except the M3 MacBook Air models with 13 or 15-in display, (and certain M3 plain MacBook Pro models when running 14.6 or later) which can support a second external display instead of the built-in display when you close the cover on the built-in display. This may require MacOS 14.6 or later.

M4 (plain) supports up to Two fully hardware-accelerated external displays (three for Mac mini)

M4 PRO processor supports up to Two fully hardware-accelerated external displays. (three for Mac mini)

M4 MAX processor supports up to Four fully hardware-accelerated external displays.

M4 ULTRA processor supports up to Eight fully hardware-accelerated external displays

Tech Specs now available here:

MacBook Pro - Tech Specs - Apple

MacBook Pro - Tech Specs - Apple

<< Several docking station sellers indicated that their docks had solved the single external monitor limitation. >>

DisplayLink technology creates a "fake" display buffer in RAM, sends the data out over a slower interface to a stunt box with DisplayLink custom chips that put that data back onto a "legacy" interface. It is not a true "accelerated" display, and it can suffer from lagging. Just adding the DisplayLink Driver is not adequate to get a picture -- you need a DisplayLink "stunt-box" or a Dock that includes DisplayLink chips.

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It may be acceptable for a second display showing slow-to-change data such as computer program listings, stock quotes, or spreadsheets, but NOT for full motion Video, not for Video editing, and absolutely not for gaming. Mouse-tracking on that display can lag, and can make you feel queasy.

In a pinch, it may even play Internet videos (as one user put it) “without too many dropped frames".

If you are only doing program listings, spreadsheets, stock quotes, and other slow to change data, DisplayLink can work for you, but requires you to make some strong compromises.

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It is really nice to know that you can use a DisplayLink display if you MUST have an additional display for some of the types of data I mentioned. But that is NOT the same as the computer supporting a second, built-in, Hardware-accelerated display.

These displays depend on DisplayLink software, and are at the whim of Apple when they make MacOS changes. There have been cases where MacOS changes completely disabled DisplayLink software, and it took some time for them to recover.

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I think the Big Surprise for a lot of Hub/Dock buyers is that they thought they were getting a "real" display, but actually got a DisplayLink "fake" Display. If you got what you expected in every case, I would not use such pejorative terms to describe DisplayLink.