How to Connect 2 External Monitors + Built-in Display on MacBook Air M4?

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How to Connect 2 External Monitors + Built-in Display on MacBook Air M4?

I have a MacBook Air M4 (2025 model), and I'm looking for a docking station or hub that will allow me to connect two external monitors via HDMI or DisplayPort (not screen mirroring, but extended displays).

I want to use all three screens simultaneously – the two external monitors plus the built-in MacBook display, each working as a separate extended desktop.

I’m a bit confused about the requirements – does the dock need to meet any specific standards to support this? For example:

Does it have to be Thunderbolt 4?

Is it enough that it just has two separate video outputs (HDMI/DP)?

I read that the M4 MacBook Air supports two external 6K displays, but my monitors are lower resolution anyway. So I’m not sure how much that matters.

Any clarification or recommendations would be greatly appreciated – I’m really confused about what to look for.

Thanks a lot

MacBook Air 15″, macOS 15.5

Posted on Jun 29, 2025 1:03 AM

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Answer 1

Rudegar

Level 10

181,584 points

Jun 29, 2025 2:15 AM in response to yahav81

the specs say

Display Support

Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and:
Up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz
Thunderbolt 4 digital video output
Support for native DisplayPort 1.4 output over USB-C

MacBook Air 13- and 15-inch with M4 Chip - Tech Specs - Apple

you can connect them with usb-c (thunderbolt) -> whatever connector the monitor you wish to connect to cable

or use an adaptor to change the other end of the cable to whatever connector the monitor you wish to connect has

or use a dock, if it was me then I would take a look at these

Best Thunderbolt and USB-C docking stations for MacBook Air and Pro 2025 | Macworld

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Answer 2

Rudegar

Level 10

181,584 points

Jun 29, 2025 2:52 AM in response to yahav81

usb-c is just a connector, it's used for thunderbolt 3-5 but also for from usb3 and up

USB-C - Wikipedia

thunderbolt is a multiplex of displayport signals and pci-express signals which makes it faster and much more powerfull

usb itself do not carry display signals so a dock if it was a pure usb one would may be challenged in terms of running 2 full displays connected to the dock, but of cause if it's usb-c(usb3) much more than usb4

if I were to "settle" for a non thunderbolt dock then I would spend some time to be 100% sure it would support 2 monitors at the sametime with a good performance (as if it supported monitors was done by it acting as an external video card then performance might be subpar)

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Answer 3

yahav81 Author

Level 1

4 points

Jun 29, 2025 2:22 AM in response to Rudegar

Thanks so much for your response!

I definitely want to go with a docking station rather than separate adapters. My key question now is:

Does the dock need to be Thunderbolt, or could a more affordable USB‑C dock like this Baseus one work instead?

For reference, here’s a dock I’m considering on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Baseus-Docking-SpaceMate-Monitors-Ethernet/dp/B0D3QFWPDW

It has dual HDMI + dual DisplayPort, plenty of USB‑A/C ports, Gigabit Ethernet, and 100 W PD pass‑through. I know Apple says MacBook Air M4 supports two external 6K displays over Thunderbolt, but since my monitors are lower resolution, I’m wondering if this Baseus USB‑C dock could still give me two extended external screens plus the built‑in display, all at once.

Could you advise whether Thunderbolt is truly required, or if a USB‑C dock like the Baseus model might do the job?

Thanks again!

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How to Connect 2 External Monitors + Built-in Display on MacBook Air M4?

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