I have a MacBook Air M1 and I am wanting to connect two display monitors to it. I have 2 dell monitors (2007FPb, 2407WFPb). I know that the M1 is manufactured to handle only 1 display. With that said, I also know about the DisplayLink drivers and such that might have to be downloaded. My question is, will running 2 displays on a M1 cause any issues to the computer itself if it was only built to handle 1?
iPhone XR, iOS 18
Workarounds like DisplayLink are not as good as first-class, hardware-supported, video output. You might experience lags, artifacts, and unsuitability for rapidly-changing content. DRM-infested streaming video services might black out video whenever they see displays attached in this way. Updates to macOS might break your ability to use the extra displays, leaving you dependent on a third party to update their drivers to fix it.
That said, I do not believe that these workarounds would damage your Mac’s hardware.
Note that the drivers are not enough. You need both an external “stunt box” (hub or adapter) that supports the workaround, and a matching driver. With either alone, you get nothing.
Workarounds like DisplayLink are not as good as first-class, hardware-supported, video output. You might experience lags, artifacts, and unsuitability for rapidly-changing content. DRM-infested streaming video services might black out video whenever they see displays attached in this way. Updates to macOS might break your ability to use the extra displays, leaving you dependent on a third party to update their drivers to fix it.
That said, I do not believe that these workarounds would damage your Mac’s hardware.
Note that the drivers are not enough. You need both an external “stunt box” (hub or adapter) that supports the workaround, and a matching driver. With either alone, you get nothing.
"Connect 2 displays to an M1: [...]My question is, will running 2 displays on a M1 cause any issues to the computer itself if it was only built to handle 1?"
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Could that Cause Issues?
Perhaps. It depends on the scenario. Ideally, anything from leaving a cable dangling about making your port loose, to collected dust getting in the fans could occur. So, during the time you don't want to use it, keep it disconnected, whether hardwired or through AirPlay.
Connect 2 displays to an M1
