MacBook Pro M5 Max no longer detects Philips 27E3U7903 5K external display via Thunderbolt after sleep or restart (works after full shutdown)

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MacBook Pro M5 Max no longer detects Philips 27E3U7903 5K external display via Thunderbolt after sleep or restart (works after full shutdown)

Using a Macbook pro M5 Max, whenever I start my Mac connected to an external 5k screen (Philips 27E3U7903) via thunderbolt usb c, the external Monitor is successfully detected. However, once my Mac falls to sleep or if I restart the external Monitor is not detected anymore. The monitor shows me that there is no vide input, and my mac does not detect it.

'detect displays' in the system settings does not help. The only way to solve this issue is to shut down my mac and start it up again. Doing so successfully starts the mac with the external display detected.

I don't have this issue on my M3 air, where the connection is always working. I have tried using another cable and all other ports

Does anybody have an idea on how I could solve this?

Posted on Oct 25, 2026 11:32 AM

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Answer 1

Oct 25, 2026 12:23 PM in response to maroloro

that Philips 27E3U7903 appears to be a 5K display with. refresh rates to 70 Hz.

interfaces include:

Thunderbolt-4

HDMI 2.1

USB 3.2

MacBook Pro M5 MAX has Thunderbolt ports with Thunderbolt-5 capability, but that is ONLY useable when all devices and cables are ThunderBolt-5 capable, which these are not. its USB-4 ports have the same issue -- they can go faster ONLY when all devices are compatible, and not otherwise.

<<. connected via thunderbolt usb c >>

technically speaking, USB-C is the name of the reversible oval connector, ONLY. It says nothing more about the cable quality.

to support this display properly without resorting to compromises, you need to provide a certified Thunderbolt cable, with the ThunderBolt symbol on each end, and it should be no longer than 0.5 meters, maximum.

Any other setup will invoke compromises, which you may be able to work around, but can not ignore.

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