Does the new Macbook Pro 15" (late 2013) supports 4K via Thunderbolt/Displayport?

I can't say for sure, but I think the Nvidia driver detects the two virtual monitors presented by the PQ321Q and presents them as a single display to Windows. So it shouldn't require any special support from the OS. As long as you can install the latest Nvidia driver, I'd expect it to work.

Is MST or DP 1.2 necessary for this adapter? Because, AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND (PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG), even though this adapter is DP 1.1, according to its specifications it adapts one of the key features of DP 1.2, i.e. HBR2, which is the feature that allows for 4K @ 60Hz. MST is necessary only if you want to realize multiple independent video streams.

See the below link. It says "Compatible with DisplayPort 1.2 High Bit Rate (HBR)":

http://www.accellcables.com/product189.html

If my understanding is correct, all we need is the same version of this adapter with the other end being HDMI 2.0 compatible. That's it.

Hi Kogir,

Now that the Mac Pro is launching, have you by any chance been able to test whether the recent Mavericks update 10.9.1 has enabled you to drive the 4K Asus via the Thunderbolt 2 port @ 4K 60hz from the Retina MacBook Pro?

Thanks.

Hi NiqueXyZ, can you shed some light as to whether the Dell UP3214Q can be used as two separate displays side by side (either through the PBP feature of monitor or DP MST) at 1920x2160 resolution each using two DisplayPort connections or one DP and one HDMI connection from the rMBP 13 or 15 inch late/early 2013?

Hey Kogir, if it's possible please try 10.9.2 beta 🙂 Thanks!

I'm out of town for a bit, but once I get back, I'll try first with 10.9.1, and if needed, 10.9.2. Hopefully I'll have good news to report.

unfortunately 10.9.1 didn't bring any changes, no Displayport MST.

10.9.2 mentions "graphics drivers", so maybe it brings 4k 60Hz?

The Nvidia GeForce GT 750M, which comes with the high end MCP 15" 2013, can drive a 4K display over DisplayPort using MST at resolutions up to 3840x2160.

http://www.geforce.com/hardware/notebook-gpus/geforce-gt-750m/specifications

So, Apple needs to get off its behind and inlcude the Nvidia in Mavericks 10.9.2 to catch up with Windows 8. :roll-eyes:

http://www.geforce.com/drivers

Apple might also repurpose some iMac connectivity to field an Apple Cinema display based on the Sharp panel in the PN-K231.

Steve Jobs would not have rolled out 4K capable hardware without the software to go with it and an Apple 4K Cinema Display (based on the Sharp PN-K231 technology).

Management and vision issues?

I was looking at the new Mac Pro at the Apple store site. They are offering the Sharp 4K display with it. In the description of the display, it says:

Compatibility: 4K DisplayPort operation only compatible with the new Mac Pro (Late 2013). 4K HDMI operation compatible with MacBook Pro (Late 2013) and the new Mac Pro (Late 2013). Note: HDMI input not available in European-market Sharp PN-K321.

So Apple has explicitly said that newest rMBP can't drive it from a TB/DP port, so it sounds like no 60Hz with rMBP. I guess there is still hope that this may change with a driver update.

I need a new machine and the new rMPB would be great for me, but I won't buy until I am sure it can drive a 4K display at 60Hz.

Currently, the most affordable yet highest ppi 4k monitor is Dell UP2414Q. This monitor has one regular display port, one mini display port and one HDMI. It also has the Picture by Picture mode (PBP) whereby two input sources can be displayed simultaneously. The Asus, larger Dell UP3214Q and Sharp probably has similar configurations.

For some users, one option for current rMBPs may be to take advantage of the two halves of the display and use the DisplayPort and Mini DisplayPort ports of the monitor simultaneously as two inputs and display two 1920x2160 screens side by side at 60Hz as independent desktops (two independent desktops are somewhat better though many won't like it.

But the question is whether the above configuration is possible so that we can start using 4k immediately with this dual desktop solution until true 4K 60Hz driver support comes.

Can anyone test this and confirm?

KarlMorton wrote:

So Apple has explicitly said that newest rMBP can't drive it from a TB/DP port, so it sounds like no 60Hz with rMBP. I guess there is still hope that this may change with a driver update.

i still can't believe that apple will really leave all MBP owners without the capability for proper 4k (imo 24/30Hz is not an option). Especially since its only a driver thing and windows can already do it right now.

I guess there is a workaround to this problem, that is to say, even if we cannot output 4k @ 60HZ via TB while running Mavericks, we can do this via HDMI. As a previous forumite suggested, all we need is an active DisplayPort to HDMI 2.0 adapter. The important question is whether the DisplayPort side of the adapter needs to be DP 1.1 or 1.2. At the first glance I'd think it must be DP 1.2. But after some thought it is not necessary. Because the already existing DisplayPort 1.1 to HDMI 1.4 active adapter that another forumite pointed out carries the HBR2 feature of DP 1.2. It does not carry the MST feature of DP 1.2, but to my understanding it is not necessary, because the feature that allows for 4K @ 60Hz is HBR2, and not MST, which is necessary only if you want to realize multiple independent video streams.

If my understanding is correct, than NiqueXyZ's concern that an active DisplayPort 1.2 to HDMI 2.0 adapter can be quite expensive is partly, perhaps mostly mitigated. Because all we need would be an active DP 1.1 with HBR2 feature to HDMI 2.0 adapter.

Can you guys (especially NiqueXyZ) comment on this?

PS. Below is the link for the DP 1.1 w/ HBR2 to HDMI 1.4 active adapter.

http://www.accellcables.com/product189.html

I'd assume that DP 1.2 is required for the host side of the converter - but there's a 10.9.2 beta that just came out, so the converter may not be necessary.

Sadly, I'm off for the next week...so I can't go into work and test if they put a new driver in there to make MST display port actually work on OS X...but I'm sure someone else who's watching this thread can 🙂

Does anyone know if the "new mac pro" has HDMI 2.0?

EDIT:

Nope, it doesn't.

http://store.apple.com/us/buy-mac/mac-pro

"One HDMI 1.4 port"

Lame.

Why do you think DP 1.2 is required for the host side of the converter? Isn't the HBR feature of DP 1.2 only feature required for 4K@60Hz output?

Let's not get distracted from the goal here: It is not that the 2013 Macbook Pro has DisplayPort 1.2. It in fact has Thunderbolt 2. And it has been proven by installing Windows 8 on the macbook pro that Thunderbolt 2 can indeed drive a 4K monitor at 60 Hz. So this is truly just a case of Apple updating their drivers.

As for the HDMI port, yes, that is not going to break 30 Hz @ 4K, so it will have to be via a Thunderbolt adapter.