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

Daisy chaining cinema displays almost certainly uses MST, so I wonder if there's a way to patch the driver to enable it for all monitors, not just Cinema Displays. Won't really help with 4k though, as OS X lacks any native ability to combine displays.

With any luck, the embarrassment of Windows being better for pro use on the MacBook Pro will get them to address this eventually. If it's not in the next OS X update following the new Mac Pro, then I'll start to lose hope.

After reading all of the stuff posted (the sharp statement, the EVGA forum, etc), I don't think this is Apple. I think this is Intel and Nvidia not updating their drivers for OS X -- in fact in the case of the GTX 680, I know for sure it's because NVidia doesn't want to enable MST on OS X. But who knows really...just the engineers at Apple I guess.

My understanding is that Apple has a unique kind of license with NVIDIA - they actually license the bare source code from NVIDIA and do all the customization to it themselves. I don't know how involved NIVIDA needs to be, but I'd hope part of the deal of using NVIDIA GPUs on Apple Products would include good software support.

If Intel and Nvidia did not make necessary drivers available for Windows, they could easily claim that their cards do not support 4k @60Hz at all. But since they made them available for Windows, IMO they have proved that this is also "doable/feasible" for Mavericks. Hence they do not have any excuse.

As a matter of fact I cannot help but wonder why one earth they do not release the drivers for Mac OS?

NiqueXyZ: Perhaps you may elobarate on your statement "in the case of the GTX 680, I know for sure it's because NVidia doesn't want to enable MST on OS X"? It seems you know the details and perhaps the reason(s) beyond why NVidia doesn't want it?

They don't want it because it's time and money for them to write a new driver, and Windows software engineers are a lot easier to find and even keep around than OS X software engineers, especially when it comes to writing drivers.

This is the reason why Nvidia and AMD charge thousands of dollars more for the Quadro / FirePro cards...it's the same platform as the consumer class card, but you get dedicated engineers and driver support from Nvidia + AMD. The Quadro K5000 apparently can do MST displayport on Mavericks on the old mac pro with the latest Nvidia driver, and it can drive a 4K display via displayport @ 60Hz...but it's a $1700 card.

But with Intel, it's a different story since the GPU is integrated into the CPU.

With Iris and Iris Pro graphics, I don't see a valid reason why MST is disabled on OS X.

Kogir: Try out the 10.9.2 beta. It is reported to include some graphics drivers.

John Mallery wrote:

Kogir: Try out the 10.9.2 beta. It is reported to include some graphics drivers.

See: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5475430?answerId=24209998022#24209998022

There is no newer beta.

Message was edited by: kogir Fixed link.

hmm what about this: http://9to5mac.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/screen-shot-2013-12-19-at-1-07-48-pm. png ? 🙂http://9to5mac.com/2013/12/19/apple-seeds-first-os-x-mavericks-10-9-2-beta-to-de velopers/

does anyone already know if the DELL P2815Q will work with MST or HBR2? Or Thunderbolt2 directly?

This is the display I am waiting for. Should arrive during the next few months.

Edit: Just found some info on the smaller 24" model which is already available. Clearly its still the MST "Hack" and not HBR2:

NiqueXYZ -- wondering if you could circle back to the ActiveSync/gmail thread and post your mobileconfig file? None of us could ever get your solution to work on our own. Thanks!

kogir - thanks for all the insight, it was really helpful.

When I got the ASUS PQ321Q display to connect to my Retina MBP 15 Late 2013, I couldn't for my life figure out why it wasn't outputting 4k resolution at 60hz. After trying numerous combinations of cables and adapters (DP 1.1, DP 1.2 to miniDP etc) I gave up..and I guess I was right since there is no way to run 4K resolution at 60hz natively on 10.9 Mavericks..and when I installed Windows 8.1 to try it out ..my Thunderbolt display which I use as the primary screen just woulnd't play well with Windows 8.1 running through Bootcamp, it was giving the "new" blue screen of death everytime I booted into Windows 8.1 with both Thunderbolt and Asus 4K monitor turned on..

Any updates on MST support for rMBP through software/firmware/driver update ? lol it just feels funny almost surreall to have a approx $4000 piece of equipment on the desk that is not much better than a $300 monitor

Hi NiqueXyZ,

Unfortunately there are only two Apple computers that currently support 3840 x 2160 resolution @ 60Hz and they are the new MacBook Pro Retina 15" (Late 2013) and the new MacPro.

This is because of Thunderbolt 2 (Display Port 1.2) which no other Apple computer has, it is not a graphics driver issue.

But unfortunately due to a limitation in os x Mavericks, this refresh rate is currently disabled for the MacBook Pro.

As originally discussed by kogir the Display Port 1.2 has no limitations via Windows 8.1, which reveals that the issue is indeed with the os x.

So, people who have a recent MacBook Pro are waiting patiently for a Mac OS X Mavericks update for the DisplayPort 1.2’s Multi-Stream Transport (MST) to be enabled.

Hopefully we will see this resolved in the next Mavericks update 10.9.2?

The worst part about this is Apple can be seen advertising that the new MBPr 15" model can power a 4K monitor THROUGH the Thunderbolt 2 Port here: http://www.apple.com/thunderbolt - This article quotes the following:

"Now with Thunderbolt 2 built into the new Mac Pro and MacBook Pro with Retina display, you can connect the latest 4K desktop displays and get double the bandwidth for your peripherals. And the two generations of Thunderbolt technology are compatible with each other."

Does this not let the consumer assume that the newest MBPr will be able to drive a 4K display through the Thunderbolt 2 Port? I would say yes it does, but the TB2 Ports can't power a 4K display because, as previously stated, MST is disabled in Mavericks for the 15" MBPr Late 2013.

I really hope that Apple fixes this soon. As a professional customer, every time Apple pulls something like this I become more and more jaded. What a bummer.

Listen up Apple! People are upset about this! Fix it!

I hear your frustration.

After a lot of thought, I've decided to get the current Thunderbolt Display.

If Apple comes out with anything new this year, it won't be difficult to sell it.

I saw someone sell their used 1 yr old TB Display for $900 (AUS) on eBay (with no original box etc), I think that's unbelieveable.

You just can't beat the quality of an Apple monitor vs a plastic monitor with zero resale value.

Actually I've changed my mind, I'm going to keep on waiting.

I just can't justify paying $1000 ($1200 AUS) for a monitor that is so old (2011).

I'm going to wait for some of these improvements.

- USB ports, iMac has 3.0.

- Magsafe adapter.

- Form factor, new iMac is thinner.

- Reflective screen, new iMac is less reflective.

- Thunderbolt 2 (backwards compatible) ports