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macbook pro retina 15" to Dell 4K monitor

Hi


I am thinking of buying a Macbook Pro 15" retina (top of the range with Nvidia 750) and a Dell 4K monitor (UP2414Q or UP3214Q). Can anyone confirm - preferably by having done it themselves! - that (1) either of these monitors can be connected, at least via HDMI at 30Hz, and (2) it supports mirroring (i.e. I want to use the laptop in clamshell mode with the Dell display as the sole monitor)


I realise there is a lot of discussion about how to connect 4K monitors via Thunderbolt at 60Hz, but the faster refresh is not very important for me. I just want to know I HDMI at 30Hz works for either of the Dell 4Ks.


Finally, given that I only want to connect a single 4K monitor and 30Hz refresh is OK for me, can you tell me if there is any advantage to spending 2K more and getting a Mac Pro?


Cheers, Mike

Posted on Dec 31, 2013 7:36 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 4, 2014 3:39 PM

Short answer: I have this exact configuration, and yes, the newest rMBP 15" w/Nvidia card will drive the UP3214Q over HDMI at 4k and 30Hz. It will drive it as a separate desktop with the laptop open, and it will drive it as the sole display -- either way works fine.


Longer answer: You should be aware of 2 things (that I wish I had been more aware of before purchasing the monitor)


1) If you are used to 60Hz or higher, the 30Hz limitation over HDMI is noticable, even in day-to-day productivity work. The mouse lag is very noticable and annoying to me.


2) Scaling/HiDPI support [the way the integrated retina display works] is virtually nonexistant at the resolution you'd want to run it at. What this means is that you either run the monitor at a lower resolution (and everything is blurry), or you run it at full resolution and everything (menu, dock, fonts, etc) is extremely small. You can use SwitchResX to enable scaling support at odd resolutions (for instance, I've successfully gotten HiDPI/scaling to run at 1920x1200 and 2048x1080, with black bars at the edges), but it's not an ideal resolution for this size monitor. I want to match the TB display resolution (2560x1440) in HiDPI mode, but I've been unable to get it working after hacking away at it for 2 days.


I'm hoping that Apple will fix these limitations. Multiple people have reported that MST over DP1.2 works on the same hardware if you boot into Windows, so the hardware support is there -- it just needs to be enabled in the drivers by Apple. Whether they actually will or not is anyone's guess. In the meantime I (and many others) are in limbo wondering if we should return these 4k displays, or keep them and hope "proper" support comes. Since it's not a specifically advertised capability, Apple isn't under any obligation, but I think there's more than a few people hoping that Apple does right by the users and enables the full functionality that the hardware supports.



6 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 4, 2014 3:39 PM in response to warnie_tragic

Short answer: I have this exact configuration, and yes, the newest rMBP 15" w/Nvidia card will drive the UP3214Q over HDMI at 4k and 30Hz. It will drive it as a separate desktop with the laptop open, and it will drive it as the sole display -- either way works fine.


Longer answer: You should be aware of 2 things (that I wish I had been more aware of before purchasing the monitor)


1) If you are used to 60Hz or higher, the 30Hz limitation over HDMI is noticable, even in day-to-day productivity work. The mouse lag is very noticable and annoying to me.


2) Scaling/HiDPI support [the way the integrated retina display works] is virtually nonexistant at the resolution you'd want to run it at. What this means is that you either run the monitor at a lower resolution (and everything is blurry), or you run it at full resolution and everything (menu, dock, fonts, etc) is extremely small. You can use SwitchResX to enable scaling support at odd resolutions (for instance, I've successfully gotten HiDPI/scaling to run at 1920x1200 and 2048x1080, with black bars at the edges), but it's not an ideal resolution for this size monitor. I want to match the TB display resolution (2560x1440) in HiDPI mode, but I've been unable to get it working after hacking away at it for 2 days.


I'm hoping that Apple will fix these limitations. Multiple people have reported that MST over DP1.2 works on the same hardware if you boot into Windows, so the hardware support is there -- it just needs to be enabled in the drivers by Apple. Whether they actually will or not is anyone's guess. In the meantime I (and many others) are in limbo wondering if we should return these 4k displays, or keep them and hope "proper" support comes. Since it's not a specifically advertised capability, Apple isn't under any obligation, but I think there's more than a few people hoping that Apple does right by the users and enables the full functionality that the hardware supports.



Jan 17, 2014 1:54 PM in response to bmart007

You can do it by installing SwitchResX and enabling a custom resolution at twice the resolution (ex: 3840x2400 or 096x2160). You will then see 1920x1200 and 2048x1080 HiDPI modes listed in the available resolutions tab of SwitchResX. Personally, I am using a 5120x2880 custom resolution which enables the native resolution of the monitor in HiDPI mode.


There are many specific tutorials and further info on various forums and sites around the internet, which you can find by Googling "SwitchResX hidpi"


I've had mixed luck with HDMI vs. DisplayPort, so if one doesn't work, try the other. Unfortunately, with either interface, it's limited to 30Hz due to Apple's lack of MST support (which I'm extremely hopeful that they will enable soon).

May 17, 2014 2:10 AM in response to warnie_tragic

To add something, first of all you have to install the 10.9.3 beta version of Mavericks.


With this update, the Dell Up2414q is working as a charm even at 60hz if you are able to use the DisplayPort 1.2

The system is able to manage the monitor in HiDPI and allows you to switch to 5 resolutions

From Native 3840x2160 to 2560x1440, 2304x1296, 1920x1080 and at last, 960x540...

The 3rd and the 4th are the most comfortable (for a 24" size)


Enjoy


Jean-Michel

Feb 16, 2015 5:26 AM in response to warnie_tragic

Hi, i am using Asus PB287Q and its a solid 4K monitor for my latest iMac 27 Inch. Bought one after reading the compatibility at apple support site Using 4K displays and Ultra HD TVs with Mac computers - Apple Support. How is dell working for you? and getting the correct 4K supported HDMI or DisplayPort will solve most of the resolution problems.


Robin.

macbook pro retina 15" to Dell 4K monitor

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