Lenovo ThinkVision X1 display and MacBook (retina)

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Level 1

18 points

Lenovo ThinkVision X1 display and MacBook (retina)

Today I took delivery of a new Lenovo ThinkVision X1 display. I specifically chose this display for my MacBook because it support USB-C; finally I can get rid of the Apple USB-C dongle and run everything from a single cable as nature intended. However, while the monitor works just fine with an HDMI cable (not 4K of course), I cannot get my Macbook to recognize it when I connect just using the USB-C cable. It does see the USB hub in the monitor, but not the display part. Does anyone have any experience getting this monitor working? I've tried both Apple USB-C that came with the Macbook as well as the USB-C cable shipped by Lenovo.

Thanks

MacBook, OS X El Capitan (10.11.4)

Posted on Mar 28, 2016 5:35 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 4, 2017 10:51 PM in response to aanon4

There is a menu item on the monitor to select source as USB-C. You will have to select that before the monitor is detected by Mac. Also, there is an indicator on the left side of the monitor which lets you know which port is being used (2.0 or 3.0).

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Answer 2

m3x

Level 1

4 points

Dec 22, 2017 10:02 AM in response to aanon4

Dear all,

I am working on a 15inch MacBook Touch Bar Retina 2016 (High Sierra). Have tried the monitor. Got it only to work with a HDMI dongle and the output was at 30Hz. The display quality of the monitor is gorgeous but I wanted a setup with 60Hz and at home it should work with _one_ cable as promised by Apple and by the monitor manufacturer. It does not work. It is a pain to sync the MacBook with the X1. Tried the new Apple Thunderbolt 3 cable. It hasn't worked too. So I decided to give back the monitor and the Apple cable.

At the moment I feel Apple does not hear professionals who want a reliable working horse. This is so sad.

We have to wait for better times.

Best regards and Merry Christmas!

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Answer 3

saharald

Level 1

4 points

Mar 14, 2017 4:47 AM in response to aanon4

I solved this by toggling from USB 3.0 to USB 2.0 on the button on the left side of the display. No it works like a charm .

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Answer 4

aanon4 Author

Level 1

18 points

Mar 28, 2016 6:36 PM in response to aanon4

And with my third usb-c cable, I have it working.

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Answer 5

aanon4 Author

Level 1

18 points

Mar 28, 2016 10:10 PM in response to aanon4

A little more investigating, and it looks like it's related to the length of the USB-C cable; the short one works, the long ones don't.

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Answer 6

Apr 11, 2016 11:38 PM in response to aanon4

Hello aanon4,

I also intend to acquire this monitor.

How long (short) is the USB-C cable which works ?

Which third part USB-C cable is it ?

Does the monitor charges the MacBook ?

Does the display works at 60 Hz ?

Thanks in advance for your answers

Regards

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Answer 7

nvanderv

Level 1

4 points

Apr 20, 2016 4:51 AM in response to aanon4

Can you tell me which cable ended up working (brand, length)? Thank you.

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Answer 8

aanon4 Author

Level 1

18 points

May 10, 2016 1:12 PM in response to nvanderv

It's a 3 ft long cable from monoprice - http://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=103&cp_id=10303&cs_id=1030319&p_id=13003&s eq=1&format=2

The monitor does charge the MacBook which is essentially really. However, it will not run the monitor at 60Hz in 4K (only 30Hz which is painful), only in 1080p/60Hz. Interestingly if I use a different Mac on this monitor, it will only run the monitor at 4K/60Hz using a Display Port cable, but with HDMI it is limited to 30Hz at 4K. If I dual boot the same hardware into Windows 10, it'll happily run the monitor at 4K/60Hz over HDMI and DP. Not sure what this tells me but I thought it interesting.

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Answer 9

aanon4 Author

Level 1

18 points

Apr 22, 2016 12:48 PM in response to aanon4

It's also worth nothing that it all seems a little buggy. For example, if you have two computers plugged in - one on USB-C and another on DisplayPort - you can switch between the two quite easily. However, if you unplug the one currently selected you *cannot* switch to the other input sources; nor does it auto-detect and switch itself. Turning the monitor on and off doesn't appear to help either. A bit annoying.

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Answer 10

May 5, 2016 5:12 AM in response to aanon4

aanon4 are you happy with this monitor? i was thinking about getting this but after i found you posts i was leaning more towards a WQHD from LG

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Answer 11

aanon4 Author

Level 1

18 points

May 5, 2016 8:38 AM in response to Strangelove2

I'm very happy with the monitor and am accepting of its bugs - it's my first 4K screen so quite the step up for me. If you're only using it on a single input then the bugs are pretty minor. Even using it for two computers, as I do, the bugs are at worst minor annoyances. I still hope Lenovo issues an update for it at some point.

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Answer 12

Dion T

Level 1

4 points

May 8, 2016 4:15 AM in response to aanon4

I just bought the new MacBook 12 inch (2016 version) and the X1 monitor. I can confirm everything aanon4 said (short USB-C cable required, only 30Hz in 4K when connecting the MacBook to the monitor with USB-C, and the bugs when switching sources). As aanon4, I will also keep the monitor despite these annoyances.

The display quality is in my opinion not as good as the one of the Thunderbolt display, but the higher pixel density of the X1 makes more than up for it.

Still, I am hesitant to really recommend the X1. I have not checked, but maybe it is better to buy a different 4K IPS monitor and an additional USB-C to HDMI converter together with an additional USB-C power supply.

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