Is there a way to circumnavigate not being able to connect more external monitors to macbooks?

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Gatecrasher3000

Gawd
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Mar 18, 2013
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I'm going to assume this can't be done. But I just got myself a M3 (not max) Macbook Pro. I have three external 4K monitors that I would like to connect to it, but according to this apple page I can only connect two external monitors, and I would need the m2 or m3 max chip in order to connect three external monitors.
Has anyone seen a workaround to get three external monitors connected to a non max macbook? We all know this is a manufactured limitation, and the m3 is more then capable of running three monitors, so I'm just wondering if there is a work around...
Just wondering, thanks.


https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT213503
 
Thunderbolt 4 specs say support up to two 4k displays, so while you may be able to use three, the resolution/framerate will probably be limited. The M3 Max has a second thunderbolt 4 port, so theoretically it could support 4 4k displays, but might be limited by the SoC.
 
Gatecrasher3000 said:
I'm going to assume this can't be done. But I just got myself a M3 (not max) Macbook Pro. I have three external 4K monitors that I would like to connect to it, but according to this apple page I can only connect two external monitors, and I would need the m2 or m3 max chip in order to connect three external monitors.
Has anyone seen a workaround to get three external monitors connected to a non max macbook? We all know this is a manufactured limitation, and the m3 is more then capable of running three monitors, so I'm just wondering if there is a work around...
Just wondering, thanks.


https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT213503
Click to expand...
Nope, you're SOL. You needed to buy the Max chip if you wanted up to four external displays and not be limited to just two.

You could do some funny shit and get a box that converts one display out to two different monitors, but you have to play around with two monitors technically being the same output but with a weird resolution.

Ultimately - I'd just say you should have ponied up the extra money for the Max chip.
 
Mchart said:
Nope, you're SOL. You needed to buy the Max chip if you wanted up to four external displays and not be limited to just two.

You could do some funny shit and get a box that converts one display out to two different monitors, but you have to play around with two monitors technically being the same output but with a weird resolution.

Ultimately - I'd just say you should have ponied up the extra money for the Max chip.
Click to expand...
It was a work computer, I had no say on the model. I'm not complaining, I be fine with my two monitors, I just wanted to know if I could get all three going
 
You can also Airplay to add a display, but obviously the quality isn't that of a cabled connection. However, MacOS does an outstanding job of treating an Airplay display just like it's a normal monitor.
 
Mchart said:
You can also Airplay to add a display, but obviously the quality isn't that of a cabled connection. However, MacOS does an outstanding job of treating an Airplay display just like it's a normal monitor.
Click to expand...
you havent used one with sonoma yet eh? we are having tons of issues with them since it came out, always do really, even in our low user number sites.



op, look into a dock like i posted above.
 
What if you use one of those USB to HDMI/DP adapters?
They have single, dual, and this triple one,
https://www.amazon.com/Plugable-Charging-Thunderbolt-Compatible-Specific/dp/B08DDH5CPW
1702052561476.png
 
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I actually have a Belkin dock, connecting the USBC cable to the dock I can go from the dock to my two monitors via HDMI and DP, however the dock has another USBC output, I connected a USBC to HDMI adapter into it, then ran an HDMI cable to my third monitor but it wouldn't connect.
I also tried bypassing the dock and connected all three monitors to the laptop, but could only get two monitors. Finally I tried to leave the two monitors connected to the dock, the connected the third monitor directly to a uSBC port, but again only got two monitors going. It's like the damn laptop knows it's connected to a dock and still limits the displays to two via software.

My 6 six year old windows laptop however "hey you want to plug 5 monitors into me? Yeah go for got it slick".
 
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