2 Posts
0
2168
U2414H, U2419H, daisy chaining to Macbook Pro?
I currently have my two monitors hooked up to my MacBook Pro:
- U2414H connects via DP to USB-C
- U2419H connects via HDMI to HDMI with Apple adapter
The number of cords on my desk is driving me nuts and I would like to daisychain the screens to cut down on the number of things I have to plug into my laptop continually. Hoping someone can help as I'm lost.
jphughan
4 Operator
4 Operator
•
14K Posts
1
October 9th, 2021 12:00
@caitnics macOS does not support daisy chaining, except for Thunderbolt daisy chaining, but that requires Thunderbolt displays. Ironically Macs running Windows via Boot Camp can daisy chain fine, so this is an OS limitation, and it has generated complaints here, on Apple’s forums, and elsewhere on the Internet. If you want to reduce cable clutter, your best bet is a Thunderbolt dock. CalDigit makes some that are popular with Mac users.
And as a general tip, it doesn’t matter in this case, but it’s typically a good idea to specify the exact system model you have, not just “a MacBook Pro”. Different generations and even different sizes of MacBook Pros have different specs and capabilities, so sometimes the correct answer to a technical question will depend on technical details like that.
caitnics
2 Posts
0
October 9th, 2021 17:00
Thanks for your help @jphughan. I've tried using various adaptors and a Dell dock with no success - I'll update my partner's Dell TB16 dock and see whether I have any luck with it.
jphughan
4 Operator
4 Operator
•
14K Posts
0
October 9th, 2021 17:00
@caitnics Happy to help. I'm not sure which Dell dock you used, but if it was a regular USB-C, non-Thunderbolt dock, those can only run multiple displays when paired with systems that supports DisplayPort MST, which is the same technology used by daisy chaining to drive multiple independent displays from a single GPU output as you have in a regular USB-C scenario. Thunderbolt is a different animal because it is capable of carrying two independent GPU interfaces within a Thunderbolt signal, so macOS just allocates one interface to each display. The TB16 uses Thunderbolt, so you might have better luck there, although I can't speak to how well it works with Macs. Its successor the WD19TB and WD19TBS have official Mac support documented in a KB article, but I don't know about the TB16.
In terms of adapters, here again typical USB-C multi-display adapters rely on DisplayPort MST, and as such many of their product pages specifically say they don't work with macOS for running multiple independent displays; you only get mirrored output, which is what happens when you connect a daisy chain or other MST setup to a source system that doesn't support MST. There are also Thunderbolt 3 to Dual DisplayPort adapters, which DO work on macOS for independent displays, because again they can tap into two separate GPU interfaces. They look somewhat similar to USB-C MST hubs, but they work differently. Note that some very early such adapters used a chipset that Apple doesn't support on their systems, so you might even see a handful of those that specifically aren't compatible with Macs, but most of them will be. Good luck!