Using a Dell UltraSharp USB-C Monitor with a Mac

Table of contents:

1. Dell UltraSharp Monitors With USB-C
2. Setting Up Your Monitor
3. Setting Up Multiple Monitors in a Daisy Chain
4. Setting Up Multiple Monitor with PIP, PBP, and a KVM
5. Troubleshooting USB-C Issues

Dell UltraSharp Monitors with USB-C

Dell UltraSharp monitors with USB-C are compliant with USB-C standards and VESA display modes. Mac computers are compliant with USB-C and VESA standards and should work with Dell UltraSharp USB-C monitors.

Supported Dell UltraSharp monitors with USB-C for Mac computers.

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Setting Up Your Monitor

Follow these instructions to set up your Dell UltraSharp monitor using a USB-C connection.

1. Connect your Mac computer to your monitor using the USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 cable.
2. On your Mac’s System Preferences, select Displays to choose your external monitor.
3. Select the Display tab to set the screen resolution.
4. Select Color and set to Millions of Colors.
5. Select Refresh Rate and set your Hertz to 60 Hz.
6. Select the Arrangement tab to set your display mode to either Extended Desktop (clear the Mirror Displays checkbox) or Mirror Displays (Figure 1).

   
   Figure 1

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Setting Up Multiple Monitors in a Daisy Chain

• Macs support daisy-chaining monitors using Thunderbolt 3 connectivity.
• Typically, the Mac can support up to two monitors using a daisy-chain setup (one monitor directly connected to the Mac and the second monitor connected to the first monitor).
• To perform a monitor daisy-chain, the Mac must have a Thunderbolt 3 port, and the first monitor (connected directly to the Mac) must also support Thunderbolt 3 (for example, Dell UP2720Q monitor supports Thunderbolt 3).
• The resolution supported by the daisy-chained monitors may be lower, depending on the bandwidth required by each monitor.

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Setting Up Multiple Monitor with Picture in Picture (PIP), Picture by Picture (PBP), or a KVM

Picture in Picture (PIP) and Picture by Picture (PBP) lets you use your monitor simultaneously with two computers connected to the monitor. The KVM feature lets the user control up to two computers from a single set of keyboard and mouses connected to the monitor.

Some large-screen Dell Ultrasharp USB-C monitors come with these features to help users maximize their productivity.

See the documentation of your Dell monitor for step-by-step instructions to set up PIP, PBP, or KVM Switch.

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Troubleshooting USB-C Issues

I cannot see anything on the monitor. There is no video or the display is blank.

• Check your USB-C or Thunderbolt cable. The USB-C cables that are provided with your Mac computer may only support charging. Use the USB-C or Thunderbolt cable that is provided with your Dell UltraSharp monitor.
• Check your graphics card specifications to ensure that the display resolution is supported.
• Check your graphics card driver for updates.
• Check your monitor Input Selection to ensure it is set to Auto Select or USB-C. This can be done through the monitor OSD menu. See the documentation of your Dell monitor.
• Get the computer to detect the monitor. Go to System Preferences > Displays > Alt or Option key > Detect Displays.

The monitor does not charge my Mac. I can see the display, but it is not charging my Mac.

The USB-C cable provided with your Mac may not support both video and charging simultaneously. Use the USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 cable that is shipped with your Dell monitor.

Depending on the model, not all USB-C ports on the monitor support a power delivery feature to charge your Mac. Always connect to the USB-C port with power delivery logo (65 W or 90 W) on the monitor. See Table 1 for more information about power delivery support on Dell UltraSharp monitors with USB-C. For example, the Dell UltraSharp U3219Q monitor supports up to 90 W power delivery through USB-C (Figure 2).

Figure 2

The USB-C port of the monitor provides only 65 W or 90 W power delivery. Can it charge my Mac?

Yes, it can charge your Mac. However, the time required to fully charge your Mac is longer if your Mac requires more than 65 W or 90 W. If your Mac requires more than 65 W or 90 W, we recommend using the power adapter provided with your Mac for optimized charging.

I am unable to get maximum resolution on the monitor.

• Check your graphics card specification and ensure that the video card can support the monitor’s maximum resolution.
• Try using Extended Desktop mode. To do this, go to your Mac’s System Preferences > Displays > Arrangement tab > Extended Desktop (ensure that the Mirror Displays checkbox is cleared).

The monitor displays a fuzzy or blurry image.

Ensure that the display resolution in System Preferences is set to Default and not Scaled.

The font size appears too small on the monitor.

Try setting larger fonts in your Mac's System Preferences. Go to your Mac's System Preferences > Display and then select Larger Text from the Display tab.

I am unable to control the monitor’s speaker volume using the keyboard controls on a Mac computer.

macOS does not allow users to control the sound volume or screen brightness of externally connected devices using the computer's keyboard controls. Use the monitor's OSD control buttons to adjust the speaker volume or screen brightness.

Can I use a docking station or adapter to connect the Dell monitor to a Mac?

Dell does not recommend using a third-party dock or adapter to connect your Ultrasharp monitor with a Mac computer.

Intermittent performance of USB devices connected to monitor:

Depending on the UltraSharp monitor model, the supported USB bandwidth over a USB-C connection is either USB 2.0 or USB 3.0. Using USB 3.0 devices such as webcam, or Ethernet adapter on monitors that only support USB 2.0 speeds over USB-C may lead to intermittent performance of the connected devices.

Some Dell UltraSharp monitors (for example, U2719DC) allow users to switch the USB bandwidth over USB-C from USB 2.0 to 3.0 using USB-C Prioritization setting > High Data Speed. See the documentation of your Dell monitor. For example, the USB-C Prioritization option in the U2719HC OSD menu (Figure 3)

Figure 3

How to get maximum resolution on a Dell UltraSharp U4919DW ultrawide monitor?

• On Macs with Intel Graphics, users can display up to 3840 x 1080 resolution with the USB-C connection to the Dell U4919DW monitor.
• For a higher resolution of 5120 x 1440 with the USB-C connection, use a Mac computer with a non-Intel discrete graphics card (NVIDIA or AMD).

There is a macOS power chime sound when connected to U3419W or U3818DW monitor.

You may hear a power chime noise on some Mac computer while it is asleep and charging from a USB-C connection to a Dell U3419W or U3818DW monitor. Try one of the following to resolve the problem:

• Update your operating system and drivers.
• Disable sleep on the Mac computer. Go to System Preferences > Energy Saver > Prevent monitor from sleeping automatically when the display is off.
• Disconnect the USB-C cable from your Mac computer whenever you turn off your computer.
• Use the power adapter provided with your Mac computer to charge it.
• Intel no longer supports single-port 5K resolution on external monitors. Two ports must be plugged in to get a 5K resolution on external 5K monitors if the computer only has Intel integrated graphics.

There is no video or no display when the Mac is connected to UP2720Q.

• The UP2720Q monitor ships with a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) Active Cable for connecting to a Thunderbolt 3 Mac computer. Using this cable with a Mac computer that only supports USB-C (with DP Alt Mode) may lead to No Video.
• If the user is using a Mac computer with USB-C (with DP Alt Mode) such as MacBook 2015, purchase a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) Passive Cable or USB-C DP Alt Mode Cable separately. Dell Part numbers for Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) Passive Cable: A9905599, A9905597, A9269731
  NOTE: You may see the following icon beside your Mac’s USB-C port - for USB-C (with DP Alt Mode), for Thunderbolt 3.

Is there a Mac version of the Dell Display Manager software?

Yes, the Mac version of Dell Display Manager is now available. For a list of Dell monitors supported by Dell Display Manager for Mac, go to Dell.com/ddm.

• macOS 10.14, 10.15, 11
• MacBook Pro, Air, Mac Mini launched from 2018 onwards
• Mac Pro launched from 2019 onwards
• Macs with Intel or M1 chipset

Learn more about Dell Display and Peripheral Manager for macOS.

To download the latest firmware for your Dell monitor:

1. Go to Dell.com/support/drivers.
2. Identify your Dell monitor using the Service Tag or select your monitor from the product catalog.
3. Select your operating system (Apple macOS) and download the firmware package.

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