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16" MBP, CalDigit TS3+, Clamshell not working?
- Thread starter fishkorp
- Start date
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Back at the office with the monitors and I can report that I cannot drive 2 4K monitors in clamshell no matter how I do it. The TS3+ has nothing to do with it. I can plug them both directly into the MBP and same result. Even tried using 1 screen on each side (so they're on different TB busses). The desktop and dock show on the display and the mouse cursor moves, but nothing works. I can't click/type/anything. Eventually it'll beach ball and not stop. I've tried every combination of graphics and power management settings I could find as well with no luck.
So my solution for now is to almost close the lid and move the dock to 1 of the bigger displays and just ignore the built-in screen. I don't like not being able to completely close it and put it in the stand out of the way. I'll hit up Apple and let them know.
So my solution for now is to almost close the lid and move the dock to 1 of the bigger displays and just ignore the built-in screen. I don't like not being able to completely close it and put it in the stand out of the way. I'll hit up Apple and let them know.
Have you tried with only 1 4K? That’s how I have it setup and I can only use it in clamshell, otherwise everything freezes just like you.
It is bizarre because you can still drive 2 4K with lid open (3 displays). For me 1 4K with lid open (2 displays) doesn’t work. However in clamshell (only 4K active) it works.
Good to at least know it’s not the TS3+, most likely this is the new graphic card drivers. Hopefully we get an update soon.
It is bizarre because you can still drive 2 4K with lid open (3 displays). For me 1 4K with lid open (2 displays) doesn’t work. However in clamshell (only 4K active) it works.
Good to at least know it’s not the TS3+, most likely this is the new graphic card drivers. Hopefully we get an update soon.
1 works fine, open or closed. But Once it goes to sleep it won’t wake up.
Yes, tried that.
I have had problems with my TS3+ without any external screen.
I wrote in another thread that it seemed to cause kernel issues and reboots for my 2016 MPB.
After having setup my 16" on Friday, I connected the TS3+ with only a LaCie 10 GB disk, no screen or other HW. In just a couple of hours the MBP got a kernel panic and froze with a black screen, a power cycle was required to bring it up again. I disconnected the TS3+ and connected the disk directly to the MBP, things now seem to work OK.
Previously with my 2016, I hade several reboots during a couple of weeks after initially installing the TS3+ a couple of months back. I had not had any prior problems. I disconnected the TS3+ the reboots went away, reconnected it again for a week, new reboots.
So, although there is no absolute proof, I am highly suspicious of the TS3+.
I wrote in another thread that it seemed to cause kernel issues and reboots for my 2016 MPB.
After having setup my 16" on Friday, I connected the TS3+ with only a LaCie 10 GB disk, no screen or other HW. In just a couple of hours the MBP got a kernel panic and froze with a black screen, a power cycle was required to bring it up again. I disconnected the TS3+ and connected the disk directly to the MBP, things now seem to work OK.
Previously with my 2016, I hade several reboots during a couple of weeks after initially installing the TS3+ a couple of months back. I had not had any prior problems. I disconnected the TS3+ the reboots went away, reconnected it again for a week, new reboots.
So, although there is no absolute proof, I am highly suspicious of the TS3+.
I haven't even tried plugging any drives into it yet. I was just using it for 2 4K displays. In my case, taking the TS3+ out of the picture didn't solve my issue. So mine is machine/OS/driver related. But that really stinks about the external drive issue. Maybe I'll just return the TS3+ for now and wait until issues are sorted out and then look at 100w power delivery options (like the Targus).
A quick update. I disconnected the DisplayPort from TS3+. Then connected 4K via HDMI and separate dongle directly to the MBP16. Now the 4K monitor can go to sleep and wake up without freezing the MB16, in both clamshell mode and not.
This seems to kind of point to the TS3+ but it’s hard to tell since I can’t test HDMI through it.
Also for the record, my TS3+ is pretty much fully used. All ports with external drives, Ethernet, even aux for speakers.
This seems to kind of point to the TS3+ but it’s hard to tell since I can’t test HDMI through it.
Also for the record, my TS3+ is pretty much fully used. All ports with external drives, Ethernet, even aux for speakers.
interesting. But I really don’t want to buy/try more cables and adapters, lol.
do you still get 4K resolution that way?
do you still get 4K resolution that way?
No, and by no mean this is something I would consider permanent solution. I just need the extra screen but I keep forgetting to unplug it and when I have to wake it up again it's all frozen. I feel like I'm doing some damage to the MBP16 with all the forced-reboots I'm doing to it.
I recently ordered the 16 inch MBP and have a TS3 Plus as well that I had no issues with on my older MBP. CalDigit let me know 85W will work and just charge at a slower pace even prior to a firmware update so I decided to bite the bullet. I have one 4K Dell Monitor, a Seagate USB Drive, a Logitech Wireless Receiver and occasionally a 1080p projector (HDMI) connected to my TS3, so it's a fairly simple setup with no daisy chaining.
Once I receive it I'll report if I have any similar issues.
Once I receive it I'll report if I have any similar issues.
When I used just 1 screen it worked fine. It was only when attaching 2 4K screens and going clamshell.
I returned the TS3+ for now. I plan on rebuying once this issue is fixed. And it’s more on Apple since I can’t drive 2 4K screens in clamshell directly plugged into the MBP.
I finally managed to resolve my issue. I am still quite convinced there are issues. Whether it's Catalina, the MBP16, the TS3+, or any combination of those, I unfortunately have no clue.
Initially I could only use HDMI at 30hz and it was painful, but at least the display could go to sleep and wake up no problem. I then bought a USB-C to DisplayPort 4k@60hz adapter to try offload some work on the TS3+ but I was still getting issues.
Eventually I just moved it to the other thunderbolt bus and everything started working great. I have practically 0 lag, everything goes to sleep and wakes up no problem (i noticed it's also a bit faster to wake up being directly plugged in) and as a bonus, I finally can unlock with my Apple Watch which before was not possible with the 4K docked.
Initially I could only use HDMI at 30hz and it was painful, but at least the display could go to sleep and wake up no problem. I then bought a USB-C to DisplayPort 4k@60hz adapter to try offload some work on the TS3+ but I was still getting issues.
Eventually I just moved it to the other thunderbolt bus and everything started working great. I have practically 0 lag, everything goes to sleep and wakes up no problem (i noticed it's also a bit faster to wake up being directly plugged in) and as a bonus, I finally can unlock with my Apple Watch which before was not possible with the 4K docked.
That doesn't really help my situation, as that's not clamshell, which is what I'm looking to do. I 100% ruled out the issue being the TS3+. It does it if I just use 2 4K displays straight into the MBP. I was on multiple support calls with Apple. We did a screen share and I sent them some logs as well as video of what's happening and they'll get back to me in a few days.
The whole point of the TS3+ for me is to just plug in 1 cable and close my laptop and forget about it when I'm at the office. I don't care about the 100w power delivery, that's not as important to me. Once Apple fixes it on their end I'll go back to using the TS3+.
The whole point of the TS3+ for me is to just plug in 1 cable and close my laptop and forget about it when I'm at the office. I don't care about the 100w power delivery, that's not as important to me. Once Apple fixes it on their end I'll go back to using the TS3+.
I've had this problem once using ts3+ and disconnecting the monitor before wake in clamshell. I haven't had any issue while leaving it connected or switching from clamshell to open... so far. I'm using thunderbolt to ts3+ and thunderbolt from ts3+ to 4k monitor.
Is it a 16” MBP? And is it 2 monitors?
this setup worked fine on my 2018 15”. It’s just the new one where it doesn’t work
Ok thanks. 1 monitor works. It’s only when I add the 2nd that I have a problem. Even taking the TS3+ out of the picture.
I don't have a TS3+, just a new MBP16 and an external display. Whenever I plug my external display and put the laptop in sleep mode, it won't resume and will either display a black screen or display "static noise" on the screen. In both case I have to hard reboot. Happens 100% of the time, easy to reproduce. When looking at the log, it seems like an error with the Graphic card drivers and/or the ACPI management. Anybody experience the same?
Received and been testing my 16 inch MBP, I'm relieved to report I have no issues in clamshell or normal mode connecting the MBP to two external displays: a Dell Monitor and an Epson Projector using the CalDigit TS3 Plus. There's no daisy chaining hookup here, I'm using DisplayPort for the monitor and a Thunderbolt to HDMI cable for the projector. I also have the headphone jack connected to speakers, one USB connected to a Seagate backup drive and a Logitech receiver in another USB port.
My GPU is the 5500M 8GB card. I'm wondering if others with issues are using 5300 or the 4GB version of the 5500? Other possibilities could be the monitor, daisy chaining, using thunderbolt instead of displayport (or vice versa), a corrupted restore from time machine or issues with migration assistant if you transferred data that way, or even the quality of the cables.
My GPU is the 5500M 8GB card. I'm wondering if others with issues are using 5300 or the 4GB version of the 5500? Other possibilities could be the monitor, daisy chaining, using thunderbolt instead of displayport (or vice versa), a corrupted restore from time machine or issues with migration assistant if you transferred data that way, or even the quality of the cables.
In my case, it’s the 8GB GPU. 2 4K monitors using DisplayPort. I’ve tried numerous cables as well as the CalDigit single they sent me. Same result every time. I did a screen share with Apple support and they have. Ron of diagnostics. They called today to say the engineers aren’t done yet and they’ll call back next week.
Are your monitor and projector 4K? Seems like most folks with issues are driving 4K screens.
Are your monitor and projector 4K? Seems like most folks with issues are driving 4K screens.
Im using an Epson 2150 Home Cinema Projector which is 1080P and the Dell P2715Q monitor, it's legacy but still 4K, and because it's been around forever it seems to be more reliable. I've used it on three different MacBooks over the years with no issues so far.
This setup worked fine on my 2018 15”. It’s just this new one.
If you can find a 2nd 4K monitor I’d be curious to see if it works.
If I do I'll let you know, but I CAN tell you I've had issues with sleep mode before when using the MBP in clamshell with other monitors in the past, though I can't remember the model numbers. It was one of the reasons I stuck with my current Dell monitor, one of the few 4Ks where sleep worked consistently.
I discovered a bug with sleep mode, if it goes to sleep on its own with the MBP open at least, I was unable to wake it. Manually putting it to sleep results in no issues though, so it seems to be related to the power management. Next time I'll let it sleep on its own in clamshell to see if this happens again with the MBP closed.
I thought I'd mention it because it does seem to be a related issue. I may wind up disabling the "turn display off" if I can't get it to consistently wake up when it goes to sleep on its own.
I thought I'd mention it because it does seem to be a related issue. I may wind up disabling the "turn display off" if I can't get it to consistently wake up when it goes to sleep on its own.