Display scaling experience with multiple 4K monitors

[pgseye]

Hi,

I'm keen to hear about real world experiences for people using three or more 4K monitors with a recent Mac.

I have an iMac Pro and I've noticed for some time that the fans seem to constantly run and there can often be lag in moving/resizing app windows. I don't really do any heavy graphics stuff but I have two old 4K 27 inch monitors attached running at a scaled resolution of 2560 x 1440. After learning more recently about how display scaling works, I am now wondering if this could be the culprit in these slow-downs and fan issues.

I have just ordered a Mac Studio M2 Max with the 38 core GPU option. I plan on using three 27 inch monitors with it. I can't really justify the Apple Studio Display based on the price, except that it's 5K and it will scale 2x naturally. So, I was going to look at three 4k monitors - either the Dell U2723QE or the Alogic Clarity (as I like the glossy finish). The slight difference in resolution for a 27 in monitor between 4K and 5K doesn't bother me as I can barely tell the difference when I currently look at my iMac Pro vs the 4K Dells sitting beside it.

What I am wanting to know is how much running three 4K monitors with fractional scaling would potentially affect performance on a Mac Studio (or any recent Mac for that case)? If it might cause extra taxing of the GPU I could then see the benefit of a 5K display. Anyone had any experience with running 3 4K monitors on recent Macs?

 

[MikeDr206]

I can’t answer your specific question, but can’t imagine an M2 Max will have its GPU taxed at all running three 4K displays with fractional scaling.

I have an M2 Pro Mini and a 7-GPU M1 Air, and can’t tell the difference between the two when running a 5K display.

 

[tstafford]

OP: my bet is your M2M Studio will chew through the fractional scaling w/o an issue.

 

[xraydoc]

Any M-series chip will have no issues whatsoever with fractional scaling.

 

[iStorm]

Any M-series chip will have no issues whatsoever with fractional scaling.

This guy’s M1 MBP could not handle non-integer scaling with his workload. Guessing an M2 Max would be fine with three displays, but can’t be 100% sure until someone has tried it…and it may depend on how hard the Mac is being pushed. Could possibly be fine for one person, but not for someone else.

 

[splifingate]

Three 27” 4K Dell P2715Q’s seem to work just as well as one on my M2 Max Studio

I have not yet been able to really tax my Studio…it’s a beast

 

[pgseye]

Three 27” 4K Dell P2715Q’s seem to work just as well as one on my M2 Max Studio

I have not yet been able to really tax my Studio…it’s a beast

That seems encouraging.

So no signs of GPU stress (fans, sluggishness, etc)?

Are you running all 3 at a fractional resolution?

 

[splifingate]

1080p

Ol eyes ain’t gettin’ any better, unfortunately 🤷‍♂️

I have two hooked to a TB -> 2DP adapter; other is via mDP (it also shares connection via hdmi to the MP5,1 and to a fanless Alder Lake unit on which I’m currently learning ProxMox).

The Studio is extremely performant.

 

[xraydoc]

This guy’s M1 MBP could not handle non-integer scaling with his workload. Guessing an M2 Max would be fine with three displays, but can’t be 100% sure until someone has tried it…and it may depend on how hard the Mac is being pushed. Could possibly be fine for one person, but not for someone else.

I previously had an 8 core/8 core M1 MBA connected to a Dell 32" 4K display running at a fractional setting. No issues whatsoever with it. Granted it was a single display, but it also was just an M1 (not an M1 Pro).

No issues with my current M1 Pro running two 5K Studio Displays occasionally at one step higher than 2560x1440 (can't recall what the resolution is; not in front of my Mac at the moment).

My usage is just office-style work, however, not GPU intensive tasks.

 

[tstafford]

I previously had an 8 core/8 core M1 MBA connected to a Dell 32" 4K display running at a fractional setting. No issues whatsoever with it. Granted it was a single display, but it also was just an M1 (not an M1 Pro).

No issues with my current M1 Pro running two 5K Studio Displays occasionally at one step higher than 2560x1440 (can't recall what the resolution is; not in front of my Mac at the moment).

My usage is just office-style work, however, not GPU intensive tasks.

2880x1620

 

[xraydoc]

2880x1620

That sounds right.

My MBP 14" M1 Pro handles this 2x without breaking a sweat (though, again, office-type desktop apps; not GPU-intensive work).