Macs With M3 Chip Still Officially Support Only a Single External Display

[MacRumors]

Macs equipped with the standard M3 chip still support only one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz, according to Apple's tech specs. So far, the chip is available in the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro and the 24-inch iMac.

This limitation has existed since the first Apple silicon Macs with the M1 chip were released in 2020, but users can connect multiple external displays to M1, M2, and M3 Macs with DisplayLink adapters as an unofficial workaround. One exception is the Mac mini, which will likely be updated with the M3 chip next year and should retain support for up to two external displays, given that it lacks a built-in display.

The higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models support up to two external displays with the M3 Pro chip, and up to four with the M3 Max chip.

M3 chip display support:

One external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz

M3 Pro chip display support:

Up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt, or one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI

One external display supported at 8K resolution at 60Hz or one external display at 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI

M3 Max chip display support:

Up to four external displays: Up to three external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI

Up to three external displays: Up to two external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or one external display with 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI

The new MacBook Pro models are now available to order, and most configurations will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Tuesday, November 7. M3 Max configurations will be available a few days later.

Article Link: Macs With M3 Chip Still Officially Support Only a Single External Display

 

[vertsix]

My ThinkPad T440s from 2013 supports up to 3 external displays.

This is embarassing.

 

[Chiromac81]

That's brutal!

Talk about the lazy apple tax making people buy even more than an already high end product just for the luxury of using 2 screens which should have been standard 2 years ago with the M chips!

 

[toto75]

I wonder if this is a technical or an artificial limitation.

 

[Naraxus]

Little Timmy never met a chance to upsell he didn't like....

 

[Total Respray]

And it still supports more external displays than the Vision Pro…

 

[blacktape242]

good grief Charlie Brown

 

[StellarVixen]

I wonder if this is a technical or an artificial limitation.

Technical that can be removed/fixed, but it won’t be because it’s artificial

 

[socialwill]

This feels like an artificial limitation that is placed on the chips, so the Pro versions have some higher value, outside of processing.

 

[TrenttonY]

They must not know (or care) that blatantly crippling their "most powerful chip" with software just to sell the next, more expensive configuration, irritates everyone and cheapens the brand.

 

[adamw]

Artificial limitation with the M3 chip in my opinion to get people to go up to the M3 Pro or M3 Max chip.

 

[Nautilus007]

Technical that can be removed/fixed, but it won’t be because it’s artificial

I can use multiple displays with a display link adapter since M1, which leads me to believe it is an easy fix. This is greed on Apple's part - pushing people to higher tiers and also being able to advertise multiple monitor support for a lower grade chip in the future.

 

[mystery hill]

They’re just trying to upsell the Pro and Max.

 

[KPOM]

I wonder if this is a technical or an artificial limitation.

It’s artificial in that Apple could add display controllers to the M3 if they wanted to.

 

[now i see it]

‘Amateurs’ only need one monitor
‘Pros’ can use two.

 

[KPOM]

They must not know (or care) that blatantly crippling their "most powerful chip" with software just to sell the next, more expensive configuration, irritates everyone and cheapens the brand.

It’s been this way for the base MacBook Pro for the past 3 years.

 

[rgeneral]

that is just stupid. one display.

 

[Bug-Creator]

just for the luxury of using 2 screens which should have been standard 2 years ago with the M chips!

Those who can read shall inherit the earth. Or something along that line.

M1/2/3 all support 2 displays, with the Mini these 2 are external while for everything else it's 1 external plus the build in.
2 screens is more than enough for 99% of users even more if you look at the target audience.

As for being artificial, for me it seems that there is a limit of outputs per GPU cluster, hence you get more the bigger the chip you buy. A far cry from yesteryear where Apple would put an (easily defeated) FirmWare block on using the really independent external VGA on iBooks/iMacs for anything but mirror mode.

 

[mrat93]

A 6K display has over 10x the number of pixels as one 1080p display. There’s no reason why an M3 can drive a 6K display, but not two 1080p or more.

 

[nymphe]

This point has been discussed on many threads dozens of time BUT it is not enough.

In the past, G4 iBooks were unable to extend the desktop even though they were capable. With a software extension or hack, I was able to turn on this feature.

It is nonsense to pay over 2.5K to be able to work with 2 basic monitors.

 

[scheinderrob]

apple is just a meme at this point

 

[Mac_The_Ripper]

This is truly pathetic. But the Apple defenders will tell you that this amazing, it is by design, and it is iconic.

 

[hardwickj]

The thing that is so absolutely stupid about this is that with an external display hooked up, you can still connect your iPad and run Sidecar on it, connecting it as a 2nd display. That absolutely is more taxing on CPU/GPU than a real 2nd display. This is just the worst kind of Apple BS. I'm an Apple fanboy, but it's things like this that make me want to leave the ecosystem.

 

[tonyisit]

My ThinkPad T440s from 2013 supports up to 3 external displays.

This is embarassing.

No that only VGA and Mini display port , you where not running 3 displays well on that thing

 

[vegetassj4]

What’s next, a monthly monitor access subscription?

1 extra monitor 9.99 …, two for 15….step right up.