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fabdub

macrumors newbie
Nov 6, 2020
28
11
So is this possible to do on a ultrawide display (3440x1440)? Unfortunately 2x the horizontal dimensions is greater than what is supported on the mini. I guess I may just have to live with less than sharp fonts, because I am not throwing out a perfectly good (and expensive) display.
I just made it work but the math is weird ... I tried with 5160 x 2160 to get 2580 x 1080. But it shows as invalid. You need to create 5120 x 2160 to get 2560 x 1080.
 

khserg

macrumors newbie
Jul 29, 2021
1
0
Hi guys! I tried to made custom resolution on internal display on my Macbook Air M1, but when I saving resolution SwitchResX write "Not installed". Reboot dont working. What I'm doing wrong?

Big Sur 11.5.1, SIP disabled
 

0906742

Cancelled
Apr 11, 2018
2,313
612
I just made it work but the math is weird ... I tried with 5160 x 2160 to get 2580 x 1080. But it shows as invalid. You need to create 5120 x 2160 to get 2560 x 1080.
Not sure I got you right but for 2560 x 1080 you need to create 5120 x 2160, not 5160 what you say you tried and said invalid, because that would mean you had to have 2580 x 1080 panel. :confused:
 

caaalebbb

macrumors member
Mar 15, 2011
79
12
I'm considering buying a MacBook Air M1 as well as 27" 4k USB-C monitor (either the Dell U2720Q or the LG 27UN850). Will a custom scaling of 3008x1692 work? Has anyone tried this?
 

Aleksid1

macrumors member
Nov 14, 2017
93
47
4K monitor should support HiDPI resolutions. Not sure about 3008 x 1692, because it's ultra wide resolution. Better to buy a monitor with a possibility to return it.
 

caaalebbb

macrumors member
Mar 15, 2011
79
12
4K monitor should support HiDPI resolutions. Not sure about 3008 x 1692, because it's ultra wide resolution. Better to buy a monitor with a possibility to return it.
3008x1692 is a 16:9 aspect ratio. I thought ultra wide was closer to 21:9.
 

caaalebbb

macrumors member
Mar 15, 2011
79
12
I have successfully managed to inject a 1920x1200 resolution into the Macbook Air M1 running Big Sur 11.3 Beta 3.

OS: macOS Big Sur 11.3 Beta (20E5196f)
Tool: SwitchResX Beta 4.11.1a4 (Build 2022)

Method:
  1. Install SwitchResX Beta.
  2. Open SwitchResX within System Preferences.
  3. Navigate to About SwitchResX
  4. Install Helper tools and Launch Daemon.
  5. Select Internal Display on the left-hand menu.
  6. Select Custom Resolutions
  7. Click the + icon at the bottom left-hand side.
  8. Ensure the options dropdown on the top left-hand side is Scaled resolution
  9. Enter 3840 under Horizontal Resolution
  10. Enter 2400 under Vertical Resolution.
  11. Click OK
  12. On the System menu for SwitchResX on the top left hand of the entire screen click Display.
  13. Click Write System Settings
  14. Reboot your machine.
  15. Navigate back to SwitchResX upon reboot
  16. Under the Current Resolutions tab, look for a new HiDPI resolution of 1920 x 1200. 60 Hz.
  17. Activate by clicking the radio button to the left of the resolution.
Comments: Resolution works well and without issue. At present, I am unaware of how to accomplish this without an app, but SwitchResX is extremely light and effective.
Sorry to revive this. I am planning to finally upgrade to a MacBook Air M1 within the next couple weeks. Do you know whether it will be possible for me, following your method, to do pretty much any 16:10 custom resolution between 1680x1050 and 1920x1200? For example, in steps 9 and 10, if I entered 3584 and 2240 respectively, will I have a HiDPI resolution of 1792x1120?

I'm basically wondering whether it is possible get a resolution between 1680x1050 and 1920x1200. I'm worried that on the 13.3" screen the 1920x1200 will make things a bit too small, but, since I'm used to 1680x1050 on the rMB 12", the 1680x1050 on the Air will make things a bit too big for me.
 

MyopicPaideia

macrumors 68020
Mar 19, 2011
2,155
980
Sweden
Sorry to revive this. I am planning to finally upgrade to a MacBook Air M1 within the next couple weeks. Do you know whether it will be possible for me, following your method, to do pretty much any 16:10 custom resolution between 1680x1050 and 1920x1200? For example, in steps 9 and 10, if I entered 3584 and 2240 respectively, will I have a HiDPI resolution of 1792x1120?

I'm basically wondering whether it is possible get a resolution between 1680x1050 and 1920x1200. I'm worried that on the 13.3" screen the 1920x1200 will make things a bit too small, but, since I'm used to 1680x1050 on the rMB 12", the 1680x1050 on the Air will make things a bit too big for me.
Ha ha ha, and here I am running the full native resolution on the few occasions I use the M1 Air without an external screen… You should be able to make that work with SwitchResX
 

grinny11

macrumors regular
Aug 12, 2008
196
25
I am so happy I got this working on my M1 Air and my Thunderbolt Display.

Back to things looking really beautiful. Thank you to everyone making this work!!!
 

caaalebbb

macrumors member
Mar 15, 2011
79
12
Ha ha ha, and here I am running the full native resolution on the few occasions I use the M1 Air without an external screen… You should be able to make that work with SwitchResX

Awesome—yes, I got all those resolutions to work on my new M1 MacBook Air with Big Sur.

By the way, you don't happen to be using the Monterey beta? I wanted to try the public beta, but I haven't since I don't want to risk losing SwitchResX support. Anyone using SwitchResX on Monterey? Roaringapps doesn't have any compatibility data for SwitchResX...
 

MyopicPaideia

macrumors 68020
Mar 19, 2011
2,155
980
Sweden
Awesome—yes, I got all those resolutions to work on my new M1 MacBook Air with Big Sur.

By the way, you don't happen to be using the Monterey beta? I wanted to try the public beta, but I haven't since I don't want to risk losing SwitchResX support. Anyone using SwitchResX on Monterey? Roaringapps doesn't have any compatibility data for SwitchResX...
Nope, sorry. Not that adventurous since it is a work machine. But, Monterey doesn’t seem to be adding anything that should break SwitchResX. It’s not changing the architecture or anything like that, or even the SIP or kernel extension handling.
 

thadoggfather

macrumors P6
Original poster
Oct 1, 2007
15,552
16,287
I actually haven’t tried a 1920x1200 for my m1 air still on Big Sur yet or kept up

Sounds like main way to achieve is SwitchresX? Can I dial in the setting then be good or the 10 day trial locking all functionality after that point ?
 

caaalebbb

macrumors member
Mar 15, 2011
79
12
I actually haven’t tried a 1920x1200 for my m1 air still on Big Sur yet or kept up

Sounds like main way to achieve is SwitchresX? Can I dial in the setting then be good or the 10 day trial locking all functionality after that point ?
The font in your post is in white for me, for whatever reason... but when I select the text I can read your post.

Yes, you can use SwitchResX to insert HiDPI 1920x1200 to run on the internal display of M1 MacBooks (Air and Pro), following @itsphilgeorge 's instructions. I used these instructions to insert other HiDPI resolutions as well, such as 1840x1150, 1792x1120, and 1760x1100. Once inserted, you never need to launch SwitchResX again; I use RDM when I want to switch between resolutions.

But if you want to use a HiDPI resolution with a width over over 3008 (say, on an external display), with an M1 Mac, you need to use BetterDummy.
 

thadoggfather

macrumors P6
Original poster
Oct 1, 2007
15,552
16,287
The font in your post is in white for me, for whatever reason... but when I select the text I can read your post.

Yes, you can use SwitchResX to insert HiDPI 1920x1200 to run on the internal display of M1 MacBooks (Air and Pro), following @itsphilgeorge 's instructions. I used these instructions to insert other HiDPI resolutions as well, such as 1840x1150, 1792x1120, and 1760x1100. Once inserted, you never need to launch SwitchResX again; I use RDM when I want to switch between resolutions.

But if you want to use a HiDPI resolution with a width over over 3008 (say, on an external display), with an M1 Mac, you need to use BetterDummy.
Thanks. Weird glitch w a tweak I have. I need to fix that (font issue)
 

thadoggfather

macrumors P6
Original poster
Oct 1, 2007
15,552
16,287
@caaalebbb @itsphilgeorge



how does 1920x1200 scaled compared to 2048x1280 that is now showing up in RDM and possibly bc of SwitchResX? Installed RDM after SwitchResX on this machine so cant tell if that caused it to be accessible

edit: 2048x1280 is fuzzy, 1920x1200 is not. I get that 2840x2400 is 2x 1920x1200 now haha thinking about it

And lastly, does it bother you not being able to access in system pref anymore or RDM an adequate replacement? Wondering if worth the trade off
 
Last edited:

caaalebbb

macrumors member
Mar 15, 2011
79
12
@caaalebbb @itsphilgeorge



how does 1920x1200 scaled compared to 2048x1280 that is now showing up in RDM and possibly bc of SwitchResX? Installed RDM after SwitchResX on this machine so cant tell if that caused it to be accessible

edit: 2048x1280 is fuzzy, 1920x1200 is not. I get that 2840x2400 is 2x 1920x1200 now haha thinking about it

And lastly, does it bother you not being able to access in system pref anymore or RDM an adequate replacement? Wondering if worth the trade off
1920x1200 looks great for me.

Actually, for some reason my system pref options changed at some point after installing all the resolutions I wanted. (It might have been after I used them once? I'm not sure what triggered it.)

So now my options in system pref are:

1920x1200 (More space)
1792x1120
1536x960 (I wish it were 1650x1020)
1280x800 (Default) (I wish it were 1536x960)
1024x640 (Larger text) (I wish it were 1440x900)

If it does the same for you after you've installed the resolutions you wanted, then you probably won't need RDM.

But I still use RDM, since it gives me more resolution options and since I change between resolutions quite a bit, depending on whether I'm using my laptop as a second screen with my monitor, or whether I'm using it on my lap or with an external keyboard, etc. Plus, it's ultimately less clicks just selecting from the menu bar with RDM.

(Only issue I have with RDM, is that if a screen resolution is changed by some other method, RDM frequently doesn't show that the screen resolution is different, unless I update it in RDM or restart RDM. But this is a small bug.)
 
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thadoggfather

macrumors P6
Original poster
Oct 1, 2007
15,552
16,287
1920x1200 looks great for me.

Actually, for some reason my system pref options changed at some point after installing all the resolutions I wanted. (It might have been after I used them once? I'm not sure what triggered it.)

So now my options in system pref are:

1920x1200 (More space)
1792x1120
1536x960 (I wish it were 1650x1020)
1280x800 (Default) (I wish it were 1536x960)
1024x640 (Larger text) (I wish it were 1440x900)

If it does the same for you after you've installed the resolutions you wanted, then you probably won't need RDM.

But I still use RDM, since it gives me more resolution options and since I change between resolutions quite a bit, depending on whether I'm using my laptop as a second screen with my monitor, or whether I'm using it on my lap or with an external keyboard, etc. Plus, it's ultimately less clicks just selecting from the menu bar with RDM.

(Only issue I have with RDM, is that if a screen resolution is changed by some other method, RDM frequently doesn't show that the screen resolution is different, unless I update it in RDM or restart RDM. But this is a small bug.)

RDM is nice. I do like it.

But I prefer to keep settings toggles too if possible

seems to work for me in Settings:
1920x1200
1680x1050
1440x900
1280x800

nothing lower and thats perfectly fine for me

M1 Air is good to go. 1920 is a breath of fresh air. do I want to use it all the time? absolutely not but I will use it often
 
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