Caldigit TS3+ M1 Pro with dual monitors?

[jostermacedo]

@jostermacedo Can you share more information about your setup?

• 14" or 16"
• Stock or customized?
• What monitor brand and model?
• Are both monitors plugged into the TS3+?
• Which TB port on the M1 Pro are you plugged in to?

Hi dahveed311,

I have a 16" M1 Pro, 32GB and 1TB SSD. The monitors are two LG 4K 27in, both connected to the TS3+. One using the USB-C and the other through DisplayPort. Normally I use the TB port on the left, but any of them work. I'm using the latest MacOS 12.3 beta. It has been flawless. No issues whatsoever using these two monitors with the Macbook and the TS3+.

I'm not at home, so I can't check the specific monitor models.

Joster

 

[MrCubes]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I just got a CalDigit TS4 - at great expense - but based on all the rave reviews, to use with my 14" M1 Pro MBP.

I have two 4K displays. I can connect one via DisplayPort, and one by USB-C -> DisplayPort. They each work fine individually - but if I try the two together the second one just gives me a garbled display (looks like a sync issue).

I can also connect one of my travel dongles to a USB-C port, and use the HDMI output from there. That "works" but the HDML signal maxes out at 1080p!

If I use the DP on the TS4 and the HDMI out on the MBP then I everything works as it should. Not the end of the world, but (like others here) one of the reason I spent extra on the CalDigit was the promise of single cable docking!

Searching for similar experiences led me here. Although the thread up until now has been concerning the TS3/+, it appears the same, or similar, issues remain with the TS4 - which makes sense if it's a software issue. I'm on Monterey 12.2.1, so it seems it hasn't been addressed yet (again, in keeping with @dahveed311's report).

Has anyone, earlier in the thread, seen anything different?

 

[dahveed311]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I just got a CalDigit TS4 - at great expense - but based on all the rave reviews, to use with my 14" M1 Pro MBP.

I ordered a TS4 from the new batch and should have it within a week. I'll report back with my experience. I also picked up a CalDigit brand HDMI to USB-C and DP to USB-C adapter hoping for better compatibility, but based on their messaging, I am still expecting issues with two 4K screens through the dock due to (what they say are) bugs that need to be fixed in MacOS for both the TS3 and TS4.

I know this isn't just a problem with the TS3+ because I plugged a monitor directly into the MacBook with a DP to USB-C cable (active, no "dongle" per se) and had the same issue, so I think there is some greater likelihood of issue with DisplayPort compared to HDMI (which has been my experience. and of course this was all working happily on my 2020 Intel Macbook Pro). I also don't know if M1 MacOS is respecting the full bandwidth capabilities of the link. While testing both monitors through the TS3, I intermittently had less frequent blanking while setting the resolution to Default (1920x1080, since I normally use "looks like 2560x1440), and even less blanking while setting it to 30hz.

 

[Fomalhaut]

Does anyone know if Caldigit TS3+ with M1 Pro / Max have any issues with dual monitors using the doc with 1 thunderbolt cable?

I just got a macbook air M1 Mac and was disappointed that dual monitors did not work with my TS3+ and Caldigit said it was the chip's fault but M1 Pro / Max do work with the TS3+. That's what they said but not sure if there are any issues with this setup or not.

Thanks,
-- Jorge

[Edit: realised that this is an old thread, so probably too late for the OP, but leaving here for the benefit of others with the same question ]

The MacBook Air only supports a single monitor (plus internal display), irrespective of how you connect it, unless you are using a DisplayLink dock (that provides a kind of GPU software "simulation" via USB).

This fact is well advertised by Apple so your disappointment was to be expected if you read the specs before buying:

 

[dahveed311]

I ordered a TS4 from the new batch and should have it within a week. I'll report back with my experience.

I'm saddened to report that CalDigit's TS4 exhibits the exact same behavior. It seems like the common denominator is using an M1 MacBook (M1 Pro in my case) with DisplayPort. If I plug the monitor into the MacBook directly with a DP-to-USB-C cable, I still see blanking. I really hope Apple fixes the M1 MacBook issues with external monitors, docks, and DisplayPort compatibility.

 

[ikkysleepy]

[Edit: realised that this is an old thread, so probably too late for the OP, but leaving here for the benefit of others with the same question ]

The MacBook Air only supports a single monitor (plus internal display), irrespective of how you connect it, unless you are using a DisplayLink dock (that provides a kind of GPU software "simulation" via USB).

This fact is well advertised by Apple so your disappointment was to be expected if you read the specs before buying:
View attachment 1969511

The disappointment comes from my expectation of owning several laptops. For the past 10 years or whatever it may be the Macbook had dual monitor support using thunderbolt 2/3 and now 4 and to all of a sudden to have thunderbolt but no dual monitor support is disappointing. Apple can give you 20-core CPU but no dual monitor support using one cable? Anyways, I got the MBA M1 for work and was testing it out to see if I could switch over. My logic was that it's Thunderbolt 3, something Apple developed and have full hardware and support control, so I am sure they can have dual monitor support but I was wrong. The sentiment from CalDigit was the same, which was that yeah its Apple's Fault this is not working. CalDigit has since updated their website and it's clear now but at the time they were trying to work with Apple on this but nothing came from it.

 

[MrCubes]

I'm saddened to report that CalDigit's TS4 exhibits the exact same behavior. It seems like the common denominator is using an M1 MacBook (M1 Pro in my case) with DisplayPort. If I plug the monitor into the MacBook directly with a DP-to-USB-C cable, I still see blanking. I really hope Apple fixes the M1 MacBook issues with external monitors, docks, and DisplayPort compatibility.

That pretty much matches my experience, then (although I get the line sync issue rather than blanking - but seems reasonable to assume it's the same underlying issue).
We'll also see if it behaves any better with a Studio Display, when mine arrives in a couple of weeks!