Can M2 Pro/Max Macbook Pro support 5k (5120 × 2880) 120hz display?

[cliffzhu]

Hello,

Citing Apple's 2023 Macbook Pro Display Support below, I have two questions in case Apple releases 5k (5120 × 2880) 120hz ProMotion display in the future -

1) Can it support outputting 5k (5120 × 2880) 120hz over its Thunderbolt 4 port?
2) If not, can it support outputting 5k (5120 × 2880) 120hz over its HDMI 2.1 port?

Thanks, if there is a 'Yes', then I'll go with 2023 Macbook Pro, or else I'll just go with 2021 Macbook Pro

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

 

[Pressure]

Technically both HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4a (TB4) could support 5K@120Hz.

 

[cliffzhu]

Technically both HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4a (TB4) could support 5K@120Hz.

Thanks! I did multiple googling but can't seem to find a direct answer, so would appreciate if you can point me to a source so I can be sure it is supported. From reading this one, https://www.cablematters.com/Blog/Thunderbolt/what-is-thunderbolt-4, it still didn't mention 5K 120hz is supported by TB3 or TB4

 

[dmccloud]

It looks like both TB3 and 4 support 5K @ 60hZ...

More info: https://www.datapro.net/techinfo/thunderbolt_info.html

 

[xraydoc]

There's definitely some missing information that Apple isn't forthcoming with. However, I will say this -- I can run two 5K ASDs off one TB4 port on my 14" MBP M1P (through my dock).

So, if I can run 2x 5K@60Hz on a single port, I suspect, though I have no proof, that 1x 5K@120Hz might be possible.

 

[tstafford]

This is a very confusing topic. However I have a hard time believing that Apple would release an expensive Promotion 5K display and have it unavailable to the folks with M1P, M1M and M1U chips. They would be seriously limiting their market. I think they will solve this through some sort of compression or worst case dual cable approach. But who knows?

Adding to that - if I were buying today and I knew I wanted that (as of now nonexistent) display buying a machine without the HDMI 2.1 port would worry me. But even that might not really solve the issue either - what about multiple displays?

Again a confusing topic.

 

[FriendlyMackle]

This is a very confusing topic. However I have a hard time believing that Apple would release an expensive Promotion 5K display and have it unavailable to the folks with M1P, M1M and M1U chips. They would be seriously limiting their market. I think they will solve this through some sort of compression or worst case dual cable approach. But who knows?

Adding to that - if I were buying today and I knew I wanted that (as of now nonexistent) display buying a machine without the HDMI 2.1 port would worry me. But even that might not really solve the issue either - what about multiple displays?

Again a confusing topic.

But the Apple Studio display isn’t ProMotion, nor 120hz. I thought that the bandwidth is not quite enough with even Thunderbolt 4, it would need two Thunderbolt 4 ports to support the data throughput needed. At least that’s what I’ve read. Sorry, I don’t have any links, but I was curious a few weeks ago about this when I was thinking about whether this could be upgraded if faster monitors were to be released.

 

[tstafford]

But the Apple Studio display isn’t ProMotion, nor 120hz. I thought that the bandwidth is not quite enough with even Thunderbolt 4, it would need two Thunderbolt 4 ports to support the data throughput needed. At least that’s what I’ve read. Sorry, I don’t have any links, but I was curious a few weeks ago about this when I was thinking about whether this could be upgraded if faster monitors were to be released.

I think you and I are saying the same thing more or less.

 

[FriendlyMackle]

I think you and I are saying the same thing more or less.

I agree! I wanted to think that due to 8K 60hz being possible that 5K 120hz HiDPI would be, but at double resolution that is really more like 10K. We’ll have to wait for the next 1 or 2 Thunderbolt upgrades before that becomes possible, right?

 

[tstafford]

I agree! I wanted to think that due to 8K 60hz being possible that 5K 120hz HiDPI would be, but at double resolution that is really more like 10K. We’ll have to wait for the next 1 or 2 Thunderbolt upgrades before that becomes possible, right?

Mostly I'm waiting to see what Apple does with respect to both an XDR replacement and the rumored 27" ProMotion 5K. I just can't believe that either of those displays would be incompatible with the M1P/M/U machines.