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Mdb78

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 17, 2021
2
0
Hey - has anyone had success running a 6K display and 5K display on the M1 mini at the same time. Specs say it can only handle 6K and a 4K display. Is this 100% true or has anyone managed a work around. Any help/advice welcomed.
 

joevt

macrumors 604
Jun 21, 2012
6,939
4,241
You could probably use the 5K display at 4K connected to the HDMI port using a HDMI to USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode adapter.

There is currently no adapter that can convert HDMI to DisplayPort with a width greater than 4096 pixels. You have to wait for someone to make a HDMI 2.1 to USB-C DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode adapter.
https://insights.club-3d.com/thread/hdmi-2-1-to-usb-c-displayport-1-4-alt-mode/

Even if such an adapter exists, the LG UltraFine 5K can only do 5K with a single connection at 39 Hz (because of ≈ 600 MHz max pixel clock). Normally, the LG UltraFine 5K uses two DisplayPort connections over Thunderbolt to achieve 5K 60Hz (900+ MHz total). Also, there's currently no method on M1 Macs to create an EDID Override to add custom timings.

There exist other 5K displays that can do 60Hz with a single DisplayPort 1.4 connection, but the Mac mini uses a DisplayPort 1.4 to HDMI 2.0b converter internally which can't do more than 14.4 Gbps because of HDMI 2.0 limit (Apple should have used a DisplayPort 1.4 to HDMI 2.1 converter). Also, remember that to do 5K width you need the non-existent HDMI 2.1 to DisplayPort 1.4 adapter (unless you can find a 5K display that has HDMI inputs that can accept 5K width). With the adapter (which doesn't exist) and the method to create custom timings (which doesn't exist), you could do 5K using 60Hz 10bpc 4:2:0, 57Hz 8bpc 4:2:2, 51Hz 6bpc RGB (but macOS doesn't allow 6bpc), 46Hz 10bpc 4:2:2, 38Hz 8bpc RGB, 31Hz 10bpc RGB.

It is unknown whether or not the LG or any other 5K display supports chroma sub sampling so you may be stuck with RGB.

The XDR definitely doesn't support chroma subsampling so from the HDMI 2.0 port it could only get 6K using 28Hz 8bpc RGB or 22Hz 10bpc RGB. It is unknown whether or not the XDR can do custom timings below 47.9 Hz.
 

joevt

macrumors 604
Jun 21, 2012
6,939
4,241
Instead of trying and failing to connect a 5K or 6K display to HDMI, you can try DisplayLink.

I don't know if DisplayLink can do 5120x2880 with a single DisplayPort connection. If it can, it will be limited to DisplayPort 1.2 (max 17.28 Gbps). Does DisplayLink have a method to do custom timings? Does it use EDID overrides even though macOS does not? If not, then you probably can't do 5K.

DisplayLink supports dual cable 5K mode. I'm not sure if that works in macOS. To make it work with an LG UltraFine 5K, you would need to connect the two DisplayPort cables to a Thunderbolt 3/4 add-in card and then connect the LG UltraFine 5K to the add-in card. Then you could have 5K 60Hz 10bpc RGB.

Dual cable 6K 60Hz requires HBR3. I think DisplayLink is limited to HBR2 and is probably limited to 5K width anyway. I think XDR can do dual cable 5K 60Hz over Thunderbolt and it can do single cable 5K 60Hz 6bpc (but macOS doesn't allow 6bpc).

DisplayLink doesn't do DSC which the XDR could use for single cable 6K 60Hz 10bpc RGB mode.
 
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