Dell 6K U3224KB Monitor

[tstafford]

FYI - A firmware update was posted yesterday for version M2T104. Here's the fixes/enhancements:

• Improved codec error recovery to fix audio codec hang up
• Fixed webcam video stream intermittently not received by Host

I was having webcam glitches on Zoom meetings, so I certainly hope this fixes the problem.

Thanks for the heads-up.

FYI - I implemented it. Installed seamlessly w/o impacting my BD settings.

 

[TMF93]

Well, I installed Sonoma 14.1 RC to see if there was any change (with low expectations) and lo and behold, HDR is now available over Thunderbolt at full resolution on my M2 pro mini....🙂 Whatever the issue was, it seems completely fixed. I should also mention that I already updated the monitor firmware to the latest M2T104 version.

YMMV, but I thought this might be of interest to someone on this thread. 🤣

 

[tstafford]

Well, I installed Sonoma 14.1 RC to see if there was any change (with low expectations) and lo and behold, HDR is now available over Thunderbolt at full resolution on my M2 pro mini....🙂 Whatever the issue was, it seems completely fixed. I should also mention that I already updated the monitor firmware to the latest M2T104 version.

YMMV, but I thought this might be of interest to someone on this thread. 🤣

What refresh rate are you getting on that?

(And thanks for posting this. Very intriguing!)

 

[TMF93]

What refresh rate are you getting on that?

(And thanks for posting this. Very intriguing!)

60hz, and to be crystal clear: this is at full resolution with no Betterdisplay "hacks" and zero configuration/settings changes either on the Mac or the display itself...
It just works™ (so to speak) after the update.

 

[tstafford]

60hz, and to be crystal clear: this is at full resolution with no Betterdisplay "hacks" and zero configuration/settings changes either on the Mac or the display itself...
It just works™ (so to speak) after the update.

Thanks. Very curious to see if this works on my M1M Studio. Will wait until the general release of the Sonoma update.

 

[Thyme]

Thanks. Very curious to see if this works on my M1M Studio. Will wait until the general release of the Sonoma update.

I can confirm that the Sonoma 14.1 public beta does fix the Thunderbolt problem with the M1 Pro chip (16" MacBook Pro ) so your M1M Studio and other M1 Mac users should be good to go! As reported earlier, native resolution 6144x3456 @ 60Hz, 30-bit, and HDR all immediately work over TB. BetterDisplay is not needed to futz with the resolutions.

 

[tstafford]

I can confirm that the Sonoma 14.1 public beta does fix the Thunderbolt problem with the M1 Pro chip (16" MacBook Pro ) so your M1M Studio and other M1 Mac users should be good to go! As reported earlier, native resolution 6144x3456 @ 60Hz, 30-bit, and HDR all immediately work over TB. BetterDisplay is not needed to futz with the resolutions.

Terrific. What steps did you go through to undo the BD "hacks"? I want to do that in a careful way!

 

[TMF93]

Terrific. What steps did you go through to undo the BD "hacks"? I want to do that in a careful way!

I have never used it, but I believe it was just creating a custom resolution to match the Pro Display XDR which triggered some kind of hardcoded behaviour in the system to enable HDR.
That is the "hack" I was referring to....
There is basically nothing to undo beyond setting the monitor to its default/native resolution.

edit: Thinking about it, maybe the aspect ratio setting in the monitor OSD, but I don't believe it has any effect at native resolution.

 

[tstafford]

I have never used it, but I believe it was just creating a custom resolution to match the Pro Display XDR which triggered some kind of hardcoded behaviour in the system to enable HDR.
That is the "hack" I was referring to....
There is basically nothing to undo beyond setting the monitor to its default/native resolution.

edit: Thinking about it, maybe the aspect ratio setting in the monitor OSD, but I don't believe it has any effect at native resolution.

Actually it required editing the native resolution down to the same as the XDR. More invasive than a custom resolution. I'm sure it's easy - but I figured I'd ask since Thyme has done all of this already. (And was super helpful when I applied the "hacks")

 

[TMF93]

Actually it required editing the native resolution down to the same as the XDR. More invasive than a custom resolution. I'm sure it's easy - but I figured I'd ask since Thyme has done all of this already. (And was super helpful when I applied the "hacks")

Looking at Betterdisplay settings, I see what you mean... It shouldn't involve anything beyond resetting the numbers to native resolution, but I'll let someone with actual expertise on the software confirm.

 

[slicedbread]

I can confirm that the Sonoma 14.1 public beta does fix the Thunderbolt problem with the M1 Pro chip (16" MacBook Pro ) so your M1M Studio and other M1 Mac users should be good to go! As reported earlier, native resolution 6144x3456 @ 60Hz, 30-bit, and HDR all immediately work over TB. BetterDisplay is not needed to futz with the resolutions.

I'm still on Ventura, but if the release version of 14.1 is confirmed to fix it I'll be upgrading immediately.
Fingers crossed!

 

[tstafford]

So I got curious and implemented the 14.1 public beta and made the adjustments to the Dell. Can confirm it works on my M1M Studio connected via TB.

 

[slicedbread]

So I got curious and implemented the 14.1 public beta and made the adjustments to the Dell. Can confirm it works on my M1M Studio connected via TB.

hallelujah! finally!

 

[pdm]

Has any one figure out how to turn off the proximity sensor that wakes the computer up when I get near the monitor? I find it very irritating to walk into my office and the computer wakes up because I pass by. It even unlocks because of my watch which I like when I wiggle the mouse but not just passing by.

I'm still having all the MacOS Sonoma issues. I files bug reports but they've had no activity.

 

[Thyme]

Has any one figure out how to turn off the proximity sensor that wakes the computer up when I get near the monitor? I find it very irritating to walk into my office and the computer wakes up because I pass by.

My solution to this problem was to stick an adhesive webcam privacy cover over the sensor above the webcam. I used this fancy slide cover because I had one handy and it was big enough. But simple webcam-privacy stickers like these should also be fine (and perhaps better at shielding any stray light than slide covers).

It even unlocks because of my watch which I like when I wiggle the mouse but not just passing by.

If you mean that you have your Apple Watch set to unlock your Mac, that is a totally separate issue from the sensor on the Dell detecting light and waking up the monitor.

I'm still having all the MacOS Sonoma issues.

Based on the 14.1 public beta that I and others here have tried (see the posts above on this page), it seems many / all of these issues will be solved when 14.1 is officially released, which should be soon. Fingers crossed!

I files bug reports but they've had no activity.

Does Apple actually provide any feedback when filing bugs with their current feedback system? They used to with their old bug reporting system, but now it's all under a general feedback system, and I think the submission system even says that while they supposedly take all feedback into consideration, they don't (or are unlikely) to ever respond, provide updates, etc. But maybe you have a developer account and things are different there?

 

[TMF93]

Has any one figure out how to turn off the proximity sensor that wakes the computer up when I get near the monitor? I find it very irritating to walk into my office and the computer wakes up because I pass by. It even unlocks because of my watch which I like when I wiggle the mouse but not just passing by.

I'm still having all the MacOS Sonoma issues. I files bug reports but they've had no activity.

You can turn it off in the monitor's audio & webcam section of the OSD. However, be aware that the setting also disables the webcam at the same time.
Personally, I keep it off unless I need to use the webcam.

 

[Thyme]

You can turn it off in the monitor's audio & webcam section of the OSD. However, be aware that the setting also disables the webcam at the same time.
Personally, I keep it off unless I need to use the webcam.

This annoying limitation is exactly why I resorted to using a webcam-privy cover to physically block the sensor. I also often use the left-panel "camera-mute" button to force the camera shutter closed, but this means that that icon is always illuminated in red. But, I don't mind that so much.

 

[Ener Ji]

Hi folks, I've read the last several pages of discussion and it's great to hear that the latest firmware combined with the upcoming Sonoma 14.1 appear(?) to resolve most of the lingering issues with his monitor. I have a few questions for any owners kind enough to weigh in:

1. Does this monitor wake quickly and smoothly? My LG 5K takes many, many seconds to wake up, and involves multiple "bonks" (black screens) on both my MBP (2019, Intel) and the monitor itself. I do plan to upgrade to an M series laptop which may help a little, but from what I've been told this is mostly an issue with the LG 5k and won't improve dramatically.
2. Can a Mac laptop keyboard's brightness controls adjust the brightness of this monitor? I adjust my monitor brightness several times per day as lighting conditions change. When I was looking at the Samsung Viewfinity, that was a big negative of that monitor.
3. With a similar PPI, am I right in thinking that when using macOS's standard "2x" resolution text is about the same size as it would be on a 27" 5k display?
4. How's the webcam, is it an upgrade over the LG 5k and the Apple Studio Display (ASD)?
5. I have considered getting a second 27" monitor but I'm a bit unsatisfied at the current 5k monitor options that are available. For anyone who upgraded from a 27" 5K (or that maybe downsized from a muti-monitor setup to a single 32" Dell 6k) how do you feel about it? Do you feel you get a significant amount of additional screen real estate? (I use Magnet.app to snap windows into sides and sometimes corners of my LG 5k at the moment, FWIW.)

Thanks!

 

[Thyme]

Does this monitor wake quickly and smoothly? My LG 5K takes many, many seconds to wake up, and involves multiple "bonks" (black screens) on both my MBP (2019, Intel) and the monitor itself. I do plan to upgrade to an M series laptop which may help a little, but from what I've been told this is mostly an issue with the LG 5k and won't improve dramatically.

It is fairly quick to wake up and much better than my old LG 38" ultra wide. It's probably not as quick an Apple display, but I don't have one for comparison purposes.

Can a Mac laptop keyboard's brightness controls adjust the brightness of this monitor? I adjust my monitor brightness several times per day as lighting conditions change. When I was looking at the Samsung Viewfinity, that was a big negative of that monitor.

Yes, but you need to install BetterDisplay, which is free. With BetterDisplay installed, you can control both the brightness and volume using the standard Mac keyboard keys. It just works.

With a similar PPI, am I right in thinking that when using macOS's standard "2x" resolution text is about the same size as it would be on a 27" 5k display?

Yes, 2x Retina scaling will give you essentially the exact same UI / font size as a 27" 5K display. Technically, the Dell has a slightly higher PPI than than the 218 PPI spec on the ASD, but it's an insignificant difference and probably not noticeable.

How's the webcam, is it an upgrade over the LG 5k and the Apple Studio Display (ASD)?

I think the webcam is perfectly fine and have no complaints, but I have neither of those monitors to compare it to. It is better than my old external Logitech C920 webcam and I don't really notice a difference with respect to the webcam on my 16" MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro.

I have considered getting a second 27" monitor but I'm a bit unsatisfied at the current 5k monitor options that are available. For anyone who upgraded from a 27" 5K (or that maybe downsized from a muti-monitor setup to a single 32" Dell 6k) how do you feel about it? Do you feel you get a significant amount of additional screen real estate? (I use Magnet.app to snap windows into sides and sometimes corners of my LG 5k at the moment, FWIW.)

My progression was: 27" 5K iMac Pro -> LG 38" Ultrawide (about 110 PPI) -> this 32" 6K Dell. I greatly prefer the 32" 6K over the other two display options, and it is significantly bigger than a single 27" 5K display. I also considered two 27" 5K displays, but (a) that would have been significantly more expensive than what I paid for this Dell and (b) I wanted a monitor with multiple inputs for different computers, which the ASD doesn't have (and the Samsung 27" 5K wasn't out yet when I bought the Dell).

 

[tstafford]

Hi folks, I've read the last several pages of discussion and it's great to hear that the latest firmware combined with the upcoming Sonoma 14.1 appear(?) to resolve most of the lingering issues with his monitor. I have a few questions for any owners kind enough to weigh in:

1. Does this monitor wake quickly and smoothly? My LG 5K takes many, many seconds to wake up, and involves multiple "bonks" (black screens) on both my MBP (2019, Intel) and the monitor itself. I do plan to upgrade to an M series laptop which may help a little, but from what I've been told this is mostly an issue with the LG 5k and won't improve dramatically.

Thanks!

I run the Dell 6K next to two ASDs. The Dell is slower to wake than the ASDs for sure. Not annoyingly so, but slower. I use BD to manager the brightness and also ensure that windows return to their locations/size. Overall I prefer the Dell to the ASDs.

 

[TMF93]

There is a definite improvement with the latest firmware, but yeah, it's pretty slow to wake from sleep...
Oddly, I have experienced a wide range of wakeup times, from nearly instant to a much as 5/8 seconds.

 

[tstafford]

There is a definite improvement with the latest firmware, but yeah, it's pretty slow to wake from sleep...
Oddly, I have experienced a wide range of wakeup times, from nearly instant to a much as 5/8 seconds.

Same here. Seems to be tied to whether the proximity sensor has been activated.

 

[Thyme]

Very good news for all Apple Silicon users today! macOS Sonoma 14.1 is now officially out and it appears to solve both

• the longstanding Thunderbolt issues with M1 and M2 Macs we've all been complaining about in this thread (native 6K now works without any caveats!) and
• the new issue that was introduced in Sonoma 14.0 for those using HDMI v2.1 on M2 Pro/Max/Ultra machines.

I just tested the official 14.1 release and got, out of the box (no BetterDisplay needed), a native 6144x3456 @ 60 Hz, 30-bit color, HDR signal (running in Retina 2x scaling mode) on all of the following:

• Mac Mini M2 Pro using Thunderbolt
• Mac Mini M2 Pro using HDMI v2.1
• 16" MacBook Pro M1 Pro using Thunderbolt

I also tried running some lower resolutions, like 6072x3384. These work, but for some reason, macOS still outputs a 6144x3456 signal for a lot of them. For example, with 6072x3384, the UI and fonts are scaled slightly larger (my Dell is still set to 1:1 scaling, i.e., no scaling), but macOS then outputs this slightly scaled size as a 6144x3456 signal. It's a little weird, but I doubt many people will care. I think we all want to be at 6144x3456 without any limitations, and it seems we have that now!

I also tested the 13.6.1 update that was released today, but it doesn't fix the Thunderbolt issues. It seems people will need to update to 14.1.

 

[joules-worker]

I'm a new owner of this monitor and haveve read through this long thread and is roughly aware of the limitations when using this monitor with Mac OS. I have 2 machines:
- A work Intel Macbook Pro 16" (2019 model) with AMD Radeon 5500M graphics card, running Mac OS 12.7. I have admin rights on the machine but cannot update the OS on this machine and IT makes the OS update process on this machine extremely cumbersome. According to the official specs, it should be able to drive “Up to two displays with 6016‑by‑3384 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors”.
- A personal M1 Pro Macbook Pro 14" running the latest Mac OS 13.

I personally don't care too much about 10 bit color but I do care about having 6K@60hz (I don't mind if I have to run the slightly smaller 6016px wide resolution instead of 6144px).

On my personal machine, when I plug it in, I get 8-bit color at 6144x3456 60hz automatically, which is great. However, on my work Intel machine, I get 10-bit color at 6144x3456 but only 30hz, which is bad. I have tried using Better Display to set the native resolution of the monitor to 6016x3384 but for some reason I don't think this custom settings is "sticking" because Better Display still shows the larger resolution as the current native resolution as shown in the screenshot. I've hit the "apply" button and tried to restart my machine after making the changes. One thing that I notice is that after making these kind of resolution changes, Better Display on personal machine gives me the "activate" option after hitting "apply" but I don't see this option on my work machine. My Better Display version is 2.0.11 and I paid for a license, thinking it would help me to get the monitor running at 60hz.

I've also tried changing the EDID by deleting the 6144x3384 resolutions in the EDID and then use Better Display's EDID override functionality but that doesn't seem to work either.

Can anyone here chime in with what I'm missing or what I should try? Thanks.

 

[tstafford]

Can't comment on the Intel machine but you will get better results on the M1P if you upgrade to macOS 14.1 (current version).