How to maximize number of external monitors on MBP 16" M1 Max 10 CPU/32 GPU MacBookPro18,2 (A2485 - 2021) and best "dock" options?

[ylluminate]

I need to drive at least 9 external monitors (more if possible) on a MacBook Pro 16" 10 CPU/32 GPU model. All of these are 2560x1440 or lower resolutions.

I realize that it natively drives 4 external monitors (so with its built-in display that would make 5 total), but what adapter(s) are needed to drive those sanely from a MBP?

In addition to those 4, I (as stated) need to drive 5 more and am alright with those operating on something like a DisplayLink adapter if needed.

Are there specific devices that would maximize this situation instead of needing to run 2 or more USB external display adapters?

This system is going to be largely used on a desk, but I would like to maximize quick connect / disconnect. Is there a particular "dock" that is highly functional and most easy to connect with this model of MacBook Pro that maximizes throughput and thus having all devices attached to it while losing minimal bandwidth?

 

[joevt]

Two Thunderbolt docks or two Thunderbolt 3 to Dual DisplayPort adapters for the first 4 displays. This will save you one Thunderbolt port for other devices.

Then DisplayLink for the other 5+ displays.
https://www.synaptics.com/products/...ink_category_value=universal_docking_stations

I don't know if all 10 displays will work though.

1440p60 8bpc is 5.3 Gbps but DisplayLink uses compression so it doesn't use all of that. A single USB 3.0 port (4 Gbps) can connect four 4K60 displays. I don't think DisplayLink makes any 10 Gbps devices.
https://www.synaptics.com/products/...ink_category_value=universal_docking_stations
https://ca.targus.com/products/usb-...ng-station-100-watt-power-delivery-dock570usz

I don't know the maximum bandwidth a DisplayLink display will use. From the above example, we know that 4K60 can work with as little as 1 Gbps, so 1440p60 could use 0.5 Gbps. The question is what is the max a single display could use for highest quality?

You can add USB controllers by connecting Thunderbolt 3 docks (max ≈22 Gbps per Thunderbolt port). For example, the CalDigit TS3+ has two 4 Gbps USB controllers, one 8 Gbps USB controller and a 9.7 Gbps USB controller.

Thunderbolt 4 docks will probably just use the USB controller of the M1 Mac using USB tunnelling so those will be limited to 9.7 Gbps total.

1440p60 is 5.8 Gbps (8bpc) over DisplayPort. A single Thunderbolt port could connect 7 of them but Thunderbolt is usually limited to two displays per port. macOS doesn't support MST for multiple displays so an MST Hub won't be useful unless you want all the displays to be mirrored. But you could use a video wall processor to output multiple displays from a single DisplayPort connection. Matrox has examples but they are all limited to 1920 output width per display?
https://www.matrox.com/en/video/products/gxm/dualhead2go-series/digital-se
You need something that can take 5120x1440 or 2560x2880 input and output two 2560x1440 displays.
The displays will behave as a single display but you can use all the pixels.