M2 Mac Mini Pro Display Issues

[KashC]

I'm wondering if anyone is having similar issues to me. I bought a m2 mac mini pro, base model 16gb/512gb. Got it last week and was working great with my 2 4k 144hz Dell G3223q monitors. Ran at full resolution with max refresh rate on both. Left monitor was connected via Displayport to USB-c cable, and right was connected via HDMI to HDMI cable.

I wanted to see if the mini was capable of running both monitor using displayport to usb instead of the right using HDMI, so I ordered the same cable again on amazon and hooked the right monitor up the same way as the left monitor.

To my finding it could support 4k @ 144hz via displayport to usb-c on both monitors. Then about 2 days later, some weird stuff started happening on the monitors.

Every time I would come back in the morning to use the monitors, the display settings would be all wack. I would wake my mac using the keyboard or track pad, and both monitors would be mirroring on the lowest possible resolution (1080p) @30 or 60 hz. Then when I would go to display settings, the max refresh rate I could select would now be 60hz, and to my findings the only way I could get 144hz as an option again would be to power off the monitor and turn it back on, only then would 144hz show up under refresh rate again.

Really weird, it was working wonderfully the first two days, no issues at all. Didn't mirror the main display after coming back the next morning, always had the right resolution on the lock screen. I literally can't think of anything that changed except for me trying to use (2) displayport to usb-c cables. I even tried using HDMI again to see if maybe using both via displayport wouldn't work, and it's still giving me these issues. I dont know what else to change/try/do.

Any ideas?

 

[notabot]

I'm having the same type of issues. I just picked mine up 2 days ago and it's also the base M2 Pro Mac mini. Initial set up everything looked great. But whenever the Mac goes to sleep it seems to mess up my display settings. I'll come back and wake it up and my display is suddenly set to 720p and my display options in Settings is limited. I have to re-seat the HDMI cable each time to "fix" it. I'm using a Dell 4K monitor that I've used with a M1 Mac mini with no issues. I may return the M2 Pro mini.

Edit: I should add that I've tried multiple HDMI cables and they all do the same thing. So it's not the cables.

 

[Cham2000]

Seems like a software issue. Probably a bug in Ventura.

 

[notabot]

Seems like a software issue. Probably a bug in Ventura.

Maybe. But I was running the latest version of Ventura on my M1 mini without this issue.

 

[Fishrrman]

Go back to your earlier connection setup (using HDMI) that worked.
Forget about the connection that won't work consistently.

"Use what works, ignore that which doesn't"...

 

[KashC]

Go back to your earlier connection setup (using HDMI) that worked.
Forget about the connection that won't work consistently.

"Use what works, ignore that which doesn't"...

it doesn't work even when I switch back to HDMI as normal now. Hoping a new software update addresses this.

 

[jackietreeh0rn]

I have this issue on my ancient 2018 Intel MBP(running ventura) and a 60hz 4k LG monitor as well. It doesn't happen always, but sometimes the external display seems to be running at 30hz and that is the max number on the display options. I have to reboot to get it back to 60hz.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

Can you get one display working via HDMI?
Even if the other remains disconnected at the moment?

Do you HAVE TO use 144hz?

 

[KashC]

OP:

Can you get one display working via HDMI?
Even if the other remains disconnected at the moment?

Do you HAVE TO use 144hz?

I think your misunderstanding my problem, but I think I may have found a solution to the issue. And to answer your last question, yes I would like to use 144hz as I have invested quite a bit of money in 4k 144hz dual monitors with a new m2 pro mini that outlined its new hardware capability included out the box to support this kind of display. I guess my frustration lies in the fact that it worked beautifully for 2 days, and for some reason something went wrong and it isn't doing the same thing. I cant figure out for the life of me what changed, but for any others with this issue try this.

In terminal:

sudo -i
rm -i /Library/Preferences/com.apple.windowserver.displays.plist

After this, reboot your mac and setup your desired display settings, so far this has corrected the issue. Will update thread further if anything changes. This fixed both the issue of needing to power on and off my monitors to get the correct frame rate to show up in settings, along with the issue of the mac waking and displaying the lowest possible resolution (combined with the frame rate issue just mentioned) on the lock screen of the mac.

Best of luck!

 

[Jerry_D]

My experience is not exactly the same but it does have some similarities. I have a new Mac mini M2 Pro connected to two Dell U2722DE monitors via USB-C cables.

Everything worked as expected for about a week and then suddenly the monitors would not wake up from sleep . Moving the mouse, keys on the keyboard, swiping on the trackpad, no avail. Forcing the Mac to shut down and restarting it didn't help either.

I connected a Windows PC via USB-C and neither of the monitors would come alive. Both monitors however did come alive when the same Mac PC was connected via a HDMI cable, also when connecting the PC using DP cables. After having tried a lot of different approaches, I just switched everything off (actually pulled the common power strip cord out of the wall socket) for about 30 minutes, connected the monitors to the Mac with the USB-C cables as before and restarted everything. Now everything worked fine again!

Another week went by with everything working fine and today only one of the monitors went dead; the other one continued working fine but the Mac was only detecting that one. Benefitting from my first experience, I again switched everything off, waited for a while and switched it all back on. Again, everything went back to normal.

Go figure!

 

[gusping]

Mac minis have horrendous monitor compatibility, end of. See my thread for a summary of my own issues: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-monitor.2379961/?post=31956883#post-31956883

I have had issues with displays waking up or waking up with the incorrect setting since the launch day of the 2018 mini. I can guarantee you that they won't be fixed. Live with them or buy another computer. It's a sad state of affairs, but Apple clearly has no interest in fixing things anytime soon.

 

[NGHTCRWLR]

Hi @KashC,

I have the same Dell G3223Q with an M1 Mac mini. When you connect at high frame rates like 4K/144 or 4K/120 from your Mac, on the Dell Display, in the Display section of the OSD is it using RGB or YCbCr for input colour format?

Mine uses RGB until I go over 60hz then YCbCr takes over and text clarity takes a dive from chroma 4:2:2.

Just wondering if it's different for you possibly either because of your M2 Mac or a different cable. Thanks for any info.

 

[wxmyth1990]

Hello @KashC
I am using same M2 pro Mac mini+Dell G3223Q monitor, with a DP to type C cable(I am sure my cable can support 4K144hz).
My MacOS system is macOS Ventura 13.4, but my monitor only show 30hz.
I also connect another DELL monitor U3219Q with a type C cable, this one can support 60hz perfectly.
can you guide me if there is any setting I need to deal with? this 30hz thing really drive me crazy, looks like Mac mini have a bad compatible with different monitors.
Thanks in advance!

 

[wxmyth1990]

Hello @KashC
I am using same M2 pro Mac mini+Dell G3223Q monitor, with a DP to type C cable(I am sure my cable can support 4K144hz).
My MacOS system is macOS Ventura 13.4, but my monitor only show 30hz.
I also connect another DELL monitor U3219Q with a type C cable, this one can support 60hz perfectly.
can you guide me if there is any setting I need to deal with? this 30hz thing really drive me crazy, looks like Mac mini have a bad compatible with different monitors.
Thanks in advance!

oh man, I see what's going on there, I need to turn off AMD Freesync.....then 144hz will appear...

 

[gdbleb]

Mac minis have horrendous monitor compatibility, end of. See my thread for a summary of my own issues: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-monitor.2379961/?post=31956883#post-31956883

I have had issues with displays waking up or waking up with the incorrect setting since the launch day of the 2018 mini. I can guarantee you that they won't be fixed. Live with them or buy another computer. It's a sad state of affairs, but Apple clearly has no interest in fixing things anytime soon.

Unfortunately this is true. DP seems to behave better, at least on my 2018 blown-out MM. Monitor reversals on wake-up. HDMI "forget" which requires a HDMI "reseat". 2 Dell 27" Ultrasharps (different model #'s) And it is NOT every morning. I also have an ASD that shuttles between this MM and a work windoze laptop that works fine.

 

[matteuk]

I'm wondering if anyone is having similar issues to me. I bought a m2 mac mini pro, base model 16gb/512gb. Got it last week and was working great with my 2 4k 144hz Dell G3223q monitors. Ran at full resolution with max refresh rate on both. Left monitor was connected via Displayport to USB-c cable, and right was connected via HDMI to HDMI cable.

I wanted to see if the mini was capable of running both monitor using displayport to usb instead of the right using HDMI, so I ordered the same cable again on amazon and hooked the right monitor up the same way as the left monitor.

To my finding it could support 4k @ 144hz via displayport to usb-c on both monitors. Then about 2 days later, some weird stuff started happening on the monitors.

Every time I would come back in the morning to use the monitors, the display settings would be all wack. I would wake my mac using the keyboard or track pad, and both monitors would be mirroring on the lowest possible resolution (1080p) @30 or 60 hz. Then when I would go to display settings, the max refresh rate I could select would now be 60hz, and to my findings the only way I could get 144hz as an option again would be to power off the monitor and turn it back on, only then would 144hz show up under refresh rate again.

Really weird, it was working wonderfully the first two days, no issues at all. Didn't mirror the main display after coming back the next morning, always had the right resolution on the lock screen. I literally can't think of anything that changed except for me trying to use (2) displayport to usb-c cables. I even tried using HDMI again to see if maybe using both via displayport wouldn't work, and it's still giving me these issues. I dont know what else to change/try/do.

Any ideas?

I’m having the same issues. It’s something to do with YCBCR and 4.4.4RGB. Either the monitors not capable or the MacBook of running over 60hz at 4.4.4 RGB mine keeps switching to YCBCR which gives you blurry fonts