M4 Pro Mini Triple Screen Set Up

[Mattyn]

As the thread title really, am interested in how you experts would connect this for optimum performance.

Mac Mini M4 Pro 12 Core 24GB Unified, 512GB SSD.
Vention 14-in-1 Thunderbolt 4 Dock
Orico NVME SSD Enc with 4TB SSD
Creative Pebble X Plus Speakers.
2 x LG 32UN650 4K Screens
1 x 32' screen to possibly follow - unsure what yet - preferably a 120Hz (or higher) for video/photo editing work.

I love the real estate for the larger screens, but I am keen to learn how the experts here would connect the Mini to the Dock/Screens/SSD. Am keen to understand what you would have connected where and with what recommended cables(I only have stock cabling at the moment). current screens have HDMI/Display Port - they don't have thunderbolt pass through which would be useful ... maybe my third screen can have that?

Quite happy to purchase another dock (is a second worth it?) or perhaps one of those to allow dual monitors from one T5 port - unsure if it is necessary and worth it. Your advice is most welcome.

There is another reason for the three screens - I also need to connect my work laptop (Windows) for WfH... so I like to have an ability to crack on with my own stuff when I am pretending to WfH!! Please don't judge!!

Hopefully this all makes sense. As ever, thanks in advance.

Matt

 

[bzgnyc2]

As the thread title really, am interested in how you experts would connect this for optimum performance.

Mac Mini M4 Pro 12 Core 24GB Unified, 512GB SSD.
Vention 14-in-1 Thunderbolt 4 Dock
Orico NVME SSD Enc with 4TB SSD
Creative Pebble X Plus Speakers.
2 x LG 32UN650 4K Screens
1 x 32' screen to possibly follow - unsure what yet - preferably a 120Hz (or higher) for video/photo editing work.

I love the real estate for the larger screens, but I am keen to learn how the experts here would connect the Mini to the Dock/Screens/SSD. Am keen to understand what you would have connected where and with what recommended cables(I only have stock cabling at the moment). current screens have HDMI/Display Port - they don't have thunderbolt pass through which would be useful ... maybe my third screen can have that?

Quite happy to purchase another dock (is a second worth it?) or perhaps one of those to allow dual monitors from one T5 port - unsure if it is necessary and worth it. Your advice is most welcome.

There is another reason for the three screens - I also need to connect my work laptop (Windows) for WfH... so I like to have an ability to crack on with my own stuff when I am pretending to WfH!! Please don't judge!!

Hopefully this all makes sense. As ever, thanks in advance.

Matt

As a starting point, I would leave one monitor connected via HDMI. Then use one of the rear USB-C/TB5 ports for the dock and one for the Orico NVMe. Then try the second monitor through the dock via HDMI, DP->DP, or USB-C->DP. If none of those work, a USB-C->DP cable from the 3rd rear port should work but of course that consumes your last TB5 port.

For the 3-monitor configuration, I would start with the new, high-refresh monitor on the HDMI port (which on the M4/M4 Pro can handle 4K @ 240Hz not to mention 120Hz). If previous experiment with second monitor through the dock worked, try both monitors on the dock (e.g. one via HDMI and one DP->DP). If not, you might need a different dock (even though that looks to be a relatively high-end one).

Though people have reported good outcomes connecting NVMe drives through a Thunderbolt dock, I prefer direct connection for primary storage whenever possible. Similarly connecting an NVMe through any TB passthru of a monitor even if it optimizes use of ports.

Also note that while DP supports higher resolutions, refresh, etc than HDMI, I wouldn't let the HDMI port on your system go to waste if it meets your needs, which it appears to do in the case of your current 4K screens. As much as possible save the TB ports on your system for things that require/make the best use of them.


P.S.On the speakers, I would connect direct to the Mac M4 via 3.5mm jack with power coming from an external USB-PD adapter. I wouldn't waste a USB port on them unless you believe the speaker's DAC/audio quality is better than Apple's builtin. Plus this way Apple's builtin volume control works without fuss.

P.S.S.Just to be clear, all the above is theoretical since I don't have any of the hardware you mentioned.

 

[PaulD-UK]

Quote: @bzgnyc2 "...try both monitors on the dock (e.g. one via HDMI and one DP->DP).

Quote Vention website: 'Monitors connected to the DP and HDMI port are mirrored.'

@Mattyn It's maybe an unusual choice to specify a '120Hz or higher' monitor for 'for video/photo editing work.'
Since for video editing a monitor that display's at the frame rate of your editing project is considered best - like 24/30/50/60Hz switchable.
And for photo editing a colour accurate screen is a necessity, and such caibrated screens aren't usually high refresh rate. High refresh rates monitors seem mostly aimed at gamers, who seem to prefer to spend their cash on fast-and-vivid rather than accurate...

You can connect another dock to allow further connections - TB5 is only necessary if you are running 5-6K screens or really high frame rates. But excellent TB docks are soon going to appear for less than the retail price of that Vention dock...

Unlike @bzgnyc2 I prefer to connect bus powered SSDs to a dock, as that way they get an independent power source, which cuts down on the power requirements and heat of the Mac.

 

[Mattyn]

As a starting point, I would leave one monitor connected via HDMI. Then use one of the rear USB-C/TB5 ports for the dock and one for the Orico NVMe. Then try the second monitor through the dock via HDMI, DP->DP, or USB-C->DP. If none of those work, a USB-C->DP cable from the 3rd rear port should work but of course that consumes your last TB5 port.

For the 3-monitor configuration, I would start with the new, high-refresh monitor on the HDMI port (which on the M4/M4 Pro can handle 4K @ 240Hz not to mention 120Hz). If previous experiment with second monitor through the dock worked, try both monitors on the dock (e.g. one via HDMI and one DP->DP). If not, you might need a different dock (even though that looks to be a relatively high-end one).

Though people have reported good outcomes connecting NVMe drives through a Thunderbolt dock, I prefer direct connection for primary storage whenever possible. Similarly connecting an NVMe through any TB passthru of a monitor even if it optimizes use of ports.

Also note that while DP supports higher resolutions, refresh, etc than HDMI, I wouldn't let the HDMI port on your system go to waste if it meets your needs, which it appears to do in the case of your current 4K screens. As much as possible save the TB ports on your system for things that require/make the best use of them.


P.S.On the speakers, I would connect direct to the Mac M4 via 3.5mm jack with power coming from an external USB-PD adapter. I wouldn't waste a USB port on them unless you believe the speaker's DAC/audio quality is better than Apple's builtin. Plus this way Apple's builtin volume control works without fuss.

P.S.S.Just to be clear, all the above is theoretical since I don't have any of the hardware you mentioned.

@bzgnyc2 Thank you for taking the time to assist. Some good stuff to look into. I have just ordered 2 x 3.5mm audio right angled adapters so the cabling from the front o the mini to the speakers is neater!

I don't think I can do extended displays through the dock, but as I have just effectively freed up a rear port, I think that would work. Alternatively, I have also on my shelf another dock - WAVLINK 13-in-1 Dock which I might be able to utilise. Wondering if I can use this for the third screen (not the main screen) and also as a ssd enclosure for a back up to the Orico NVME.

Is there a preferred cable to use for all these? Make? type? Or should I just purchase on spec? Or is the stock cable adequate?

@PaulD-UK Thank you also. Much appreciated. As for the monitor:
BenQ PD3205U or maybe to satisfy my OCD LG 32UL500 (although discontinued) - sort of thing? Would they give much better improvement over the 32UN650?

 

[PaulD-UK]

@Mattyn That Wavlink dock should be fine to use, it's got the same Intel controller chip and is more or less functionally the same as the Vention dock, although the M.2 slot is only ~10Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen2) speed.
You can connect two displays to a dock, but one must be connected using the downstream TB4 port.
It can be connected by an adapter cable - USB-C to DP.

It's best to get cables from a known brand like Cable Matters, but cables from reputable sources usually work fine.

For use with monitors I think its best to get 8K cables even if you are only going to run 4K, and you need an 8K cable to run 4K/120+Hz rates.

I don't have monitor experience as I'm devoted to my 5K iMac Pro screen in a DIY conversion connected to my M4 Pro mini... 😀

 

[bzgnyc2]

Quote: @bzgnyc2 "...try both monitors on the dock (e.g. one via HDMI and one DP->DP).

Quote Vention website: 'Monitors connected to the DP and HDMI port are mirrored.'
View attachment 2479583

Thanks for @PaulD-UK for catching that. I didn't see that independent output to HDMI and DP ports of the dock is only possible when the host is Windows. I'm sure there's a good reason for that but not that I can explain. To be honest their Resolution section under Specifications could be clearer as well...anyway that's why I always say there's theory and then test...

Then @Mattyn, the above shouldn't change the 2-monitor configuration (that I would try first to see if it works). However, then for the 3-monitor configuration, it's possible the third monitor will need to be Thunderbolt.

it's also possible Vention only tested this dock with a MacBook Air or similar (as on their pictures) rather than a higher-end Mac like your M4 Pro and it could drive independent monitors on its HDMI and DP ports just like Windows so I would probably take 5 minutes to test since you likely already have or will need the same cables. You would just need an HDMI->HDMI cable and a DP->DP cable and then connect both of your existing monitors through the dock and see if macOS will let you configure as independent displays. Also if you are already using a USB-C->DP cable to connect one of yours monitors directly to your Mac, you could try that as well to confirm that port on the dock only works with a Thunderbolt monitor.

Then there's a few permutations depending on the limitations but in the end you'll either end up connecting two monitors to your dock and one direct to your Mac Mini or one to the dock and two direct to your Mac Mini. I would test with the monitors and cables you have (or plan to get anyway) and confirm what works and then see what the trade-offs are among the options that will work.

 

[PaulD-UK]

@bzgnyc2 @Mattyn No. The Vention dock’s DP and HDMI ports need MST (multi stream transport) to give different screens, and Macs don’t support MST.

 

[Mattyn]

Thought I should update this thread with where I am.
The two docks are connected to 2 TB ports from the back of the Mini with T5 cables.

The two LG 32UN650 monitors are connected by 8k DP to HDMI from each dock, the screen designed mainly screen from the Vention.

My third screen is currently a Samsung 34” 3440 x 1440 and is connected via HDMI from the mini. This will be the one I replace if I decide I need to.

The Orico NvME is connected to the back of the Vention Dock.

The speakers are connected to the audio out of the Vention as I could not get them to work when connected to the mini. Greta sound though!

I have also bought another 4TB NvME that now sits in the Wavlink Dock and is my back up to the Orico.

Just now need to decide on the best resolution for the monitors… scaling is confusing me and I am unsure whether I need to learn about it!

Happy so far, so thank you all for your help!