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Mac mini: 4k @ 120hz?
- Thread starter Flow91
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The Club3D CAC-1085 also uses external power as it's not USB-C but DP. I expect this is just another variant of that.
You can run 4K 120 Hz 8-bit 4:2:0 over HDMI 2.0. And no, you don't want 4:2:0 unless you use your display only for media/gaming.
I bought and tried this adapter a while back, unfortunately it’s a no-go on the M1 MBP. Worked fine on my older Intel Mac Mini.I just found this active adapter on Amazon
DisplayPort 1.4 to HDMI 2.1 Adapter 8K with HDR (DP 1.4 to HDMI 2.1) Display Port to HDMI Adapter 4k 120Hz up to 8K 60Hz with HDR Support for RTX 4090, RX 6900, Gaming PC, and More
DisplayPort 1.4 to HDMI 2.1 Adapter 8K with HDR (DP 1.4 to HDMI 2.1) Display Port to HDMI Adapter 4k 120Hz up to 8K 60Hz with HDR Support for RTX 4090, RX 6900, Gaming PC, and Morewww.amazon.com
The reviews seem promising. I think I'll give it a shot unless anyone has already?
Trying to get 4k 120hz for my C1 from my intel 16" MBP
I just found this active adapter on Amazon
DisplayPort 1.4 to HDMI 2.1 Adapter 8K with HDR (DP 1.4 to HDMI 2.1) Display Port to HDMI Adapter 4k 120Hz up to 8K 60Hz with HDR Support for RTX 4090, RX 6900, Gaming PC, and More
DisplayPort 1.4 to HDMI 2.1 Adapter 8K with HDR (DP 1.4 to HDMI 2.1) Display Port to HDMI Adapter 4k 120Hz up to 8K 60Hz with HDR Support for RTX 4090, RX 6900, Gaming PC, and Morewww.amazon.com
The reviews seem promising. I think I'll give it a shot unless anyone has already?
Trying to get 4k 120hz for my C1 from my intel 16" MBP
Did it work for you?
piling on here…
I bought a 16” M1 Max thing was very expensive (and is very awesome). I just assumed I’d be able to output 4K 120 over HDMI… I’m shocked and irritated I can’t. I’d like to use a nice OLED display at 120hz and I can’t. Sucks!
The 32”+ 4K “gaming” monitors != 4K oled TVs especially with contrast. From looking at them the contrast just ain’t as good, even compared to a standard VA 4K tv, the TVs just look better than the monitors AND are typically a better bang for the buck (look at the price of 43” monitors vs TVs).
Feels like a rock and a hard place. Pay for an over priced “gaming” monitor at 43” which is really a tv with display port connection and worse software OR get a 4K TV (OLED or not) that looks great and is a better value but cannot be run at 120hz because it has an HDMI input, OR downsize to a 32” 4K “gaming” monitor that costs as much as a mid ranger much bigger 4K tv but doesn’t look as good (contrast, color accuracy).
Is this how other people see it? any progress on the aforementioned EDID jacks or active conversion or anything? I don’t know anything in this realm but I like the idea of another posted where you trick macOS into thinking it’s connected to a DP display and some downstream device converts DP -> HDMI before it gets to the tv.
I bought a 16” M1 Max thing was very expensive (and is very awesome). I just assumed I’d be able to output 4K 120 over HDMI… I’m shocked and irritated I can’t. I’d like to use a nice OLED display at 120hz and I can’t. Sucks!
The 32”+ 4K “gaming” monitors != 4K oled TVs especially with contrast. From looking at them the contrast just ain’t as good, even compared to a standard VA 4K tv, the TVs just look better than the monitors AND are typically a better bang for the buck (look at the price of 43” monitors vs TVs).
Feels like a rock and a hard place. Pay for an over priced “gaming” monitor at 43” which is really a tv with display port connection and worse software OR get a 4K TV (OLED or not) that looks great and is a better value but cannot be run at 120hz because it has an HDMI input, OR downsize to a 32” 4K “gaming” monitor that costs as much as a mid ranger much bigger 4K tv but doesn’t look as good (contrast, color accuracy).
Is this how other people see it? any progress on the aforementioned EDID jacks or active conversion or anything? I don’t know anything in this realm but I like the idea of another posted where you trick macOS into thinking it’s connected to a DP display and some downstream device converts DP -> HDMI before it gets to the tv.
I doubt it ever will be fixed, unless someone invents some kind converter that is transparent to the computer. Everyone in this thread should complain to Apple, thats the only way to getting this fixed.
I'm on the same boat here. I purchased LG C2 OLED TV to use as my monitor, full well knowing that I am not able to get 120Hz with the current Apple silicon products. I'm hoping they come out with a M2 Pro/Max Mac mini or Studio that will have HDMI 2.1 capability soon.
What's worse for me is that I found out my work laptop is limited to 4K @ 30Hz over HDMI. Talk about choppy screens--it feels like I'm watching a stop motion film in play.
Even with all this, I'm so happy with the OLED screen. It's so much better than the IPS screen I've had for years as well as the newer Samsung Odyssey Neo monitors.
Please open Spotlight, type in Feedback Assistant and create an issue for 4K/120Hz output support with qualifying monitors/TVs and USB C to HDMI 2.1 adapters/cables. I just did so, but it will certainly help if more of us do the same.
This will be far more effective than discussing the issue ad infinitum here.
EDIT: maybe we can pin this?
This will be far more effective than discussing the issue ad infinitum here.
EDIT: maybe we can pin this?
Agreed, it can definitely help! I posted mine earlier in this thread, can be helpful to reference one another's feedback numbers - mine was FB9734589 and I've posted below for reference.
MacOS incorrectly limiting pixel clock to 600mhz on Display Port 1.4 to HDMI 2.1 adapters, preventing 4k120
Description of the problem: Unable to display 4k120 on an external HDMI 2.1 display via a Displayport 1.4 to HDMI 2.1 adapter. It appears that MacOS is incorrectly limiting the pixel clock to 600mhz on such adapters, preventing 4k120.
Adapters such as the Realtek RTD2173 and the Synaptics VMM6100 allow the conversion of a Display Port 1.4 signal to HDMI 2.1, allowing the support of external 4k120 displays such as the LG OLED CX and others. Mac hardware and MacOS supports output of a Displayport 1.4 signal, however when one of these adapters are plugged, MacOS appears to detect the 600mhz Display Clock (which is still communicated across the adapter, even though it is no longer applicable. The same adapter works on a 2019 Macbook Pro 16” (Intel) in Windows via Bootcamp, but does not work in MacOS.
Expected result: 4k120 output
Actual result: 4k60 output
How to reproduce: Connect an LG CX (or other HDMI 2.1 display that supports 4k120) into a Mac that supports Display Port 1.4 over USB-C via a DP1.4 to HDMI2.1 adapter - output will be limited to 4k60, and will not be 4k120.
Additional info:
- Nvidia had a very similar issue in one series of Windows drivers - https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforc...e-46192-game-ready-driver-feedback-thread-re/ “Realtek Displayport-to-HDMI 2.1 protocol converter clock limited to 600MHz pixel clock [3202060]”
- Multiple brands sell adapters using these chips, including Club3d and Cable Matters - https://www.cablematters.com/pc-1368-122-usb-c-to-8k-hdmi-adapter.aspx and https://www.amazon.ca/Club-3D-DisplayPort1-4-4K120Hz-CAC-1085/dp/B08BX49V5V
- Macrumors thread related to the issue: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mac-mini-4k-120hz.2267035/page-6
@Artagra Oh, wow, you certainly researched this well! If this doesn't convince them, I don't know what will 
My feedback number is FB11266927. And I just got my gaming laptop yesterday with DP1.4 ports and I can confirm having butter smooth 4K HDR output at 120Hz with the same TV/adapter. I'm on v516.94 of the Nvidia driver.
My feedback number is FB11266927. And I just got my gaming laptop yesterday with DP1.4 ports and I can confirm having butter smooth 4K HDR output at 120Hz with the same TV/adapter. I'm on v516.94 of the Nvidia driver.
I will travel to US this next friday... and was hoping to buy something that enabled 4k@120 HDR (hopefully) with my MacbookAir M1 on my C1 OLED, even if I used an active DisplayPort adapter.
Does this mean there is no way?
Does at least one of the below modes are possible?
Currently my plan is
120 hertz would be nice for the productivity standpoint, and HDR would be nice for Plex standpoint.
Does this mean there is no way?
Does at least one of the below modes are possible?
- 4k@120 HDR
- 4k@120 SDR
- 4k@60 HDR
Currently my plan is
Lenovo 40B00135US Thunderbolt 4 ThinkPad Universal Dock 8K Display Support Up to 100W Power Delivery
Club 3D DisplayPort1.4 to HDMI 4K 120Hz HDR Active Adapter M/F CAC-1085
But from what I read here I have to give up on any hope... and settle down on 4k@60 SDR. Is this correct?
120 hertz would be nice for the productivity standpoint, and HDR would be nice for Plex standpoint.
I don't think you can even get 4K 60 Hz 8-bit RGB SDR on an M1 Mac over HDMI by default. HDMI TVs run at 4K 60 Hz 10-bit YCbCr420 HDR which looks like garbage.
On Intel Macs you there's an RGB EDID patcher. The process is different on M1 Macs.
Force RGB Color on M1 Mac
Force RGB Color on M1 Mac. GitHub Gist: instantly share code, notes, and snippets.
gist.github.com
Weird, I use it for over a year on my LG C1 on 4k@60 SDR. I don't know if it's on RGB mode but, as you said, probably not... and I don't know how to check it. To me it looks normal, and I use it mostly for programming.I don't think you can even get 4K 60 Hz 8-bit RGB SDR on an M1 Mac over HDMI by default. HDMI TVs run at 4K 60 Hz 10-bit YCbCr420 HDR which looks like garbage.
On Intel Macs you there's an RGB EDID patcher. The process is different on M1 Macs.
Force RGB Color on M1 Mac
Force RGB Color on M1 Mac. GitHub Gist: instantly share code, notes, and snippets.
I was just hoping to improve even more now that I was looking for a power delivery dock. I guess I would enable HDR only when using HDR content, so I guess color mode may not be an issue.
Just getting 120hz would be awesome though
You can spam the small green button on the C1 remote to see what mode it is in.
Most likely it defaults to 4K 60 Hz 10-bit 4:2:0, at least my CX did. I had to do an EDID override on my Intel Mac to set it to 4K 60 Hz 8-bit 4:4:4 as 4:2:0 looks terrible for text rendering especially on blue/red text which you often find in a terminal.
So far there is afaik no known way to get 4K 120 Hz with the LG OLEDs using a Mac. I expect this won't be fixed until Macs support HDMI 2.1.
I just tried this on my M1 Pro 16" MacBook Pro connected to 48" CX via HDMI, with a HDMI 2.1 cable. I experienced a weird behavior. When I spammed the small green button, I got: 4k 60hz at RGB 8b TM. I then tried HDR so I turned on HDR and got: 4k 60hz at YCBCR422 8b TM. I turned off HDR and now I got: 4k 60hz at YCBCR444 8b TM. Ehh? Not that it matters that much to me. Text is is still clear.
EDIT: I forgot I did this awhile back Force RGB color on M1 Mac - YouTube
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You can get 4k 60hz 444 8 bit on LG OLED by setting that input to PC mode via the settings for the input. There's no way to get 4k HDR 444 even at 60hz though. Apple's engineers are really doing poorly nowadays - how many years has HDMI 2.1 been out that they've left this issue pending. Really sad. Even Microsoft knew better
Really sad. Even Microsoft knew betterChiming in here. Picked up one of these from Best Buy the other day.
www.bestbuy.com
Using a MacBook Pro 14 and an LG C2. No dice. It will not do 120hz. Plugged in a windows laptop with same cable and it will do 4k 120hz. So it's definitely a problem with MacOS. Don't know what Apple is doing here.
Best Buy: j5create USB-C to HDMI 2.1 8K Adapter Space Gray/Black JCA157
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Thanks.
Yeah. I bought the things I planned, and I got a YCBCR422 8-bit 4L10. 3840x2160P@60 HDR.
I get that people say the text doesn't look perfect, but it looks pretty damn good to me, at least when it's not a very thin font.
Unfortunately my cellphone camera cannot make justice to what I see. I have to clean its lenses on the inside.
I guess I'm already used to working with this TV as a monitor.
Now I'm just missing the 120hz
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grayscale text should appear perfect, even with 4:2:0, as long as the OS is not trying to do sub pixel antialiasing.
