MacBook Pro M1 Dual 27" 1920x1080 Monitors

[seser]

So I'm stuck with a MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020, 16 GB) and looking for a way to use it with dual monitors. I'm not a fan of the idea of DisplayLink but I understand that that's my only option with this device.

I've found several threads about multiple displays but my case is a little different in that I'm not looking for anything fancy like running 4K displays and my options in terms of docking stations are limited due to my location.

My goal is to connect 2 x 27" Dell P2719H (1920 x 1080 at 60 Hz) monitors. I only use the device for web development, so I just hope to be able to run a code editor and browser without things noticeably lagging.

Does anybody have experience using the following docking stations in a similar setup? Can I expect a fairly smooth performance?

- Dell Docking Station - D3100
(the connection with this one being USB 3.0 worries me in terms of performance, otherwise my first choice)

- Dell Universal Dock - D6000
(USB-C connection gives me more confidence and charging the laptop is a plus but not essential for me)

- Lenovo ThinkPad Hybrid USB-C
(this is significantly more expensive over here, so I'd rather not go with this unless that's my only option)

Thank you in advance for any help and suggestions you can provide.

 

[maximumstudio]

I have been using the Lenovo ThinkPad Hybrid USB-C dock with Intel MacBook for 2 years and with M1 MacBook for over a year now. It has been very stable since DisplayLink Manager version 1.2 all the way to 1.6. I don't use the login screen extension, as I use the MacBook display as the primary.

The dock has 2x 23" 1080p monitors, ethernet, iPhone for charging, keyboard, trackpad, external USB storage device and headphones plugged in at all times.

It connects to and charges the MacBook with ease using just the one cable. Works really well and I haven't noticed any lag or hiccups with video playback (VLC or Youtube), VSCode, terminal or other development apps.

The only thing I have noticed - some websites that have some sort of DRM won't play videos when plugged in to the dock e.g. Udemy and Coursera etc. Sometimes I wish it came with a longer USB-C cable but I worked around this by positioning the dock under a laptop stand.

 

[seser]

Hey @maximumstudio Thank you for sharing your experience. I've also read similar experiences with that docking station in a couple of other threads. I would've probably picked that too if it wasn't significantly more expensive where I live.

As for what I ended up going with in the end: luckily my friend had a Dell Docking Station - D3100 laying around that he didn't use, so he lent me that. It works perfectly fine and I didn't notice any difference compared to my previous Intel MacBook Pro with the same monitors without DisplayLink. I'll share my exact setup below for other people who may end up with the same question in the future.

- MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020, 16 GB)
- Dell Docking Station - D3100 with DisplayLink Manager 1.6.1 (Build 59.135) (login screen extension installed)
- 2 x 27" Dell P2719H (1920 x 1080 at 60 Hz) (both connected with HDMI - using DP for one of them also works)
- Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter (to connect USB 3.0 docking station cable to the laptop)
- the standard Apple 61W USB-C charger (this particular docking station can't charge the laptop)
- macOS Big Sur (11.6.4) (seen some threads about external display issues in Monterey - not sure how that'll work)

Initially I was using Logitech MX Master 3 mouse (firmware: 19.01.0015) and MX Keys keyboard (firmware: 12.01.0013) with Logitech Options (version: 9.50.122) and the mouse cursor was lagging every once in a while (tried both with the bluetooth connection and wireless receiver and it was the same). From what I've seen, there is a compatibility issue between that mouse and M1 MacBooks and there is a new beta Logitech Options software which supposedly improves the situation but I haven't had the chance to try it yet. Instead, I've been using Microsoft Wired Desktop 400 keyboard and mouse combo for about a week and haven't had any issues.

I believe this covers it all. I'll be happy to share my experiences if anyone has further questions about my setup.