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Studio Display on low resolution after sleep?!!

apple fan23

apple fan23

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 9, 2022
135
53
Help! I've had my Studio Display for just a few days and since yesterday it keeps on going pixelated after it's been asleep. The display setting show as normal (default for display) and when I go to 'scaled' it also shows it is still on the default, but it clearly isn't. Text looks blocky and awful. The only way to change it, as far as I can see, is to restart my MacBook (pro, i7, 2020). WHAT's going on, this is a nightmare!
 
apple fan23 said:
Help! I've had my Studio Display for just a few days and since yesterday it keeps on going pixelated after it's been asleep. The display setting show as normal (default for display) and when I go to 'scaled' it also shows it is still on the default, but it clearly isn't. Text looks blocky and awful. The only way to change it, as far as I can see, is to restart my MacBook (pro, i7, 2020). WHAT's going on, this is a nightmare!
Click to expand...
I'm assuming you're using the supplied cable, but do you have anything else plugged into your Macbook or to the Studio Display? If so, if you disconnect everything else, does the problem still occur?
 
astrorider said:
I'm assuming you're using the supplied cable, but do you have anything else plugged into your Macbook or to the Studio Display? If so, if you disconnect everything else, does the problem still occur?
Click to expand...
Nothing else connected. Talking to apple who is telling g me to reset my NVRAM, which didn’t work……
 
Reinstalling OS didn’t work either. Unplugging the display from my laptop and plugging it back in does fix it, it seems. It’s now not happening after every sleep but still too often to be workable. Getting a call back from Apple today ….. I am not that techie; is this the display or my MacBook playing up?
 
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Assuming you're on Monterey 12.3 or higher and your display firmware is updated to 15.4, the only other thing I can think to try is resetting the SMC, if you haven't already: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295

FYI, you should follow the steps for a Mac with a T2 chip in those instructions.
 
Thank you @astrorider for that suggestion! I might give it a go. Although the OS re-install did not seem to have worked immediately afterwards, it seems that the problems occurs much less often now (only a few times instead of all the time) so it might have fixed it partially. Will take a look at the link you provided, thanks so much!
 
Tried resetting the SMC. Did not work either. It all behaved for about a week and now it's back to its old tricks again. After a sleep the monitor wakes on a low resolution (despite the settings not having changed). Unplugging and re-plugging the monitor into the MacBook solves it. But it's a pain.

Monitor is only a couple of weeks old - so should I exchange it?

Or is it more likely to be the MacBook - but it's a 2020 (intel) model so not old.

Apple tech support said to get back to them when the fault comes back so I suppose I can do that.

I really don't know what else to do. Any tips would be great.
 
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There has been a few reports of ASDs owners getting bad Thunderbolt cables with their displays. After they switched the Thunderbolt cables, all glitches are gone. I'm using Apple's Thunderbolt 4 1.8 m Cable because the one that came with the ASDs is not long enough. BTW, if the cable is found to be bad, Apple won't give you a new cable, instead you have to return the whole ASD and wait for a replacement.
 
I have the same problem with my Dell Ultrawide and seem you have an Apple display plus MacBook I’m thinking it’s just a software / hardware problem with Thunderbolt 4
 
ekwipt said:
I have the same problem with my Dell Ultrawide and seem you have an Apple display plus MacBook I’m thinking it’s just a software / hardware problem with Thunderbolt 4
Click to expand...
Have you managed to fix it with a different cable? If it’s the cable soft/hardware then more people should be having this?

Am thinking of exchanging it (if the problem is in my MacBook I’d have the same issue of course) but noticed it’s out of stock at the store I bought it from ?
 
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I also have the same issue. Plugging and unplugging cable seems to work but its such a hassle. I will try using a different cable.

Mac Mini 2018(Intel)
 
Let us know how you get on. For me it is now intermittent. Happens now and then - not enough to figure out whether the other cable works or not. I think I'll try to exchange the display (although it's out of stock).
 
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Decided to take it back. Fault now intermittent, not often though. Might well have been the cable. Don't want to risk more trouble in the future when out of warranty, so back it goes. Unfortunately there is no stock, so I could only get a refund and will have to place a new order. Apple delivery time late July (!) or else John Lewis next month.
 
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apple fan23 said:
Decided to take it back. Fault now intermittent, not often though. Might well have been the cable. Don't want to risk more trouble in the future when out of warranty, so back it goes. Unfortunately there is no stock, so I could only get a refund and will have to place a new order. Apple delivery time late July (!) or else John Lewis next month.
Click to expand...
Extra years warranty at John Lewis as well.
 
yup, so probably go for JL again. Fingers crossed the issue will not re-appear.
 
apple fan23 said:
Have you managed to fix it with a different cable? If it’s the cable soft/hardware then more people should be having this?

Am thinking of exchanging it (if the problem is in my MacBook I’d have the same issue of course) but noticed it’s out of stock at the store I bought it from ?
Click to expand...

I’m now using the T4 Cable Matters cables, same problem, not enough problem for me to worry about taking the machine back, but still annoying
 
An update: I've taken my monitor back, and ordered a new one. The new one does not seem to have the same issue so all good.
 
Whoops I spoke to soon. New display. Same issue just appeared. Gonna have to live with it. Grrr
Unplugging display from mbp and plugging it back in will fix it. Annoying but don't want to be without the large display, which is otherwise beautiful.
 
I have the same issue with my display which arrived today. Using the supplied cable with nothing else plugged in on a Mac Mini 2018 16GB RAM.

Did anyone make progress on this? Not going to return it for the issue but would like to get it sorted.
 
am afraid not. I exchanged my monitor and only saw the issue twice in the last two weeks - so not often. My computer almost never gets turned off so it sleeps a lot. Unplugging and replugging fixes it. Moved to apple keyboard and mouse as Logitech was messing with the sleep function (constant waking) but that has probably nothing to do with it.
 
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Same here with my Macbook Pro 2018 from work.... after sleep its not anymore sharp like 5k... unplug und plug again the cable works for me... hope thats its because of the intel machine... as soon as I have my new Macbook Pro 14 M1 I will see if its better or not.

PS: Tried it with the supplied cable and the 1.8m freaking expenise Apple TB4 cable.. no difference.

BR
Markus
 
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Same story here (MacMini 2018 i7 with AppleStudio Display. The cable is the original one and it has been perfectly working together with my MacBook M1. Such an issue is present only in the Intel+AppleStudio configuration. It suffices to reboot and/or unplug-plug the cable. Both these workarounds are very annoying.

Any idea?

Thanks,

GP

P.S. SMC reset, changing cable, firmware/software updates: done. Still with such an issue.
 
Same here (Macbook Pro 13-inch, Intel i5, 2020).
Very frustrating. Joining the thread to follow any suggestions for a fix.
 
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