Why do people use clamshell mode?

[0906742]

Is it possible to run MacBook Pro 14" using only external monitor as display and having build in display turned off but having MacBook display lid open instead of clamshell mode when internal display will turn on automatically?

I'm still thinking about using MacBook Pro 14" as replacement for my Mac Mini M1, so it would be constantly charger plugged in and connected to external monitor.

 

[bollman]

I have 2 workplaces and work at home 40% of the time. No need for the internal screen really, it would just be too much of an inconvenience to keep turning off the computer when moving between workplaces.

 

[newques]

Curious why people use clamshell mode, especially on the new 14/16 MBP with those gorgeous screens. You are paying for that lovely screen which can be used as an additional screen, but instead decide to run in clamshell mode.

I have the machine to be portable
I hate the keyboard and Touch Bar doodad
I hate the track pad
screen is too small
I just need the portability
when at home base I connect to all the gizmos I want to use.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Is it possible to run MacBook Pro 14" using only external monitor as display and having build in display turned off but having MacBook display lid open instead of clamshell mode when internal display will turn on automatically?

I'm still thinking about using MacBook Pro 14" as replacement for my Mac Mini M1, so it would be constantly charger plugged in and connected to external monitor.

No I don’t believe that is possible.

 

[0906742]

I have 2 workplaces and work at home 40% of the time. No need for the internal screen really, it would just be too much of an inconvenience to keep turning off the computer when moving between workplaces.

But can you just turn off built in display without closing the lid while you are using it on external monitor? Or do you really have to use it in clamshell mode to be able to have picture only on external display?

 

[f54da]

@0906742 You need to close clamshell in order to avoid fb being allocated for internal display. As such clamshell mode (theoretically) reduces gpu power draw, as it no longer has to render to internal display. In practice it's about 1-2 watt idle difference, but I guess that's a lot for intel macs where you quickly saturate heat exchange via passive means (i.e. unless you manually ramp up) fans. Downside is reduced surface area for heat dissipation. Upside is it's that it takes less space on the desk. Downside for intel macs is that there's a (theoretical) risk of damaging the screen considering just how hot 2019 models get.

No idea how to disable internal fb with clamshell open for m1 devices, nor am I sure why you'd want to. Main reason for doing so with intel models is to gain that extra bit of cooling (increased surface area, reduced gpu load) but there's absolutely no point with m1 models.

 

[Apple fanboy]

@0906742 You need to close clamshell in order to avoid fb being allocated for internal display. As such clamshell mode (theoretically) reduces gpu power draw, as it no longer has to render to internal display. In practice it's about 1-2 watt idle difference, but I guess that's a lot for intel macs where you quickly saturate heat exchange via passive means (i.e. unless you manually ramp up) fans. Downside is reduced surface area for heat dissipation. Upside is it's that it takes less space on the desk. Downside for intel macs is that there's a (theoretical) risk of damaging the screen considering just how hot 2019 models get.

No idea how to disable internal fb with clamshell open for m1 devices, nor am I sure why you'd want to. Main reason for doing so with intel models is to gain that extra bit of cooling (increased surface area, reduced gpu load) but there's absolutely no point with m1 models.

Been running intel Macs 98% in clamshell mode for 15 years. Never damaged a screen yet.

 

[0906742]

No idea how to disable internal fb with clamshell open for m1 devices, nor am I sure why you'd want to. Main reason for doing so with intel models is to gain that extra bit of cooling (increased surface area, reduced gpu load) but there's absolutely no point with m1 models.

My reason for this would be that I would only use my external display and basically if laptop screen keeps on, it would display constantly the same non moving desktop image. I know it is basically no issue with LCD displays but still I would hate the idea it displaying the same for such a long time (many hours a day years and years). I know heat basically should not be an issue with clamshell mode but again long term heat near display I'm not sure how good that is in long term, see this forum has thread about older models screen getting these bluish spots, M1's are still so new products so I'm not sure we are safe from that issue with them...

 

[0906742]

Been running intel Macs 98% in clamshell mode for 15 years. Never damaged a screen yet.

You also keep charger plugged in all the time?
Did you take power from display (USB-C PD) or used monitor without support for PD and used included charger?
Did you keep any track of battery health or battery run time in case you ever used it on battery?

I'm just curious if I should just sell my MBA M1 and Mini M1 and start using single MBP 14" M1 Pro as my desktop constantly plugged in and just rarely when I need a laptop, I could use it as such?

I'm also wondering what kind of issues in everyday use that would cause? I know you cannot power off MacBook so that you could power it up using just external keyboard and mouse, so I would have to open the display lid, or just learn to leave machine in sleep mode (but I dunno how well it works with my monitor, does it keep waking up the display while I don't use it or fail to turn it on when I actually need it. I mean how reliably it would work in this setup)?

 

[LeeW]

You also keep charger plugged in all the time?
Did you take power from display (USB-C PD) or used monitor without support for PD and used included charger?
Did you keep any track of battery health or battery run time in case you ever used it on battery?

Up until COVID I always had an MBP on my desk in Clamshell. Always connected to mains power. Never had a single issue, batteries always lasted well, and battery health didn't degrade any faster than normal.

 

[0906742]

Up until COVID I always had an MBP on my desk in Clamshell. Always connected to mains power. Never had a single issue, batteries always lasted well, and battery health didn't degrade any faster than normal.

Interesting that this vary so much. From what I have read here seems like for some battery health drops rather sharply when using clamshell constantly plugged in. I'm still trying to figure out if I should just move to using single MacBook as my computer instead of having Mini M1 as desktop and MBA M1 as laptop (which I rarely even use).

 

[Apple fanboy]

You also keep charger plugged in all the time?
Did you take power from display (USB-C PD) or used monitor without support for PD and used included charger?
Did you keep any track of battery health or battery run time in case you ever used it on battery?

I'm just curious if I should just sell my MBA M1 and Mini M1 and start using single MBP 14" M1 Pro as my desktop constantly plugged in and just rarely when I need a laptop, I could use it as such?

I'm also wondering what kind of issues in everyday use that would cause? I know you cannot power off MacBook so that you could power it up using just external keyboard and mouse, so I would have to open the display lid, or just learn to leave machine in sleep mode (but I dunno how well it works with my monitor, does it keep waking up the display while I don't use it or fail to turn it on when I actually need it. I mean how reliably it would work in this setup)?

At home my BenQ monitor powers the MacBook Pro through USBC. When I’ve finished work for the day I switch off the monitor. Sometimes I switch the monitor to the secondary inputs and use my personal Mac Mini.
When I’m in the office my monitor doesn’t power the Mac so I use the charging brick.
No I don’t monitor battery life. I never see any real changes in the time I can be away from power. But I rarely use it that way. Never at home. Just in meetings.

 

[bollman]

But can you just turn off built in display without closing the lid while you are using it on external monitor? Or do you really have to use it in clamshell mode to be able to have picture only on external display?

Well, my 49” takes up quite a lot of space. Tucking the laptop on the side of the desk out of the way saves at least some space, and I don’t need the screen real estate anyways.

 

[Arctic Moose]

From what I have read here seems like for some battery health drops rather sharply when using clamshell constantly plugged in.

I just booted up a MacBook Pro from 2010 that was used daily primarily clamshelled and powered by the included charger for about seven years. It has mostly either been unused or running a MineCraft server the last five years. I used it for about an hour, the battery is fine. The screen is also fine.

 

[nickmjones]

I never understood this either.

Apple makes incredible desktops for people who want to connect a larger display. Use the right tools for the job. Buy a desktop Mac for work at the desk, and use your MacBook Pros as laptops when you need them.

Simples.

Not everyone is using their personal Mac to get work done. I have at least a half dozen Macs of my own, but every employer I've ever had has sent me a brand new MacBook Pro for work—not a Mac mini or iMac—including my current one. So I take your point, but it's not a choice for everyone. And I do really love the display on my 16" MBP but it's frankly not large enough for the work I do. But I keep it open on the side for notes, music, or YouTube. Is my second monitor color accurate, or even half as good as the one on my MBP? Nope. It's just a lot bigger. But it also didn't cost me $1500.

 

[TechnoLawyer]

Curious why people use clamshell mode, especially on the new 14/16 MBP with those gorgeous screens. You are paying for that lovely screen which can be used as an additional screen, but instead decide to run in clamshell mode.

Because I'm using a 32" 4K screen in clamshell mode. I'm not really sure what the 14in screen would add to my workflow. When I'm on the go, I use it as a laptop.

 

[TechnoLawyer]

I never understood this either.

Apple makes incredible desktops for people who want to connect a larger display. Use the right tools for the job. Buy a desktop Mac for work at the desk, and use your MacBook Pros as laptops when you need them.

Simples.

So buy two computers to do the job of one? Not sure I understand.

 

[dumastudetto]

So buy two computers to do the job of one? Not sure I understand.

They are two very different computing experiences.

The desktops are engineered for maximum performance, the laptops are engineered for great performance with an emphasis on unprecedented battery runtime through efficiencies that reduce perf.

If you want the best of both worlds, consider iPad Pro.

 

[TechnoLawyer]

They are two very different computing experiences.

The desktops are engineered for maximum performance, the laptops are engineered for great performance with an emphasis on unprecedented battery runtime through efficiencies that reduce perf.

If you want the best of both worlds, consider iPad Pro.

The only Mac desktop that actually has better performance than the laptops is the Studio. My workflow is basically Office, Chrome, and a couple of open source graphics programs that are not resource intensive. A Studio would yield no perceptible performance difference for me -- the "computing experience" would be the same. Why would I buy one? My M1 Pro laptop has objectively better performance than the Mac Mini. The only different "computing experience" there would be that the desktop might be a small amount perceptively slower if I do a large export. So, again, why would I buy one?

As to suggest an iPad Pro as the "best of both worlds", huh? The best of a laptop and a desktop is... a tablet that does not run Mac apps? Bizarre statement.

 

[jdb8167]

As to suggest an iPad Pro as the "best of both worlds", huh? The best of a laptop and a desktop is... a tablet that does not run Mac apps? Bizarre statement.

And the iPad Pro has worse battery life. Weird.

 

[Arctic Moose]

They are two very different computing experiences.

They are not, except under a few very specific circumstances.

If someone replaced my MacBook Pro 14" with top-specced Mac Studio I probably wouldn't notice. (Unless there was a voltage dip and I found that my computer had rebooted.)

 

[sydcarton]

I have a 14", and it stays in clamshell mode 95% of the time, as it's connected to my Studio Display.

I'd rather use a standalone keyboard + Magic Trackpad, and having the screen 'open' doesn't really add value to my productivity vs. using the Studio Display. Plus, I have limited desk space, so the MacBook sits in a vertical stand (in clamshell) next to my desk.

Hi, just wondering... I just got a 14 inch MBP as well. How do you turn on (boot up) the macbook with the lid closed? Do I need an apple magic keyboard for this?

Thanks.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Hi, just wondering... I just got a 14 inch MBP as well. How do you turn on (boot up) the macbook with the lid closed? Do I need an apple magic keyboard for this?

Thanks.

I only ever put mine to sleep rather than turning it off. Just a click on my mouse or keyboard wakes it up.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Hi, just wondering... I just got a 14 inch MBP as well. How do you turn on (boot up) the macbook with the lid closed? Do I need an apple magic keyboard for this?

Thanks.

You can't

This behavior is my only gripe with Apple Silicon MacBooks. I even started a thread about it, with no resolution: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/m1-macbook-turn-on-when-connected-to-power-lid-closed.2341498/

I only ever put mine to sleep rather than turning it off. Just a click on my mouse or keyboard wakes it up.

This is the only acceptable resolution. Because of the low-power use of Apple Silicon, I think this a mostly acceptable option, especially vs. Intel.

 

[0906742]

This is the only acceptable resolution. Because of the low-power use of Apple Silicon, I think this a mostly acceptable option, especially vs. Intel.

Do you know does it still increase battery charge cycles while it is constantly plugged in and optimized charging function where it keeps battery at 80% is in use? I mean does it continuously use battery a little and then charge back to 80%?