As a permanent some distance off IT professional I’ve had a dual 27″ 4K monitor setup for Intel primarily based fully mostly Macs for a different of years. A number of weeks ago I upgraded my private Mac to a original 14″ M1 Skilled, and wished to preserve utilizing my dual monitor setup. Alternatively, I bumped proper into a different of (firmware?) compatibility complications with Thunderbolt docks and dongles that made the scoot tougher than anticipated. I finally discovered a rock trusty combination that I wished to weblog about, and moreover present limited print on what combinations did no longer work for me.

 I’ll first duvet my original working configuration in case you don’t deserve to listen to my weep myth concerning the listing of devices that did no longer work for me. 

Earlier than I dive factual into what worked for me, let’s backup one step and duvet what method become as soon as and what monitors I’m working with. My method become as soon as to force dual 4K/60 monitors from my M1 Skilled Mac via a single cable from my Mac to a Thunderbolt dock. I moreover wished this dock to offer 96w PD to my Mac for charging, and loads of other USB-A ports for diverse peripherals. 

I bask in two BenQ PD2720U monitors, which bask in a range of video inputs however for the functions of connectivity to my private Mac I wished to spend DisplayPort v1.4 and no longer HDMI or recount Thunderbolt daisy chaining. 

With my Intel Macs this configuration become as soon as a jog, as there are a different of dual DisplayPort Thunderbolt docks on the market that worked successfully. So I figured it could per chance probably even be a jog and play operation with my existing dock after I obtained my M1 Skilled Mac. Nope! 

The tip of this article will duvet the total docks and dongles that didn’t work for me, however right here I’ll duvet what I finally picked and has been rock trusty. As previously talked about, no longer without prolong I wished a resolution utilizing ThunderBolt 3 or 4 to offer 96w PD charging, no longer decrease than 3 USB-A ports, LAN port, and dual DisplayPort v1.4 outputs for my monitors. I did wide study, and the different of alternate choices become as soon as rather shrimp.

Thankfully, Satechi factual introduced to market a Thunderbolt 4 dock that met the massive majority of my requirements, minus video outputs. It’s so original, it’s no longer on Satechi’s occupy web region, however is in stock and sold via via Easiest Capture. It’s mannequin ST-UCT4DM and retails for $299 however is on sale for Gloomy Friday for $249.99. 

This Thunderbolt 4 dock has the next ports:

1x Front USH-II SD Card Reader
1x Front USB-A 2.0 port (helps charging)
1x Front 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo port
1x Front host Thunderbolt 4 host port with 96w PD
3x Rear Thunderbolt 4 ports
1x Rear Gigabit LAN port (Realtek 8153)
3x Rear USB-A 3.2 Gen2 ports
1x DC input port (20v 6.75a)

Because it is possible you’ll presumably gape, it has the total ports I wished other than video outputs. I bask in a different of more than just a few Satechi merchandise, and I’ve repeatedly been very joyful with them. And they also advance in home grey, which fits the Apple home grey totally. 

The dock feels totally made, and has a sizable micro-textured produce. And to me it’s visually attention-grabbing, no longer like some quite lots of extra utilitarian docks on the market. And after utilizing it for just a few days, it most efficient runs neutral a little heat to the touch no longer like quite lots of docks that will seemingly be little ovens. Also, for Mac customers the NIC drivers advance with macOS, so there’s no need to set up third celebration drivers to safe network connectivity.

Now that I obtained a dock that I be pleased, it become as soon as time to study DisplayPort dongles. After loads of disasters (covered later), I stumbled upon the $78 OWC TB3ADP2DPT.  This Thunderbolt 3 dongle helps dual DisplayPort v1.4 outputs, 8K and 4K resolution, and is physically very limited. Winner winner chicken dinner. 

After diverse outdated disasters, after I associated the Satechi dock and plugged the OWC dongle into the dock I instantly had handsome dual 4K/60 output that become as soon as rock trusty! Mission done. The combo has been very neutral correct, and even via loads of sleep/wake cycles the monitors and USB ports advance instantly to life.  

As I bask in previously covered, I wished to connect my BenQ monitors via DisplayPort v1.4 and no longer HDMI. With my outdated 13.3″ Intel Mac, I had long veteran a Wavlink WL-UTD23. This dock had it all constructed in…dual DP outputs, USB-A ports, LAN, and so on. I fully expected a jog-and-play experience with my M1 Skilled Mac. Unfortunately, this become as soon as no longer the case.

With the WL-UTD23, most efficient one DisplayPort become as soon as fully useful. While MacOS would gape the 2nd BenQ monitor, the staunch monitor had no output…become as soon as factual unlit. 

After that failure, I ordered a Cablematters 14-in-1 Hybrid dock. On paper, this become as soon as an unparalleled dock. Dual DisplayPort v1.4 (and HDMI) outputs, USB-A, LAN, 96w PD, and so on. Alternatively, this moreover failed me and didn’t work with my M1 Skilled (even supposing it worked flawlessly with my Intel Mac). Alternatively, the symptoms right here had been a tad quite lots of. Again, one BenQ would work factual dazzling via DisplayPort, then over again the 2nd BenQ (via DP), become as soon as non-useful. In the macOS camouflage app the 2nd monitor would seem then recede every few seconds in an unending cycle. 

I could safe the 2nd BenQ working via HDMI, which become as soon as queer. Also, an broken-down 1080P Dell worked via DP on the 2nd DP port as successfully. However getting dual DP 1.4 monitors at the same time proved to be no longer attainable. 

Gorgeous in case this become as soon as a BenQ area, I tried a Samsung 28″ 4K DP 1.4 monitor (LS28AG700NNXZA), and that become as soon as even worse! Again, the 2nd monitor output become as soon as unlit however after I pulled the DP cable out from the Cablematters dock macOS Monterey instantly crashed and rebooted. So abet went the Cablematters dock. 

Since I become as soon as very joyful with the Satechi dock, I now wished to final a dual DisplayPort v1.4 dongle that become as soon as rock trusty. First up, become as soon as the Wavlink UTA21D. Unfortunately, this become as soon as a no slide. While one monitor would work factual dazzling, the 2nd monitor would blank out every 20-30 seconds and then re-attach a checklist. This came about in an unending cycle, so abet went this dongle. 

I believed there’ll seemingly be a consistent area with a DP v1.4 chain, so I tried the Wavlink UTD05. While this dongle worked for riding each of my BenQ monitors (albeit DisplayPort v1.2), the dongle become as soon as tall and the NIC had no native macOS driver. So this dongle went abet, and I discovered the previously talked about OWC which worked completely and is physically very limited.