Andrew, you wrote: "Because of Thunderbolt data limitations, it isn't possible to daisy chain two 5K studio displays." Do you know if it's possible to daisy-chain a lower-resolution third-party monitor to a USB-C port on the new Apple Studio Display?
I have a 27-inch Dell QHD resolution monitor, which is 2560x1440 pixels. That's the same resolution as the original Thunderbolt Display and Apple's 27-inch iMacs from the 2009 to 2013 models. (The 2014 edition of the 27-inch iMac was the first Retina 5K model at 5120x2880 pixels.)
I have an Apple Studio Display on order. I'm hoping that I'll need only connect one cable (from the Studio Display's one Thunderbolt port) to my MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021) and that the one cable will provide the MacBook both with power and with connections to two monitors — the Studio Display and a 27-inch Dell monitor with USB-C and QHD resolution. In other words, the chain would be: 14-inch MacBook Pro <—> Thunderbolt cable <—> Apple Studio Display <—> USB-C cable <—> Dell U2721DE monitor, if that works.
Thanks for any info!
I think Andrew means that if it was possible to daisy-chain two Apple Studio Displays, then Apple would have provided a second Thunderbolt 3 port to allow that (same deal with Thunderbolt 4). He's explaining why they didn't, but even if they did, anyone trying to daisy-chain a 4K display would also run into those same data limitations. In theory, your 2560x1440 Dell would work, barely, but Apple isn't going to do it just for that. [Actually, I just realized I have the ability to test this -- I have an Apple Studio Display, a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter, and an Apple Thunderbolt Display (also 2560x1440). I doubt it will work, but I will try it now...]
The three additional USB-C ports on the back are USB 3.2 Gen 2 (formerly known as USB 3.1), which can be either USB-A or USB-C. [I think, by definition, they probably provide at least 7.5W power, but I couldn't confirm that.] So think of them as USB-A ports -- you wouldn't plug a display into one of those.
So you'll need a powered hub to do what you want to do. The good news is that hub will be your best friend. There are several CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 hubs, but if you want Ethernet then you'll want the TS4 (in theory the TS3+ would work for your setup, but you'd need to make sure it is supported):
Apple list the USB-C ports on the Studio Display for up to 10Gb/s *, which should be enough bandwidth for a 4k display at 60Hz. Whether Apple allow passthrough of a display signal to another monitor I don't know. I suspect not, and that each monitor would need to connect to a separate port, but stranger things have happened, maybe there's a pleasant surprise.
I don't think john-useless's requirement is to power the monitor via USB. Only portable monitors usually allow that.
Yes, you can see from my edit above that after I posted that I realized that I couldn't test it for him -- I have a M1 Mini, which doesn't support it, but it's possible his 14" MacBook Pro does. It would be useful to know how much power those USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports provide -- in theory, they can do up to 20W. But I'll guess it's only 7.5W (the minimum to meet the standard), because otherwise Apple would be saying so in the Tech Specs.
Andrew, you wrote: "Because of Thunderbolt data limitations, it isn't possible to daisy chain two 5K studio displays." Do you know if it's possible to daisy-chain a lower-resolution third-party monitor to a USB-C port on the new Apple Studio Display?
I have a 27-inch Dell QHD resolution monitor, which is 2560x1440 pixels. That's the same resolution as the original Thunderbolt Display and Apple's 27-inch iMacs from the 2009 to 2013 models. (The 2014 edition of the 27-inch iMac was the first Retina 5K model at 5120x2880 pixels.)
I have an Apple Studio Display on order. I'm hoping that I'll need only connect one cable (from the Studio Display's one Thunderbolt port) to my MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021) and that the one cable will provide the MacBook both with power and with connections to two monitors — the Studio Display and a 27-inch Dell monitor with USB-C and QHD resolution. In other words, the chain would be: 14-inch MacBook Pro <—> Thunderbolt cable <—> Apple Studio Display <—> USB-C cable <—> Dell U2721DE monitor, if that works.
Thanks for any info!
I think Andrew means that if it was possible to daisy-chain two Apple Studio Displays, then Apple would have provided a second Thunderbolt 3 port to allow that (same deal with Thunderbolt 4). He's explaining why they didn't, but even if they did, anyone trying to daisy-chain a 4K display would also run into those same data limitations. In theory, your 2560x1440 Dell would work, barely, but Apple isn't going to do it just for that. [Actually, I just realized I have the ability to test this -- I have an Apple Studio Display, a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter, and an Apple Thunderbolt Display (also 2560x1440). I doubt it will work, but I will try it now...]
The three additional USB-C ports on the back are USB 3.2 Gen 2 (formerly known as USB 3.1), which can be either USB-A or USB-C. [I think, by definition, they probably provide at least 7.5W power, but I couldn't confirm that.] So think of them as USB-A ports -- you wouldn't plug a display into one of those.
So you'll need a powered hub to do what you want to do. The good news is that hub will be your best friend. There are several CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 hubs, but if you want Ethernet then you'll want the TS4 (in theory the TS3+ would work for your setup, but you'd need to make sure it is supported):
Apple list the USB-C ports on the Studio Display for up to 10Gb/s *, which should be enough bandwidth for a 4k display at 60Hz. Whether Apple allow passthrough of a display signal to another monitor I don't know. I suspect not, and that each monitor would need to connect to a separate port, but stranger things have happened, maybe there's a pleasant surprise.
I don't think john-useless's requirement is to power the monitor via USB. Only portable monitors usually allow that.
Yes, you can see from my edit above that after I posted that I realized that I couldn't test it for him -- I have a M1 Mini, which doesn't support it, but it's possible his 14" MacBook Pro does. It would be useful to know how much power those USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports provide -- in theory, they can do up to 20W. But I'll guess it's only 7.5W (the minimum to meet the standard), because otherwise Apple would be saying so in the Tech Specs.
Andrew, you wrote: "Because of Thunderbolt data limitations, it isn't possible to daisy chain two 5K studio displays." Do you know if it's possible to daisy-chain a lower-resolution third-party monitor to a USB-C port on the new Apple Studio Display?
I have a 27-inch Dell QHD resolution monitor, which is 2560x1440 pixels. That's the same resolution as the original Thunderbolt Display and Apple's 27-inch iMacs from the 2009 to 2013 models. (The 2014 edition of the 27-inch iMac was the first Retina 5K model at 5120x2880 pixels.)
I have an Apple Studio Display on order. I'm hoping that I'll need only connect one cable (from the Studio Display's one Thunderbolt port) to my MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021) and that the one cable will provide the MacBook both with power and with connections to two monitors — the Studio Display and a 27-inch Dell monitor with USB-C and QHD resolution. In other words, the chain would be: 14-inch MacBook Pro <—> Thunderbolt cable <—> Apple Studio Display <—> USB-C cable <—> Dell U2721DE monitor, if that works.
Thanks for any info!
I think Andrew means that if it was possible to daisy-chain two Apple Studio Displays, then Apple would have provided a second Thunderbolt 3 port to allow that (same deal with Thunderbolt 4). He's explaining why they didn't, but even if they did, anyone trying to daisy-chain a 4K display would also run into those same data limitations. In theory, your 2560x1440 Dell would work, barely, but Apple isn't going to do it just for that. [Actually, I just realized I have the ability to test this -- I have an Apple Studio Display, a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter, and an Apple Thunderbolt Display (also 2560x1440). I doubt it will work, but I will try it now...]
The three additional USB-C ports on the back are USB 3.2 Gen 2 (formerly known as USB 3.1), which can be either USB-A or USB-C. [I think, by definition, they probably provide at least 7.5W power, but I couldn't confirm that.] So think of them as USB-A ports -- you wouldn't plug a display into one of those.
So you'll need a powered hub to do what you want to do. The good news is that hub will be your best friend. There are several CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 hubs, but if you want Ethernet then you'll want the TS4 (in theory the TS3+ would work for your setup, but you'd need to make sure it is supported):
Apple list the USB-C ports on the Studio Display for up to 10Gb/s *, which should be enough bandwidth for a 4k display at 60Hz. Whether Apple allow passthrough of a display signal to another monitor I don't know. I suspect not, and that each monitor would need to connect to a separate port, but stranger things have happened, maybe there's a pleasant surprise.
I don't think john-useless's requirement is to power the monitor via USB. Only portable monitors usually allow that.
Yes, you can see from my edit above that after I posted that I realized that I couldn't test it for him -- I have a M1 Mini, which doesn't support it, but it's possible his 14" MacBook Pro does. It would be useful to know how much power those USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports provide -- in theory, they can do up to 20W. But I'll guess it's only 7.5W (the minimum to meet the standard), because otherwise Apple would be saying so in the Tech Specs.
I don't think power is the question at all.
No, obviously he isn't looking to power a display from USB-C or Thunderbolt -- I don't know where you got the idea I was suggesting that.
But he does need a powered hub (assuming he needs a hub at all, and can't do what he wants to do using the USB-C ports on the Studio Display). A passive hub like the "Satechi Type-C Aluminum Monitor Stand Hub" won't work for him, for example. That's why I said it needs to be a powered hub.
The point is Apple has not provided for daisy chaining a pair of monitors, USBc, Display port whatever. You either do two cables from the laptop or also buy a dock, even if the prime display has a built in one. that is messy, and expensive. A Thunderbolt dock is several hundred dollars.
Andrew, you wrote: "Because of Thunderbolt data limitations, it isn't possible to daisy chain two 5K studio displays." Do you know if it's possible to daisy-chain a lower-resolution third-party monitor to a USB-C port on the new Apple Studio Display?
I have a 27-inch Dell QHD resolution monitor, which is 2560x1440 pixels. That's the same resolution as the original Thunderbolt Display and Apple's 27-inch iMacs from the 2009 to 2013 models. (The 2014 edition of the 27-inch iMac was the first Retina 5K model at 5120x2880 pixels.)
I have an Apple Studio Display on order. I'm hoping that I'll need only connect one cable (from the Studio Display's one Thunderbolt port) to my MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021) and that the one cable will provide the MacBook both with power and with connections to two monitors — the Studio Display and a 27-inch Dell monitor with USB-C and QHD resolution. In other words, the chain would be: 14-inch MacBook Pro <—> Thunderbolt cable <—> Apple Studio Display <—> USB-C cable <—> Dell U2721DE monitor, if that works.
Thanks for any info!
I think Andrew means that if it was possible to daisy-chain two Apple Studio Displays, then Apple would have provided a second Thunderbolt 3 port to allow that (same deal with Thunderbolt 4). He's explaining why they didn't, but even if they did, anyone trying to daisy-chain a 4K display would also run into those same data limitations. In theory, your 2560x1440 Dell would work, barely, but Apple isn't going to do it just for that. [Actually, I just realized I have the ability to test this -- I have an Apple Studio Display, a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter, and an Apple Thunderbolt Display (also 2560x1440). I doubt it will work, but I will try it now...]
The three additional USB-C ports on the back are USB 3.2 Gen 2 (formerly known as USB 3.1), which can be either USB-A or USB-C. [I think, by definition, they probably provide at least 7.5W power, but I couldn't confirm that.] So think of them as USB-A ports -- you wouldn't plug a display into one of those.
So you'll need a powered hub to do what you want to do. The good news is that hub will be your best friend. There are several CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 hubs, but if you want Ethernet then you'll want the TS4 (in theory the TS3+ would work for your setup, but you'd need to make sure it is supported):
Apple list the USB-C ports on the Studio Display for up to 10Gb/s *, which should be enough bandwidth for a 4k display at 60Hz. Whether Apple allow passthrough of a display signal to another monitor I don't know. I suspect not, and that each monitor would need to connect to a separate port, but stranger things have happened, maybe there's a pleasant surprise.
I don't think john-useless's requirement is to power the monitor via USB. Only portable monitors usually allow that.
Yes, you can see from my edit above that after I posted that I realized that I couldn't test it for him -- I have a M1 Mini, which doesn't support it, but it's possible his 14" MacBook Pro does. It would be useful to know how much power those USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports provide -- in theory, they can do up to 20W. But I'll guess it's only 7.5W (the minimum to meet the standard), because otherwise Apple would be saying so in the Tech Specs.
I don't think power is the question at all.
No, obviously he isn't looking to power a display from USB-C or Thunderbolt -- I don't know where you got the idea I was suggesting that.
But he does need a powered hub (assuming he needs a hub at all, and can't do what he wants to do using the USB-C ports on the Studio Display). A passive hub like the "Satechi Type-C Aluminum Monitor Stand Hub" won't work for him, for example. That's why I said it needs to be a powered hub.
You keep talking about power, I don't know why.
They can try daisy chaining the Apple Studio Display, or they can use two of the USB-C/Thunderbolt ports on the MacBook Pro. No hub needed.
You're probably right that they won't be able to use an unpowered Thunderbolt hub with Thunderbolt and a USB-C port, but I think that's more of an availability thing than a technical limitation.
I tried it briefly at an Apple store. At this size I feel that 60fps is a pretty limiting factor. Moving around windows, moving the cursor and everything just feels a little choppy in 60fps. Perhaps I've just grown accustomed to my iPad Pro, and M1pro MacBook screens. High refresh rate is really nice on my eyes.
Apple list the USB-C ports on the Studio Display for up to 10Gb/s *, which should be enough bandwidth for a 4k display at 60Hz. Whether Apple allow passthrough of a display signal to another monitor I don't know. I suspect not, and that each monitor would need to connect to a separate port, but stranger things have happened, maybe there's a pleasant surprise.
No, obviously he isn't looking to power a display from USB-C or Thunderbolt.
So much conversation reacting to my post — thanks, everyone! To be clear: Power is not a factor. I'm curious as to whether a non-Retina-quality desktop monitor (with its own power source) could be daisy-chained to a USB-C port on the new Apple Studio Display, itself connected via Thunderbolt to a 2021 14-inch MacBook Pro. Why do I ask? So that I could have the convenience of having to connect only one cable to the MacBook Pro while having two external monitors. This would obviously work if I connect two cables to the MacBook Pro or use some kind of a dock/hub, but I want to see if the convenient one-cable option is feasible.
That is not possible. Apple specifically stated that an additional display must be connected directly to the Mac. The USB-C ports are for peripherals, storage, or networking. Your Dell display would plug into the Mac Studio's HDMI port.
I suspect this might be correct — but where did Apple specifically state that an additional external display must be directly connected to the Mac? The Apple Studio Display's product page does say: "Three USB-C ports let you connect, power, and charge devices — from networking and external drives to your keyboard, mouse, or iPhone. The Thunderbolt port connects Studio Display to your Mac with a single cable. That same port can charge compatible Mac notebooks — and even fast‑charge a 14‑inch MacBook Pro." Although it does not explicitly say that daisy-chaining a non-Retina-quality desktop monitor is possible, it doesn't exclude the possibility. The tech specs page says "Three downstream USB-C ports (up to 10Gb/s) for connecting peripherals, storage, and networking" — and an external monitor is certainly a peripheral, and I would guess a non-Retina-quality monitor wouldn't need more than the available 10GB/s of bandwidth.
I do agree that if it were possible to daisy-chain another Apple Studio Display, Apple would market that fact.
At any rate, I will test this when my new Apple Studio Display arrives (it's due some time in the next week). I will report back here (in case anyone's still reading by then) whether or not it's possible to daisy-chain a non-Retina-quality desktop monitor (with its own power source).
Apple list the USB-C ports on the Studio Display for up to 10Gb/s *, which should be enough bandwidth for a 4k display at 60Hz. Whether Apple allow passthrough of a display signal to another monitor I don't know. I suspect not, and that each monitor would need to connect to a separate port, but stranger things have happened, maybe there's a pleasant surprise.
No, obviously he isn't looking to power a display from USB-C or Thunderbolt.
So much conversation reacting to my post — thanks, everyone! To be clear: Power is not a factor. I'm curious as to whether a non-Retina-quality desktop monitor (with its own power source) could be daisy-chained to a USB-C port on the new Apple Studio Display, itself connected via Thunderbolt to a 2021 14-inch MacBook Pro. Why do I ask? So that I could have the convenience of having to connect only one cable to the MacBook Pro while having two external monitors. This would obviously work if I connect two cables to the MacBook Pro or use some kind of a dock/hub, but I want to see if the convenient one-cable option is feasible.
That is not possible. Apple specifically stated that an additional display must be connected directly to the Mac. The USB-C ports are for peripherals, storage, or networking. Your Dell display would plug into the Mac Studio's HDMI port.
I suspect this might be correct — but where did Apple specifically state that an additional external display must be directly connected to the Mac? The Apple Studio Display's product page does say: "Three USB-C ports let you connect, power, and charge devices — from networking and external drives to your keyboard, mouse, or iPhone. The Thunderbolt port connects Studio Display to your Mac with a single cable. That same port can charge compatible Mac notebooks — and even fast‑charge a 14‑inch MacBook Pro." Although it does not explicitly say that daisy-chaining a non-Retina-quality desktop monitor is possible, it doesn't exclude the possibility. The tech specs page says "Three downstream USB-C ports (up to 10Gb/s) for connecting peripherals, storage, and networking" — and an external monitor is certainly a peripheral, and I would guess a non-Retina-quality monitor wouldn't need more than the available 10GB/s of bandwidth.
I do agree that if it were possible to daisy-chain another Apple Studio Display, Apple would market that fact.
At any rate, I will test this when my new Apple Studio Display arrives (it's due some time in the next week). I will report back here (in case anyone's still reading by then) whether or not it's possible to daisy-chain a non-Retina-quality desktop monitor (with its own power source).
Yes, please do. I get the desire for an easy, single-cable setup. I think there’s a decent chance, and Apple isn’t mentioning it because it’s limited to what you’re proposing. You couldn’t do it with a “4K” display. Your 2K is the maximum. It’s about the limitations of DisplayPort 1.4 via Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C 3.2.
I went ahead and just for the hell of it tried plugging my old Thunderbolt Display into one of the Studio Display’s USB-C ports, but I just got a polite error message telling me Thunderbolt devices need to be plugged into Thunderbolt ports…
Apple list the USB-C ports on the Studio Display for up to 10Gb/s *, which should be enough bandwidth for a 4k display at 60Hz. Whether Apple allow passthrough of a display signal to another monitor I don't know. I suspect not, and that each monitor would need to connect to a separate port, but stranger things have happened, maybe there's a pleasant surprise.
No, obviously he isn't looking to power a display from USB-C or Thunderbolt.
So much conversation reacting to my post — thanks, everyone! To be clear: Power is not a factor. I'm curious as to whether a non-Retina-quality desktop monitor (with its own power source) could be daisy-chained to a USB-C port on the new Apple Studio Display, itself connected via Thunderbolt to a 2021 14-inch MacBook Pro. Why do I ask? So that I could have the convenience of having to connect only one cable to the MacBook Pro while having two external monitors. This would obviously work if I connect two cables to the MacBook Pro or use some kind of a dock/hub, but I want to see if the convenient one-cable option is feasible.
That is not possible. Apple specifically stated that an additional display must be connected directly to the Mac. The USB-C ports are for peripherals, storage, or networking. Your Dell display would plug into the Mac Studio's HDMI port.
I suspect this might be correct — but where did Apple specifically state that an additional external display must be directly connected to the Mac? The Apple Studio Display's product page does say: "Three USB-C ports let you connect, power, and charge devices — from networking and external drives to your keyboard, mouse, or iPhone. The Thunderbolt port connects Studio Display to your Mac with a single cable. That same port can charge compatible Mac notebooks — and even fast‑charge a 14‑inch MacBook Pro." Although it does not explicitly say that daisy-chaining a non-Retina-quality desktop monitor is possible, it doesn't exclude the possibility. The tech specs page says "Three downstream USB-C ports (up to 10Gb/s) for connecting peripherals, storage, and networking" — and an external monitor is certainly a peripheral, and I would guess a non-Retina-quality monitor wouldn't need more than the available 10GB/s of bandwidth.
I do agree that if it were possible to daisy-chain another Apple Studio Display, Apple would market that fact.
At any rate, I will test this when my new Apple Studio Display arrives (it's due some time in the next week). I will report back here (in case anyone's still reading by then) whether or not it's possible to daisy-chain a non-Retina-quality desktop monitor (with its own power source).
Yes, please do. I get the desire for an easy, single-cable setup. I think there’s a decent chance, and Apple isn’t mentioning it because it’s limited to what you’re proposing. You couldn’t do it with a “4K” display. Your 2K is the maximum. It’s about the limitations of DisplayPort 1.4 via Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C 3.2.
I went ahead and just for the hell of it tried plugging my old Thunderbolt Display into one of the Studio Display’s USB-C ports, but I just got a polite error message telling me Thunderbolt devices need to be plugged into Thunderbolt ports…
That’s to be expected, the ports on the Studio Display are not Thunderbolt ports, apart from the main computer connection.
Has anyone else have troubles using the Thunderbolt Display with the new M1 MPB? I upgraded to the new M1 and the display no longer works. I've tried it with older Macs (works) and 3 of the new M1 macs (does not work). The new M1 also works with a few Apple 27" Cinema Displays , but not the next generation Thunderbolt Display. Any else having this weird issue?
At any rate, I will test this when my new Apple Studio Display arrives (it's due some time in the next week). I will report back here (in case anyone's still reading by then) whether or not it's possible to daisy-chain a non-Retina-quality desktop monitor (with its own power source).
My new Apple Studio Display has arrived … and I can confirm that daisy-chaining another monitor does not work, at least with my 27-inch Dell U2721DE (a non-Retina-quality QHD 2560 x 1440 pixel monitor).
Even though Apple lists the USB-C ports on the Studio Display as supporting up to 10Gb/s (which someone earlier suggested should be enough bandwidth for a 4K, or 4096 × 2160 pixel, display at 60Hz), Apple apparently does not allow pass-through of any video signal. I was hoping that perhaps it might work for a non-Retina display, i.e. less than 4K resolution.
Just for clarity: The same 3-foot USB-C cable from my Dell monitor that wouldn't get a signal when connected to a USB-C port on the Apple Studio Display does get video when connected directly to a port on my MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021). I also bought a 6-foot USB cable (one rated officially as a USB 3.1 data cable) and I get the same results. So … it's a no-go for having the convenience of connecting just one cable to get two external monitors connected to my MacBook Pro. It's a minor disappointment that I can live with — although I wish Apple's tech specs page for the Studio Display would list clearly that the USB-C ports don't support monitors.
Happily, though, when my Dell U2721DE is directly connected via USB-C to my MacBook Pro, the Dell monitor's built-in gigabit ethernet jack and USB 3.1 hub (with USB-A jacks) work just fine. I'm able to use the Dell monitor as a dock, utilizing its fast ethernet connection while connecting an older Apple wired USB keyboard.
Has anyone else have troubles using the Thunderbolt Display with the new M1 MPB? I upgraded to the new M1 and the display no longer works. I've tried it with older Macs (works) and 3 of the new M1 macs (does not work). The new M1 also works with a few Apple 27" Cinema Displays , but not the next generation Thunderbolt Display. Any else having this weird issue?
Although not exactly what you're asking, I have a Mac mini (M1, 2020) with an Apple Thunderbolt Display connected to it via Apple's own Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter and it works just fine as the main monitor. The ethernet and USB-A ports on the Thunderbolt Display work fine, too. So there's seemingly no inherent compatibility issue with an M1-based Mac working with the old Thunderbolt Display.
What adapter are you using? If it's a USB-C to mini DisplayPort adapter, that won't work. For the Apple Thunderbolt Display, it has to be a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter even though both adapters appear externally to have the same function.
At any rate, I will test this when my new Apple Studio Display arrives (it's due some time in the next week). I will report back here (in case anyone's still reading by then) whether or not it's possible to daisy-chain a non-Retina-quality desktop monitor (with its own power source).
My new Apple Studio Display has arrived … and I can confirm that daisy-chaining another monitor does not work, at least with my 27-inch Dell U2721DE (a non-Retina-quality QHD 2560 x 1440 pixel monitor).
Even though Apple lists the USB-C ports on the Studio Display as supporting up to 10Gb/s (which someone earlier suggested should be enough bandwidth for a 4K, or 4096 × 2160 pixel, display at 60Hz), Apple apparently does not allow pass-through of any video signal. I was hoping that perhaps it might work for a non-Retina display, i.e. less than 4K resolution.
Just for clarity: The same 3-foot USB-C cable from my Dell monitor that wouldn't get a signal when connected to a USB-C port on the Apple Studio Display does get video when connected directly to a port on my MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021). I also bought a 6-foot USB cable (one rated officially as a USB 3.1 data cable) and I get the same results. So … it's a no-go for having the convenience of connecting just one cable to get two external monitors connected to my MacBook Pro. It's a minor disappointment that I can live with — although I wish Apple's tech specs page for the Studio Display would list clearly that the USB-C ports don't support monitors.
Happily, though, when my Dell U2721DE is directly connected via USB-C to my MacBook Pro, the Dell monitor's built-in gigabit ethernet jack and USB 3.1 hub (with USB-A jacks) work just fine. I'm able to use the Dell monitor as a dock, utilizing its fast ethernet connection while connecting an older Apple wired USB keyboard.
Comments
But he does need a powered hub (assuming he needs a hub at all, and can't do what he wants to do using the USB-C ports on the Studio Display). A passive hub like the "Satechi Type-C Aluminum Monitor Stand Hub" won't work for him, for example. That's why I said it needs to be a powered hub.
They can try daisy chaining the Apple Studio Display, or they can use two of the USB-C/Thunderbolt ports on the MacBook Pro. No hub needed.
You're probably right that they won't be able to use an unpowered Thunderbolt hub with Thunderbolt and a USB-C port, but I think that's more of an availability thing than a technical limitation.
So much conversation reacting to my post — thanks, everyone! To be clear: Power is not a factor. I'm curious as to whether a non-Retina-quality desktop monitor (with its own power source) could be daisy-chained to a USB-C port on the new Apple Studio Display, itself connected via Thunderbolt to a 2021 14-inch MacBook Pro. Why do I ask? So that I could have the convenience of having to connect only one cable to the MacBook Pro while having two external monitors. This would obviously work if I connect two cables to the MacBook Pro or use some kind of a dock/hub, but I want to see if the convenient one-cable option is feasible.
I suspect this might be correct — but where did Apple specifically state that an additional external display must be directly connected to the Mac? The Apple Studio Display's product page does say: "Three USB-C ports let you connect, power, and charge devices — from networking and external drives to your keyboard, mouse, or iPhone. The Thunderbolt port connects Studio Display to your Mac with a single cable. That same port can charge compatible Mac notebooks — and even fast‑charge a 14‑inch MacBook Pro." Although it does not explicitly say that daisy-chaining a non-Retina-quality desktop monitor is possible, it doesn't exclude the possibility. The tech specs page says "Three downstream USB-C ports (up to 10Gb/s) for connecting peripherals, storage, and networking" — and an external monitor is certainly a peripheral, and I would guess a non-Retina-quality monitor wouldn't need more than the available 10GB/s of bandwidth.
I do agree that if it were possible to daisy-chain another Apple Studio Display, Apple would market that fact.
At any rate, I will test this when my new Apple Studio Display arrives (it's due some time in the next week). I will report back here (in case anyone's still reading by then) whether or not it's possible to daisy-chain a non-Retina-quality desktop monitor (with its own power source).
I went ahead and just for the hell of it tried plugging my old Thunderbolt Display into one of the Studio Display’s USB-C ports, but I just got a polite error message telling me Thunderbolt devices need to be plugged into Thunderbolt ports…
Even though Apple lists the USB-C ports on the Studio Display as supporting up to 10Gb/s (which someone earlier suggested should be enough bandwidth for a 4K, or 4096 × 2160 pixel, display at 60Hz), Apple apparently does not allow pass-through of any video signal. I was hoping that perhaps it might work for a non-Retina display, i.e. less than 4K resolution.
Just for clarity: The same 3-foot USB-C cable from my Dell monitor that wouldn't get a signal when connected to a USB-C port on the Apple Studio Display does get video when connected directly to a port on my MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021). I also bought a 6-foot USB cable (one rated officially as a USB 3.1 data cable) and I get the same results. So … it's a no-go for having the convenience of connecting just one cable to get two external monitors connected to my MacBook Pro. It's a minor disappointment that I can live with — although I wish Apple's tech specs page for the Studio Display would list clearly that the USB-C ports don't support monitors.
Happily, though, when my Dell U2721DE is directly connected via USB-C to my MacBook Pro, the Dell monitor's built-in gigabit ethernet jack and USB 3.1 hub (with USB-A jacks) work just fine. I'm able to use the Dell monitor as a dock, utilizing its fast ethernet connection while connecting an older Apple wired USB keyboard.
What adapter are you using? If it's a USB-C to mini DisplayPort adapter, that won't work. For the Apple Thunderbolt Display, it has to be a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter even though both adapters appear externally to have the same function.