Mac M1 capable of running up to six external displays using DisplayPort adapters

According to YouTuber Ruslan Tulupov, it’s possible to run up to six external displays from the M1 Mac mini and five external displays from the M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, using DisplayPort adapters. This far exceeds the limits specified by Apple on external displays with the M1 Macs.

Apple’s host of new Macs M1 is not capable of supporting as many external displays as their Intel predecessors by default. The previous Intel-based MacBook Air could run one 6K or 5K external display or up to two external 4K displays, and the previous Intel-based MacBook Pro could run one external 5K display or up to two external 4K displays. The Intel-based 2018 Mac mini could run up to three 4K displays, or one 5K display and one 4K display.

Apple claims the M1 MacBook Air and M1 MacBook Pro can run an external display with a resolution of up to 6K at 60Hz. The M1 Mac mini can run a display with a resolution of up to 6K at 60Hz connected via Thunderbolt and a display with a resolution of up to 4K at 60Hz connected via HDMI 2.0. This means that each new Mac M1 can run one screen less than the model it replaced.

However, Tulupov found that it was possible to run up to six external displays from the M1 Mac mini and five external displays from the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, using a workaround. This is achieved by using DisplayPort adapters and DisplayLink software to drive the additional displays. After the Mac M1’s ports are full, DisplayPort adapters should be connected through an external docking station to provide more ports.

Tulupov used a mix of external displays, ranging from 4K to 1080p, as the Mac’s Thunderbolt ports lack the bandwidth to run six full-resolution 4K displays simultaneously. So users should always be selective about how their external display is configured with regards to resolutions.

In testing, running full-resolution video on the various screens at the same time as rendering in Final Cut Pro, Tulupov found the performance to be “impressive”, with very few frames removed. When closing and opening the MacBook Air, the screens behaved as expected and the setup looks more than adequate for everyday use.

Tulupov noted that he had not tested this setup with Sidecar for the iPad, but it might still be possible to run Sidecar in addition to the external displays for even more screen space.

In a separate video, Tulupov explained how to connect additional external displays to a Mac M1 using a DisplayPort adapter. The process is simply to install the DisplayLink drivers, which are already Big Sur compatible, and connect the adapter via USB-C.

The workaround may offer a lifeline for users who have been disappointed with the Mac M1’s limited external display capabilities.