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Apple Silicon MacBook Pro Q&A
Update Published November 20, 2023
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What is the maximum supported resolution for an external display on the Apple Silicon MacBook Pro? Are adapters required?
Officially, the initial Apple Silicon MacBook Pro -- the MacBook Pro "M1" 8-Core 3.2 13" (2020) -- as well as the subsequent 13" MacBook Pro -- the MacBook Pro "M2" 8 CPU/10 GPU 13" (2022) -- simultaneously support the internal display and an external display up to 6016x3384 (6K) at 60 Hz. This includes the beautiful, but very expensive, Apple Pro Display XDR via Thunderbolt / USB 4 (USB-C).
However, if you really want to push things to the max, a Russian YouTuber was able to connect as many as five external displays of varying resolution using DisplayPort adapters and DisplayLink software to the original 13" Apple Silicon MacBook Pro.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (MacBook Pro & 32" Apple Pro Display XDR)
Subsequent Apple Silicon MacBook Pro models, with 14" and 16" internal displays, officially support the following external ones:
Apple Silicon MacBook Pro |
External Display Support |
6016x3384 (6K) x2 |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x2 |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x2 |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x3 |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x3 |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x2 |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x3 |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x3 |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x2 |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x2 |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x2; 7680x4320 (8K) |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x2; 7680x4320 (8K) |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x2 |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x2; 7680x4320 (8K) |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x2; 7680x4320 (8K) |
|
6016x3384 (6K) |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x2; 7680x4320 (8K) |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x2; 7680x4320 (8K) |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x3 |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x3 |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x2; 7680x4320 (8K) |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x3 |
|
6016x3384 (6K) x3 |
Please refer to the applicable specs page for full details for a specific model; there are a wide variety of display combinations that will work with different notebooks.
Smaller Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) equipped displays also will work; as will older displays with a HDMI port or a vintage VGA port. For the 13" MacBook Pro "M1" the Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter (MJ1K2AM/A), which has an HDMI port, or the Apple USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter (MJ1L2AM/A), which has a VGA port, will be needed. The other models have an HDMI port, so they only would need a VGA adapter for use with an increasingly vintage VGA display.
What type of video processor is provided by the Apple Silicon MacBook Pro? Does it have "integrated" or "dedicated" video memory? Is it upgradable?
Different Apple Silicon MacBook Pro models have different video processors (GPUs) with a differing number of cores:
Apple Silicon MacBook Pro |
GPU Cores |
8 Cores |
|
10 Cores |
|
14 Cores |
|
14 Cores |
|
16 Cores |
|
24 Cores |
|
32 Cores |
|
16 Cores |
|
19 Cores |
|
30 Cores |
|
38 Cores |
|
16 Cores |
|
24 Cores |
|
32 Cores |
|
19 Cores |
|
30 Cores |
|
38 Cores |
|
10 Cores |
|
14 Cores |
|
18 Cores |
|
30 Cores |
|
40 Cores |
|
18 Cores |
|
30 Cores |
|
40 Cores |
All of these video processors are fully integrated with the SoC and it is not possible to upgrade the video processor after purchase.
Historically, video processors that have "integrated" memory, meaning that memory is shared with the system, tend to be lower performance than those with "dedicated" memory reserved for the video processor, but benchmarks show that this is not really the case for the Apple Silicon MacBook Pro line.
Does the Apple Silicon MacBook Pro support an eGPU?
An eGPU -- or external Graphics Processing Unit -- essentially is a graphics card in a box connected to a computer.
Photo Credit: Blackmagic Design (Intel MBP - Left, eGPU - Right)
For any Intel-based Mac that has Thunderbolt 3 ports there are a variety of compatible eGPU models. These eGPUs explicitly are not compatible with Apple Silicon-powered Macs like the Apple Silicon MacBook Pro line at all, though.
Perhaps in the future Apple will release its own compatible eGPU for Apple Silicon Macs, or allow third-parties to do so, but for now, the answer is simply no.
It is worth noting that although the original 13" Apple Silicon MacBook Pro was much faster overall than many recent Intel-based MacBook Pro models, equipping an Intel-based Mac with an eGPU did make it faster in graphics tasks than the Apple Silicon MacBook Pro.
How do you connect the Apple Silicon MacBook Pro to a wired Ethernet network? Is it possible?
The Apple Silicon MacBook Pro models do not have an Ethernet port, but it is straightforward to connect the notebook to a wired Ethernet network with a third-party adapter.
Photo Credit: Anker (USB-C Ethernet Adapter)
A variety of adapters are available, but some good options are the Anker PowerExpand 6-in-1 USB-C PD Ethernet Hub available from site sponsor Adorama in the US as well as the OWC USB-C Travel Dock E available from site sponsor OWC worldwide.
Photo Credit: Other World Computing (USB-C Travel Dock E)
The Anker adapter provides a Gigabit Ethernet port, an HDMI port, a USB-C port, two USB 3.0 (USB-A) ports, and a USB-C power passthrough port whereas the OWC Travel Dock provides a Gigabit Ethernet port, an HDMI 2.0 port, two USB 3.2 (Type-A) ports, an SD card reader, and a USB-C power passthrough port.
Photo Credit: OWC (Thunderbolt 3 10G Ethernet Adapter)
For seriously fast connectivity, OWC also sells its own brand Thunderbolt 3 10G Ethernet Adapter that you can be connected via its Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports. This adapter, in turn, makes it possible to connect the Apple Silicon MacBook Pro to a high-performance wired network up to ten times faster than Gigabit Ethernet.
What type of power connector does the Apple Silicon MacBook Pro use? Is it compatible with "MagSafe" power connectors?
The 13" Apple Silicon MacBook Pro models use a 61-watt or 67-watt USB-C power adapter and a USB-C cable. Regrettably, it is not designed to disconnect cleanly when tugged like the magnet-equipped "MagSafe" power cables of the past.
Although it is getting harder to find these days, Griffin created a smart "BreakSafe" magnetic USB-C power cable replacement that cleanly disconnects when yanked suddenly, just like MagSafe. It will work on the 13" Apple Silicon MacBook Pro, but because it only provides 60 watts of power, note that it will charge a bit more slowly than the default power adapter.
Photo Credit: Griffin Tech, Inc. (BreakSafe Power Cable)
All 14" and 16" MacBook Pro models delightfully reintroduce the "MagSafe" concept with new "MagSafe 3" power connectors that once again are magnet-equipped and disconnect cleanly without the need for a third-party product.
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