MacBook Pro M4 with thunderbolt 5 and portable monitor

AndrewBergman wrote:

The particular external display I've been testing with has 2 USB-C ports - I've tried with and without separate power and signal - with the same results. I've been using an Anker 4-port 100W GaN adapter to be able to power multiple devices simultaneously.

Does this monitor have any video input ports other than USB-C ports? I'm wondering if a possible workaround might be to use a HDMI-to-HDMI cable, or a USB-C to (whatever) adapter cable.

<<. So I think we all should make some noise so Apple resolves this problem asap. >>

Apple expends engineering money to fix well documented issues that come to it in a complete package through the formal Bug Report process. There should be enough information included in a formal Bug Report package that Apple can replicate the same issue in their laboratories.

Gratuitous 'noise making' in simply not productive. When you make noise HERE, all it does is disturb other Users like you. Apple does not read these forums searching for inspiration -- they are too busy researching formal Bug Reports.

I have the same issue, I actually work in the portable monitor business, this is a massive issue for us. 80% of our monitors and competitors monitors don't work with M4 Macs (they work with M1 Macs).

you can use simple tool built into your Mac to check whether the available and desired power are adequate:

option > [top choice on the Apple menu] System Information

Please post your report

Grant I recently purchased a MB Pro 16 M4 with a Max chip. I was under the belief that Thunderbolt 5 was a standard for this configuration. However, the hardware listed on the machine delivered shows all three ports as Thunderbolt 4. Went to Apple Store to look and all of their M4 Max and Pro units also showed Thunderbolt 4.

Have you seen this elsewhere? Has anyone purchased a machine that shows a Thunderbolt 5 in the hardware overview?

Please advise. Thank you.

lindowmac wrote:

Rather that fruitlessly post what cable and portable display I am using, likely shouldn't matter: it worked with my M2 Pro MBP, so I feel via backwards combatibility should work with this new M4 Pro MBP.

Maybe the problem is that the portable monitor is being overly demanding of bus power – and that while the M2 Pro MBP was generous with handing out extra bus power, that doesn't necessarily mean that anything is wrong with the M4 Pro MBP.

Since you haven't been able to get any reports from the computer about how much power the external monitor wants to suck out of the MBP, and since you haven't told us which external monitor it is (which might lead us to specifications or manuals for that monitor, on the Web), we don't know what it's trying to do.

All we know is that you seem to want the MBP to power an external display about which there are no specifics. That's not much of a basis for troubleshooting.

My feeling is that you should assume that an external display needs its own power source (whether that is wall power, or a battery of its own) until proven that its demands are within what a notebook is willing to supply.

Yes, it is a different machine. But:

• If what you are saying is true....why did that same portable monitor work with the non powered USB C display hub I used as the in-between? If the issue was power as you claim, why would the NON-powered hub placed between the thunderbolt 5 port and the portable monitor make it work suddenly?
• The reality of our situation is that, regardless of how things 'should work', portable monitors that have worked on my M1 Max MBP, my brothers M2 Pro MBP, my friend's M2 Pro Mac mini, my plain M4 Mac mini....those same monitors are not working on the M4 Pro Mac mini. Nor is the portable monitor working on OP's Mac. Regardless of what is being said, there is a change in results based on the introduction of the M4 Pro featuring thunderbolt 5 ports.
• Why are you trying using numbers to support the idea that it shouldn't work on the M4 Pro Mac Mini but then speculative logic to support why it did work on the plain M4 and calling it 'lucky'? This isn't super helpful. I am trying to provide useful information based on real world results. Saying something "should" or "shouldn't" work while staring at results in the face doesn't really bring anything to the table here, nor does calling something "lucky".
• Where did you get the numbers saying the Mac mini wasn't designed to deliver a certain amount of power? I am not calling you wrong, I just don't know where you got that from. I don't see it listed in the device specs and as you pointed out, the OP's machine and the Mac mini are different machines so we can't really rely on the numbers provided in this thread.

manojfromdelta wrote:

I have 14" M4 MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro chip (14 core CPU/20 core GPU). As per attached screen shot the system info shows it as havingThunderbolt/USB 4. Why does it not say Thunderbolt/USB 5? I note that the speed is listed as up to 120 Gb/s.

As far as I know, there is no USB5. USB4 version 2.0 is the latest USB specification. Apple was one of the first adopters of the original USB4, and all Apple Silicon Macs support USB4 – though I don't know whether any of them support USB4 version 2.0.

There are five versions of Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt 1 & 2 lived on Mini DisplayPort connectors. Thunderbolt 3 through 5 live on the USB-C one.

So, among Macs with USB-C ports,

• Some Intel Macs have Thunderbolt 3 ports.
• Some Apple Silicon Macs have Thunderbolt 3 / USB4 ports.
• Some Apple Silicon Macs have Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 ports.
• Some Apple Silicon Macs have Thunderbolt 5 / USB4 ports.

My guess is that whomever wrote the code for the System Information dialog was being a bit lazy and decided that they would use a generic title, rather than taking extra effort to special-case the title according to the Mac upon which the code was running.

I just submitted a support ticket with Apple on this. These monitors and hubs should not have stopped working just because we upgraded to a TB5 Mac system. As a previous respondent stated, if you hook up an external power source to the monitor, while connected to the MBP, then monitor will work. That is an untenable workaround because it defeats the purpose of using portable monitors.

Let's hope this gets addressed ASAP.

I am also experiencing the same problem. I have a USB C portable monitor that I have been using with my 2020 M1 MacBook Air - it works flawlessly using a single thunderbolt cable. I just purchased a new M4 14" Macbook Pro, and it will not connect to the display using the same single USB C Thunderbolt cable that works with my M1 MacBook Air. I have the laptops side by side, and can swap the cable back and forth, works on M1, does not work on M4.

Is there any way to force the TB4/5 port down to TB3?

This is bad on Apples part to introduce such a bug. This one works well https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/OEM-ODM-16-Inch-Portable-Stackable_1601143930193.html?spm=a2756.order-detail-ta-ta-b.0.0.298cf19cQLxrVK

The original post described a certain hub that solved this problem, in that it at least enabled, without a separate power connection, a direct link between the Thunderbolt 5 port and the USB-C port on the portable monitor. It is very expensive in the UK (currently at time of writing £96 on Amazon).

Does anyone know if this Startech hub works with the same effect? It has USB-C DP Alt Mode which apparently very few hubs have, so I think it might work. However, on Startech's website for the hub, it states the following:

• USB-C VIDEO OUTPUT: USB-C port (video + data) supports video out to a 4K 60Hz portable or desktop USB-C monitor; NOTES: Computer must support USB-C DP Alt Mode; Power adapter must be connected to PD Pass-Through port to power a USB-C monitor

This makes me think it possibly won't work in the same way that the recommended Selore hub would. Which would be a pity as it's currently £36 cheaper!

"Are you experiencing any issues when your MacBook goes to sleep mode? Every time my MacBook goes to sleep mode I need to unplug and plug again the USB HUB otherwise the monitors doesn't have signal

Outside of this specific scenario the HUB fixed the issue, good workaround. Thank you."

In reply to GuilhermeSa

Good point. USB and Energy Saver have been at odds since USB was first invented. Energy Saver/Power/Sleep system settings have "put hard drive to sleep" option which can sometimes make the compatibility issues worse. Some hubs docking stations have their own manufacturer firmware update to keep up with USB standards. Ones that are powered by the computer typically are more sensitive than ones with their own AC/DC power adapter. This includes monitors and other devices powered by the computer.

Closing the laptop screen putting it in "Clamshell" mode automatically triggers sleep power levels on the USB of the computer. If people are having issues, look into your devices firmware, and see if you can get a comparable device with its own AC/DC power adapter to avoid issues. Power issues will persist once they begin, until the computer is restart.

It's not just you. I just paid a lot of money for a M4 max pro. One primary purpose of this is to use a 18.5 inch portable monitor I used perfectly fine with an M2 Pro. I was very frustrated and started searching for answers and found these posts. I still find no answer nor good recommendation in the 18.5 screen size that will work with an M4 with Thunderbolt 5 even though Thunderbolt 5 is supposed to be backward compatible. For me, Thunderbolt 5 is nearly worthless. I bought this mac for the processor and the stated specs that it was capable with display port and power over that port. I find it absolutely ridiculous to spend this kind of money on a Macbook that requires a two cable solution while earlier Macs do not. I am considering returning the Mac. Too much money for not living up to its specs. I do not feel as if I'm getting my money's worth nor did I get what I paid for. One thing does surprise me though. My MNN 15.6 I bought from Amazon that I've run in a dual monitor setup on the M2, does work on the M4 Max Pro.

gamer_jack wrote:

I bought this mac for the processor and the stated specs that it was capable with display port and power over that port.

Please provide a link to the Technical Specifications which state that the M4 Max MacBook Pro will provide large amounts of power – in excess of the minimums for USB or Thunderbolt ports – to an accessory. I am looking at the stated specifications, and I see nothing to that effect there.

MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4 Pro or M4 Max, 2024) - Tech Specs - Apple Support

MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2024) - Tech Specs - Apple Support

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Three Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports with support for:

• Charging
• DisplayPort
• Thunderbolt 5 (up to 120Gb/s)
• Thunderbolt 4 (up to 40Gb/s)
• USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s)

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Charging means charging the Mac.

Charge your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro - Apple Support