The Mac Studio randomly turns off the display of one screen.

Question

The Mac Studio randomly turns off the display of one screen.

I’ve been using a Mac Studio M1 Max for two years with three EIZO monitors dedicated to graphic design. Since the beginning of 2024, the Mac Studio randomly disables one of the screens. I’ve tried every possible configuration: tested with another monitor, different cables, etc., but nothing works. Even after restarting the Mac or temporarily turning off a screen, macOS still disables the video signal for that screen and moves the elements to another display.

It’s worth noting that if I work with only two screens, there are no issues. The Mac Studio is running the latest version of macOS. I’ve also tried restarting in Safe Mode and running the hardware diagnostic tool during startup, but the results show no hardware problems with the Mac Studio.

I contacted Apple Support, but they couldn’t identify the source of the issue. For reference, this machine only runs professional applications.

Could you suggest a possible solution?

Mac Studio, macOS 15.1

Posted on Nov 22, 2024 2:47 AM

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Answer 1

Nov 22, 2024 7:01 AM in response to Frédéric177

'different cables' is a check against cables that are broken. What many users are discovering is that their assumptions about 'which cables are good enough' do not work at high resolutions and refresh rates.

For HDMI cables, there is a huge change in technology at higher than 4K at 60 Hz. Above that, certified cables labeled "ULTRA" or "48K" are required.

for USB cables, length should be 1 meter or shorter.

for Thunderbolt cables, lengths should generally be 0.5 meters or shorter. There is an Apple super-engineered 0.8 meter cable that also works. Thunderbolt-5 cables provide NO data rates advantage and do not get around the length limits.

what exact make&model displays are using, and what cables, adapters and docks are in the data stream?

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Answer 2

Nov 22, 2024 7:53 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I use an Eizo FlexScan S2243W monitor, which I connected using a USB-C to DisplayPort cable from the brand KabelDirekt (2 m – USB-C to DisplayPort adapter cable, supporting up to 4K/2160p at 60 Hz). This setup works intermittently: sometimes the monitor is recognized, and other times, without any apparent reason, the Mac no longer recognizes the display. I therefore decided to switch to a DVI connection.

To achieve this, I purchased a KabelDirekt USB-C to DVI adapter (0.15 m – supporting up to 4K/30 Hz, USB-C 3.1 and Thunderbolt 3) along with a standard DVI cable. With this setup, the monitor works properly.

I also have a second monitor, an Eizo FlexScan S1921, which is connected using an HDMI-to-DVI cable from KabelDirekt (HDMI-DVI adapter cable with interference protection A.I.S. – 1.5 m – bidirectional DVI-D 24+1/HDMI cable, Full HD/1080p compatible).

Finally, I use a third, older monitor, an Eizo FlexScan L568, connected via a DVI cable and a USB-C adapter (KabelDirekt – USB-C to DVI adapter – 0.15 m – supporting up to 4K/30 Hz, USB-C 3.1 and Thunderbolt 3).

This configuration worked perfectly since I purchased the Mac in 2022. However, starting in early 2024, the Mac began randomly disabling the display on one of the monitors without any apparent reason.

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Answer 3

Nov 22, 2024 11:30 AM in response to Frédéric177

the Eizo FlexScan L568 Appears to be a 1920 by 1200 display with DisplayPort, DVI, and analog VGA (D-sub) inputs.

adapter/cables from USB should have the USB section of the cable strictly limited to one meter or less.

for DisplayPort, the DisplayPort section of the cable should also be limited to one meter or less.

for DVI or HDMI, that portion of the cable does not have strong length limitations as long as resolutions are 4K at 30 Hz or less.

the Eizo FlexScan S1921 appears to be a 1280 by 1024 display with DVI and analog VGA inputs.

for DVI or HDMI, that portion of the cable does not have strong length limitations as long as resolutions are 4K at 30 Hz or less.

Your Mac Studio M1 from 2021 or later features HDMI 2.0, whose Direct HDMI port can run up to 4K at 60 Hz for HDMI or DVI, provided high quality certified "Premium" or "Ultra" cables are used at highest resolutions.

these cables are not strongly length-limited when used with HDMI 2.0.

The Eizo FlexScan L568 appears to be a 1280 by 1024 display with DVI and Analog VGA inputs.

for DVI or HDMI, that portion of the cable does not have strong length limitations as long as resolutions are 4K at 30 Hz or less.

if you are meeting all those length limits, consider the possibility that the adapter may have failed.

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Answer 4

Nov 23, 2024 12:43 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I understand. On the Mac Studio, I simply don’t see an option to adjust the refresh rate to 30 Hz. By default, all three monitors run at 60 Hz. Regarding the USB-C/DVI adapter, it is only 10 cm long. I’d like to point out that this screen setup has been working perfectly for two years without any issues, and the problem only started a few months ago. I also want to mention that the three monitors work perfectly on a PC using the same cables but without the USB-C adapters. I’m beginning to question the long-term video capabilities of this Mac! What would you recommend?

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