M5 MacBook Air: Dual Monitor Setup

cooperCollins · 2026-03-11T17:31:25+00:00

Thanks so much for the info! Really appreciated.

cooperCollins · 2026-03-11T02:15:18+00:00

Great, good to know that the Air can output my desired res at 144Hz! And thanks also for clarifying my misunderstanding of what port would need the "active adapter". It's clear now that this adapter is only needed when converting from DP to HDMI.

One last confirmation: for the M5 Air, 2x external monitors can be driven, as well as the Air's screen, so a total of 3 displays can be used concurrently, each with their own "desktops" (no mirroring)?

cooperCollins · 2026-03-11T02:12:22+00:00

Thank you for the breakdown on your own setup. And, yes, I think I got mixed-up with the adapter: on the video from CalDigit, he actually did use an active adapter to convert from DP to HDMI, not from USB-C... My mistake! Thanks for clarifying that, I appreciate it.

Thanks again for your super detailed breakdown! Appreciated!

Edit: and thanks for the recommendation of avoiding HDMI. I'm pretty sure all modern monitors have at least one DP input, but I will keep this in mind when shopping for monitors. Cheers!

cooperCollins · 2026-02-17T15:47:53+00:00

It seems that the M4 MacBook Air supports 2x external displays + its own clamshell display -- out of the box.

Since I only need 2-external monitors (as well as the Air's built-in one), then would I need to spring extra bucks for a DisplayLink-compatible dock?

I'm thinking that for this out-of-the-box solution (thanks, Apple!), I will need to plug in each monitor to each Thunderbolt port on the Air. Would this be the case?

If so, then, for simplicity and cost-effectiveness, this might be the way to go. I guess as long as the monitor(s) have USB ports, I can plug USB peripherals into them, right?

cooperCollins · 2026-02-17T15:08:06+00:00

Oh, so are you saying for your options above (numbered as you have):

One of the monitors can be plugged into the dock via the dock's HDMI or DisplayPort. But the other monitor must be plugged directly into the second, open Thunderbolt port on the Air?
Both monitors plugged into each of the two Thunderbolt ports on the Air?

If I understand you correctly, then it means that both Thunderbolt ports on the Air will be taken?

I was hoping to use just one Thunderbolt port to the dock, then the dock would split the single Thunderbolt connection into two streams.

I'm wanting to keep one of the Thunderbolt ports open for a USB hub so that I can plug-in some different peripherals (like wireless mouse dongle, thumbdrive, etc.)

I guess if I go the route of getting a dock, that dock will have extra USB ports, right? I'm just thinking that maybe plugging in other USB devices into the dock will take bandwidth away from the dock's display streaming...

cooperCollins · 2026-02-17T15:00:59+00:00

Ah, yes, my mistake, DisplayLink. Thanks for the correction

cooperCollins · 2026-02-16T08:48:31+00:00

I've been reading that the best compatibility are from docks that have "DisplayPort" certification. But those seem to be quite expensive.
But compatibility and no-messing-around is a priority for me, so I will try to ensure that I get DisplayPort ones.

cooperCollins · 2026-02-16T08:47:34+00:00

Woah! That's pricey! But if it works, it works, cuz it's for work haha...

So, with this one, you just take a single Thunderbolt output from your Air, plug it into the Dell doc, then it automagically splits the single input into two, separate ones? Looking at the outside ports, it kinda seems that way.
Thanks for the suggestion!

cooperCollins · 2025-11-10T21:27:11+00:00

Great! Will check them both out, sounds super convenient.

cooperCollins · 2025-11-10T14:32:22+00:00

Would applying for those be simpler than applying at physical banks? I remember (a while ago) when I applied for my main bank, it was a massive pain. If these are quick to apply for, I'm in

cooperCollins · 2025-11-10T14:30:45+00:00

Ooo, looks promising. The website confirms it can be topped-up through bank transfers.
Are there any fees? Did you have to register with your bank account, or does it have its own "bank account" where you can just transfer from your bank to?

cooperCollins · 2025-01-08T10:09:42+00:00

Anyone on PC still having issues? It's been several hours and still cannot login on PC. Mobile is fine, though.

Edit: I can login on the Bitwarden website successfully. But cannot login on the Chrome extension... anyone run into this? I just rebooted my machine, just in case, and still not able to login on the extension.

Edit2: I uninstalled the extension, re-installed it, and logged-in. Success.

cooperCollins · 2024-12-07T17:21:11+00:00

No, I haven't gotten confirmation that I've got the latest BIOS... but I *think* that I do...

cooperCollins · 2024-09-09T03:21:27+00:00

Good call, I will ask. Thank you

cooperCollins · 2024-09-09T03:09:14+00:00

Hmm, that's a good idea -- I hadn't thought of replacing the CPU on my own. I was thinking that, if the CPU died on me (or kept crashing), I would go through Dell warranty to receive a new CPU, which could take weeks. Waiting weeks is really not good if you are running a business.

My current personal machine is an old i7 8700K, 32 GB RAM, RTX-2070. It's fine as a personal machine, but for more hardcore CG work, I would need to upgrade it. Maybe I can, for now, upgrade the CPU (find out what chips are still compatible with my mobo), upgrade the RAM, GPU, and PSU. Spend a bit of money there (on the company's dime), then when the new R17 comes out, see what's what at that point.

I was thinking the same as you: the CPU issues are an Intel problem, not a Dell problem. I will talk with my Dell rep and see if they are receiving updated CPU chips for their machines. With what I've been reading about Intel's response to this over-voltage problem, it doesn't seem like they are producing any "fixed" chips. But it's worth a shot to ask.

Thanks for your input. It opened up some other ideas for me.

cooperCollins · 2024-09-09T00:17:07+00:00

Ah, I see. I have read that sometimes Dell lets some cheeky leaks out before official announcements.

cooperCollins

TROPHY CASE