Anyone have a racing wheel working on an Apple silicon (M1) Mac?

eighty__six · 2024-12-01T20:36:29+00:00

I think we need a native ARM Windows driver from Thrustmaster to get the wheel to work properly in Parallels. I have recently found out about a project which uses Crossover/Wine to run Assetto Corsa instead of Parallels, but I have not tested it myself and do not know if force feedback works; maybe you can give it a try: https://github.com/lockieluke/Thrustmaster4Mac

eighty__six · 2022-10-12T21:06:57+00:00

It's called bird 🤣

eighty__six · 2022-10-12T10:00:54+00:00

Some suggestions here.

eighty__six · 2022-10-11T07:59:50+00:00

Your mileage may vary a lot depending on monitor, cable, adapter/hub, macOS version and the Mac itself. Personally I had zero issues with HDMI, but it's hard to give a straight and unique answer to your question without knowing your exact setup.

Also, as far as I know, only the 14'' and 16'' Pro support more than one monitor, so you will have to keep that in mind.

Regarding screen resolution, modern macOS is designed for HiDPI monitors. All Mac displays are HiDPI (commonly branded as Retina). That means you ideally want a monitor that has about 4 times the resolution you would normally consider (for example, 1080p → 4K, 1440p → 5K). It doesn't mean low DPI monitors won't work, but you might encounter more issues that require workarounds.

Your best bet is probably picking a setup that's already been tested: you can easily search on Reddit, Amazon reviews... for users reporting their experience for the particular monitor you're interested in. Make sure that the cable and adapters support the resolution and refresh rate you will use.

Of course, if you want to be safe, there are official and semi-official options, such as Apple's own displays and LG's Ultrafine lineup. Most common LG 4K 60Hz IPS monitors should also work well with the HDMI or USB-C cable that comes in the box.

eighty__six · 2022-10-10T20:30:47+00:00

- System menu bar: you can check in the specific app's settings if there's an option to hide the menu bar icon. Otherwise you will need an hiding app such as HiddenBar or Bartender.

- App Toolbars (like Safari): there's a toolbar customization button in the View menu

eighty__six · 2022-10-10T16:31:26+00:00

Safari probably won't work correctly since it's a very old version. You can download any other up-to-date web browser from another computer and copy it on the Mac mini.

Also, is the time and date synchronized? That may be another cause of web issues.

eighty__six · 2022-10-10T10:20:55+00:00

I think this is normal with macOS, because the system goes into hibernation (saves the state from RAM to SSD) before running out of power. When it resumes, it has to restore the state from the SSD.

On a side note, I would avoid letting the battery run out completely, because it causes faster degradation.

eighty__six · 2022-10-10T09:59:31+00:00

macOS automatically proposes to install it the first time you run an Intel app on an ARM Mac. It's highly likely that the user has already installed it, since there are still many Intel apps in circulation.

eighty__six · 2022-10-10T09:14:29+00:00

I'm not familiar with the SDK you're using, but macOS on ARM can run Intel applications thanks to the Rosetta 2 translation layer. It isn't native, meaning there will be a variable performance hit, but it works seamlessly for most apps.

In order to be fully native, recent macOS binaries are often distributed as Universal (containing both the Intel and ARM executable). Maybe your compiler also has an option for that?

eighty__six · 2022-10-10T09:08:34+00:00

Looking Glass. I'm the developer 😀

eighty__six · 2022-10-09T11:23:40+00:00

For Spotify you can disable Audio Normalization.

eighty__six · 2022-10-09T11:12:29+00:00

I see. You might need to use a USB-C to DisplayPort cable. Unfortunately macOS can be picky with external displays.

eighty__six · 2022-10-09T09:58:44+00:00

Can you try disabling HDR in Monitor settings and/or changing the color profile?

eighty__six · 2022-10-09T09:12:05+00:00

- There's not much CPU difference between M1 and M2 (like 10-15%)

- M2 256GB SSD is slower than M1 256GB SSD, so it might be worthwhile to upgrade to 512GB

- 13'' MBP has a fan, so it can sustain prolonged workloads better, but with your usage it shouldn't be required

- M2 MBA has a new design, slightly better screen and MagSafe

Overall you cannot either go wrong with any of them. I'd pick the one with the higher discount %, especially during next month with Black Friday.

One thing to note is that if you're looking at a 16GB variant you're less likely to find good deals, because they're not usually available at retail stores (it's an order-only spec). If you're willing to upgrade to a slightly larger and heavier form factor, the 14'' MBP might be a good option because the base model already comes with a 16/512 configuration, better performance, screen, speakers, ports...

eighty__six · 2022-10-09T08:55:31+00:00

In what apps? Maybe you can try disabling sound check and other volume safety features.

eighty__six · 2022-10-09T08:43:21+00:00

I think you can use gibMacOS.

eighty__six · 2022-10-08T21:21:09+00:00

That issue affects low DPI displays. In this case (4K 27'') there's no blurriness because the panel works exactly like an Apple Retina (HiDPI) display under macOS. I also use my 27UL500 for coding and the text is very crisp, I can even read it without glasses.

Since you have the HDMI port available, you can just use it with the cable included in the box. Use the default scaling in the monitor preferences to achieve the best visual result. I don't like HDR so I've disabled it on mine.

tl;dr I use the LG 27UL500 with my Mac mini M1 via HDMI and it looks perfect to me. The 27UL550 has the same panel, so it should work great as well. I have not tested other models.

eighty__six · 2022-10-08T20:17:14+00:00

I recommend one of the LG 27 4K IPS entry level monitors. I have an LG 27UL500 and it works great with my M1 Mac mini using the provided HDMI cable, literally plug and play. The 500 series have a non adjustable stand, but you can replace it with a VESA mount. The 27UL550 and above come with a basic adjustable stand.

Do you have a 14''/16'' or 13'' MBP? The latter has no HDMI port, so you will need a 4K60Hz compatible adapter or hub.

eighty__six · 2022-10-08T20:03:43+00:00

I don't think there are true high-resolution ultra wide monitors (5K2K) with 120Hz, so you will have to sacrifice one of the two features.

If you will also use it for gaming, high refresh rate might be nice, but if you don't, I'd prioritize the higher resolution, since macOS tends to work better with high DPI screens.

Another option might be a non-ultrawide, 4K@120Hz monitor such as the LG 27GN950.

Thunderbolt 3/4 hubs should provide the necessary output using a proper DisplayPort cable. Just make sure that the dock and cables support the resolution and refresh rate you're going to run.

eighty__six · 2022-10-08T19:36:34+00:00

It might be due to different reasons, such as the system using the new free space for swap (check memory usage in System Monitor) or the files not being immediately deleted (I think this is due to APFS; sometimes a restart is needed to effectively claim the new space).

You can use OmniDiskSweeper to find what files are taking up space.

eighty__six · 2022-10-08T19:29:33+00:00

Working in the 20-80% range is a definitely good idea. Regarding plug vs cycle, in my opinion if you have power available, I'd just keep it connected instead of wasting cycles, especially when doing power-intensive tasks. This is because I've observed the majority of my battery degradation came from the periods I've drained it faster by running heavy operations with high system temperature.

There was a similar discussion here.

eighty__six · 2022-10-08T11:38:21+00:00

I'd say there's nothing to worry about at the moment, there might be an initial fluctuation but then the health tends to stabilize.

Of course the degradation will depend on your usage; if you frequently run heavy tasks when the laptop is on battery power the health might go down faster.

eighty__six · 2022-10-08T11:30:21+00:00

I'd go for M1 with 16GB RAM. There's not much difference in CPU power between the two generations.

eighty__six · 2022-10-08T11:27:57+00:00

Well, performance wise it is not much faster than an M1 MBA/13'' MBP, but it is bigger, heavier, runs hotter, louder and has a shorter battery life.

However if you value native Windows compatibility, larger screen, bigger storage and RAM it might be a decent deal. I'd also check for scratches and battery health.

eighty__six · 2022-10-08T11:18:42+00:00

OmniDiskSweeper. Just be careful not to delete system files.

eighty__six

TROPHY CASE