I currently own a 2017 MacBook Pro (13", four Thunderbolt 3 ports) and a Dell P2415Q. I'm strongly considering purchasing two more Dell P2415Qs so that I can have a triple-monitor setup, but I only have one free USB Type-C port when docked right now. I also know that the Dell P2415Q's daisy-chaining capability isn't supported by OS X.
Is there a device I can purchase that will allow me to provide full charging power to my 13" MacBook Pro and allow me to plug three Dell P2415Qs into it (at 4K@60hz), all going into the MacBook via a single Thunderbolt 3 / USB Type-C cable? (If not, can it be done with only 2 TB3/USBC cables?)
My specs are:
- 13-inch, 2017 MacBook Pro with four Thunderbolt 3 Ports
- 3.5GHz Intel Core i7 CPU
- 16GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
- Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650 1536 MB
Best Answer
No. Thunderbolt 3 doesn’t chain video, just the thunderbolt data. What protocol you are feeding to the display and the diplay size will limit your options.
For example, the LG 5k displays are thunderbolt and you get two, one on each side of the MacBook Pro. HDMI adapter might let you chain a second display from a primary display based on the quality of the hub and the resolution on both, but I am 90% certain that won’t work either. Plan on one display per physical port on the Mac.
Now, some displays will mirror the same DisplayPort stream apparently. I haven't seen this but have no reason to suspect these reports aren't 100% correct.