This has always been a big want for me. I love using multi-monitor setups but only want a single laptop. Does the 2011 MBP Thunderbolt support chaining multiple monitors together? I know that you can add a monitor and say, a few hard drives, but can you connect it to 2 27" monitors and your flat screen TV (for example)? Thanks!
MacBook – Does Thunderbolt support chaining multiple monitors to a MacBook Pro
displaymacbook prothunderbolt
Related Question
- MacBook – How to use 2 FullHD monitors to one Type-C port on Macbook Pro 15 2018
- IMac – Need to connect multiple 3.5″ hard drives to the Thunderbolt port of a 2012 iMac
- MacBook Pro 2020 with 2 x Dell U2518D monitors
- MacOS – On a mac can I extend (not duplicate) the display to multiple external monitors
Best Answer
Apple maintains a knowledge base article listing which Mac models support either one or two external thunderbolt displays.
The technology does allow for multiple monitors to be daisy chained. In fact, the devices you daisy chain doesn't matter, nor does the order they are in. However, like with the Display Port and eSATA, the problem at the moment is finding actual devices that support this feature. Until Apple or another manufacturer provides monitors with the ports needed for daisy chaining, this will not be possible.
The advantage here is unlike eSATA and Display Port, the bandwidth available will make this more then manageable from the port itself. The biggest obstacle will be the ability to provide enough power to run all these daisy chained devices. Therefore just getting a cable will not be sufficient. Each device will be required to have its own incoming and outgoing port.
Give the technology another year or so it will be more then doable and more mainstream. Apple would most likely also add these ports to their monitors fairly soon, I suspect during the next iMac/Monitor refresh schedule.