New USB-C Dock Triples M1 Mac External Monitor Support, Anker Says

If you have an M1-based Mac, Apple says you’re limited to just one external monitor. But Anker, which makes power banks, chargers, docking stations and other accessories, this week released a docking station that it says will increase your M1 Mac’s maximum monitor count to three.

The $250 Anker 563 USB-C Dock, spotted by MacRumors, plugs into a USB-C port on your computer (which doesn’t have to be a Mac) and can also charge up to 100W of laptop power. Of course, you will also need to connect the dock’s 180W power adapter. Once connected, the dock adds the following ports to your setup:

• 2x HDMI (version not specified)
• 1x USB-C (3.1 Gen 1): Charges devices up to 30W
• 1x USB-A (3.1 Gen 1): Charge devices up to 7.5W
• 2x USB-A (2.0)
• 1x 3.5mm headphone jack
• 1x Ethernet

You’ll need two HDMI and DisplayPort ports to add three monitors to your MacBook M1. However, there are some notable limitations.

If you were hoping to use three 4K displays, you’re out of luck. The docking station can only support one 4K monitor at a time, and the output will be limited to a 30Hz refresh rate. Most general purpose monitors and televisions run at 60Hz, and monitors can go up to 360Hz. This year, 4K monitors will run even at 240Hz. Running 4K at 30Hz might be fine for watching movies, but for fast-paced action, things might not feel as smooth to sharp eyes accustomed to 60Hz and beyond.

If you add a second external monitor via the Anker 563, the 4K screen will still run at 30Hz over HDMI, and DisplayPort will support resolutions up to 2560×1440 at 60Hz.

There are more frustrating caveats when considering a three-monitor setup. A 4K monitor will run at 30Hz, but you will no longer be able to use another 2560×1440 monitor. Instead, the two additional monitors are limited to 2048×1152 resolution and 60Hz refresh rate. Anker says that if the display doesn’t support 2048×1152, the monitor will default to 1920×1080.

You also need to download the DisplayLink software and you must be using macOS 10.14 or Windows 7 or later.

Apple states that “using docking stations or daisy-chaining devices does not increase the number of displays you can connect”to the M1 Mac, so don’t be surprised if you experience glitches while running.

As The Verge points out, Anker is not alone in trying to do what Apple says is impossible. Hyper, for example, offers options to add two 4K monitors to the MacBook M1, one at 30Hz and one at 60Hz. This list includes a $200 hub with the same range of ports as the Anker 563 and a two-year limited warranty (the Anker dock gives 18 months). It works via DisplayPort Alternate Mode, so you don’t need a DisplayLink driver, but it still requires the pesky Hyper app.

Plugable offers dock solutions that claim to work with the M1 Mac for the same price as the Anker dock and they also limit 4K to 30Hz.

However, some docks have even more restrictions when it comes to the M1. CalDigit notes that for its dock, “Users cannot extend their desktop to two displays and will be limited to either two ‘mirrored’ displays or one external display depending on the dock.”

Alternatively, and for a few hundred dollars, you can buy a new MacBook and upgrade to an M1 Pro, M1 Max, or M1 Ultra processor. Depending on the device, these chips can support two to five external displays, according to Apple.