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How to connect 2 Apple monitors (thunderbolt) to Macbook air M2?

My previous setup was 2015 Macbook Pro, connection is to one thunderbolt to (2015) dual Apple monitor using thunderbolt, and each Monitor daisy chain to each other.


My new setup: Macbook air M2, with my (2015) dual Apple monitor.

First try: Using a single USB C to thunderbolt adapter, only one monitor turns on, but no daisy chain.

Second try: Using two USB C (Both port) to connect to monitor Individually, only one monitor turned on, and nothing on the second monitor.


Any suggestion on how to connect them? is this a display driver issue?


Thanks in advance.


MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Aug 28, 2023 10:33 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 29, 2023 3:47 AM

Hi there,


The standard M2, support only one external monitor up to 6k and 60Hz.

You can se that under Tech Specs about MacBook Air M2: MacBook Air 13- and 15-inch with M2 - Tech Specs - Apple

If you want more native external display you have to go to M2 Pro o Max.





2 replies

Aug 29, 2023 7:13 AM in response to ploygon_pusher

Apple-Silicon 2020 M1 13-in MacBook Pro and Air and 2022 Apple-Silicon M2 13-in MacBook Pro and Air and the 2023 MacBook Air 15-in model are extremely-capable entry-level computers. They can support the internal display AND an External display up to the previously unheard of size of the Apple 6K display at billions of colors. But only ONE in addition to the internal display.


This may not match the way older computers forced you to work, since older computers were not able to support a really large external display. But it is NOT a defect. The spec was available long before you could purchase the computer.


The Apple standard for its built-in hardware-accelerated displays, makes them suitable for full-motion video for production/display of cinema-quality video with NO dropped frames, and NO dropouts or partial-blank scan lines due to memory under-runs or other issues. This requires a hardware rasterizer/display-generator for each fully-accelerated display.


If you need more hardware-accelerated displays than the built-in and ONE external display, and an un-accelerated iPad if desired, you probably need a more capable computer.


If you are only doing program listings, spreadsheets, stock quotes and other slow to change data, there are some other solutions, but they require you to make some strong compromises.


Executive summary: More than ONE additional Hardware-accelerated display can NOT be added to the entry-level 13-in or 15-in M1 or M2 systems.

How to connect 2 Apple monitors (thunderbolt) to Macbook air M2?

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