Mini Mac M2 Connectivity with ASUS PG39WCDMOLED Display

MBP2015 wrote:

I just purchased an ASUS PG39WCDMOLED 2K Display. Too good a deal to pass up so I didn't have time for the usual research as to Mac compatibility. Has anyone used this monitor with a 2023 M2? My Mini was bought new in 2023, has never been out of the box, has 32MB memory and a 1 TB HD with 4 TBolt ports. The display has HDMI 2.1, USB-C, USB and DP 1.4 inputs. The display's USB-C Port can be set to 60 or 90 Watts via the OSD menu. Would it make a difference if the port was set to 60 or 90? I've read that some people have had issues using less than a 4K display on their Mini Macs while some have said they had no issue if they connect using the HDMI or USB-C inputs. Maybe they were using older Minis? I'm looking for any advice while I still have an opportunity to cancel the order if it's not a good fit.

AsusTek – ROG Swift OLED PG39WCDM

This appears to be a 39" display with a resolution of 3440x1440 pixels and a refresh rate of 240 Hz. It has several video inputs: a DisplayPort v1.4 input, two HDMI v2.1 input, and a USB-C (DIsplayPort Alt Mode) input. The USB-A ports on the display are part of a USB hub and are not for connecting video input of any kind.

From this page you can get to a Support page with online copies of the monitor's user manual.

3440x1440 pixels with a 39" diagonal works out to about 95.6 PPI, close to the same pixel density as a non-Retina 24" 1080p monitor, and less than the pixel density of a non-Retina 27" 2.5K monitor. So if you were sitting close to this thing, you'd probably want to run it in 3440x1440 mode.

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You say that your "M2" Mac mini has four Thunderbolt ports – which would mean that you actually have a M2 Pro Mac mini. (The ones with plain M2 chips just had two Thunderbolt ports.)

If I'm reading things correctly, your Mac should be able to drive this display, over HDMI, if you use a high-quality HDMI v2.1 cable. HDMI v2.1 is the most recent version of the HDMI standard, and offers several times as much bandwidth as HDMI v2.0, so older cables meant for HDMI v1.4 or v2.0 gear might not be up to the job.

This would count as your one, and only, display: a display with "up to 4K resolution" (UHD 4K is 3840x2160; this display's resolution is 3440x1440" "at 240 Hz over HDMI." If you wanted to use more than one display with your Mini, you would need to force the refresh rate down to something much lower than 240 Hz.

Mac mini (2023) - Tech Specs - Apple Support

"Apple M2 Pro chip

Simultaneously supports up to three displays:

• Up to three displays: Two displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz over HDMI
• Up to two displays: One display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI
• One display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI"

That ASUS display will work fine with the M2 Mac mini.

see "Video Support" at > Mac mini (2023) - Tech Specs - Apple Support

and > Connect a display to Mac mini - Apple Support

I would first try using the ASUS supplied HDMI cable for video.

Use the supplied USB-C cable for the displays down stream USB hub.

If you have video issues, low resolution or black outs using the supplied HDMI cable..?

Then you need to upgrade the HDMI cable to a short certified high speed HDMI cable.

for example: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TGBLLXY/ref=sspa_dk_detail_4?

Or optionally you can get and use a short high speed USB-C to DisplayPort cable.

for example: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B97GVTN4/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?