...About to buy two monitors for my 4 port iMac M4, what exactly does USB C DP Alternative mean, and would connecting this display MSI 27" Full HD 144Hz IPS AMD FreeSync (Adaptive Sync) 1ms USB-C Built-in Speaker Computer Monitor for both Work and Gaming PRO MP272 E14C - Newegg.com work natively with the two of the iMac USB C ports straight from the box?
I have a higher end M4 iMac with the 4 thunderbolt ports arriving next week through the mail. I need to use the existing display setup that is already here with me for work, which are 4 displays. I have a TV that's HDMI native running at 1080p, a monitor that's also HDMI native at 1080p, and two other monitors that need to convert from VGA to USB C, one is 1080p and the other 720p. Apple's website says that the limit on an M4 iMac is two displays, but I know that with DisplayLink you can sort of jump that limitation. Do I ultimately need a dock for this? Or could I run all the 4 four displays over DisplayLink with the built in ports on the iMac? Do I use DisplayLink with just the built-in ports on the iMac or do they need some sort of DisplayLink hardware before they directly connect to the iMac, or what does the dock ultimately solve if I already have four thunderbolt ports for four monitors on the iMac with DisplayLink? Are there issues with DisplayLink if some of the VGA monitors go through a USB-C converters? Would it work out better if I use two of the displays natively through the thunderbolt ports and then the other two through DisplayLink? Does DisplayLink itself need hardware or is it just a software driver? Any guidance would be helpful.
I have four displays available to me that I would like to plug onto my Mac Studio once I acquire it. One is a TV which runs fine through native HDMI, the rest of the three displays are VGA and would run through VGA to USB C converters. I don't want to use a dedicated USB C port for each of these displays as I have more USB devices to plug in. What would occur if I would get a powered USB C hub and connect these monitors through that? Would they actually work through a hub? Which one would be recommended for connecting displays? Are there firmware or macOS driver issues that would arise from this setup situation? ...Also, does the Mac Studio have the same issue as a space grey Mac Mini where it wouldn't boot when the video converters would be connected upon startup?