does the mac mini m1 2020 support the lg ultrafine 5k display?

The Apple Store indicates M1 Mac mini compatibility for the LG 27MD5KL Ultrafine 5K display.

I happen to have the LG 32UN880-B 4K Ultrafine Ergo display connected to my M1 mini via HDMI. No keyboard audio, or keyboard screen brightness support, which I can live with, and an astoundingly sharp display with anti-glare coating. Costs about half of the 5K LG you mention.

Hi JeffinNYC

You have probably moved on from your troubles with the LG monitor but if not ...

The first thing I found helped was getting an Apple Lightning cable to replace the LG supplied one - the Apple cable gave full functions like wake from sleep.

The second thing was to reinstall macOS Big Sur. This was recommended by Apple Support after a diagnostic session that involved starting up in safe mode, and using Diagnostics to test the Mac mini, and though the reinstall took a while [talking hours] it seems to have done the trick as far as fault lines are concerned [a week without the lines now]. I thought it would be a lot of work but other than the time taken for the download you just have to log back into your Apple account and all the user details etc on the device are retained. [How to reinstall macOS - https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204904 ]

[The Support session included:

How to use safe mode on your Mac - https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201262

Use Apple diagnostics to test your Mac - https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT202731]

I have since downloaded the LG Screen Manager but that does not function fully. It did open but I do not think it is designed to work in the Mac Big Sur/mini M1 environment yet. Brightness control works from the Apple keyboard and you can go through System Preferences>Displays>Colour Tab to calibrate the monitor. And there is always ColorSync Utility if you need to really get under the bonnet [hood?].

Good luck and Stay Safe.

So today my new (replacement) Ultrafine 5K arrived. Rather than taking any chances with popping it onto the same cables from the old one, I replaced everything. And I'm having the exact same problems. So 100% there are problems between the M1 (or Big Sur) and this monitor. I also have vertical fault lines issue on occasion that Comatose Marmoset noted immediately above.

So as a reminder, here is what I have tried with no success:

1. New user account on original Mac Mini M1
2. New Mac Mini M1 with totally clean, out of box install
3. Hooking the LG through a TB3 hub (as a flyer -- didn't think it would help and it didn't)
4. Replace monitor, TB3 cable and power cable

And still the LG Mac app is not updated and shows the monitor as "incompatible," even though I can use my wife's MBP 16 with Catalina to run the app and connect to the monitor just fine.

It's a good looking monitor (the screen that is) when it works right, but for $1300 retail, it's just not really full functioned. I'm not torn about what to do next.

I actually have had an issue with non-persistent screen brightness settings and occasional screen distortion. The brightness issue is the more comment. Specifically, when the computer wakes from sleep, the display is dimmer than what it should be. I keep the display set to maximum brightness and when it wakes from sleep, the slider in System Preferences (remember, there are no physical controls on this display) shows it's at the max. But the display is clearly dimmed. I can wiggle the slider a bit and the brightness pops back to life.

This has gone to Apple engineering who has now pegged it as an LG issue. I talked to LG, but they were useless. The display updater app from LG also is not M1 and/or Big Sur compatible, so it doesn't recognize the display. I hooked up a Catalina laptop and it did recognize the display, but said there were no firmware updates. So I'm stuck...

I agree with Jeff. I have also had vertical lines on the display so it is definitely not compatible. I have wasted hours on it and no one can help me. I now have to return everything. Stay away from the LG display until a compatibility update is announced. Also be weary of the M1 Macs if you rely on them professionally.

I have it connected to an M1 Mac Mini, but I needed to use SwitchResX to get to full native resolution of 5120x1440. I am connected via USB-C to the USB-C port on the LG UltraFine 5K. It seems to work perfectly at 5120x1440 (but I had to load panoramic desktop images as the default and previous images do not do it justice).

By default it came up as 3840x1080 without using SwitchResX. So other than the need for SwitchResX, it is both beautiful and sharp from edge to edge.

FYI: I am using the LG 49" ultra wide "5K" display.

NOTE: The colors under the "HDR" setting are not acceptable in my opinion at least not yet. The monitor recognized "HDR" signal, but it was not correct.

I could only get 3840x1080 via the LG HDMI cable that was supplied. I have not tried the full size DP 1.2 cable yet.

Update: As soon as I updated to Big Sur 11.1 (from 11.0.1), the full 5K resolution is now recognized in the System Preferences/Display/scaled button.

It also appears that the High Dynamic Range setting now has normal looking colors.

I don't think that SwitchResX is required to get the M1 Mac Mini to operate with the LG 49" ultra wide 5K.

I just don't think this is quite factually correct regarding full support and compatibility. Note how the LG updater utility designed to update firmware and specifically designed for the Ultrafines does not recognize my 5K Ultrafine as being connected. LG confirmed as much to me that it is not fully compatible (unclear if that's due to Big Sur or M1 or both).

I think evdriver's experience may not really apply here. The 4K and 5K Thunderbolt Ultrafines are very specific devices that have no physical controls due to the supposed integration with MacOS. So when things don't work right with the software, there isn't a hardware setting fallback.

My issue continues to reside with Apple engineering...

Hi Ricky-29

Did you end up with a "Yes" or a "sort of"?

Apple sold me the LG 5K Display with an M1 Mac mini but full function using the LG supplied cables did not happen. I found that waking from keyboard or trackpad tap needed the Apple branded Lightning 3 connector. Otherwise the display sets itself up.

I have an intermittent issue with symmetrical vertical fault lines in the centre of the display that do not show in screen grabs, suggesting there is an inherent fault on the feed to the display and that is not where Screen Grab takes the data from. [The opposite of WYSIWYG] Not sure how Apple are going to sort that.

The display itself is super. Really, really sharp and apart from those glitches works a treat. Having spent 6 years on a 5K iMac I appreciate the definition the LG gives. The speakers are not bad, I'd say they have the edge on the old iMac. The camera is not so brilliant - probably the thing to let the display down, but I rarely use it so that wasn't an issue for me. It has a good stand with much, much better adjustment that the iMac.

Stay Safe

I have a 27MD5K connected to my M1 Mini. Works fine in general, but the LG Screen Manager does seem to have issues. Camera and mic work fine. I'm still troubleshooting the display controls, such as contrast for calibration.

Yes, it most certainly does have full support and compatibility.

Hey JeffinNYC

Ignore my earlier post [apart from the links to Apple Support].

I spoke too soon - the fault lines are back!

I guess I'll be contacting Apple Support again.

Good wishes