So, after trialling the BenQ PD3225U 4K monitor with my new Mac Studio M4 Max, I am comparing it with the PD3226G 4K. I have 2 immediate questions:
1) the monitor is 144Hz, so why can I only set it to 100Hz in Settings>Display?
2) HDR is not available unless I lower the frequency from 100Hz to 60Hz. Is this correct?
Thanks in advance.
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
Mac Studio, macOS 15.3
Thanks again for all your time.
I think your responses are too technical for me, and maybe I’m not explaining myself well enough.
I’ll try to put my question as simply as I can:
Why do I get 144Hz HDR at native res, yet I can’t at lower values?
As an aside, the common definition of ‘4K’ is 3840x2160 and that is why I use the term. Obviously, that is not 4K pixels. Similarly, ‘5K’ is not 5K pixels. AFAIK, these terms are just lazy ways of defining the horizontal resolution.
Regarding ‘Thunderbolt’, I was just explaining the port situation, i.e. TB5 port on Mac to TB4 on monitor. I wasn’t suggesting I was running on TB5.
<< Why do I get 144Hz HDR at native res, yet I can’t at lower values? >>
you don't get nominal 4K at HDR at 144 Hz. You only get that when you drop the screen size lower than 3840 wide -- to 3560 is what you wrote.
You are able to achieve that because these display protocols do not increase their speeds by a few GHz/second when you increase the resolution by a few pixels. There are several fixed overall transmission speeds {HBR, HBR2, HBR3, UHBR10}. If your data fits inside one of the envelopes, it runs. if not, you have to reduce resolution or refresh rate.
<< I am getting nominal 4K (3840x2160) and HDR at 144Hz. >>
You did NOT appear to post that you could attain that resolution and refresh rate previously.
if you had, I would have referred you to the footnote(c)
c) Although this format slightly exceeds the maximum data rate of this transmission mode with CVT-R2 timing, it is close enough to be achieved with non-standard timings
so the answer is, you got through because that specific timing can be an exception sometimes.
Sorry, but I posted it several times. Look at my 3rd post on page one for the first time, and several posts after that.
I don't know if we've come to the end of the road here, but I still have no idea why higher refresh rates and HDR are available at higher resolutions, but not in lower ones.
I think I'll approach BenQ and Apple support. If I find out anything useful I'll post back here.
it appears that the PD3226G display you mentioned DOES support HDMI 2.1.
It would provide higher resolutions over HDMI. This REQUIRES certified ULTRA HDMI cables, which are backward-compatible.
Thanks. Forgot to mention I am connecting via a genuine Thunderbolt cable.
<<. I am connecting via a genuine Thunderbolt cable. >>
and is that cable 0.5 meters or shorter?
I really appreciate the time you are taking to answer here.
Can you in simple terms, tell me why I can get 144Hz HDR at 3560x2160, but only 100Hz no HDR at 3360x1890?
Thanks.
I have just tried out a 0.5m Thunderbolt 4 cable, and there is no change to the situation.
Mac Studio M4 Max and BenQ PD3226G Display: HDR and Refresh Rate Limitations
