Retina MacBook Pro Can Run Three External Displays Simultaneously

NewImage
Other World Computing posted this picture on their blog showing a MacBook Pro with Retina Display hooked up to a pair of iMacs serving as Thunderbolt displays and a third monitor via HDMI. This setup powers four screens with a total of 15,680,000 pixels.

The writer of the post, OWC Mike, seemed impressed with the performance of the MacBook Pro:

Moving images and media didn’t create any lag and we were able to play video on all four displays simultaneously.

Apple officially supports hooking three monitors into the Retina MacBook Pro, noting in the Thunderbolt ports FAQ in its Support Knowledge Base:

MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012) can support an HDMI-compatible device on its HDMI port while also using two Thunderbolt displays.

This makes the Retina MacBook Pro the first Mac -- other than a tower-based workstation like the Mac Pro -- to natively power four displays simultaneously.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Horizontal 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching This Year With These 8 New Features

Tuesday January 28, 2025 11:48 am PST by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of January 2025: More aluminum: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models ...
airpods 4 blue

Apple Finally Explains How to Install New Firmware on Your AirPods

Monday January 27, 2025 11:17 am PST by
Apple regularly releases new firmware for the AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max, but the company has historically provided limited information on how to initiate an update. That changed today, and Apple updated its AirPods firmware support page with more specific instructions. Prior to today, here's what Apple said on the subject: Firmware updates are delivered automatically while your...
tvOS 18 Thumb 3

Apple Releases tvOS 18.3

Monday January 27, 2025 10:00 am PST by
Apple today released tvOS 18.3, the newest version of the tvOS 18 operating system that came out in September. tvOS 18.3 comes more than a month after Apple released tvOS 18.2, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and the Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.3 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software....
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

5 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's MacBook Pro

Monday January 27, 2025 4:25 am PST by
Apple in October 2024 overhauled its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display changes, and more. That's quite a lot of updates in one go, but if you think this means a further major refresh for the MacBook Pro is now several years away, think again. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said he expects only a small...
ipad january sale

Amazon's New iPad Sale Has Up to $300 Off M4 iPad Pro, M2 iPad Air, and iPad Mini 7

Tuesday January 28, 2025 7:32 am PST by
Today we're tracking a few iPad discounts on Amazon, including the new iPad mini 7, M2 iPad Air, and M4 iPad Pro. These deals include multiple all-time low prices on Apple's tablets, matching the prices we tracked over the holiday season in many cases. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

iPhone 17 Air Design, Specs, and More: All the Rumors So Far

Wednesday January 29, 2025 4:00 am PST by
This year, Apple is expected to discontinue the iPhone "Plus" device in its iPhone 17 lineup to make way for an iPhone "Air," so-called because of its thin profile. Below is a compilation of every rumor and leak we have registered from reputable sources thus far about Apple's new entry in its flagship smartphone lineup. iPhone 17 "Air"? About the Name There has been some uncertainty...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 to Have Notch Instead of Dynamic Island

Tuesday January 28, 2025 1:49 pm PST by
The upcoming iPhone SE 4 will feature a notch instead of the Dynamic Island, respected display analyst Ross Young said today. The device will have a "notch like the iPhone 14," according to Young, which contradicts a recent leak that depicted a Dynamic Island. Earlier this month, leaker Evan Blass shared images said to feature the iPhone SE 4's design, but those images featured an iPhone...

Top Rated Comments

kniemann Avatar
165 months ago
Unfortunately my wallet can't power four displays.
Score: 126 Votes (Like | Disagree)
basesloaded190 Avatar
165 months ago
That's incredible. So much power in such a thin computer.
Score: 60 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Xian Zhu Xuande Avatar
165 months ago
I thought Thunderbolt was supposed to be powerful enough to support up to 10 monitors...
Thunderbolt can do things that the actual computer may not be able to do. In the case of monitors, while Thunderbolt can support 10 monitors, the hardware capabilities of a given computer may not be able to.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ryanflanders256 Avatar
165 months ago
Could a traditional 15" MacBook pro also do this with daisy-chained thunderbolt monitors?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AQUADock Avatar
165 months ago
Wow that is an amazing amount of pixels for a computer so thin and light.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tal Ormanda Avatar
165 months ago
That's nice...but you're leaving out how hot it gets after doing so?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)