Best Monitor Connection for 2021 Macbook Air

[dave walters]

Hey All,

Being a new chap to this Mac world (as well as being a Luddite!) I have been most grateful for the simple, clear perspectives and advice furnished by you expert folk.

If I may beg more of your time and knowledge, I know that the new 2021 Macbook Air has two thunderbolt/USB4 connections....but what sort of monitor should I seek out to connect to it/what sort of connection do I need? Almost all monitors I find seem to have HDMI, so is a particular adaptor best suited to the task if I procure one of those?

As ever, many thanks for your time and assistance.

Dave

 

[Randy B. Singer]

I know that the new 2021 Macbook Air has two thunderbolt/USB4 connections....but what sort of monitor should I seek out to connect to it/what sort of connection do I need? Almost all monitors I find seem to have HDMI, so is a particular adaptor best suited to the task if I procure one of those?

Okay, this is one of the stickier areas to navigate. What is confusing is that the ports are BOTH USB-C ports *AND* Thunderbolt ports. One is the hardware and the other is the protocol for that port.

So, clearly you need to use the Thunderbolt ports to connect to an external display, since that is all that you have.

Here is a photo of the ports:

https://www.apple.com/v/macbook-air/j/images/overview/hero_endframe__ea0qze85eyi6_large_2x.jpg

Just about any new monitor you buy will have HDMI digital inputs.

What you want is a "Thunderbolt 3 to HDMI adapter." (You don't need an adapter that is specifically for Thunderbolt 4.)

What you DO NOT want is a plain "USB-C to HDMI adapter" with no mention of Thunderbolt 3 compatibility, even though a Thunderbolt 3 port uses a USB-C connector.

You will also need an HDMI to HDMI cable. That will usually come with any new monitor you buy. Just make sure that this cable meets the HDMI 2.1 specification.

So, what you need is an adapter to allow that cable to attach to a Thunderbolt port in your Mac. This should do the job nicely for only $13:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07THJGZ9Z/?tag=macforums0e4-20

 

[dave walters]

Okay, this is one of the stickier areas to navigate. What is confusing is that the ports are BOTH USB-C ports *AND* Thunderbolt ports. One is the hardware and the other is the protocol for that port.

So, clearly you need to use the Thunderbolt ports to connect to an external display, since that is all that you have.

Here is a photo of the ports:

https://www.apple.com/v/macbook-air/j/images/overview/hero_endframe__ea0qze85eyi6_large_2x.jpg

Just about any new monitor you buy will have HDMI digital inputs.

What you want is a "Thunderbolt 3 to HDMI adapter." (You don't need an adapter that is specifically for Thunderbolt 4.)

What you DO NOT want is a plain "USB-C to HDMI adapter" with no mention of Thunderbolt 3 compatibility, even though a Thunderbolt 3 port uses a USB-C connector.

You will also need an HDMI to HDMI cable. That will usually come with any new monitor you buy. Just make sure that this cable meets the HDMI 2.1 specification.

So, what you need is an adapter to allow that cable to attach to a Thunderbolt port in your Mac. This should do the job nicely for only $13:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07THJGZ9Z/?tag=macforums0e4-20

Hi Randy,

A huge vote of thanks for your comprehensive response.

Very much appreciated.

I shall now launch myself on an HDMI monitor, 2.1 HDMI cable and Thunderbolt 3 adaptor search.

Most kind. Greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Dave

 

[Randy B. Singer]

I shall now launch myself on an HDMI monitor, 2.1 HDMI cable and Thunderbolt 3 adaptor search.

Finding either is not as easy as you might think. Many Thunderbolt 3 adapters don't' work. The one that I gave you a link to has been proven to work by several users, and it is inexpensive. A win-win.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07THJGZ9Z/?tag=macforums0e4-20

The HDMI cable that comes with your new monitor should meet 2.1 standards, because the manufacturer doesn't want to see returns based on an inexpensive item like a cable. However, if it doesn't, I recommend NOT purchasing one from Amazon pot luck. Instead, get a high quality one from:

Monoprice 4K Slim High Speed HDMI Cable 6ft - 18Gbps Black - Monoprice.com

Reliably distribute 4K@60Hz video signals to your UHDTV using this Ultra Slim Series High Speed HDMI® Cable from Monoprice!This High Speed HDMI Cable supports the following general features: 18Gbp

www.monoprice.com

 

[Randy B. Singer]

I shall now launch myself on an HDMI monitor...

This article from a respected source might help:

The Best 27-Inch Monitor

For those who have the desk space, 27-inch monitors hit the sweet spot of screen size and resolution, and we have recommendations for almost every scenario.

www.nytimes.com

However, this is a screaming deal right now:

HP FHD Monitor - Computer Monitor with 23.8-Inch IPS Display (1080p) - Built-In Speakers and VESA Mounting
$110
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BF4CZSV/?tag=macforums0e4-20

 

[krs]

However, this is a screaming deal right now:

HP FHD Monitor - Computer Monitor with 23.8-Inch IPS Display (1080p) - Built-In Speakers and VESA Mounting
$110
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BF4CZSV/?tag=macforums0e4-20

With that monitor which also has a display port input, would a cable like this work?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J6DT070/?tag=macforums0e4-20
If I have to buy a new cable I always try to find one that provides a direct connection between ports if possible rather than an adapter and a separate cable.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

With that monitor which also has a display port input, would a cable like this work?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J6DT070/?tag=macforums0e4-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J6DT070/?tag=macforums0e4-20

I'd say almost certainly; though I have no personal experience with that specific brand and model of adapter cable. (I should say that I often prefer to go with the DisplayPort option over the HDMI option, if i can, because there are fewer different specifications for DP, and so you usually can't go wrong choosing the DP option, rather than working hard to find an HDMI option of the latest specification. Unfortunately, the flip side of this is that it is harder to find reliable sources for quality DisplayPort adapters.)

Unfortunately, you can't look at the specs of some of these adapters and then just assume that they will work. For instance, if you look at the comments on the Amazon page you cited some Macbook users in particular had unsuccessful and even disastrous results using that particular adapter cable.

If you go through Amazon's listings of various brands of adapter cables, a large number of them have a shockingly spotty success rate. It's even more distressing when folks are reporting that their Macbook was "killed" by a specific adapter. So...be careful!

If I have to buy a new cable I always try to find one that provides a direct connection between ports if possible rather than an adapter and a separate cable.

I like that too. It just seems neater and cleaner with fewer points for noise to enter.

In theory, because HDMI and DisplayPort cables carry purely digital signals, they should either work or not work, assuming that the adapter or cable is well made and you aren't, for instance, using a 30 foot cable through which the signal will degrade. But....they aren't always well made. And connections aren't always perfect. Etc.

So a one piece adapter cable would be ideal, but only if you know that the adapter cable in question has consistently worked really well for other Macintosh users. If you don't, it's probably better to go with a proven product, or combination of products.

 

[dave walters]

Finding either is not as easy as you might think. Many Thunderbolt 3 adapters don't' work. The one that I gave you a link to has been proven to work by several users, and it is inexpensive. A win-win.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07THJGZ9Z/?tag=macforums0e4-20

The HDMI cable that comes with your new monitor should meet 2.1 standards, because the manufacturer doesn't want to see returns based on an inexpensive item like a cable. However, if it doesn't, I recommend NOT purchasing one from Amazon pot luck. Instead, get a high quality one from:

Monoprice 4K Slim High Speed HDMI Cable 6ft - 18Gbps Black - Monoprice.com

Reliably distribute 4K@60Hz video signals to your UHDTV using this Ultra Slim Series High Speed HDMI® Cable from Monoprice!This High Speed HDMI Cable supports the following general features: 18Gbp

www.monoprice.com

Randy,

You have been most generous with your time and expert knowledge.

I am very grateful to you and shall be working on the basis of your advice.

Dave

 

[dave walters]

Randy,

You have been most generous with your time and expert knowledge.

I am very grateful to you and shall be working on the basis of your advice.

Dave

Randy (et al),

I reside in a City on the NE coast of Brazil and finding the appropriate items for a 2021 MacBook Air M1 is proving to be somewhat difficult.

Only one retailer had any real idea what I was talking about (adaptor HDMI to Thunderbolt 3 4k@60Hz), a rather smart attempt at an Apple store which only sells Mac/Apple products (iPlace)....but wherein the accessories are all their own. They understood, but only had an adaptor HDMI to Thunderbolt 3 4k@30Hz, not 60Hz. Forgive my utter ignorance, but will the 30Hz, not 60Hz, render the only one available in the City unusable?

As a follow on, if I may, as we are talking a 4k adaptor, does the monitor need to be 4k; also not available anywhere in the City.

I rather fear that I shall end up having to resort to the internet to get a 4k monitor and an HDMI-Thunderbolt 3 4k@60Hz adaptor....dependant upon your response to the above.

Many thanks for your generous time and assistance....the guidance and direction which I have received and form which I have benefited greatly from this Forum is fabulous.

Dave

 

[krs]

Here I am - getting all annoyed when I find that many things I want/need are not available in Canada, only in the US....and then I read about members in other parts of the world that are in much worse shape trying to obtain some basic products like a monitor or cable.
But to the subject at hand.....is there any reason why you want a 4K monitor?
Yes, it's nice to have and it provides a better image with the higher resolution, but is it worth the hassle and expense of having it shipped from a different country?
There is not just the cost of shipping and possible duty and taxes, but also the problem if something goes wrong and you have to fall back on the monitor warranty.
I would first check what is available on monitors locally - I have used a 24 inch 2K monitor and am very happy with that image quality for my purposes.
Once you decide on the monitor then you can decide on the cable. There will probably a cable already included with the monitor which you perhaps can use directly or at least with an adapter.

 

[dave walters]

Here I am - getting all annoyed when I find that many things I want/need are not available in Canada, only in the US....and then I read about members in other parts of the world that are in much worse shape trying to obtain some basic products like a monitor or cable.
But to the subject at hand.....is there any reason why you want a 4K monitor?
Yes, it's nice to have and it provides a better image with the higher resolution, but is it worth the hassle and expense of having it shipped from a different country?
There is not just the cost of shipping and possible duty and taxes, but also the problem if something goes wrong and you have to fall back on the monitor warranty.
I would first check what is available on monitors locally - I have used a 24 inch 2K monitor and am very happy with that image quality for my purposes.
Once you decide on the monitor then you can decide on the cable. There will probably a cable already included with the monitor which you perhaps can use directly or at least with an adapter.

Hey krs,

Many thanks for taking the time and trouble to furnish advice. I have worked in Canada on a number of occasions and also worked with Canadians elsewhere....love it and them!

Your response delivers a boost to morale. No, I have no desire to hold out for a long delayed 4k monitor but as I was advised (by other expert and generous folk on the Forum) that the adaptor should be 4k@60Hz I made the leap to the assumption that the monitor should be 4k; I am clueless, a Luddite in such things - and much else, besides.

From hours trawling every computer type retailer in the City this AM (my time) the best I found from a decent manufacturer was a 2k monitor. None of those we were shown in double figures retail premises came with HDMI cable, only with VGA (?) cable. I have been advised that, if not furnished with the monitor, I should procure 2.1 HDMI cable and, of course the adaptor.

Do you know whether the one adaptor we found going close to the suggested spec this AM, which was 4k@30Hz rather than the one I have been advised to seek out by other Forum folk, 4k@60Hz, would suffice for a 2k monitor working to a brand new 2021 MacBook Air?

Thanks so much for your time and knowledge.

Dave

 

[krs]

an you post the make and model number of the monitor you plan to buy?
Then we an advise further.

 

[dave walters]

As I am seeking an 18inch (or thereabouts) the selection here is limited....most seeking much larger.

The one we found was Monitor para PC Philips V Line 193V5LHSB2 - 18,5” LED Widescreen HD HDMI VGA ?

So grateful for your expertise.

Dave

 

[krs]

From the reviews I have seen, this is a very nice monitor.
As far as I can tell, either the adapter plus HDMI Cable Randy suggested should work.
Or this 6ft cable directly that I just ame across
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087213LB3/?tag=macforums0e4-20
If the storewhere you get that monitor has a USB-?TB3 adapter or a cable to connect to the HDMI port of the monitor I would probably just get that.
That way, if something does not work, it should be a lot easier to resolve the issue.
Just a note - you do not want anything VGA.

 

[dave walters]

How very timely and kind of you.

Randy suggested the 4k@60Hz adaptor....but the nearest I can find here (without online wait) is the 4k@30Hz one. May I ask whether that combination (with 2.1 HDMI cable) will work?

Huge thanks.

Dave

 

[krs]

The key thing, as Randy posted:

What you DO NOT want is a plain "USB-C to HDMI adapter" with no mention of Thunderbolt 3 compatibility,

I see no reason why a 4k@30Hz adapter should not work - it's a matter of throughput that the cable can handle. So for a 2K monitor (and that Philips one is even less) the cable can provide a refresh rate of at least 60 Hz.
If you end up buying the monitor, adapter and HDMI cable at the same store, just take in your new MBa and have them hook it all up and test it before taking it home.

 

[dave walters]

The key thing, as Randy posted:

I see no reason why a 4k@30Hz adapter should not work - it's a matter of throughput that the cable can handle. So for a 2K monitor (and that Philips one is even less) the cable can provide a refresh rate of at least 60 Hz.
If you end up buying the monitor, adapter and HDMI cable at the same store, just take in your new MBa and have them hook it all up and test it before taking it home.

Hey krs,

Again, many thanks. Most grateful.

Pulling on jeans as I type with one finger on the free hand....I am hotfoot for the City centre to procure the Philps monitor, a 2.1 HDMI cable and the 4k@30Hz HDMI-Thunderbolt 3 adaptor.

Sadly, after the search of many, many retailers each item is being procured from a different location. Each is also a touch more pricey than you guys in N America will be used to....the adaptor is the equivalent of $100! Only one in town, so little choice....and actually cheaper than many on offer on the web.

Shall cross fingers that the combination does work, produces the required resolution on the monitor and in no way hurts my lovely new MBa.

Thanks very much indeed. Stay safe and well up there.

Dave