Update - Sam McLeod has written an excellent article on his blog covering the HiDPI limitation in detail.

I recently upgraded my Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch to an M5 Max (specification below).

  • Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (MAR-2026)
  • Apple M5 Max (18-core - 6 Super / 12 Performance)
  • 40-core GPU
  • 16-core Neural Engine
  • 128GB Unified Memory (614GB/s Memory Bandwidth)
  • 2TB SSD (7.4GB/s Read)
  • Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6
  • 3x Thunderbolt 5, HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm Headphone, SDXC Card Reader
  • 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR Nano-texture Display (3024x1964 @ 120Hz)

This is a monster laptop, delivering unrivalled performance in a compact package.

When working at home, I connect my MacBook Pro to a Samsung G95NC Odyssey Neo G9 display, which has a native resolution of 7680x2160 and a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz.

To minimise the number of cables, I have previously used a Anker Prime Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station, which allowed me to connect my MacBook Pro (and other laptops) via one cable (Thunderbolt 5) delivering power and the full 7680x2160 resolution at 120Hz with HDR enabled.

This has always worked perfectly with pervious MacBook Pro laptops (e.g., M4 Max), connected to the same display and docking station via DisplayPort 2.1.

Unfortunately, I have been unable to get the M5 Max to connect via USB-C at the native resolution above 60Hz. At first, I figured this issue was caused by a software bug or a defective cable. However, after some basic troubleshooting, it became clear that this was a limitation of the M5 Max itself.

Thankfully, the issue does not impact the HDMI 2.1 port, which can deliver a 7680x2160 resolution at 120Hz with HDR enabled. Therefore, I have replaced the docking station and returned to using multiple cables.

Overall, this is a minor inconvenience. However, the outcome is still frustrating, as it limits the ability to use the USB-C ports with high performance displays, which I consider a core requirement for a laptop targeting professional users.

On a positive note, I can see no reason why this issue would be caused by a hardware limitation, assuming Apple have not made a mistake with their latest design. Therefore, I hope this issue can be resolved via a firmware update.

apple mac macbook macbook_pro arm apple_silicon m5 m5_max usb-c hdmi displayport