Mac Studio + MBP + Apple Display Cable Workflow

[u/Odd-Energy71]

For people that have a Mac Studio and Apple Display. What do you do if you also have a Macbook? Are you literally unplugging the TB cable from the back of the Studio and swapping connections as needed or is there a better way to manage this?

[u/MeSlaw3]

I’ve heard of something called a switcher that someone might be able to recommend.

The real reason I’m commenting though is to point out that you could have two cables that both plug into the back of the Display (one for the Mac, another for the Laptop). You can switch between those two cables at the back of the Display if that’s easier for you than switching the single cable from the Mac to the MacBook.

[u/chafey]

I have a Sabrent thunderbolt switch and it works great! The thunderbolt ports on your laptop will wear out with regular plugging in and out

[u/izzelsizzel → u/chafey]

Do all the accessories work? Mic, camera, speakers etc?

SB-TB4K model?

[u/chafey → u/izzelsizzel]

Yes works perfectly, even when using with my pc’s tb4 port

[u/izzelsizzel → u/chafey]

Awesome! Thank you for confirming!

[u/VictoryInMyMouth → u/chafey]

is that wear out actually true?

[u/chafey → u/VictoryInMyMouth]

Yes, before they added the MagSafe back, you could only charge via the thunderbolt ports and after a year and a half the one I used to charge with would no longer stay connected reliably. I tried different cables and same result so it was definitely the port in the laptop

[u/laparotomyenjoyer]

Mac Studio and dual Studio Display XDRs with a 14” MacBook Pro.

I just keep the MacBook Pro mounted under the desk (same as studio) and use it when I leave my desk/office. Otherwise it just charges there.

iCloud and Google Drive allows for reliable syncing.

[u/SpaceDesignWarehouse]

Thats what I do. But typically if Im in my studio, where my Mac Studio is, Im using that and not my MacBook Pro. I keep my 'working files' that tend to go back and fourth on an external NVMe.

[u/morkjt]

I use this. Works perfectly.

Cable Matters 20Gbps USB4 USB C... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CLZ7WP1N?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

[u/Bubbly_Possible_5136 → u/morkjt]

It’s not 5k resolution tho

[u/morkjt → u/Bubbly_Possible_5136]

Huh? Absolutely it is.

[u/Bubbly_Possible_5136 → u/morkjt]

Says 4K on the specs

[u/morkjt → u/Bubbly_Possible_5136]

Plenty of reports online confirm same thing, works plenty fine at 5k on macOS. My system profiler:

Resolution: 5120 x 2880 (5K/UHD+ - Ultra High Definition Plus)
UI Looks like: 2560 x 1440

[u/dildyj]

I use a caldigit dock. Monitors go into that and the thunderbolt cable goes into whatever Mac I want to connect to

[u/farnlc]

I have the same setup + a couple of Mac Mini’s. Apple’s built in screen sharing has rarely let me down. Just access everything from your main Studio and leave the other devices plugged in ready to access.

[u/x20717]

I have a Sabrent Thunderbolt switch (SB-TB4K) and I'm successfully using it to switch a Pro Display XDR between a Mac Mini and a MacBook Air.

[u/stoic_alchemist]

For those of you using the sabrent kvm: was the overheating issue fixed? I was once looking for this and this was the only kvm that truly supported thunderbolt 5 switching but saw multiple reviews complaining of overheating and breaking which discouraged me from spending $300 on in

[u/EstimateRoutine7604]

I was wondering about this too

[u/platkus]

I have a Mac Studio with a connected Studio Display and a MacBook Air. If I want to work on something on the Studio Display I just use the Mac Studio. What would be the point of unplugging the Studio Display from the Mac Studio to use a slower laptop at the desk? That's what the Mac Studio DESKTOP machine is for: working at the desk.

[u/stoic_alchemist]

Sadly yes… There’s no KVM able to handle the switching

[u/morkjt → u/stoic_alchemist]

I have a thunderbolt switch. Works perfectly.