Thanks to the dual Thunderbolt ports and new HDMI connector in the Retina display equipped MacBook Pro, for the first time ever, a MacBook can power three external displays. Other World Computing today posted this image of a new MacBook Pro powering three high res displays, all at native resolution. This is quite an impressive feat, especially for a mobile video card.
The MacBook Pro pictured is connected to two iMacs running at 2560×1440 over Thunderbolt, with an additional LG monitor connected over HDMI running at 1920×1200. Not only can the MacBook Pro now push nearly 15 million pixels- more than ever before, but the new MacBook Air has also received an update that allows it to power two external displays, also a first.
Before now, the only Macs capable of driving more than two external displays were the iMac and Mac Pro, thanks to the Mac Pro’s expandability, and the iMac’s dual Thunderbolt ports.
OWC reports that the MacBook Pro was able to play video simultaneously on all four displays without any lag. Very impressive.
Source: OWC
Michael Steeber is a student who is obsessed with everything Apple. He enjoys making videos and runs the MSComputerVideos YouTube channel in his free time. You can follow him on Twitter as well.
6 responses to “The Retina MacBook Pro Can Push 15 Million Pixels Across Four Displays”
Those are not Apple cinema displays, those are iMacs
Can the thunderbolt iMacs act as displays for an external source?
Sweet! That tiny piece of information just gave longer life to my now 2 years old iMac, or at least to it’s display
For a great party trick, now take Preview and go full screen. All those lovely and expensive Thunderbolt external displays will look GORGEOUS displaying grey linen. ‘Cuz, you know, Apple understands that its users won’t use more than one app at a time in full-screen mode, regardless of the number of monitors attached to the system.
Only the 27″ iMacs with Mini DisplayPorts can do target display mode.
If they would have went with an AMD gpu it could have done 1080p across 6 externals. I love my MBP, but my Envy15 has it beat.