However, with macOS 10.14 (Mojave), DisplayLink's 5.0 driver should resolve this issue. Please note that there is a current issue with DisplayLink's driver with macOS 10.13.4, where only a single external display is supported (this is an issue that impacts all docking station providers leveraging the DisplayLink driver). I highly recommend it if you are looking for a 3 monitor setup for the Mac mini – click here to check it out on Amazon.The SD4700P is a great solution for mixed deployments. It works with both USB-C and USB 3.0 host devices, as well as Windows and Mac.
Overall I’m very happy with it, it works well with Mac OS and Windows 10 via bootcamp (or Windows 10 on the Microsoft Surface Pro 4). It has no problem running a Full HD YouTube clip in full-screen whilst browsing on the other 2 monitors. It’s the general home machine which we browse the Internet, check mail and watch YouTube.
So I cannot comment on how the 3 monitor setup runs when gaming. Making it super easy to swap the keyboard and displays over with just one cable.Īs you can probably tell by the Mac mini machine specs, I’m no gamer. When I need to run the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, all I need to do is unplug the Dock’s USB cable from the Mac mini and plug it into the Surface. I need to do this maybe once every 3-4 weeks. I very rarely get an issue with it, and if I do, all that’s needed is to power it off and back on. The Dell D3100 USB dock makes running 3 monitors on a Mac mini easy and reliable, and a bonus is you get more USB ports which are easily accessible – no more fiddling around on the back of the Mac mini for that spare USB port. Note: This has no bearing on running to Dell dock and 3 monitors but I thought I’d mentioned it as a side note.
I was so impressed with the performance hit this one update gave that I’ve never gone back to upgrade the RAM. I’ve got to say that this made such an improvement to performance! It only has 4GB of RAM, yet it boots either Mac OS (Sierra) or Windows 10 in 20-30 seconds. The Mac is a 2012 Mac mini which I’ve swapped out the regular 500Gb harddrive with a 240GB Kingston SSD (and moved the original 500GB drive to drive bay 2).
At the time of writing this it’s $104.89 and the D3100 is no longer available. UPDATE: I purchased the D3100 roughly 2 years ago and in that time Dell has released a newer version of the dock called the Dell D6000, click here to check it out on Amazon. At the time of writing this article it was $103.89 on Amazon plus shipping, click here to get the latest price. The Dell Hub is an amazing bit of hardware for its price.
Both operating systems recognised the Dell Dock and took care of the drivers for me when it was initially plugged in.
There’s been no problem with either operating system recognising the monitors and ports on the dock, and I’ve never had to manually install the drivers. I run Mac OS (Sierra) and Windows 10 via Bootcamp on the Mac mini and both work great with the dock. As it turns out, it is compatible with both the Mac mini and the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, all it needs is a USB 3 port and away it goes. I took a chance with the D3100, as at the time the official Dell documentation for the hub listed Dell hardware only as compatible. Dell D3100 USB Hub Compatibility: Windows 10 and Mac OS? The 3, 24inch Full HD displays work great with both the 2012 Mac mini and my work laptop (Microsoft Surface Pro 4). As a programmer who works from home a lot I wanted 3 x 24inch monitors and I wanted a system that was easy to change from my work laptop back to the home Mac mini.Ĭan a Mac mini support 3 monitors without using Thunderbolt? Yes it can, and the answer is the Dell D3100 USB Hub. When I was setting up my study I only had a small space, so being clever about how its configured was key to making it functional.