Questions about my computer monitor resolution

macnerd48 wrote:

Here are the hardware specs:

Computer:

2023 Mac mini

M2

8 GB RAM

Sonoma 14.7.5

Monitor:

Dell - SE2717HR 27" IPS LED FHD FreeSync Monitor

Bought: Best Buy, October 2018

The mini lists the following refresh rates for the monitor: 50 Hz, 60 Hz & 75 Hz. I found the monitor's user manual online. The maximum refresh rate listed in the table is 75 Hz. I'm assuming that the reason that the maximum refresh rate listed on the computer is no more than 75 Hz is because the monitor's highest refresh rate is 75 Hz.

Correct.

I know that monitors have higher refresh rates than TVs. On the Best Buy website, I've seen monitors with 240 Hz refresh rates. If I were to get one of those, would the mini support it? I know that the maximum refresh rate for 4K on my mini is 60 Hz. Best Buy has a 27" Dell with a refresh rate of 100 Hz. Would my mini support that refresh rate?

Yes. The Mac Mini supports up to 240Hz refresh rate.

click here ➡️ Mac mini (2023) - Tech Specs - Apple Support

I get the AMD & the NVIDIA sync thing confused. I think that my current Dell supports AMD.

Not really relevant As the Mac does not support either directly. It can use Adaptive Sync with either type of monitor.

Phil0124 wrote:

The Mac Mini supports up to 240Hz refresh rate.

click here ➡️ Mac mini (2023) - Tech Specs - Apple Support

Those specifications say that a Mac mini with a M2 Pro chip supports "one display with … up to 4K resolution at 240 Hz over HDMI", at the expense of that being your only display.

The OP said that they had a "M2". If, by that, they mean that they have a plain M2 chip, then the Specifications only promise support for 60 Hz.

The macOS 14 (Sonoma) version of Connect a display to Mac mini - Apple Support describes the capabilities of Mac minis with plain M2 chips and Mac minis with M2 Pro chips. Once again, there is no promise of support for any refresh rate in excess of 60 Hz for a Mac mini with a plain M2 chip.

Servant of Cats wrote:

Phil0124 wrote:

The Mac Mini supports up to 240Hz refresh rate.

click here ➡️ Mac mini (2023) - Tech Specs - Apple Support

Those specifications say that a Mac mini with a M2 Pro chip supports "one display with … up to 4K resolution at 240 Hz over HDMI", at the expense of that being your only display.

The OP said that they had a "M2". If, by that, they mean that they have a plain M2 chip, then the Specifications only promise support for 60 Hz.

The macOS 14 (Sonoma) version of Connect a display to Mac mini - Apple Support describes the capabilities of Mac minis with plain M2 chips and Mac minis with M2 Pro chips. Once again, there is no promise of support for any refresh rate in excess of 60 Hz for a Mac mini with a plain M2 chip.

Yes, you are correct. The regular M2 stops at 60Hz. My bad.

macnerd48 wrote:

Well, darn! I just got an update. I have the M2 not the M2 Pro. According to the update, the maximum refresh rate for the monitor is 60 Hz! Well, good luck me finding a monitor with a refresh rate of 60 Hz.

Good luck? Many monitors have a refresh rate of 60 Hz. It's the ones with refresh rates of 144 Hz or 240 Hz that are the outliers.

macnerd48 wrote:

It's been set on 75 Hz with no problems but just to be on the safe side, I switched it back to 60 Hz. Maybe that's why I see snow sometimes when I turn it on.

I doubt if running it at 75 Hz is the cause of the snow problems. That monitor has a resolution of only 1920x1080 pixels. It's likely that even a plain M2 chip can run a 1920x1080 monitor at 75 Hz – but that Apple simply doesn't advertise the capability. 1920x1080 @ 75 Hz would only involve 25% more data than 1920x1080 @ 60 Hz. A M2 Mac mini can handle 3840x2160 @ 60 Hz – which involves 4x as much data as 1920x1080 @ 60 Hz does. Thus, it is plausible that the machine could perform beyond specifications.

The data rates involved with 3840x2160 @ 240 Hz make that a quite different kettle of fish.

You are overthinking it.

Any monitor you are likely to find that supports 240Hz refresh rate will also work at 60Hz.

And for regular mac use you are extremely unlikely to notice the difference anyway.

Phil0124 wrote:

Yes, you are correct. The regular M2 stops at 60Hz. My bad.

No problem.