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What are the display output capabilities for the TBT4-UDZ?

Last Update: September 25th, 2026
Article ID: 1705024

The TBT4-UDZ docking station offers two primary modes to output video to attached displays via its dual HDMI 2.0 and dual DisplayPort 1.2 outputs: Thunderbolt (3, 4, 5) / USB4 and USB-C DisplayPort Alternate mode. System capabilities vary widely based on your host connection, processor, and graphics hardware, ranging from up to four 4K displays on supported Windows systems to just a single display on some older Macs.

How Thunderbolt 4, USB4, and Thunderbolt 3 Systems Output Video

  • Thunderbolt 4/USB4 Windows systems with DisplayPort 1.4 HBR3 DSC: Can offer up to four extended displays at 4K (3840x2160) at 60Hz via 2x HDMI 2.0 and 2x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs utilizing built-in DisplayPort MST (Multi-Stream Transport). (USB4 support may vary depending on system manufacturer specifications).

  • Apple M1/M2/M3/M4 Pro/Max based Macs: Do not support DisplayPort MST and thus can support up to 2x 4K (3840x2160) 60Hz extended displays. These can be connected in any combination of HDMI/DP to the "Group 1" and "Group 2" output groups (two displays cannot be connected to the same group).

    • MacBook Air and MacBook Pro M4 based Macs (base model, non-Pro/Max): Can support up to two displays over Thunderbolt 4.

    • MacBook Air and MacBook Pro M3 based Macs (base model, non-Pro/Max): Can support up to two displays with the lid closed (clamshell mode) over Thunderbolt 4. (macOS Sonoma 14.3+ required for Air M3; 14.6+ required for Pro M3).

    • Apple M1/M2 based Macs (base model, non-Pro/Max): Are limited to a single 4K (3840x2160) 60Hz extended display connected to any single video output. (M1/M2 users should consider a DisplayLink docking station like our UD-ULTC4K for triple displays).

  • Thunderbolt 3 Windows systems with dual DisplayPort streams: Can offer up to 2x 4K (3840x2160) 60Hz extended displays connected in any combination to "Group 1" and "Group 2". Two displays cannot be connected to the same group. (Connecting a third display may be possible, but is unsupported and will lead to severe bandwidth limitations).

  • Thunderbolt 3 Windows systems with a single DP stream: Are limited to a single 4K (3840x2160) 60Hz extended display. (A common example is older Intel NUC hosts).

  • Thunderbolt 3 Apple Macs with Intel processors: Can support up to 2x 4K (3840x2160) 60Hz extended displays (one per group). Older Intel-based Macs are advised to use HDMI for the best compatibility at 4K 60Hz. (DisplayPort is supported but may be limited to 4K 30Hz; the TBT3-UDZ may be a better choice for Thunderbolt 3 Intel Macs requiring DP at 4K 60Hz).

How USB-C Only Systems Output Video

(Non-Thunderbolt/USB4 systems utilizing USB-C DisplayPort Alternate Mode in Multifunction DisplayPort Mode (MFDP))

  • Windows systems with DisplayPort 1.4 HBR3 with DSC: Can offer up to two displays at 4K (3840x2160) at 60Hz via 2x HDMI 2.0 or 2x DisplayPort 1.2 video outputs. One display must be connected to "Group 1" and the second to "Group 2".

  • Windows systems with DisplayPort 1.4 HBR3: Can offer one display up to 4K (3840x2160) at 60Hz, OR two displays at 1440p (2560x1440) at 60Hz (one per group).

  • Windows systems with DisplayPort 1.2 HBR2: Can offer a single display up to 4K (3840x2160) at 30Hz, OR two displays at 1080p (1920x1080) at 60Hz (one per group).

  • Apple 12" MacBook Retina Macs (single USB-C port, non-Air/Pro): Are limited to a single 4K (3840x2160) 30Hz extended display connected to any single video output.

How to Navigate Technical Limitations and Adapter Requirements

  • Display Settings Configurations: Most Thunderbolt 4 Windows laptops require the internal display to be "disconnected" in Windows Display Settings to enable four external extended displays due to GPU multi-display limits. Windows defaults to mirroring attached displays upon first connect; you must manually change them to "extend" (this may need repeating for quad display setups).

  • Intel 11th Gen Desktop Quirks: Thunderbolt 4 desktops with Intel 11th Gen "Rocket Lake-S" processors utilizing integrated UHD 730/750 graphics are limited to a maximum of three displays. "F" or "KF" designated processors lack integrated video entirely and will not support any displays over Thunderbolt 4 unless the system allows loopback of the video signal from a dedicated PCIe graphics card into the Thunderbolt controller.

  • Adapter Requirements: If converting the DisplayPort outputs, an active adapter is required, as the ports do not support passive adapters (no DP++). (Exceptions: Users with legacy DVI displays should use passive HDMI to DVI adapters, though Dual Link DVI still requires an active DP to DVI adapter. Legacy VGA users should use active DP or HDMI to VGA adapters).

  • Unsupported Technologies: We do not officially support refresh rates above 60Hz, HDR, adaptive sync (FreeSync/G-Sync), 5K/6K/8K displays, USB-C video displays, legacy Apple ADC displays, or the use of multiple DisplayPort displays daisy-chained via DP MST. Older 4K displays that require DP MST to operate at 4K 60Hz are also not supported.

  • Legacy Adapters: Legacy Apple Thunderbolt 1/2 systems being converted to Thunderbolt 3 using Apple's bi-directional Thunderbolt adapter are untested and not officially supported.

If you have any questions or require assistance checking your system's capabilities, please contact us at support@plugable.com.

Applicable To

  • Plugable TBT4-UDZ Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station