HDMI cable gives you 4K@30Hz only — 60Hz seems impossible to get
You connect your 4K monitor via HDMI and you're stuck at 30Hz. The mouse feels laggy, scrolling is gross, and you can't figure out where to change it. Your monitor supports 60Hz. Your Mac supports 60Hz. But 60Hz is nowhere to be found.
Why does this happen?
The HDMI port on older MacBooks (pre-2021) is HDMI 1.4, which maxes out at 4K@30Hz. HDMI 2.0 is required for 4K@60Hz. Even on newer Macs with HDMI 2.0, there can be cable or display handshake issues that cap the refresh rate.
How to fix it
Check which HDMI version your Mac has: M1 Pro/Max/Ultra and M2+ MacBooks have HDMI 2.0. Older MacBooks have HDMI 1.4.
If you have HDMI 2.0: System Settings → Displays → hold Option and click Scaled to reveal all resolution + refresh rate combos, then select 4K@60Hz.
Make sure your HDMI cable is rated for 2.0/2.1 — old cables silently cap bandwidth.
Better solution: use a USB-C/Thunderbolt to DisplayPort cable instead — DisplayPort handles 4K@60Hz much more reliably.
Discussion
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