MacBook Air M5 → Dell U2725QE

What you need

Use a Thunderbolt 4 cable capable of carrying display data and power. For this pairing, a separate video adapter is not inherently required.

Target: 3840×2160 up to 120 Hz (Dell panel limit; Apple source supports higher refresh on a single display).
Charging: Dell documents up to 140 W PD on Thunderbolt upstream—more than the Air typically needs; PD negotiates the level. Apple does not state that charging and display must run on the same port at once; the one-cable path relies on Dell’s TB4 upstream with PD.
One cable: Apple + Dell specs support video, USB data and charging on this Thunderbolt path when a compliant TB4 cable is used.

Why ELORUMTECH says yes

Apple’s MacBook Air (13-inch, M5) tech specs (126320) document two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports with Charging, DisplayPort, TB4/USB4 40 Gb/s, DisplayPort 1.4/HBR3 with DSC, and up to two external displays (two at 6K60 or 4K144; one at 8K60, 5K120 or 4K240), including two displays over a single Thunderbolt port. The 15-inch M5 Air is a separate spec page and is not covered here. Dell documents Thunderbolt 4 upstream with DisplayPort 1.4/DSC, 140 W EPR Power Delivery, and a maximum 4K/120 Hz panel mode on the U2725QE. The source and destination therefore share a direct Thunderbolt/DisplayPort path. Dell lists a Thunderbolt 4 downstream (daisy-chain) port on the U2725QE and Apple supports two external displays on the MacBook Air M5, but whether that exact daisy-chain pairing works is not confirmed.

Practical checklist for this pair

• Use a Thunderbolt 4–rated cable (not a charge-only USB-C cable).
• Connect to the monitor’s Thunderbolt 4 upstream port, not a downstream-only USB-C port.
• In macOS Displays settings, confirm 3840×2160 and the desired refresh rate.
• Confirm charging status in macOS if one-cable power is part of your goal.
• If the cable already meets Thunderbolt 4 requirements, keep it.

Common mistakes

• Using a passive charge-only USB-C cable that cannot carry high-bandwidth video.
• Assuming any USB-C port on the monitor is Thunderbolt upstream.
• Buying an HDMI or DisplayPort adapter when the direct Thunderbolt path already works.
• Adding a dock solely to connect these two devices when the monitor already provides upstream Thunderbolt, PD and USB expansion.

Keep yours

If you already have a compliant Thunderbolt 4 cable, ELORUMTECH does not identify a reason to buy an adapter or dock just to connect these two devices.

When a dock still helps

A Thunderbolt dock becomes useful only if you need more ports than the U2725QE provides, or a different desk layout. For one-cable 4K/120 multi-port setups in general, see the Thunderbolt dock guide. For generic USB-C monitor paths, see the USB-C laptop → 4K monitor guide.