Thunderbolt is a specialized type of Mini DisplayPort connectivity. Although the shape and size of the connector is the same, it does more and does it faster. Thunderbolt can carry data, so it can be used to connect devices such as docking stations and hard drive enclosures.
It was developed to support fast data transfer and high bandwidth on a single cable to bring desktop-like speeds to mobile devices. Thunderbolt can also deliver up to 10W of power-over-cable.
Mini DisplayPort devices will work with a Thunderbolt-enabled computer, but Thunderbolt devices will not work with a Mini DisplayPort computer. I have a 4k iMac late It has thunderbolt 2 ports. I want to use it as a second display to my windows laptop. My laptop has USB C port that carries data and audio as well. I have a 21 iMac mid I want to use as a second screen.
Is it possible with any updated technology or third party programs? Is there a way to force the screen detection? Also how come I can use this iMac with a second screen however be restricted to use it as the second screen? Hi, I am trying to connect a macbook mid to an iMac late , the iMac being the monitor. Will a thunderbolt 2 both ends cable work for me to connect them and use the iMac as monitor? I have a mid iMac Appreciate your response. The best way is obviously the Camlink, but you mus have an USB 3.
I know iMac has only USB 2. Actually, a Blackmagic card for Thunderbolt is a better choice for that. Or a card with compression, like Elgato Game Capture. Hi Pierre I have an early Macbook pro and want to use my mid imac as a monitor. I bought a mini displayport cable and connected the two, but nothing happens. Before I do, can you confirm this is right. Hi Pierre I just upgraded to a newer 27 in display with TB.
It works on my MacBook Pro but it is not turning on with the Mac which shows the mini display icon Is there an adapter I need? Nope, there is no adapter, sorry. I have an iMac However I believe we had been trying to a minidisplay port and hdmi adapters. Will it work if I simply get the specific thunderbolt to thunderbolt cable? The OS on both meet the requirements and such.
Based on what I read, using a Mini DP connector for the Thunderbolt iMac port should work for simple screen mirroring. Did I misunderstand something? What would be the right connector for the old iMAC? Not pretty, but good enough to bridge a few months to when supposedly??
Thank you so much, Pierre — you are amazingly generous with your time and knowledge … and patient … plus doubling it all up in English for the less linguistically skilled — merci beaucoup et bon week-end!
Should this work? If you could be of any help here, that would be amazing :. Actually, you can use p Thanks for your quick response! I actually got it working with the right DisplayLink drivers and software on the Macbook, together with connection via USB 3. We have a late iMac We purchased a minidisplay port to minidisplay port cable, but it does not register a connection on either machine.
Before we splash out on an Apple thunderbolt to thunderbolt cable, could you please advise us whether it will work? Thanks Pierre it is just a basic tv — it is p do i need to upgrade the tv to p? I bought a late imac with thunderbolt and i have dell laptop for work. I really hope so.. But not with HDMI. Is this possible if so what cable do I need to use?
Hello i have a iMac Is there any chance to do that?? Hi there. Firstly many thanks for providing such a valuable resource for those of us who need it.
Any ideas?. Hi Pierre…. The iMac has Thunderbolt. If I interpret correctly do I need to get a thunderbolt 3 to thunderbolt 2 converter ,then a thunderbolt 2 cable plugged into thunderbolt on my iMac.?
Will this supply sound as well?. Do amazon purchased products work properly or best to play safe with Apple purchased cables. Does it connect via the target mode command? You must use a Thunderbolt 3 to 2 from Apple and a Thunderbolt classic cable. You can buy it on Amazon, for Thunderbolt, the cable are generally good.
Thank you for such a fast reply! And for saving me hours of wasted time on the Internet, as I was wondering if I could use FireWire, but now I know not to look into it. If this is not possible via the Mini DisplayPort would you happen to know of another way of making this possible? Many thanks for taking the time to answer so many questions for so many years, the world needs more people like you.
Hi Pierre I have a Mid imac with mini-display port and a Mac book Air with a thunderbolt 2 port — is there anyway to connect the imac to be an external monitor for the mba? Hello, thank you for your very informative post! I have an iMac 27 inches mid and a MacAir 11 inches mid I was ready to buy the … thankfully cheaper… Mini Displayport cables I had found, but it seems that iMacs will only respond to Thunderbolt cables, am I right?
And in that case it should be either Thunderbolt 1 or 2, right? Thank you a lot in advance! Thanks a lot! I have an old iMac 21inch Please advise how on earth I do this!? Thank you in advance. Has this laptop the 1. With the 13 inches, 1. I have a MacBookpro mid that has Mini DisplayPort and Apollo twin mk2 audio interface that has thunderbolt2 port. If I got a min display to thunderbolt 2 cord would it work? Thanks for all your hard work, I just stumbled across your blog whilst searching for a solution read through it all and I can see you have helped many people, so I just saying thanks even if you are unable to help me with a solution.
My predicament is that I have to thunderbolt Apple Cinema Display and even with the usb-c to thunderbolt 2 from Apple only one screen will display at a time.
I want to use a iMac as an external monitor for the MacBook Pro. What do I need? I want to add this to my last message. My girlfriend has also tried it on her MacBook Pro. What is the problem? What else could be causing it not to sync up? I have fixed it! The Thunderbolt cable needed to be switched around!
Can I connect the Mac mini late to the same screen using the Apple thunderbolt. I appreciate that you cannot have two active computers attached to the same screen so would switch one off before booting the other. This system would be better than unplugging each computer as eventually the cable or plug would get broken.
Please advise. With the 5K from LG, it will work with a Mac mini , but not at the right definition, even with an adapter. Site web ou blog. Specifically, a Mini DisplayPort adapter runs on a Thunderbolt plug. However, there are some differences. Of course, all Thunderbolt machines carry the sound on Mini DisplayPort.
Concerning the screens : The inch Thunderbolt screen only works on a Thunderbolt Mac. Last but not least, the Target Display mode. I hope everything is clear, if not you may ask your questions in the comments. Partager l'information avec vos amis. Pierre Dandumont says:. Callum says:. Amirul Hafidz says:. Sikkxxx says:. Khanzio says:. Marianne says:. Robbe says:. Mike says:. JLM says:. Alison B says:. Jiggy says:. Michael Schilling says:. HS says:.
Viking says:. Pete says:. But if you want to pick the right laptop or the right connector for your laptop, you might be interested in knowing further. In that case, you can simply go through the following differences to pick the right one between Thunderbolt and Mini DisplayPort:. On the other hand, Mini DisplayPort is more or less a miniaturised version of a DisplayPort which is used for video ports.
Both of these are quite compact to be used in laptops and other small form factors computers for ease of use. Starting with Mini DisplayPort, it is meant to send video output signals to supported video devices like monitors and TVs but does not offer any other functionality. As for Thunderbolt, you can do much more with it since it supports USB devices, video output, ethernet, and even eGPUs if you are using the right devices along with it.
Coming to the connectivity of these ports, it is quite important to check their physical ports. While Mini DisplayPort uses a proprietary connector which is only meant for it, Thunderbolt relies on the more common USB type C connector allowing you to connect all sorts of devices to it. But when you are talking about compatibility, Mini DisplayPort is the much better option. You can use it with any monitor with a DisplayPort connector on the back as long as you have the right cable.
On the other hand, Thunderbolt 3 either requires you to have a Thunderbolt monitor or use an adapter for connecting it to other types of monitors. If you are using a Mini DisplayPort, you can only use up to a x monitor, which might be decent for most users but falls short when you wish to use a 4K monitor. With these differences in mind, you can easily choose the right video output for you.
Since all of the details have been well explained in this Mini DisplayPort vs Thunderbolt, you can pick the right one even if you are new to video output ports.
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