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Can't use hi-res monitor with nMP

Photoshopper

Photoshopper

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 24, 2010
158
42
Idaho
I have a Dell U3011 monitor which, on my old MP 5,1 could output 2560 x 1600 over DVI-D. Loved it.
Now, with my nMP, I cannot achieve that resolution, just 1080 x 920, which on a 30" screen is blurry by comparison. I initially used HDMI before I realized it capped out at 1080/920. I bought a StarTech miniDP to DisplayPort cable, but the monitor would not recognize it.
I've contacted Dell, but don't expect much. I guess I'll try Apple as well, but that doesn't fill me with confidence either.
Is anyone familiar with a cable that they KNOW will work with my nMP to achieve that 2560 x 1600 resolution?
Thanks.
 
Plugged into what? If it's the MP HDMI port, won't it still be limited to 1080? I thought I checked for a TB or miniDP to DVI-D cable, but I didn't find one.
 
You shouldn't need any adapters. Something is wrong, display port is perfectly capable of 2560 x 1600. An MDP to DP cable should work just fine.

Perhaps the cable is bad, do you have another to try?

Perhaps OS X is screwed up. Do you have boot camp? If so, will Windows output 2560 x 1600? Or, can you boot from a fresh install of OS X on another drive?

Edit:
Looking at Amazon, there are many complaints about the StarTech MDP-to-DP cable wiring not being VESA compliant. I'm not sure what ramifications that would have for a nMP.
 
Last edited:
Thanks, all (esp. N19h7m4r3).

I took a chance on the star tech even though so many said it was junk, including a guy with my monitor, because it was black. (My entire new workstation is black). A triumph of hope over brains. Could have been a bad one, but not trying it again.
I do recall seeing the Apple cable-- at the time I was looking for an HDMI to DVI, and I guess my eyes glazed over when I saw it was white-- and $99. Also didn't realize that I would still need my old DVI-D cable, so I guess the color is not as important, most of it could be hidden.
But 2.5 out of 5 stars, as well. :(
 
I had a star tech mdp to dp that would cut out all the time with a u2713hm. It does display 2560x1600 but id suggest going with a different brand.
 
I just remembered that I use an MDP to DP cable myself, so I looked at it and ironically it is the same StarTech cable you are using.

It works for me though, at least for my scenario (eVGA GTX680 output 2560x1440@60 to a Dell Ultrasharp U2713HM).
 
Photoshopper said:
Maybe I'll give that one a shot. Gotta get some black paint...

:p
Click to expand...

I agree with the other posters that you should try another DP to miniDP cable. It is crazy to use an expensive Dual DVI adapter when you already have a DisplayPort on the monitor. If it isn't working, either

1) the cable is busted, or
2) the monitor's DisplayPort is busted

In the latter case you'd have to look at other alternatives, but fortunately the former is more likely, and it's not too expensive to try another cable.

I have a couple of 2560 by 1440 monitors hooked up with "Cable Matters" DP to miniDP cables. They sell them on Amazon for $9 apiece and you can get them in white or black.

Oh, one more thing! The first time I hooked one of these up (it was the first DisplayPort monitor I had) it didn't seem to work and I was pretty P.O.ed. After messing with the set up a while, though, I discovered I hadn't inserted the DisplayPort end of the cable into the monitor all the way. I couldn't see what I was doing because the port is on the bottom of the monitor in a recessed area, but it felt like I had inserted it all the way. But, the full size DisplayPort connector kind of "clicks" in so when you insert it and meet some resistance, you have to push it a little harder until you feel the "click." Once I did that, it worked find. So, you may have already been aware of this, but if not, try that cable one more time and make sure the DisplayPort connector is really in all the way before you give up on it.
 
ActionableMango said:
You shouldn't need any adapters. Something is wrong, display port is perfectly capable of 2560 x 1600. An MDP to DP cable should work just fine.
Click to expand...

A lot of people seem to be having this problem with the nMP and all sorts of high bandwidth monitors (120hz and/or high res, etc). Paying Apple $100 for a TB to DVI-D adapter that shouldn't be necessary seems to do the trick.

Just throw that on top of the pile of hidden costs of nMP ownership. :rolleyes:
 
I saw all the bad comments on Amazon when looking for MDP-DP cables. I splurged for the Accel cables (<$20), and they work fine. Apparently many of the other cables are badly shielded in addition to non-VESA compliant. I've had no problems whatsoever with a U3011 and a U3014 connected to nMP.

This seems to be a rare case where spending a bit more for non-cheapo cables really does matter.
 
I bought the Startech for my 30" Dell, works flawlessly with my 2008 Macbook that I'm using while I wait for my nMacPro.
 
slughead said:
A lot of people seem to be having this problem with the nMP and all sorts of high bandwidth monitors (120hz and/or high res, etc). Paying Apple $100 for a TB to DVI-D adapter that shouldn't be necessary seems to do the trick.

Just throw that on top of the pile of hidden costs of nMP ownership. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

The problems with cheap cables pre-date the nMP and occur on non-nMP computers.

I don't care for the nMP either, but let's not pretend this problem is unique to it. Prior to the nMP, this forum was filled with similar complaints about getting video working on the cheesegrater. And 10 years from now people here will be complaining about 8K video problems with whatever has replaced the nMP.
 
I purchased the Apple Mini Display Port to Dual Link DVI Adapter for my nMP and U2711 but where does it connect to?
 
armalite said:
I purchased the Apple Mini Display Port to Dual Link DVI Adapter for my nMP and U2711 but where does it connect to?
Click to expand...

You connect the mini display and the usb cable to the nMP and then you need to use a dual link cable from that to your display.
 
armalite said:
Running out of USB ports, grrrrr
Click to expand...

It should have a USB passthrough (right next to the DVI connection), so you could disconnect a existing USB1 or USB2 device and hook it into the adapter.

lso, the adapter only needs USB for power, so if you have another free USB port or a AC -> USB charger you can use that.
 
Thanks and didn't notice that before. Well it's fine on the Mac end and even fine when I boot into Windows but once I let the computer sleep in Win and try to bring it back up the resolution switches to 480x640 or something like that and the only way to get the proper resolution back is to reboot. This nMP is a total PITA for a few things like this and Apple not allowing us to use Win 7 so we have to use that ****** Win 8.1. Buying different cables for the freaking monitor, it's just ************* IMO Sorry for ranting. Thought life with a Mac was supposed to be so much simpler LOL
 
armalite said:
Thanks and didn't notice that before. Well it's fine on the Mac end and even fine when I boot into Windows but once I let the computer sleep in Win and try to bring it back up the resolution switches to 480x640 or something like that and the only way to get the proper resolution back is to reboot. This nMP is a total PITA for a few things like this and Apple not allowing us to use Win 7 so we have to use that ****** Win 8.1. Buying different cables for the freaking monitor, it's just ************* IMO Sorry for ranting. Thought life with a Mac was supposed to be so much simpler LOL
Click to expand...

There is no need for an expensive, flaky adapter. Use a proper mini-display port to display port cable such as the monoprice one linked above. The U2711 supports displayport at its full native resolution.
 
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