Does anyone know what cable I need to connect a late 2012 Mac mini to a 30" Cinema Display? Theres an HDMI port and a Thunderbolt port so I've used a HDMI to female DVI cable to plug into the Cinema Display! It works but only getting a max resolution of 1280 x 800 so everything is massive on the screen! It works fine on my 23" Cinema Display!
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Connecting 2012 Mac mini to 30" Cinema Display
- Thread starter Frazkat
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Hi, you need a Dual Link DVI adapter that you plug into the Thunderbolt/mini display port, from the 2012 Mac mini specs:
This adapter supports display resolutions up to 2560 x 1600. To use it with a dual-link DVI display such as the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display, connect the USB cable from the display to the USB-A port on the adapter, then connect the USB-A cable on the adapter to the USB-A port on your Mac.
I hope that helps
- Dual-link DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter
This adapter supports display resolutions up to 2560 x 1600. To use it with a dual-link DVI display such as the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display, connect the USB cable from the display to the USB-A port on the adapter, then connect the USB-A cable on the adapter to the USB-A port on your Mac.
I hope that helps
The thunderbolt port is also mini DisplayPort compatible. The adapter will be difficult to find as it’s been discontinued for many years.
Yes, apologies I should have been a bit clearer, the TB port on your Mac also doubles as a mini display port, just as chrfr said.
For an official Apple adapter, like the one in the photo, you would probably need to keep an eye out on eBay but I think StarTech one should also work (you'll have to try it as I've never used one), they look like they are still available but quite expensive - approx £100 on Amazon (in the UK anyway).
Good luck with it, I have a 30" Cinema Display attached to my MacBook using the Apple adapter and probably won't change it until the monitor eventually fails.
For an official Apple adapter, like the one in the photo, you would probably need to keep an eye out on eBay but I think StarTech one should also work (you'll have to try it as I've never used one), they look like they are still available but quite expensive - approx £100 on Amazon (in the UK anyway).
Good luck with it, I have a 30" Cinema Display attached to my MacBook using the Apple adapter and probably won't change it until the monitor eventually fails.
You can use the HDMI port, but it won't output the resolution you're looking for, from the Mac mini 2012 specs:
Thunderbolt digital video output
- Native Mini DisplayPort output
- DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter (sold separately)
- VGA output using Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter (sold separately)
- Dual-link DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (sold separately)
- Support for 1080p resolution at up to 60Hz
For the full resolution of the 30" Cinema Display you'll need the Dual-Link DVI adapter.
No. That would not work. There are essentially two variants of DVI, Single-Link and Dual-Link. Dual-Link is much less common than Single-Link and will require a special adapter. They are unfortunately often quite expensive and there are only a few models available that are known to work properly the way you want to use it.
Here's one from Startech: https://www.startech.com/en-eu/display-video-adapters/mdp2dvid2
And, of course, Apple's original: https://www.ebay.com/p/2255463935
Well thank you so much I really appreciate the feedback, looks like I won't be using the 30" Cinema Display anymore....ha ha! Bizarre when I can just use a cheap HDMI Cable straight into my Samsung 60" smart tv without any problems! Typical Apple!
The HDMI port on the 2012 mini can only put out a maximum of 1920x1080 resolution at 60 Hz. The 23" Cinema Display has a 1920x1200 resolution. So even though you are getting a picture it will most certainly be outputting the wrong resolution for the display.
It was an Intel limitation of the time, as well as limitations on DVI, not something Apple arbitrarily limited. Also, you’re only getting 1080p resolution on that big 60” TV when you use HDMI so picture quality won’t be as sharp as it could be.
HDMI wasn't capable of driving the 30" when it was released, so Apple didn't have much choice. Using an HDMI cable to your TV will give a lower resolution image than the 30" display is capable anyhow.
It might be worth setting up a saved search on eBay for the Apple dual-link DVI adapter as you might be able to pick one up for cheap in the next few months. That's what I did in the end.
The adapter you shared in post #9 will work with the 23" Cinema Display and give you a better image over DP to DVI than the adapter from the HDMI port is able to provide you from the mini. I'd recommend it. I use one connected to my M1 MacBook Pro at work and it's an excellent display.
i guess you have a straight up dual link dvi cable for the Mac Pro so it’s much less complicated. I used to run my 2012 mini with the authentic thunderbolt to dual link dvi and occasionally ran into issues with it (mainly the well documented sleep issues with the mini). Cable itself was fine.
For the record…I am driving two 30" Cinema Displays off my work Mac (2015 MacBook Pro). I believe the 2012 MBP can drive three displays plus the internal, but this isn't possible on the 2015 MBP.
I am using two of the Apple DVI Dual Link adapters mentioned above. The displays are shared with my 2009 MacPro 4,1 (updated to 5,1) via a dual link high resolution KVM switch.
The TV and the other dark displays you see are connected directly to my MacPro. They are not shared to the MBP because the MBP can't drive anything more than these two displays and the internal LCD.
One of the things to note about the Apple adapter is that the USB plugs are only for power. Since this is the case, it's not necessary to have those plugged into the computer. My MBP cannot power them anyway and I don't have enough ports. So, those are plugged into those small square iPhone power adapters that Apple used to ship with the iPhone. That was a tip given to me by @Amethyst1.
The work MBP is there on the white stand at the bottom. I run it in clamshell mode.
Lastly, I am using a DisplayLink adapter to get that smaller display on the far left connected to my MacPro. I only have two video cards installed with three ports so that was necessary. The adapter is dual port (DVI and HDMI) so technically I could add an eighth monitor.
I just don't have the space.
@Frazkat The Apple adapters average around $80-100 on eBay. A price I was willing to pay since I work from home and I wanted my work Mac to drive the displays.
I am using two of the Apple DVI Dual Link adapters mentioned above. The displays are shared with my 2009 MacPro 4,1 (updated to 5,1) via a dual link high resolution KVM switch.
The TV and the other dark displays you see are connected directly to my MacPro. They are not shared to the MBP because the MBP can't drive anything more than these two displays and the internal LCD.
One of the things to note about the Apple adapter is that the USB plugs are only for power. Since this is the case, it's not necessary to have those plugged into the computer. My MBP cannot power them anyway and I don't have enough ports. So, those are plugged into those small square iPhone power adapters that Apple used to ship with the iPhone. That was a tip given to me by @Amethyst1.
The work MBP is there on the white stand at the bottom. I run it in clamshell mode.
Lastly, I am using a DisplayLink adapter to get that smaller display on the far left connected to my MacPro. I only have two video cards installed with three ports so that was necessary. The adapter is dual port (DVI and HDMI) so technically I could add an eighth monitor.
I just don't have the space.
@Frazkat The Apple adapters average around $80-100 on eBay. A price I was willing to pay since I work from home and I wanted my work Mac to drive the displays.
Apple's official website says the Mac mini (Late 2012) has:
"Support for up to two displays at 2560 by 1600 pixels, both at millions of colors"
(Source: https://support.apple.com/kb/sp659 )
If I have two 30-inch Apple Cinema Displays, with each one having a resolution of 2560 by 1600 pixels, how can I connect them both to that Mac mini? What kind of cables and adapters would I need?
"Support for up to two displays at 2560 by 1600 pixels, both at millions of colors"
(Source: https://support.apple.com/kb/sp659 )
If I have two 30-inch Apple Cinema Displays, with each one having a resolution of 2560 by 1600 pixels, how can I connect them both to that Mac mini? What kind of cables and adapters would I need?
Both displays require dual-link DVI input.
The following setup should work because the Mac mini's Thunderbolt 1 port encapsulates two DisplayPort 1.1 (HBR×4) streams (more details are here) that can be used to drive two 30" ACDs. They need to be extracted and converted to dual-link DVI. For this you'll need...
- one Thunderbolt 3 dock (not sure if a TB4 dock would also work, but a TB3 one will)
- one Apple Thunderbolt2-to-Thunderbolt3 adapter
- one Thunderbolt 1 or 2 cable
- two Apple miniDisplayPort to dual-link DVI adapters (A1306).
Plug the first 30" ACD into the dock's (mini-)DisplayPort output (using a male DisplayPort to female miniDisplayPort adapter if necessary) using the first A1306.
Plug the second 30" ACD into the dock's second (downstream) Thunderbolt 3 port using a male USB-C to female miniDisplayPort adapter and the second A1306.
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