I have a late 2009 mac mini with 2 Dell u2415 monitors. How do I set up for dual monitor use? Do both monitors plug into the mac mini or does one monitor plug into the other which then plugs into the mac mini? Thanks.
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Late 2009: How to Set UP Dual Monitors?
- Thread starter legaleye3000
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You should be able to use dual monitors by getting adapters for the Mini-DVI and Mini-DisplayPort ports on the back of the Mini
So does one monitor plug in to the mini Dvi on the Mac mini and the other monitor plugs into the mini dp port on the Mac mini? The two monitor don't plug into each other? I also saw and option to enable 1.2. Should I do this? Thanks.
I have two Dell 24" U2415's as well on my 2012. 1st I tried (to verify daisy chain did NOT work on non TB displays) plugging monitor 1 into the Mini's TB port then the DP to Mini DP cable from monitor one to monitor 2. Just get mirroed display, not dual desk top. I don't recall if your 2009 had an HDMI port, but I powered the 2nd monitor directly from Mini's HDMI to U2415's HDMI for 2 nd monitor. I LOVE these monitors.
BTW, I recently got a notice from camelcamelcamel.com that Amazon FINALLY dropped U2415's price back down to $240. It was $240 the Mon. before black Friday. I waited 'til BF (my bad). Price had gone up $20 and stayed there until yesterday. Enjoy your twins.
On your U2415's, I'd be curious if you have this forum window across both monitors, does the HDMI one look different slightly? My HDMI connected monitor's white shows slightly grey/pink while TB/DP connected one is white. I have brightness at 50% & contrast at75% on both.
The 2009 mini has a mini DP out, which will have several options to connect to the U2415.
The OTHER video output from the mini is a mini-DVI (no mini DP and no HDMI), which will be much more limited. The U2415 has neither a DVI or VGA input, so you will need to adapt from mini DVI to DisplayPort, or mini DVI to HDMI.
Maybe Mini-DVI to DVI, then DVI to HDMI, or DVI to DP.
The OTHER video output from the mini is a mini-DVI (no mini DP and no HDMI), which will be much more limited. The U2415 has neither a DVI or VGA input, so you will need to adapt from mini DVI to DisplayPort, or mini DVI to HDMI.
Maybe Mini-DVI to DVI, then DVI to HDMI, or DVI to DP.
Just to confirm, I plug one monitor into the mini dp and the other monitor into mini dvi? Thanks.
DP 1.2 is a slightly newer version of the DisplayPort protocols. That is built-in to the display. It may not be compatible with the graphics card - but you can try that both on and off to see if there is any difference for you. It would ONLY affect the display that would be attached to the Mini DP output of the mini. (unless you connect both displays so the computer connects to the DP connections on both, which would be possible. That would make the DP 1.2 more interesting, as you could then have one off and the other on, then swap to the opposite displays. If there is any possibility of visible differences, that would show it. (I read that the mini DisplayPort used by Apple is compatible with DP 1.2, so you might change the display connected to THAT port to DP 1.2, as a likely best choice.)
When both displays are hooked up and turned on, that's pretty much all you need to do.
The default when you first connect everything will be an extended desktop across the two displays. You can use it like that without changing any settings.
There are some settings for different situations - for example, if you want both displays to show exactly the same image, then you go to System Preferences/Displays/. Click the Arrangement tab.
You can turn on Mirroring there. Both displays will then show the same screen image.
Turn Mirroring off, and you have an extended display across both displays. One will be the main display, and will have menus at the top. The other acts as the extended screen. You can move the displays around, so the screen extends in the direction that you choose. You can also have different backgrounds on each screen, and show different windows.
You can have different display resolutions (screen sizes) on either screen, if you have some need to do that.
You can show a video on one screen, leaving the other screen for other uses (this doesn't always work in the way that you might expect, but still can be quite useful and versatile.
When both displays are hooked up and turned on, that's pretty much all you need to do.
The default when you first connect everything will be an extended desktop across the two displays. You can use it like that without changing any settings.
There are some settings for different situations - for example, if you want both displays to show exactly the same image, then you go to System Preferences/Displays/. Click the Arrangement tab.
You can turn on Mirroring there. Both displays will then show the same screen image.
Turn Mirroring off, and you have an extended display across both displays. One will be the main display, and will have menus at the top. The other acts as the extended screen. You can move the displays around, so the screen extends in the direction that you choose. You can also have different backgrounds on each screen, and show different windows.
You can have different display resolutions (screen sizes) on either screen, if you have some need to do that.
You can show a video on one screen, leaving the other screen for other uses (this doesn't always work in the way that you might expect, but still can be quite useful and versatile.
I just plugged in both monitors. One is connected via MINI-DVI (HDMI adapter), the other monitor is connected via MINI-DP (DP adapter). Only the MINI-DVI is showing up. The other monitor acts as if its not plugged into anything and turns off to power standby. Please help. Thanks.
Does your Displays pref pane show both displays in the Arrangement tab?
If not - How are you using the Mini-DP output? (What adapters are you using from the mini's Mini-DP to the second U2415)
Be sure to try swapping the displays, just to make sure that both of your displays are working...
I think the connection that I would use is Mini-DP to DisplayPort (no additional plugs, just miniDP on one end, DP on the other end of the cable. That's the cable that comes in the box with a new U2415, I think)
Finally, does the on-screen menus for the display give you settings for different inputs?
If not - How are you using the Mini-DP output? (What adapters are you using from the mini's Mini-DP to the second U2415)
Be sure to try swapping the displays, just to make sure that both of your displays are working...
I think the connection that I would use is Mini-DP to DisplayPort (no additional plugs, just miniDP on one end, DP on the other end of the cable. That's the cable that comes in the box with a new U2415, I think)
Finally, does the on-screen menus for the display give you settings for different inputs?
I don't/haven't noticed a lag, and have been using one for around five years. The good is it has had no problems on 10.11.2 to date. . .. I use it on a Samsung 28" with a 1920-1080 screen (beautiful rendering).
This thread is about dual displays, and having one on USB and the other on a "native" output would definitely have noticeable timing issues (lag) between the displays.
Do you run an USB display. . .just wondering if your statement is from your own personal experience, because in mine it hasn't happened. . .
USB 2.0 has way too much overhead for reasonable video performance, particularly if one display is connected through a "native" bus, and another display is running through USB.
The OP can have two displays without handicapping the system with a USB display.
If you have to use USB for some reason, and that's your only display, I guess you would get used to that.
Yes, I tried out a USB display for a few days, along with a DVI display several years ago. But, probably not a good comparison, as it was a G4 mini, attempting to get two displays to work. That mini really didn't have a CPU with enough "oomph"
The OP can have two displays without handicapping the system with a USB display.
If you have to use USB for some reason, and that's your only display, I guess you would get used to that.
Yes, I tried out a USB display for a few days, along with a DVI display several years ago. But, probably not a good comparison, as it was a G4 mini, attempting to get two displays to work. That mini really didn't have a CPU with enough "oomph"
