Studio Display with Mac Pro 2013?

[doccho]

True. I wanted to remind of the cable that enables HDMI to USB-C/TB since most cables are USBC to HDMI out in the market.

I purchased a higher-tier base model ($3,999) from eBay last Friday, and I am so happy.
I am now browsing which small monitor I can attach to the Mac Pro since my primary machine is ASD+M2 Mac mini. This Mac Pro is a remote server I can access from my work thru Chrome Remote Desktop. So, whenever, I need Mac-oriented works, I can do it thru this setup. I have been using iPad Pro so far, but Mac does better in most jobs.

Below is my test result:
ASD with Apple TB4 cable.
Mac mini M2
Mac Pro 6,1 with 6-core & AMD 500D
Apple Thunderbolt 3 to 2 adapter
Apple TB 2 cables, 2m & 0.5m

1. I know what 5K @60Hz looks like since I have Mac mini M2 + ASD.
2. As to Mac Pro 6,1, I already posted my initial connection scenario using Club-3D's USB-C to HDMI cable. As @arw stated, it is 4K @30Hz. It works fine in both MacOS 12.6.3 & Bootcamp Win10.
3. Then, I purchased Apple TB3 to 2 adapter to get 4K @60Hz worked between 6,1 + ASD.
4. It DOES work with macOS 12.6.3, but DOES NOT work with Bootcamp Win10.
5. Most of all, while working well with macOS, among the six TB2 ports on 6,1, the port 1 & 3 (bus 1) DO NOT work even with macOS 12.6.3. How come?? The port 2 & 4 (bus 2) and 5 & 6 (bus 0) work well at 4K @60Hz.
6. I tested with both TB2 cables (2m & 0.5m). no luck.
7. Any chance for the port 1 & 3 to be broken? I tested target disk mode with my MBA 11" 2015, which has a TB2 port, and the target disk modes worked very well with all ports 1 thru 6 with both TB2 cables.

Since Bootcamp Win10 does not work with this TB3 to 2 adapter + TB2 cable, I rather stick to Club 3D adapter even though it's only 30Hz.

Any advice on the port 1 & 2, and bootcamp win10? Thanks in advance. I appreciate.

 

[joevt]

Since Bootcamp Win10 does not work with this TB3 to 2 adapter + TB2 cable, I rather stick to Club 3D adapter even though it's only 30Hz.

Any advice? Thanks in advance. I appreciate.

Use a Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort adapter. Then connect a DisplayPort + USB to USB-C cable.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/alternative-to-the-belkin-vr-cable.2378619/

 

[teke978]

I just bought a 6,1 Mac Pro and was interested in possibly connecting it to a 5K Apple Studio Display, like the original poster, and I found this item on OWC that I thought would be able to accomplish this.

OWC Thunderbolt Dual DisplayPort Adapter for 4K, 5K, and 8K Displays

Connect up to two 8K displays through just one Thunderbolt port. Experience higher resolutions, faster refresh rates, and multichannel audio formats.

www.owc.com

When I asked OWC Support, I was told that the adapter wouldn't work for that purpose, but I don't know why, unless it's not bidirectional (it's not specified in the specifications.) I don't have a lot of technical expertise, so I was wondering if any of you would know if this would actually work to connect my Mac Pro to the Studio Display since the Mac Pro specs say that it is capable of supporting up to 3 dual-cable 5K displays

Thanks!

 

[arw]

I was told that the adapter wouldn't work for that purpose, but I don't know why, unless it's not bidirectional (it's not specified in the specifications.)

That's exactly the reason it doesn't work. As stated in the product page:

Connect up to two 8K displays through just one Thunderbolt port. (...) By utilizing the latest DisplayPort 1.4 technology, (...)
Input Connection: Thunderbolt 3

The MP6,1 is only Thunderbolt 2 capable with DisplayPort 1.2 and therefore needs two cables to feed one 5K@60 display.
Others can explain it better (like post #10, #14 or #76)

 

[Amethyst1]

When I asked OWC Support, I was told that the adapter wouldn't work for that purpose, but I don't know why, unless it's not bidirectional (it's not specified in the specifications.)

These adapters are not bidirectional, as explained by the previous post. The only way to convert two DisplayPort 1.2 streams from the 2013 Mac Pro to one Thunderbolt 3 stream for e.g. the Apple Studio Display is by using a Thunderbolt 3/4 PCIe add-in card, which you’d have to attach/power externally. Even if that worked, you’d lose the functionality that is dependent on PCIe tunneling. Another way would be by using an eGPU that has a Thunderbolt 3 output, bypassing the Mac Pro's GPU entirely.

I don't have a lot of technical expertise, so I was wondering if any of you would know if this would actually work to connect my Mac Pro to the Studio Display since the Mac Pro specs say that it is capable of supporting up to 3 dual-cable 5K displays

Unfortunately but definitely not.

“Dual-cable 5K displays”, in this context, refers to the Dell UP2715K, HP Z27q and Philips 275P4VYKEB. Those require two discrete DisplayPort 1.2 cables to be connected to the GPU ("dual-link SST"), which the 2013 Mac Pro can handle.

5K displays that require DisplayPort 1.4 (HBR2+DSC or HBR3) or Thunderbolt 3 input are limited to 4K, i.e. 3840×2160 or 4096×2304, from the 2013 Mac Pro. This includes the Apple Pro Display XDR (can do 5K as well), Apple Studio Display, Iiyama XB2779QQS, LG UltraFine 5K (both generations) and Planar IX2790.

 

[Inali]

So I work at an Apple Premier Partner store and I brought my 2013 Mac Pro to work with me and tested connecting it to the demo Studio Display using a Thunderbolt 2 cable and a Thunderbolt 2 to 3 adapter (both things are Apple branded).

It worked fine at 5K at 60Hz immediately with nothing needed other than plugging it in.

Edit: I can make a video of proof within a few weeks if desired. I'm not sure how this is even possible since the bandwidth doesnt match up, so it's apparently magic...

 

[joevt]

So I work at an Apple Premier Partner store and I brought my 2013 Mac Pro to work with me and tested connecting it to the demo Studio Display using a Thunderbolt 2 cable and a Thunderbolt 2 to 3 adapter (both things are Apple branded).

It worked fine at 5K at 60Hz immediately with nothing needed other than plugging it in.

Edit: I can make a video of proof within a few weeks if desired. I'm not sure how this is even possible since the bandwidth doesnt match up, so it's apparently magic...

It's not working at 5K.

 

[Inali]

It's not working at 5K.

Then why does it lie about it and report it working at 5K? Seems pointless to lie about it, it should just show 4K.

 

[SpotOnT]

Then why does it lie about it and report it working at 5K? Seems pointless to lie about it, it should just show 4K.

Agreed. It is definitely annoying.

I think the basic problem is that macOS is reporting 5k based on what the GPU is outputting. The conversion to 4k for Thunderbolt 2 and then upsampling back to 5k for the monitor all happen downstream, so the GPU doesn’t really know what is happening to the signal once it sends out the 5k data stream.

Still seems like macOS could include more information though, so people actually know what they are getting. I mean the downconversion to 4k is presumably happening in the Thunderbolt controller?, which is still in the Mac Pro. It isn’t like macOS needs to actually know what the monitor is doing with the data stream.

 

[joevt]

I think the basic problem is that macOS is reporting 5k based on what the GPU is outputting. The conversion to 4k for Thunderbolt 2 and then upsampling back to 5k for the monitor all happen downstream, so the GPU doesn’t really know what is happening to the signal once it sends out the 5k data stream.

Still seems like macOS could include more information though, so people actually know what they are getting. I mean the downconversion to 4k is presumably happening in the Thunderbolt controller?, which is still in the Mac Pro. It isn’t like macOS needs to actually know what the monitor is doing with the data stream.

Apple is reporting the framebuffer size, not the output size. The GPU and drivers know the framebuffer size and the output size. Apple is choosing not to report the output size for no good reason.

The Thunderbolt controller only transmits what it receives from the GPU. It's the GPU that does the down scaling. The display upscales it to 5K.

 

[SpotOnT]

Apple is reporting the framebuffer size, not the output size. The GPU and drivers know the framebuffer size and the output size. Apple is choosing not to report the output size for no good reason.

The Thunderbolt controller only transmits what it receives from the GPU. It's the GPU that does the down scaling. The display upscales it to 5K.

Thank you for explaining that!

Wow did I get that completely wrong!