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What cable do I need to connect a late 2014 iMac to an external monitor?

Still confused about this. I want to connect my late 2014 5k iMac to an external monitor that has a mini displayport connection. And at some point, possible connect it to an older iMac to use as a second monitor.


Will a minidisplayport to minidisplayport cable work even though the 5k iMac is thunderbolt?


Would Apple's OEM thunderbolt cable work or no? And if not, does Apple make an OEM minidisplayport? I prefer to use an Apple cable as opposed to something third party.


Thank you

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Dec 30, 2020 9:29 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 30, 2020 11:51 AM

Note that the article linked above on TDM does not apply if you want to use a free-standing external monitor instead of another iMac. This article covers free-standing ones:


Use external monitors with your Mac - Apple Support


There is a link in that article to another that helps you find what cabling is required.

10 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 30, 2020 11:51 AM in response to zb223

Note that the article linked above on TDM does not apply if you want to use a free-standing external monitor instead of another iMac. This article covers free-standing ones:


Use external monitors with your Mac - Apple Support


There is a link in that article to another that helps you find what cabling is required.

Dec 30, 2020 6:25 PM in response to zb223

To connect a Mini DisplayPort monitor to a late 2014 iMac you need a Mini DisplayPort cable. A Thunderbolt cable won't work, even though the plugs will fit. The Thunderbolt 2 ports on the iMac will work with a Thunderbolt or Mini DisplayPort cable, but a monitor's Mini DisplayPort won't work with a Thunderbolt cable.


Apple Thunderbolt Cable (2.0 m) - White - Apple

"The Apple Thunderbolt Cable lets you connect a Thunderbolt-equipped system to a Thunderbolt device."


Apple doesn't make Mini DisplayPort cables.

Dec 31, 2020 8:05 AM in response to zb223

Not necessarily. The only reason for a Mini-DisplayPort to Mini-DisplayPort is if the external monitor also has a Mini DisplayPort connector.


I use a Mini-DisplayPort to HDMI adapter-cable. (Apple sells a premium Belkan 4K rated version here). Alternatively a Mini-DisplayPort to standard DisplayPort might work even better if your monitor supports the second.

Dec 31, 2020 8:59 AM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield

Malcolm J. Rayfield wrote:

To connect a Mini DisplayPort monitor to a late 2014 iMac you need a Mini DisplayPort cable. A Thunderbolt cable won't work, even though the plugs will fit. The Thunderbolt 2 ports on the iMac will work with a Thunderbolt or Mini DisplayPort cable, but a monitor's Mini DisplayPort won't work with a Thunderbolt cable.

Apple Thunderbolt Cable (2.0 m) - White - Apple
"The Apple Thunderbolt Cable lets you connect a Thunderbolt-equipped system to a Thunderbolt device."

Apple doesn't make Mini DisplayPort cables.

This is not entirely accurate.


While the TB2 cable can be used to connect Mini Display port devices to a TB2 equipped Mac. The reverse is what is not possible, connect TB2 devices to a Mini Display Port equipped Mac.


TB2 includes the Mini Display port signal, so can be used with Mini Display Port devices. There is no reason for the TB2 cable to not work in this scenario, since it will be the Display / Monitor that will depetermine what signal it gets from the port and the TB2 cable is perfectly capable of carrying either signal or both.


See: https://blog.startech.com/post/what-you-need-to-know-about-thunderbolt-vs-mini-displayport/

Jan 1, 2021 12:15 AM in response to Phil0124

The 20-pin Thunderbolt 2 port on a computer does include Mini DisplayPort signals.

https://connector.pinoutguide.com/20_pin_Apple_Thunderbolt/

But see the note at the bottom of the Thunderbolt version

https://pinoutguide.com/SerialPorts/apple_thunderbolt_pinout.shtml

"The Thunderbolt cable has five wires: one for management and two uni-directional pairs, one for incoming and second for outgoing traffic."


In the link you posted

https://blog.startech.com/post/what-you-need-to-know-about-thunderbolt-vs-mini-displayport/

look in the "What works, what doesn’t?" section.

"The image below shows which combinations of Thunderbolt (TB Cable) and Mini DisplayPort (DP Cable) will (green) and will not (red) work together."

http://blog.startech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/TB_vs_MDP.jpg

It shows Thunderbolt cables not working with non-Thunderbolt displays.


Here is Apple talking about connecting a Thunderbolt Mac to a Mini Display port display (in this case a 2009 or 2010 iMac in Target Display Mode).

About Thunderbolt to Thunderbolt cable (2.0 m) - Apple Support

"Although a Thunderbolt cable will fit into Mini DisplayPort connections, only Mini DisplayPort cables can be used in Target Display Mode with an iMac (Late 2009) or iMac (Mid 2010) connected to a Thunderbolt-enabled Mac"


https://eshop.macsales.com/blog/10899-target-display-mode-and-thunderbolt

"DisplayPort iMacs require a DisplayPort cable, though they can work with either DisplayPort or Thunderbolt Macs.

Only get a Thunderbolt cable if you’re going to connect two ThunderBolt-equipped computers together, it won’t work for anything else."


https://mike952.wordpress.com/2011/07/21/thunderbold-and-minidisplay-mac-compatibility-101/

"MBA Thunderbolt iMac 27″ Mini Display Mini Display Cable Worked Fine

MBA Thunderbolt iMac 27″ Mini Display Thunderbolt Cable Did Not Work"


https://www.startech.com/en-us/faq/displayport-mdp-and-thunderbolt "Note: When you connect a Thunderbolt source to a Mini-DisplayPort display, you must use a Mini-DisplayPort cable."


https://blog.tripplite.com/whats-the-difference-between-thunderbolt-and-mini-displayport

"And while a Thunderbolt-enabled computer can connect to a DisplayPort monitor, the technology of the cable needs to match the technology of the display."

What cable do I need to connect a late 2014 iMac to an external monitor?

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