27" Thunderbolt monitor connectivity options

[etaleb]

guys - Ijust bought a used 27" thunderbolt monitor (model A1407) released in 2011. 'm trying to save the USB-C ports on my Mac Mini M2 for other things. If I get a Thunderbolt to HDMI adaptor, will that enable the speakers and webcam too or I need to use USB-C for that?

If it's the latter, can you kindly suggest a reliable adaptor. I'm not sure if my A1407 monitor is TB 1.0 or 2.0 - I know it was being sold between 2011-2016 which included both those standards during those years

Thanks

 

[chrfr]

guys - Ijust bought a used 27" thunderbolt monitor (model A1407) released in 2011. 'm trying to save the USB-C ports on my Mac Mini M2 for other things. If I get a Thunderbolt to HDMI adaptor, will that enable the speakers and webcam too or I need to use USB-C for that?

If it's the latter, can you kindly suggest a reliable adaptor. I'm not sure if my A1407 monitor is TB 1.0 or 2.0 - I know it was being sold between 2011-2016 which included both those standards during those years

Thanks

You have to use a Thunderbolt port on the Mac mini with the Thunderbolt Display. HDMI will not work whatsoever, so you need the Apple Thunderbolt 2 to 3 adapter, to which you’ll connect the display’s thunderbolt cable. The adapter is compatible with both Thunderbolt 1 and 2, but the display is Thunderbolt 1.

 

[benwiggy]

I'm trying to save the USB-C ports on my Mac Mini M2 for other things.

You've got 2 x Thunderbolt ports on your Mini, plus 2 USB-A ports.

You'll need one of your TB ports for the TB display, with the Apple TB2 to TB3 adaptor. That leaves you one more TB port, which you'll be best off connecting to some sort of hub.

You get 3 USB ports on the TB display, but they are USB 2, so ok for keyboard, mouse, scanner, printer, but not for drives.

However, it does have a TB out port, too. I used to have a TB G-RAID drive connected out the back of the TB Display. (This was all TB 1, though.) It's possible you could connect some TB4 device out the back, but you'd only get TB 1 throughput, at best.

 

[etaleb]

Great great advice - thanks ! I'll just use them for charging for now and totally forgot I would be freeing up USB-C port by disconnecting my WebCam

 

[benwiggy]

It's a great display; and having everything built-in -- speakers, mic, webcam and ports -- is super handy.

Only 109 dpi, so not Retina, and sometimes contrast between all the different shades of grey that Apple uses isn't that great.

I used to have one. (Got a Studio now..... 😍)

 

[Stella_Fudge]

You have to use TB3 to TB2 adapter and plug the TB displays TB cable into that while letting magsafe dangle.

One thing to note: The integrated cables on those TB studio displays arenlt super reliable and are easy to break if overstressed even a bit. New parts are sparse at best via ebay and non-existent via Apple/ Apple Service Providers at this point. If the TB2 built-in cables fails though, you can use the TB2 port on the back of the monitor as an input as well with a regular TB2 to TB2 cable. It was only really used by techs as a means of diagnosing a faulty TB2 cable harness but totally works for day to day use in a pinch