Mac Mini HDMI Out to Display Port - Do the adapters work?

[Ryan0751]

I'm considering one of the new Mac Mini M1's. I have TWO LG 32" 4K monitors, and they are connected up via a KVM switch to multiple machines.

The KVM switch only takes DisplayPort as an input.

The new Mini M1 states you can connect one display via USB-C (and adapter), and another via HDMI.

I see there are a few HDMI to display port adapters on Amazon (HDMI to DisplayPort Converter Adapter Cable). However, I see that this is an active adapter (needs power).

Though you can get HDMI->DisplayPort cables fairly easily, they only go in one direction (from a DisplayPort computer to an HDMI monitor, not the other way around).

These adapters say they can go the other way, which is what I would need. I'd also need 4K @ 60Hz (which the one linked above says it can support).

I'm a bit leery about converting from one format to another, having run into sync and refresh rate issues before.

Anyone used one of these and can confirm they reliably work?

 

[joevt]

The cable you linked says 4K 60Hz, but it also says HDMI 1.4 which is limited to 4K 30Hz so it's contradictory.

If you have a DisplayPort KVM switch, then you should really use DisplayPort from the Thunderbolt port of the M1 Mac. DisplayPort has more bandwidth than HDMI 2.0. It can do 4K 60Hz 10 bpc, while HDMI 2.0 is limited to 4K 60Hz 8 bpc or requires chroma sub sampling for 10 bpc.

All HDMI to DisplayPort adapters require USB power because HDMI doesn't have enough power to do the DisplayPort conversion.

I've used the Club 3d CAC-1331 with aMac mini 2018 and a AMD RX 580. It handles 3840x2160 60Hz ok. I also tried 4096x2304 which has issues at some refresh rates. 5120x1440, 5120x2160, 5120x2880 did not work at any refresh rate.

M1 Mini + 22MD4KA + ?

My Acer XV273K can accept the LG 21.5" timing for 4096x2304 which looks like this: 4096x2304@59.999Hz 142.198kHz 593.82MHz h(8 32 40 +) v(1 8 57 -) 16:9 My Mac mini 2018 can produce that from the DisplayPort outputs of the Thunderbolt ports. I did some tests with the CAC-1331 connected to the...

forums.macrumors.com

M1 Mini + 22MD4KA + ?

If the display works as low as 48Hz then you should be able to find a timing that works for 4096x2304 with the CAC-1331 or the eBay cable (which I haven't tested yet). Right. No problem with direct DisplayPort output from Mac mini 2018 or DisplayPort input to the display. The problem could be...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[Ryan0751]

Thanks, yeah the issue is that I have two displays.

I wonder if the mini can drive two monitors off a single thunderbolt port. I use a caldigit dock that can do this with my MBP 16”....

But, the apple specs don’t say it can do this.

 

[joevt]

Thanks, yeah the issue is that I have two displays.

I wonder if the mini can drive two monitors off a single thunderbolt port. I use a caldigit dock that can do this with my MBP 16”....

But, the apple specs don’t say it can do this.

The M1 has two DisplayPort connections to a Thunderbolt port but the second one can only be used with a tiled display like the LG UltraFine 5K or Dell UP2715K or HP Z27q. Those displays use two DisplayPort 1.2 signals to do 5K 60Hz 10 bpc.