Mini Display Port 2010 iMac

[kakawak]

Hi Guys,

I've been reading some threads regarding the thunderbolt and mini display port and i'm a little confused.

In order for me to continue and use my PC with my 27" 2010 imac, can i use the DVI output from the graphics card and plug it into a genuine apple dvi port adapter, which connects to the mini display port in my mac and use it as a monitor when i turn my PC on?

If i need other adapters can you advise me on which ones i need and how i can connect my PC to imac? my PC does not have an HDMI output only DVI.

cheers

 

[Winston-]

Needs to be Mini Display port or DisplayPort. You might be able to use Dvi but you need an active adapter.

 

[kakawak]

so i just plug in one of these and im good to go?

https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/product/MB570Z/B/mini-displayport-to-dvi-adapter?afid=p238|sL4w7cF5j-dc_mtid_187079nc38483_pcrid_104154899041_&cid=aos-uk-kwgo-pla-btb--slid-----product-MB570Z/B-UK

im not sure what you mean by active adapter :/ does this mean i need another attachment to the mini display port?

i am using an old hp slimline with an nvidia 9600gt low profile graphics card that only has dvi and svideo output. is there a way to utilise this card without replacing it? if i do need to replace it can anyone recommend a graphics card that is equal if not better than the 9600gt which includes a displayport or mini displayport built in?

thanks

 

[DeltaMac]

I am going to say that won't work.
You need two things to connect to an iMac that has Target Display mode:
Your 2010 27-inch iMac can use Target Display mode with a mini DisplayPort to mini DisplayPort cable.
And, you need a Mac with a native Mini DisplayPort output.

I am pretty sure that won't work with a DVI to mini DisplayPort adapter. You need a native output with mDP hardware.
Oh, and there's a third thing. The source computer needs to be a Mac.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204592

That being my opinion, I could be wrong, as there seem to be a number of sites that suggest that it can work, as long as you have a DisplayPort signal to use. As I understand it, DVI does NOT transmit DisplayPort - so the simple adapter that you linked would not do the job you want (which is transmit a displayport signal to the external iMac)
However, Winston- in post above suggested an active adapter, which SHOULD work. It is more than a simple adapter, requires connection to power, and is more expensive. Here's an example: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003CWEXWO
(uses a USB connection to supply power to the adapter)

Are you certain that you only have a DVI video output on the PC? Are there ANY other choices? Is there HDMI, for example? There's more choices then.
Here's another possibility - https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=6904
This shows the problem that you will encounter with this kind of conversion. When you read the information about that last adapter, even though it is a powered model, it will NOT convert from DVI to displayport. It will only convert displayport output to DVI, which is NOT what you want to have.

That's why I asked if you have ANY other options on the PC (HDMI to DisplayPort would be more likely to work, for example)
Let us know what you find out...

 

[redheeler]

However, Winston- in post above suggested an active adapter, which SHOULD work. It is more than a simple adapter, requires connection to power, and is more expensive. Here's an example: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003CWEXWO
(uses a USB connection to supply power to the adapter)

This particular converter will work with a dual-link DVI source signal and a 2010 27" iMac, I've tried it before. The prices in the listing you linked are a bit much though, I don't recall paying anywhere near that for mine in used condition on eBay.

 

[DeltaMac]

This particular converter will work with a dual-link DVI source signal and a 2010 27" iMac, I've tried it before. The prices in the listing you linked are a bit much though, I don't recall paying anywhere near that for mine in used condition on eBay.

Do you have any thoughts (or experiences) regarding what the OP wants to do (connect to a target display mode iMac from a Windows PC?)

 

[redheeler]

Do you have any thoughts (or experiences) regarding what the OP wants to do (connect to a target display mode iMac from a Windows PC?)

The source signal must be dual-link DVI (if the graphics card is recent, this isn't a problem), and a Mini DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort cable is needed to connect the converter to the iMac. My experiment involved a Power Mac G5, but a Windows PC should be no different.

Just to stress this again, a passive adapter (such as Apple's Mini DisplayPort to DVI) will not work as previously mentioned. Only an active adapter (converter) will, as it converts the signal in real-time rather than just passing it through. These are going to be more expensive and harder to find, so look for a used one at a lower price.

Alternatively, some modern PC graphics cards have a full-size DisplayPort in addition to DVI, or you can swap out for one that does. All you'd need to make that work is a DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort cable, no adapter would be necessary.

 

[kakawak]

ok so i need to get a new graphics card for my PC my HP Slimline S7720uk is over 10 years old but i've modded it to its full capacity with processor, bluray drive, memory, storage etc... the graphics card at the time was a major problem due to the power supply (also upgraded) and dimensions of PC.

Regarding the connections of my GPU from what i remember i had a choice of HDMI or DVI and i chose the latter due to the monitor not having HDMI as it was a matching PC setup (all the same brand) With that said it's still a good PC for what i use it for and don't intend to replace it (yet!) just for this issue.

If anyone has any recommendations of a low profile graphics card that is suitable for my hp slimline that would be most helpful i will have a look and check it out too but someone on here might have some experience with low profile GPU's than i do

thanks in advance

 

[kakawak]

i still had the box for my 9600gt card hopefully this can clarify things. Will i be able to use this card? if you read the specs it will say that it has dual link dvi and one hdmi :/ is this a typo because my card definitely does not have the hdmi connection. Could it be that this is referring to the full size card and not the low profile version?

 

[kakawak]

a gentle bump

 

[DeltaMac]

There's at least two different versions of that 9600 GT Low Profile card. Yours has the HDTV video, and DVI. Another model has the same DVI, and HDMI instead of the HDTV connector. As far as I can tell, all models have dual-link DVI, so it SHOULD work with a dual-link DVI to mini DisplayPort adapter. Again, the adapter will need to be an active (bus or self-powered), and not a simple passive adapter.
Although it should work, you may find out that even with good adapters and cables, it just doesn't work. The connection to get the target display mode to work can be finicky, and finding someone who has actually tested that vid card, coming from a PC, and tried the target display to a Mac --- well, you have to find out for yourself by actual testing.

 

[kakawak]

maybe it would be better if i just replaced my GPU with one that has displayport and then use a displayport to mini display port cable rather than use an adapter and other bits and bobs.

 

[mikas]

Not much to add, all crucial information can be found above allready. Just to confirm it:
- You need displayport signal for target display mode to work.
- 2009 and 2010 iMacs work with displayport, 2011-2014 models needs thunderbolt
- Source can be almost anything though (Mac, PC, gaming console..)

For example I personally use a HP Z220 with some cheap old quadro card (it's got a displayport output) and an iMac 2010 27" as a target display. I use it almost daily, and the combination works allmost flawlessly.

If I were in your position kakawak, I would shop for a low profile GT 1030 with displayport (under 100€), or low profile GTX 1050/1050Ti (150/200€) with displayport. I can see that not every 1030 model today is equipped with displayport though, so shop carefully.

Or if on a tight budget, just shop for used cards with displayport. Old quadros can sometimes be bought for just a few €/$/£.

I see not much sense in buying a costly adapter, because you can get a faster and more reliable solution cheaper (aka new graphics card).

 

[kakawak]

thanks guys