New MBA 2018 user help needed with connections

[josh bear]

Hi All,

Please can I have some help. I have just bought the MBA and a samsung 34 inch monitor https://www.samsung.com/uk/monitors/curved-c34j79/


The Air is to replace a macbook and an 2014 iMac that was not getting any use.

I have 2 USB hard drives and two thunderbolt 2 drives that are daisy chained together. All of these plugged into the iMac. Now I want to use with the Samsung monitor and the air and I don't know enough about thunderbolt 3 to know where to plug what.

The display is thunderbolt three and has two TB3 ports 85w and 15w and 2 USB 3 ports. My assumption is

1. The 2 USB hard drives plug into the 2 USB 3 ports on the monitor
2. The Air plugs into the 85w TB3 port and will charge from that
3. The TB drives plug into the 15w TB3 port using the TB2 to TB3 adaptor.

My worry is will the TB drives be damaged because the TB3 port gives out 15w of power?

Also can I plug USB C devices into the TB3 sockets on the monitor?

thanks for any help

Josh

 

[josh bear]

Hi

Can anyone help.

I am worried about point 3 above. If I plug my thunderbolt lacie hard drive into the 15w port on the monitor does the fact that the port give 15w of power mean it will damage the hard drive or does tb not work like that when the device plugged in has its own power?

Thanks

 

[curmudgeonette]

I am worried about point 3 above. If I plug my thunderbolt lacie hard drive into the 15w port on the monitor does the fact that the port give 15w of power mean it will damage the hard drive or does tb not work like that when the device plugged in has its own power?

It sounds like the monitor can supply up to 15W. If the drive(s) has its own power source, then it would negotiate to take no power over the USB-C. connector.

 

[josh bear]

Thanks. It does say up to. So looks like it will be fine then.

Thanks for the help.

 

[josh bear]

All sorted and appears to be working well. The air charges from the screen and all hardrives connected. Now need to calibrate the screen.

Thanks for the help.

 

[AlexJoda]

View attachment 807017 View attachment 807016 All sorted and appears to be working well. The air charges from the screen and all hardrives connected. Now need to calibrate the screen.

Thanks for the help.

Nice setup! You only should think about an external Magic Keyboard. Together with this you can use the MBA in "clamshell mode" with a closed lid....

 

[josh bear]

Thanks for the suggestion