i ordered a 2018 Mac Mini. I have a 27 inch monitor that is about 6 years old with WQHD resolution(2560 x 1440). The monitor has display and hdmi ports. I’d like to know which is the best way to connect the Mac mini to the monitor when I get it, via hdmi on the monitor to the hdmi port on the Mac mini, or the display port to the thunderbolt 3 port on the Mac mini. I’m not sure if going by hdmi with run this resolution @ 60Hz. Thanks for your help.
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Which port to connect WQHD resolution to 2018 Mac Mini?
- Thread starter cosrocket
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The mini will run a 4K monitor via HDMI, let alone one that's 2560x1440. Given that the mini has a dedicated HDMI port, that's the obvious one to use, rather than using a TB3/USB-C port and an adapter, which would be a waste of a port that can be put to better use.
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Assuming that the HDMI port on your monitor supports 1440p at 60Hz, it’s a no brainer to go with HDMI. Keep the Thunderbolt 3 ports free for other use.
The Mini's HDMI port is version 2.0, which supports up to 4k @ 60Hz, but that is only one side of the equation, the HDMI port on the monitor being the other. I have a several years old Eizo 32" (EV3237), which has HDMI and Displayport ports. I first tried the new Mini over HDMI, and got UHD resolution (3840x2160), but only at 30Hz. Apparently the HDMI port on the monitor is an older version and does not support it. So I switched over to the Displayport/TB3 connection and all is good. The manual for my monitor even says an HDMI connection will only go 30Hz at UHD resolution, so it must be <=HDMI 1.4.
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I will disagree with others above.
IF the display has "displayport" or "minidisplayport" input (both function the same, the only difference between them is the size of the connector), THAT is the preferred connection to use.
You will need a USB-c (Mac end) to displayport (display end) connecting cable.
When you buy one, MAKE SURE to look carefully to ascertain that it works with 2017/2018 Macs (including iMacs and MacBook Pros).
There were SOME USBc-to-displayport cables that worked properly with 2016 MacBook Pros, but DID NOT WORK with 2017 and later models.
I'm guessing that most of these are no longer on the market, but...
...The product info and user reviews should be examined carefully.
IF the display has "displayport" or "minidisplayport" input (both function the same, the only difference between them is the size of the connector), THAT is the preferred connection to use.
You will need a USB-c (Mac end) to displayport (display end) connecting cable.
When you buy one, MAKE SURE to look carefully to ascertain that it works with 2017/2018 Macs (including iMacs and MacBook Pros).
There were SOME USBc-to-displayport cables that worked properly with 2016 MacBook Pros, but DID NOT WORK with 2017 and later models.
I'm guessing that most of these are no longer on the market, but...
...The product info and user reviews should be examined carefully.
Yes, I hadn't considered that. I'm surprised if there are 1440p monitors from about 2013 that won't support their native resolution at 60Hz via HDMI.
I imagine 1440p monitors would support 60Hz more readily than a UHD (2160p) monitor would, so HDMI ports on several-years-old 1440p monitors probably do support it. But it's always a good idea to examine all links in the chain when there is a problem (was my point).