CWaz

Q: Connect Thunderbolt display to a DVI Mac?

Is there a way to hook up a Thunderbolt display to my desktop that has DVI(not mini) outputs?

Any adaptors/cable combination?

Thank you.

Mac Pro, 2 x 2.8 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon

Posted on Jul 25, 2011 2:17 PM

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Q: Connect Thunderbolt display to a DVI Mac?

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  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Jul 25, 2011 3:49 PM in response to CWaz
    Level 9 (60,904 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 25, 2011 3:49 PM in response to CWaz

    This device at the Apple online store should do the trick, for US$130.

     

    Kanex C247D Single-Link DVI to Mini DisplayPort Converter

     

    Alternatives are to replace the graphics card. the 5770 runs about US$250., the 5870 about US$450. GT120 (not a high-performance card) runs about US$150

  • by hoffmanFamily4,

    hoffmanFamily4 hoffmanFamily4 Aug 19, 2011 11:03 AM in response to CWaz
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 19, 2011 11:03 AM in response to CWaz

    I have a similar question.  I have a brand new MBP with Thunderbolt.  Work just bout me a 27' Thunderbolt display.  Great so far.  I also have a high-end Dell laptop.  I want to connect the DVI out on the Dell base station to my Thunderbolt display.  I have a mini-display port to DVI adapted.  Plugged that into my MBP Thunderbolt display and got the second monitor up on from my MBP.  Now when the new Thunderbolt monitor gets here, I am really hoping that I will be able to reverse the flow and connect from the DVI out of my Dell base station, to the DVI-mini-diplayport and into the back Thunderbolt port and then display the image on the Thunderbolt display.

     

    Can anyone confirm??

     

    Best,

    Kevin

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Aug 26, 2011 6:59 PM in response to hoffmanFamily4
    Level 9 (60,904 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 26, 2011 6:59 PM in response to hoffmanFamily4

    I can confirm that Mini DisplayPort to DVI converter works ONLY from a Mini DisplayPort computer port to a DVI display. The reverse direction is not supported by those converters, but there are other much more expensive ones that will convert DVI computer ports to Mini DisplayPort display.

  • by JBDIII,

    JBDIII JBDIII Sep 2, 2011 5:55 PM in response to CWaz
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 2, 2011 5:55 PM in response to CWaz

    available cheaper if you search.

  • by Mark Lederer,

    Mark Lederer Mark Lederer Oct 3, 2011 3:19 PM in response to CWaz
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Oct 3, 2011 3:19 PM in response to CWaz

    For what it's worth... I just talked to the Apple Sales folk on the 800 number and the tech implied that Apple was working on an adapter that would allow connecting the display to sources other than thunderbolt.

  • by defmetal,

    defmetal defmetal Oct 7, 2011 12:50 PM in response to CWaz
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 7, 2011 12:50 PM in response to CWaz

    Just wanted to chime in on this:

     

    You can not use a DVI to Mini Display Port converter to get display on the thunderbolt.

    I bought a Dual Link DVI to Mini Display Port and plugged it into the thunderbolt monitor and got no picture. 

     

    it doesn't work.

     

    After talking to Apple and others, they said it must send a thunderbolt signal.

     

    Mini Display Port, while the same size, will -not- send a picture to the Apple Thunderbolt Display.  The Thunderbolt Female port is Backwards Compatible with Mini Display Port devices, however the Male is not backwards compatible.

     

    So, a Cinema Display will work on Thunderbolt MBPs but a Thunderbolt Display will not work on Mini Display Port MBPs

  • by bertrandfromlondon,

    bertrandfromlondon bertrandfromlondon Oct 11, 2011 11:35 AM in response to CWaz
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 11, 2011 11:35 AM in response to CWaz

    Hello Guys,

     

    I am in the same situation as Kevin (hoffmanFamily4) with MBR 2011 and DELL laptop for professional use.

    I intend to buy the thunderbolt display however given the price of the product I need to ensure it is compatible with a DVI source (from DELL docking station).

    Mark Lederer mentioned a possible adaptor to come, any news on this?

     

    Thanks,

    Bertrand

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Oct 11, 2011 12:37 PM in response to bertrandfromlondon
    Level 9 (60,904 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 11, 2011 12:37 PM in response to bertrandfromlondon

    ensure it is compatible with a DVI source

    At this writing, the ThunderBolt display requires a ThunderBolt computer.

  • by Mark Lederer,

    Mark Lederer Mark Lederer Oct 12, 2011 7:54 AM in response to bertrandfromlondon
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Oct 12, 2011 7:54 AM in response to bertrandfromlondon

    Berthand, Regard an aledged adapter... I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it. Think about it, Apple would prefer you upgrade the computer and they don't even make their own minidisplay port to HDMI adapter. I suspect the techie I spoke to was confused regarding exactly what we want to do.  So I have a perfectly good MBP that can't use a Thunderbolt display, my wife has a new MBAir.  We'll probably just buy a cheap DVI display from Best Buy for now.

  • by The hatter,

    The hatter The hatter Oct 12, 2011 8:14 AM in response to Mark Lederer
    Level 9 (60,935 points)
    Oct 12, 2011 8:14 AM in response to Mark Lederer

    This forum does not deal with notebooks.

     

    Intel not Apple is responsible for the technology and it does need to have a motherboard and chipset to support those displays.

     

    check Inel and Wikipedia

     

    you can't retrofit but you should be able to take native TB interface and connect up other display outputs of course, just not the reverse.

  • by matthewtobin87,

    matthewtobin87 matthewtobin87 Nov 17, 2011 6:37 PM in response to Mark Lederer
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 17, 2011 6:37 PM in response to Mark Lederer

    ack don't overpay on that markup buy one 3 inches bigger online for the same price

  • by JBDIII,

    JBDIII JBDIII Nov 17, 2011 8:33 PM in response to CWaz
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 17, 2011 8:33 PM in response to CWaz

    Apple's hold on Intel's thunderbolt technology ends in 2012.  After that it's anyone's ballgame I guess.  Possibly a thunderbolt PC video card will be coming out sometime after that.

  • by edmo117,

    edmo117 edmo117 Dec 22, 2011 12:35 AM in response to hoffmanFamily4
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 22, 2011 12:35 AM in response to hoffmanFamily4

    Hi Kevin

     

    I'm new to all this MAC stuff so am in the early stages of conversion.  I too have a high end PC with DVI output and would like to connect it to my nice new 27" Thunderbolt display that is attached to my MBP via the thunderbolt port.

     

    Did you manage to sort it out?  If so what did you have to do please?

     

    Thanks for any help you can give

  • by hoffmanFamily4,

    hoffmanFamily4 hoffmanFamily4 Dec 22, 2011 3:53 AM in response to edmo117
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 22, 2011 3:53 AM in response to edmo117

    Well, my Thundebolt display, connects only to my MBP.  Tried all combinations.

     

    What I ended up doing is assigning my work laptop PC a static IP address and remoting into it.  It actually works nicely in that I can use the new 'natural' scrolling and set it to have it's own desktop.

     

    Best,

    Kevin

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