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2013 iMac Thunderbolt partial failure - External Displays Work, but not thunderbolt devices

I have read other threads relating to the failure of Thunderbolt ports on 2012/2013 iMacs, particularly my i7 3.5Ghz model.


In my case I have something a little different.

Like the others, my system says "  Thunderbolt: No hardware was found."


If I plugin a thunderbolt audio device or external drive its not recognised - Yes, they work fine on other Macs.


However, my external displays using a thunderbolt to DVI adapter work fine through the non existent thunderbolt port.


My question is "is this still a hardware failure issue?"


PS No amount of SMC or PRAM resets have helped.

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Apr 10, 2019 3:06 AM

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Posted on Apr 10, 2019 5:16 PM

That is not a Thunderbolt to DVI adapter. It is a Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter. The computer port can handle both Thunderbolt and Mini DisplayPort devices. Apparently your Thunderbolt has failed but the port is still working as Mini DisplayPort with the graphics controller.

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Apr 10, 2019 6:12 AM in response to mitchapple

My take on this problem is a thunderbolt hardware failure. The DVI works because there is not lots of "pressure" placed on the thunderbolt bus or ports. No amount of hardware repair is going to fix the issue. I went through a $1500.00 repair on a 2013 Mac Pro . My characteristic was a loud high pitched squeal every 5 seconds any time a thunderbolt device was attached except for a what I consider a low pressure device such as a DVI connected display.

2013 iMac Thunderbolt partial failure - External Displays Work, but not thunderbolt devices

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