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User profile for user: misalodesign
misalodesign Author
User level: Level 1
39 points

Which adaptor should I buy to connect a 17" mid-2010 MacBook Pro into an HDMI monitor or TV?

I've upgraded the drive and memory on my old MacBook Pro and it's running like a charm. I'd like to replace my old Mac desktop tower with this upgraded MacBook Pro laptop, as the tower is older and bogged down so it runs very slow. My ASUS monitor has an HDMI port, but the 2010 MacBook Pro does not, so I need to find the right adaptor. According to the Apple website, these are the ports on my 2010 MacBook Pro:


  • Gigabit Ethernet port
  • One FireWire 800 port (up to 800 Mbps)
  • Three USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps)
  • Mini DisplayPort
  • Audio line in
  • Audio line out
  • ExpressCard/34 slot


Can someone please recommend a specific adaptor? I am looking on Amazon but the filters never seem to work and I keep getting thousands of results — many of which don't apply to my needs (getting adaptors that use USB-C and Thunderbolt, which I don't have on the Macbook Pro) so I am extremely frustrated right now. It shouldn't be this difficult.



MacBook Pro 17″, macOS 10.12

Posted on Sep 8, 2020 12:22 PM

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User profile for user: neuroanatomist
neuroanatomist
User level: Level 9
50,365 points

Posted on Sep 8, 2020 12:54 PM

USB does not directly output video, and while you can get an external video USB 'adapter' the display is laggy (not really useful for anything that requires mouse/trackpad movement, for example).


Thunderbolt 1/2 and mini-DisplayPort are the same physical plug, TB1/2 just carry more data than miniDP, but miniDP is all you need for video. So, the adapter linked will do what you need. The point of the description including TB is that, for example, my Late-2011 17" MBP has a Thunderbolt port and the linked adapter would work to connect an HDMI display to it, as well as to your slightly older Mac with a mini-DP port.

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User profile for user: neuroanatomist
neuroanatomist
User level: Level 9
50,365 points

Sep 8, 2020 12:54 PM in response to misalodesign

USB does not directly output video, and while you can get an external video USB 'adapter' the display is laggy (not really useful for anything that requires mouse/trackpad movement, for example).


Thunderbolt 1/2 and mini-DisplayPort are the same physical plug, TB1/2 just carry more data than miniDP, but miniDP is all you need for video. So, the adapter linked will do what you need. The point of the description including TB is that, for example, my Late-2011 17" MBP has a Thunderbolt port and the linked adapter would work to connect an HDMI display to it, as well as to your slightly older Mac with a mini-DP port.

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User profile for user: misalodesign
misalodesign Author
User level: Level 1
39 points

Sep 8, 2020 12:51 PM in response to neuroanatomist

Thank you for the reply. So, I take it the mini-display port will work better than USB 2.0 to HDMI?


I just noticed the links - thank you so much! I do have a spare HDMI cable so I think the adaptor would be my pick. One question: that adaptor has "Thunderbolt" in the name (Mini DisplayPort Thunderbolt to HDMI) -- does that matter? The specs for the mid-2010 MacBook don't mention Thunderbolt.


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Which adaptor should I buy to connect a 17" mid-2010 MacBook Pro into an HDMI monitor or TV?

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