Mac Mini Video Output - can it connect to a monitor using display port connection and have 2k output?

Forgive me in advance if this is a basic question. I have a 2012 Mac Mini. I am trying to hook it up to a current monitor via it's display port connection (Acer ED323QUR Abidpx 31.5" 2K WQHD (2560 x 1440) 144Hz Curved Screen). I found cords on Amazon that are mini-display-port to display port. Will this work? I have tried hooking the monitor up a few different ways so far, 1) Straight to the HDMI and 2) via the thunderbolt port using an hdmi adapter. Both of which work fine but only give me 1920x1080 @60htz. Will hooking it up via the thunderbolt/mini display port allow me to get a 2k and a faster refresh rate? Or is the system bottlenecked to 1080@ 60htz. And yes I understand the system is a relic and i should just upgrade however I just replaced the HD with a SSD and the thing has a new lease on life, at least for what I use it for. Thanks in advance for any advice or guidance here. Ed