Mac Mini 2011 2560x1600 resolution

Asfihani wrote:

Hello,

I have Mac Mini mid 2011 which in the technical specification it support 2560x1600 using Thunderbolt port. I have Samsung s27a800u 4k monitor which has type C, HDMI, and Display port. At this time I connect through HDMI cable and I only have 1920x1200 resolution which causing the font blurry and bit bold. My question is which type of cable that allow me to have 2560x1600? Does this 2560x1600 resolution will fix blurry font?

That Mac supports an external resolution of

• Up to 2560x1600 – for a monitor attached via Thunderbolt 1 or Mini DisplayPort
• Up to 1920x1200 – for a monitor attached via HDMI

Note that these maximum resolutions have a 16:10 aspect ratio. Your Samsung UHD 4K monitor has a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels and a 16:9 aspect ratio. You don't want the Mac to use an aspect ratio that is different from that of the monitor since that will compound your image quality problems.

What you might try for is

• 2560x1440 over Mini DisplayPort
• 1920x1080 over Mini DisplayPort or HDMI

In either case, you're not going to get Retina-style scaling where the Mac uses the full 4K resolution of the monitor to draw things in finer detail. If you can make the connection, the monitor is going to do an ugly digital zoom. But at least 3840x2160, 2560x1440, and 1920x1080 all have the same aspect ratio (16:9).

Does Thunderbolt port in Mac Mini 2011 is the same term as mini display port?

It is a Thunderbolt 1 port that can act as a Mini DisplayPort if it senses that a non-Thunderbolt device is plugged in.

Does this cable works to achive this goal? https://www.tokopedia.com/originalprojkt/ugreen-kabel-mini-display-port-to-dp-1-5-meter-1-5m-4k-60hz-cable-1-5-meter. Thank you.

Nothing looks wrong with that cable – but you are trying to drive a monitor whose resolution your computer doesn't support.

Yes the Thunderbolt port doubles as a Mini DisplayPort and that is the type of cable that will give you the highest possible resolution.

Mac mini (Mid 2011) - Technical Specifications

• Thunderbolt port with support for up to 2560-by-1600 resolution
• HDMI port with support for up to 1920-by-1200 resolution
• DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (included)
• Support for dual display and video mirroring

i messed my math up but the same premise still holds in terms of scaling and "blurriness".

With a 4K display, only 16:9 aspect ratio scaling will display properly and also with certain screen sizes. My 4K LG display is razor sharp at all the Apple suggested settings: 3840x2160 (4K), 3008x1692 (which I use all the time), 2560 x1440, 1920 x 1080.

I also only use HDMI certified cables or VESA certified DisplayPort cables as anything else can likely be hit or miss.

woodmeister50 wrote:

i messed my math up but the same premise still holds in terms of scaling and "blurriness".

With a 4K display, only 16:9 aspect ratio scaling will display properly and also with certain screen sizes. My 4K LG display is razor sharp at all the Apple suggested settings: 3840x2160 (4K), 3008x1692 (which I use all the time), 2560 x1440, 1920 x 1080.

I'm guessing that you have a newer Mac than the OP does, one which supports high enough resolutions that it supports the following:

• UI Looks Like => Internal Drawing Canvas Resolution => Resolution of Signal Sent to Monitor
• 3840x2160 => 3840x2160 => 3840x2160
• 3008x1692 => 6016x3384 => 3840x2160 (Retina mode)
• 2560x1440 => 5120x2880 => 3840x2160 (Retina mode)
• 1920x1080 => 3840x2160 => 3840x2160 (Retina mode)

The OP's Mac won't support any of these. If the monitor will accept a 2560x1440 or 1920x1080 signal, then the OP's Mac may be able to run at non-Retina 2560x1440 (low resolution) or 1920x1080 (low resolution) settings.

You're welcome.

The difference in 1600 and 1440 are display height.

You can get Display Menu from the App Store if you want to try different resolutions.

https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/display-menu/id549083868?mt=12

mega160 wrote:

Mac Mini 2011 2560x1600 resolution

That 2560x1600 resolution is to support a 30" monitor like the 30" Apple Cinema Display.

30" 2560x1600 pixel monitors are very rare, or extinct, today. Vendors put out a lot more 27" 2560x1440 pixel monitors that were generally cheaper. Those were the ones that survived and dominated the early 27" market.

FWIW, on a 4K display, displaying anything that is not a 16:9 aspect ration will look weird.

2560x1600 is a 4:3 aspect ratio so trying to fit that into a 4K/16:9 display will mean pixels on the screen will need to be estimated. Also, reformatting 4:3 to 16:9 will create a distorted display.

It is always best to set up the computer to send video at the same aspect ration as the display.

The 4:3 aspect ratio for displays was derived from the original TVs and these days has gone the way of the dodo in both TV and computer displays.

woodmeister50 wrote:

2560x1600 is a 4:3 aspect ratio

2560x1600 and 1920x1200 both have a 16:10 aspect ratio – 1.60 to 1.

A 4:3 aspect ratio would be approximately 1.33 to 1.

The 4:3 aspect ratio for displays was derived from the original TVs and these days has gone the way of the dodo in both TV and computer displays.

Mac Mini 2011 2560x1600 resolution