Using two screens on Mac mini

Question

Level 3

519 points

Using two screens on Mac mini

On December 1st I'll buy a new Mac mini. I don't know if there will be new Skylake-enabled machines at that point, so I'm wondering if I can do what I am planning to do.

Mac mini Thunderbolt port 1 ---------- [HDD] ---------- [27-inch Thunderbolt Display]

Mac mini Thunderbolt port 2 ------------------------------[27-inch Cinema Display]

Will the current "late 2014" models support this? I've looked at Thunderbolt ports and displays: Frequently asked questions (FAQ) - Apple Support for some hints, and it says it will support "2 Thunderbolt Displays", but that is not entirely the same thing as what I'm looking to do.

Any thoughts?

Posted on Sep 15, 2015 3:07 AM

Reply

Answer 1

lllaass

Level 10

210,519 points

Sep 15, 2015 5:28 AM in response to Rob de Jonge

Yes, you can do what you want. You can easily daisy chain a TB display to a TB HD if the HD has two TB ports

Reply

Answer 2

Rob de Jonge Author

Level 3

519 points

Sep 16, 2015 3:00 AM in response to lllaass

Thanks for your response. Do you know if it would also be possible to connect it like this?

[Mac mini] ----- [HDD] ----- [Thunder Display] ----- [Cinema Display]

Right now, I connect the Cinema Display through the HDD to a MacBook Air. That works just fine. At the time it was said that a Cinema Display was fine as long as it was 'at the end of the chain'. I don't know if that was for protocol or other reasons, or simply because there is no additional connector on the Cinema Display to which I could further chain more devices.

Reply

Answer 3

lllaass

Level 10

210,519 points

Sep 16, 2015 5:58 AM in response to Rob de Jonge

When connecting a Mini DisplayPort display or a display using a Mini DisplayPort adapter to a Thunderbolt peripheral (except as described in question 24), make sure the display is connected at the end of the Thunderbolt chain. You can use only one Mini DisplayPort device in the Thunderbolt chain.

Mini DisplayPort Monitors or Monitors connecting with Mini DisplayPort adapters will not function when connected through a Thunderbolt Display. They must be connected directly to the Thunderbolt port on the computer or to a non-display device as indicated above.

Above from:

Thunderbolt ports and displays: Frequently asked questions (FAQ) - Apple Support

Note that there is now question 24. Previously Apple numbered each question/answer sequentially. Not the numbering starts with anew with each different topic.

Reply

Answer 4

Rob de Jonge Author

Level 3

519 points

Sep 17, 2015 1:13 AM in response to lllaass

So there is a theoretical half possibility here ...

[Mac mini] ----- [Thunder Display] ----- [HDD] ----- [Cinema Display]

Reply

Answer 5

lllaass

Level 10

210,519 points

Sep 17, 2015 5:54 AM in response to Rob de Jonge

Google show that will likely work. I have seen articles where they attached TB disk to a TB monitor

Reply

Answer 6

Rob de Jonge Author

Level 3

519 points

Sep 17, 2015 10:00 AM in response to lllaass

I will try to lug all gear into a single location to give it a trial run. Once done, I'll report back here. Thanks for your help.

Reply

Answer 7

Rob de Jonge Author

Level 3

519 points

Sep 18, 2015 3:35 AM in response to Rob de Jonge

I can confirm that this works.

[Mac mini] ----- [Thunder Display] ----- [HDD] ----- [Cinema Display]

I did not test it with a Mac mini with two ports, but instead with an 11-inch MacBook Air (Mid 2012) and that works. It drives both screens just dine, and will even throw in the MBA-internal display when I open up the laptop! If this works on that model, I see no reason why it wouldn't work on a much more recent Mac mini model.

Reply

Answer 8

lllaass

Level 10

210,519 points

Sep 18, 2015 5:50 AM in response to Rob de Jonge

Good to know that it works

Reply