Connect new Macbook (USB-C) to dual-link DVI display?

Most of the answers here are incorrect (Single-link only) or don't provide a solution. I solved this using;

1. Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock (Compatible with Thunderbolt 2 Technology), Cable Sold Separately
2. Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter
3. Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter

More details are here.

How do we fix the initial view for this thread which promotes an incorrect solution that is costing people money in incorrect adapters?

I have this working using the apple dual-link DVI to displayport adapter I already had to work with my older Macbook Pro and a USB-C to displayport adapter (I used Allsmartlife's displayport adapter Amazon.com: USB Type C Adapter, AllSmartLife USB C Type to Mini DisplayPort/Mini DP Adapter Cable With Aluminium Case Su…). The Apple branded USB-C to Thunderbolt2 did not work for this. Through the adaptors I am really getting 2560x1600 the 30 inch cinema display and am attaching a pic to show it. My setup is the macbook pro in the middle of a 27 inch cinema display and a 30 inch cinema display.

The StarTech adapter is now advertised as supporting up to 1920x1200, not Dual Link DVI resolutions.

A different solution that works at 2560x1600 is this:

• USB-C to Mini DisplayPort adapter ($15-20 on Amazon, generic seems to be fine)
• Mini DisplayPort to Dual Link DVI adapter ($50 from MonoPrice), with additional USB-A for power

I wish Phil's suggestion were true, and it's also what the sales rep at Apple Store recommended. But it doesn't work: unfortunately the Apple DVI to HDMI adapter only supports single, not dual link DVI and therefore provides inadequate resolution. I know this not only by theory, but by experience: I just purchased this equipment for my Dell 3007WFP and it won't support the full 2560 x 1600 res. I also tried the Apple Dual-link DVI to DisplayPort/Thunderbolt converter (which I've been using just fine with the Dell and my 2015 MacBook Pro); hooked that up to the current Apple Displayport/Thunderbolt to USB-c converter. No signal at all. As far as I can tell, there is no current solution to support connection of the new MacBooks to any hi-res monitor with dual-link dvi output . Really, really disappointing. But sadly, not surprising.

Yup. I was looking at the same thing recently. I used mini-DisplayPort to dual-link DVI adapter with my old MacBook Air to connect it to an (older but still perfectly good) 30" monitor that only has DVI inputs. Alas, my new MacBook Pro has only USB Type-C ports.

Shopping on Amazon, many USB Type-C to DVI adapters and cables claim to support up to 2560x1600 (which generally requires dual-link DVI). However, all of them actually support only single-link DVI. The StarTech adapters and cables mentioned above officially support only up to 1920x1200, according to StarTech's own website. But they are often described supporting up to 2560x1600 on Amazon; which is misleading at best. My advice is to look up products at original manufacturers website and/or ask their tech support if it really supports dual-link DVI, or if it is only single-link DVI device.

The good reviews on Amazon for all those products are from people that either have single-link DVI monitors (so cables/adapters obviously work just fine for them). Or from people that use different flavor of adapters (e.g. USB Type-C to DisplayPort, which also obviously works just fine too). However, people that actually attempt to use them with 30" monitors that require dual-link DVI are all giving them single-star reviews. The adapters/cable being really only single-link DVI either just plain don't work. Or if they work, image is of subpar quality due to graphics card and monitor negotiating lower resolution (which monitor upscales), too low refresh rate (flickering), or they drive single-link DVI connection out of spec often causing artifacts on the screen.

The approach above of using Apple's Multiport AV adapter in combination with HDMI to DVI adapter won't work either. Because latter is single-link DVI only. Even if there's such a thing as HDMI to dual-link DVI adapter, I never saw one.

Considering monitors without DisplayPort input are generally old generation (like it or not, DVI is slowly dying and manufacturers are dropping support for it), I don't think mainstream manufacturers will rush out with USB Type-C to dual-link DVI adapters. Hopefully there will be 3rd party adapters and/or cables sometime soon for those of us with older but still perfectly good and working monitors; however I wasn't able to find any out there yet.

This page has some good solutions to try out: http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/243920/connect-new-macbook-usb-c-to-app le-cinema-display-30-dvi

If you skip through many answers where people simply searched the web for "usb c dvi" and posted links to single-link DVI adapters/cables, there's also few that might work. They all boil down to buying USB Type-C to mini-DisplayPort adapter, and then daisy chaining it to an active mini-DisplayPort to dual-link DVI adapter. A bit of cabling challenge since latter requires separate USB Type-A connection to power the adapter. But it just might work and few people claim they have that setup actually working well.

It is difficult to say what will work. It very much also depends on the version of OS-X or macOS you are running and how it detects your monitor resolutions.

I tested with the 2016 retina Macbook with the latest El Capitan and the different Sierra versions and my Dell Ultrasharp 3008wfp.

But all version behave different and Apple fixed bugs, but also introduced new ones along the way.

There are HDMI to DisplayPort adapters that support 2560x1600 correctly ( http://www.delock.de/produkte/G_62496/merkmale.html?setLanguage=en ) and that somewhat work.

And there are DisplayPort to Dual-Link adapters that do that correctly: ( http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku= 470-AANW )

So I connected: Apple Multiport HDMI adapter -> DeLock HDMI to DisplayPort -> Dell DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI -> Dell 3008wfp

Sadly on Sierra, macOS only detects 1920x1200, not 2560x1600, but it does work. (but on that resolution you could just use a passive HDMI to DVI adapter).

On El Capitan it did detect 2560x1600, but the display was not stable (flickering on and off). But on El Capitan the external screen was not stable in any situation. On Sierra the external Screen output is at least stable when using DisplayPort directly on high resolution monitors (it was totally unusable on El Capitan).

I also tried to override the resolution by using an EDID override file for my monitor, but that didn't work.

Eventually I did get my Dell connected in 2560x1600 (works perfectly in macOS 10.12.2, and is just-usable-and-somewhat-stable on 10.12.3).

I use Apple Multiport HDMI adapter -> 4k HDMI audio extractor -> DeLock HDMi to DisplayPort adapter -> Dell 3008

The Audio extractor is needed in order for macOS to detect the correct resolution, otherwise macOS refuses to select a higher resolutions then 1600x1200 (again a bug that was not present in El Capitan).

I have tried the following with my Dell3007WFPHC and 2017 15" MBP touch bar and none work

apple USB c to HDMI -> apple HDMI to DVI - scanned lines and colored noise

... changing the resolution has no effect

apple USB c to Thunderbolt -> apple dual DVI - nothing

apple USB c to DVI + apple USB c to USB a - nothing

apple USB c to Thunderbolt -> apple Thunderbolt to DVI + apple USB c to USB a - nothing

and I've WASTED a lot of money on useless adapters. 😟

Thanks to you I was able to connect my MacBook pro perfectly to my Dell 30" dual-link DVI using the third-party USB-C to mini-displayport adaptor (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017TZTMBG/), then the same mini-displayport to dual-link DVI adaptor (the one from Apple) I was using with my Mac Mini.

Forgot to add that the mini-displayport to dual-link DVI adaptor from Apple is also connected to the MacBook Pro via a USB-C to USB adaptor - I think this just powers the adaptor but I had to add this for completeness.

I tested this solution and it does work.

Using:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017TZTMBG/

And connect to:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/587729-REG/Apple_MB571Z_A_Mini_DisplayPor t_to_Dual_Link.html

To supply USB power, it works with both of these method:

a USB-C to USB-A connector like https://www.amazon.com/AUKEY-USB-C-Adapter-MacBook-Nexus/dp/B01AUKU1OO

or directly onto my iPhone charger

I have tried the follow with my Dell3007WFPHC and none work

apple USB c to HDMI -> apple HDMI to DVI - scanned lines and colored noise

... changing the resolution has no effect

apple USB c to Thunderbolt -> apple dual DVI - nothing

apple USB c to DVI - nothing

apple USB c to Thunderbolt -> apple Thunderbolt to DVI - nothing

and I've WASTED a lot of money on useless adapters. 😟

Correction: My 2560x1600 dual link monitor is actually from HP not Dell.

So this solution (pointed to by Alex, then shown by me and davidshao) worked to connect to my HP LP3065 2560x1600 dual link monitor.

Again:

- the USB-C to mini-displayport adaptor from ASL brand

then

- mini-displayport to dual-link DVI adaptor from Apple (connected to the above and to a USB power source)

works perfectly to feed

- a 2560x1600 dual link monitor

Guy

Thank you! This did the trick for my setup (Macbook 2016 --> Monoprice Dual Link Monitor) and I get the maximum resolution (2560 x 1440) at 60Hz. I am going to send back all of the other cables that didn't work now.

Do they Raindog? GREAT news if they now do ... but I don't think so.

I've got a 23" 1920x1200 Cinema Display which works perfectly with my 2012 MacBook Pro via Thunderbolt>DVI.

But I'm still struggling to connect to my 2017 MacBook Pro -p despite the cr*p Apples sales told me [in writing!]

The Cable Creation one [from UK Amazon] didn't work - just flickered rapidly.

The Artek one does work but [as Artek clearly warned me] at a lower resolution, too fuzzy to work on spreadsheets.

Anyone now have a simple answer?