Mac mini monitor choices

I have purchased a little adapter dvi to vga but this doesn't work with two different monitors. I have seen the mac work with a cinema display so i know it works. What are my monitor options? What should I shop for?

The Mac Mini display output connections have changed over the years, from DVI, to Mini-DVI, to Mini DisplayPort, to HDMI and Thunderbolt/Mini DisplayPort.
Exactlly which Mac Mini do you have?
See > How to identify Mac mini models

Similar Messages

  • 2010 mac mini - monitor goes dark every few sec's problems since Mavericks Install

    My Wife updated her 2010 Mac mini from Mountain Lion to Mavericks and ever since, after start, up the display  intermittently flashes a dark screen, every few seconds.  (within 3-10 seconds or so, there will be another period of dark screen, that may last aprox. 1- 6 seconds.  The timing of this changes constantly.  The finder and all apps I have seen are affected in the same way. it seems to be an all-the-time problem
    the monitor is an OptiQuest Q9, and the system connects via an Apple mini display to VGA adapter (supplied with the mac mini) , then a vga cord into the monitor, which has a native resolution of 1280 x 1024.   
    The only workaround we have found is to boot the mac with the monitor cable disconnected, then reconnect the monitor cable after boot up is complete. In that case, the monitor does not flash, until the mac is shutdown or restarted again.
    Steps I have already tried:
    Zapped P-Ram 
    Reset SMC (shutdown, waited with power unplugged, then reattached power and  rebootted
    Repaired disk permissions,
    repaired disk
    re-download and reinstalled mavericks fresh.
    changed display prefs for resolution, detected displays, etc. 
    Changed background picture.
    I don't know where to go with this anymore, and it has already taken a lot of time.
    Who's got a Fix?    And if there is no fix, how do I revert from Mavericks to Mountain Lion?   The mac mini came with Snow Leopoard.

    Problem Fixed!
    I found another page that referred to resetting the PMU (http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2183) , which controls things like wake and sleep:
    "If the settings in the PMU become corrupted, it can result in operational anomalies such as your computer not turning on, not displaying video, or not waking from sleep, among other things. In these situations, you may need to reset your computer's PMU."
    Anyway, it is pracitcally the same proceedure as resetting the SMC (SMC reset=  Shut down, disconnect power cord for 10 seconds, reconnect power cord, wait 5 more seconds, turn computer back on)
    but it is slightly different:   (PMU REST = Shut computer down, disconnect power cord for 10+ seconds, reconnect power cord WHILE SIMULTANEOOUSLY PRESSING POWER BUTTON, let off power button for a few seconds, then press power button again to restart the mac mini.)
    After this the display problem was fixed, but the fan ran at high speed, so I did one more SMC reset as described above. Now everything is in order.   This also fixed the issue of the mac mini not waking from sleep unless the power/sleep button on the mini was pressed (it wasn't responding to the keyboard to awaken). Now it's all good.
    Hope this helps somebody else... 

  • Mac mini monitor resolution

    Hello,
    I bought my mac mini today ( 2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 - Intel Iris Graphics - OS X Yosemite ) I connected using the DisplayPort DVI cable to my Viewsonic vx992 monitor. I have been using this monitor for my Windows XP which used to give me 1280x1024 resolution.
    When I connect the new Mac to my screen is work but I with poor monitor resolution .. It's 1280x1024 but poor not clear
    I'v been used this monitor with Windows with the same resolution and the monitor resolution was excellent with Windows.
    I connected the Mac with Samsung Smart TV via HD cable .. The monitor resolution is excellent
    This is the converter that I used:
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007KB0EGC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF 8&psc=1
    Now, I'm conflict .. Is the problem with the convert that I'v been used or from the monitor ??

    Hi IIIaass
    I don't know if the screenshot will showing you the noise that I talk about ,, there is a little noise in the text for example .. I work for while on my monitor and I know the resolution quality and the clarity that should be,, and I don't want to buy new monitor then I discovered that the problem was from the Adapter.
    Thanks again .. and please tell me what's the best HDMI converter to DVI if you know about it.

  • Mac Mini Monitor Blacking out

    Hey guys,
    I have a 1.4ghz G4 Mac Mini and i recently purchased a samsung 205bw lcd display. I am running on the native resolution of 1680x1050 60hz refresh rate (the recommended settings for the monitor)
    Overall, the monitor works great until i try to watch video fullscreen. For some reason in VLC or Quicktime, after a while the screen begins to flicker than turns black. I ran every diagnostic that samsung has and there is apparently nothing physically wrong with the monitor. I was wondering. I downloaded SwitchResX but i wasnt sure which settings to change if anyone had any ideas..
    thanx in advance

    Got a Samsung SyncMaster 204B and having problems with a Belkin DVI/USB KVM switch. When switching form PC (WinXP) to mac mini I often get this blackout/flickering you all mentioned
    Apple has to do something about that.
    mac mini (PPC)   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  

  • Mac Mini Monitor

    Just bought a new ViewSonic 20" monitor from Buy.com and it appears not to be compatible with the Mac Mini - only G3, G4 & G5. Any suggestions on a new compatible 20" monitor for under $300??

    Yes, this is an all-to-common and unfortunate problem with the Mac mini and several third-party monitors having 1680 x 1050 resolution. The problem is the timing will have a dot clock above 135 MHz which presents problems for the mini in some cases. There are really only three things you can do; one is to use the VGA interface (requires an adapter), the second is to use a program like SwitchRes X to lower the dot clock and stay with the DVI interface and the third is to return the monitor for something else. If you want to go the SwitchRes X route, download and install it (get the SwitchRes X Control Panel version and not the full version of SwitchRes X) and then write back to this thread and I can take you through the steps you need to perform. You can also get more info from this thread:
    http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=3545154&#3545154

  • Seeking new Mac Mini monitor advice

    I'm about to purchase a new Mac Mini i5. Any advice on an alternative monitor to the Apple 27 inch Thunderbolt monitor? I'm replacing an old 2006 24" iMac. Mahalo!

    Unfortunately, GKaya, I don't have any advice beyond what you might find in some of those posts. I received my Mac mini on 12/14/12, and the Mac mini EFI firmware update had just come out 12/10/12. So I never had any flickering issues with a 26" 1080p Vizio TV or now a 27" 1080p AOC monitor, each in turn connected via HDMI. And I have not had the "crushed whites" issue that a few folks still have. I'm not sure what the issue there is. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary to avoid it. I just plugged the TV and the monitor straight into the mini's HDMI port with an Amazon Basics HDMI cable and used the default monitor settings.
    And the picture is great. I eventually calibrated the picture with the AOC, but in the end, it made a very subtle difference, a matter of preference in brightness and temperature, not quality.
    There are reports that the beta off OS X 10.8.3 fixes the remaining HDMI graphics issues, so here's hoping that you'll be rescued soon.
    John

  • Mac mini Monitor Problems

    whats good,
    I just got my Mac mini in the mail.
    plugged it in to my dynex dx lcd 1909 tv screen.
    it works for about 10 seconds, mouse, keyboard works fine.
    Then goes awall
    its connected with hdmi
    i already swapped the cables and I still get the same issue.
    cant be the TV right? I hear minis got issues with monitors.
    (please excuse any upside pics idunno y , im on an iPad)

    That is an old monitor
    http://www.dynexproducts.com/products/televisions/DX-LCD19-09.html
    You can try with a mini displayport to VGA connection and use the VGA input on the TV.
    Better yet I would get a newer monitor. You can get a good one on Craig's List

  • IMac G5 as Mac Mini monitor

    This may be quite far out, but is there a practical and/or useful way one could use the screen on an IMac G5 as the monitor for a Mac Mini? Or for that matter to connect to a standard recent model CRT color TV set? Thanks!

    Variations on your question come up regularly. See for example here:
    http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=9131753&#9131753
    Regarding using a CRT TV set, it is unlikely that the resolution would be high enough to satisfy you -- though it would help to have an actual model number to be sure.

  • Mac mini monitors

    I Would like to change the font of the menu bar and the of the foldrs

    You might want to ask that question in the Displays section.

  • Battery powered monitor for mac mini..

    I'm wondering if there is any battery powered small monitor that i can buy as mac mini monitor..the idea is i can use mac mini while on the go..

    How are you going to power the mini, when you're on the go?
    (You can see where this is going..... for whatever you say to that question, I'm going to say: "use the same power source to power the monitor".)

  • Connecting mac mini to USB monitor didn't work!!

    I connected new Mac mini(2007 model) with the latest HP USB monitor. Nothing got displayed on the monitor. Then I need to connect mac-mini to another VGA connector monitor. But still want to know to connect USB monitor with mac-mini as this is my target setup.

    Thank you.
    I used Tiger OS specific drivers from the following link.
    www.displaylink.com/support/mac_downloads.php
    Now it's working but not 100%. Upon starting of the mac-mini monitor works fine. But later when I switch off and switch on the monitor, then it doesn't work. Looks like monitor off -on trigger is not handled in the driver.
    I will check with the driver like you have suggest and then acknowledge.

  • New iMac or new Mac Mini... and iPhoto Library separate drive?

    I have a 2007 iMac Intel Core Duo 2.4Ghz (4 meg RAM) with a hard drive in need of repair, according to Disk Utility (and repeated by DriveGenius 3.)  The Repair option is not available.  I have had occasional difficulty with this particular Mac, and this is actually my second hard drive,and it is out of warranty.  I had already planned to replace this computer later this year.
    In attempting to download and install Lion OS, the install failed, and the computer became essentially inoperable.  I was able to use Time Machine to get it back running, but cannot repair what is surely a damaged HD.  Apple Support came to the same conclusion.
    I have become interested in a few goals:  (1) To purchase a Mac Mini along with an Apple Thunderbolt monitor (when available) in order to separate my CPU from my monitor.  (2) I want to separate my media files from a CPU hard drive for safety, for the very problem I am experiencing now.  (3) I want to make my iPhoto library and iMovie library available to my wife – perhaps on an external dedicated drive - for her newer iMac, to various iPhones and iPads, and to two Apple TV units. 
    We have a home network with an Airport Extreme, and several Ethernet outlets.  Both iMac’s currently use Western Digital external drives for Time Machine backups.  I have another external Seagate drove solely for my iMovie files.  I just purchased a Time Capsule 2TB (but have not yet opened) with the idea that this would be where the “shared” iPhoto library resides.
    My questions –
    Would you recommend using a Mac Mini + monitor, or go with a new iMac (my current iMac is my third and the only one that has given me some problems.)  I do not have any specialized use of my computer beyond the common iLife applications.
    I want my photos and videos to be easily available to my family on their Apple devices (I’m the only one with the significant family photo library) and I haven’t quite devised a plan to accomplish that.  Can you make suggestions?
    Thanks for any assistance you can offer.

    Currently the Library is on EHD 1 and you want to copy it to EHD2?
    Connect them both to the iMac. Make sure EHD2 formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)  and drag the iPhoto Library from EHD 1 to EHD 2
    To open either Library with iPhoto 11: Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library'
    It will update the Library to the new formats. Remember once you do this the older versions of iPhoto will no longer be able to read it.
    Regards
    TD

  • Functioning Monitor will not display with Mac Mini

    I'm trying to get an IBM E74 CRT monitor working with an early 2009 Mac Mini. I have it connected with Apple's mini-DVI to VGA adapater. The Mac "sees" the monitor since with screen sharing I can see the Display System Preference when the monitor is attached. It shows the monitor as an IBM E74 and allows what appear to be appropriate choices as far as resolution and refresh rate are concerned. I tried many combinations of resolution and refresh rate with no difference in behavior.
    The monitor always acts like no signal is detected (built it message on monitor display). This monitor works fine with a B&W G3 and a late 2007 MacBook Pro. Any ideas why the Mac Mini is not driving the monitor? Have tried all combinations cycling power on the monitor, connecting / disconnecting while the Mac Mini is power up. Have had the monitor connected and powered on when booting the Mac Mini. For whatever reason the monitor does not seem to work with the Mac Mini, but works fine with other computers.
    The monitor despite its' age has pretty low time on it and is quite serviceable. Are there quirks with the VGA interface that we may be running into? I would like to get this combo working together if at all possible.

    I would say the VGA interface did evolve somewhat over that time period. In particular, the thing that may have changed that could be the underlying cause of the problem is sync termination impedance has trended upwards. It's not unusual to find older monitors with low impedance on sync. Some even had 75 ohm impedance, which required a line driver for sync the same as for video.
    It could be the IBM monitor has fairly low termination impedance and the mini is unable to provide sufficient output on the sync lines to drive TTL levels, whereas the MBP is doing better. You could check this with a simple ohm meter with the IBM monitor turned off. Ideally, for the mini, you would want to see a high impedance reading on H and V sync, like close to 2k ohms. If it's 500 ohms or less, then the mini may not be able to drive sync properly.
    On an old monitor like that, it is likely to have old fashioned components with axial leads rather than surface mount components. If you are handy with a soldering iron, you could find the offending resistors and bring the monitor up to a more modern, high impedance standard of 1.8k to 2.2k.

  • Mac mini mid-2011 display issues 1920x1200 on a HDMI monitor?

    Just puchased a mac mini and am challenged by the display settings.  When I first powered it on using either a display port to HDMI or supplied hdmi to DVI (then the monitor's DVI to HDMI cable), the display is severly off center with issues seeing the system bar on top and icons on bottom.  So, once I was able to get to the System Panel, I found that it configured itself to 1920x1200.  I cannot get 1080p to center and 1080i has grainy text.  Does this mean I need another apple accessory, ie display port to vga?  Or is this an indicator that monitor and mac mini are incompatible?  Or is this an indicator that the mac mini has a lemon card?
    (NOTE: I am downloading system updates to see if there is a firmware update. Thanks
    Proc - 2.5 i5
    Mem - 4 GB
    Graphics - Radeon 6630M
    OS - OX Lion 10.7.3
    Monitor- LG L246WP  (3 hook ups: componet, vga, hdmi)

    Your monitor has a native pixel resolution of 1920x1200.  There is no point in trying for 1080-p or -i.
    I run two 1920x1200 monitors via HDMI (with passive cable adapters where necessary) and I use these choices:
    ...and they are both pixel-sharp, filling the screen, and yet menu bars totally visible!

  • New 2012 Mac mini having screen resolution problem when I connect to either 27" LG or 22" Hannspree monitor. Tried mini display port to VGA/HDMI and HDMI to DVI-D cables... all same isse

    New 2012 Mac mini having issues in connecting to third party Monitors. Connected my mac mini to a 27" LG monitor. Text looks blurred. Tried connecting to the monitor using 3 options. 1) mini port to HDMI, then HDMI cable to LG monitor. 2) Mini port to VGA, then VGA cable to monitor 3) HDMI port on mini mac to DVI-D cable then DVI to DVI cable... In all cases text is not clear. Anyone has similar issues with latest mini mac. The monitor works fine when I connect to a windows 7 Samsung laptop. Any input is highly appreciated. Thanks in Advance

    Why do you use always 2 cables? There's a lot that can go wrong.
    1.) Hardware:
    - Use only one cable, best an HDMI->HDMI cable. It doesn't need to be an expensive one, they've proven to be no worse than those "esoteric", expensive ones.
    - Set the monitor to the HDMI input.
    - The modes you are listing are only "picture modes" changing color/brightness/contrast settings, not resolution or the likes, so pick the one you like best later, or enter your own settings under Custom.
    2.) OS X:
    - Usually the Mac detects the screen itself and chooses the best settings, so by default you need to do nothing than make a proper hardware connection to get a decent image.
    - However, there have been issues with new Mac Minis and particularly their HDMI ports. But reportedly they have been fixed with a software update. So, launch the App Store and check under Updates if there is one for you to install. If so, do it; otherwise you should be good to go.
    - If you require, go to System Preferences -> Displays. In the Dispaly tab, by default, "Best for display" should be selected, and that is typically true. If you want, select "Scaled" and 1920x1080, plus a frequency from the list (where higher is usually better, but just pick the one that works best for you). If you can't see a change to the better, you best go back to "Best for display".
    - If you are not happy with the colors on your screen, you'll find eventually more than one choice in the Color tab, though your particular screen should be in the list and its Display Profile should get you the best result. (Double-check picture modes on your display: if you're far off there, you won't make it much better with the Mac's settings).

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