how do I connect an Apple Thunderbolt display to a PC?












25















I have this Apple Thunderbolt display.



it works fine with my Macbook Pro. I also want to connect it to my Windows laptop via HDMI. I bought this converter, which converts the HDMI signal to DisplayPort. Everything plugs in just fine, but the display just does not turn on. I tried a variety of resolution settings.



Note: this display does not have a power button. It just turns on when I plug it into a Mac. There is no activity when I plug it into the DisplayPort converter.










share|improve this question

























  • Have you tried using another non-Mac computer with integrated DisplayPort, or another DisplayPort/Thunderbolt display with the Mac and adapter?

    – Daniel Beck
    Jan 23 '13 at 22:44








  • 5





    You can't, and unfortunately probably won't be able to for a while. Apple requires the input to be "thunderbolt" even though that's very similar to display port (or mini DP), it doesn't work. Macs TB port can do either though. All this info is last I researched a few months ago. Doesn't look like any updates around through a quick browse today.

    – nerdwaller
    Jan 23 '13 at 22:57
















25















I have this Apple Thunderbolt display.



it works fine with my Macbook Pro. I also want to connect it to my Windows laptop via HDMI. I bought this converter, which converts the HDMI signal to DisplayPort. Everything plugs in just fine, but the display just does not turn on. I tried a variety of resolution settings.



Note: this display does not have a power button. It just turns on when I plug it into a Mac. There is no activity when I plug it into the DisplayPort converter.










share|improve this question

























  • Have you tried using another non-Mac computer with integrated DisplayPort, or another DisplayPort/Thunderbolt display with the Mac and adapter?

    – Daniel Beck
    Jan 23 '13 at 22:44








  • 5





    You can't, and unfortunately probably won't be able to for a while. Apple requires the input to be "thunderbolt" even though that's very similar to display port (or mini DP), it doesn't work. Macs TB port can do either though. All this info is last I researched a few months ago. Doesn't look like any updates around through a quick browse today.

    – nerdwaller
    Jan 23 '13 at 22:57














25












25








25


5






I have this Apple Thunderbolt display.



it works fine with my Macbook Pro. I also want to connect it to my Windows laptop via HDMI. I bought this converter, which converts the HDMI signal to DisplayPort. Everything plugs in just fine, but the display just does not turn on. I tried a variety of resolution settings.



Note: this display does not have a power button. It just turns on when I plug it into a Mac. There is no activity when I plug it into the DisplayPort converter.










share|improve this question
















I have this Apple Thunderbolt display.



it works fine with my Macbook Pro. I also want to connect it to my Windows laptop via HDMI. I bought this converter, which converts the HDMI signal to DisplayPort. Everything plugs in just fine, but the display just does not turn on. I tried a variety of resolution settings.



Note: this display does not have a power button. It just turns on when I plug it into a Mac. There is no activity when I plug it into the DisplayPort converter.







hdmi displayport thunderbolt






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Jul 22 '16 at 10:09









Hennes

59.3k793143




59.3k793143










asked Jan 23 '13 at 22:12









weswes

126124




126124













  • Have you tried using another non-Mac computer with integrated DisplayPort, or another DisplayPort/Thunderbolt display with the Mac and adapter?

    – Daniel Beck
    Jan 23 '13 at 22:44








  • 5





    You can't, and unfortunately probably won't be able to for a while. Apple requires the input to be "thunderbolt" even though that's very similar to display port (or mini DP), it doesn't work. Macs TB port can do either though. All this info is last I researched a few months ago. Doesn't look like any updates around through a quick browse today.

    – nerdwaller
    Jan 23 '13 at 22:57



















  • Have you tried using another non-Mac computer with integrated DisplayPort, or another DisplayPort/Thunderbolt display with the Mac and adapter?

    – Daniel Beck
    Jan 23 '13 at 22:44








  • 5





    You can't, and unfortunately probably won't be able to for a while. Apple requires the input to be "thunderbolt" even though that's very similar to display port (or mini DP), it doesn't work. Macs TB port can do either though. All this info is last I researched a few months ago. Doesn't look like any updates around through a quick browse today.

    – nerdwaller
    Jan 23 '13 at 22:57

















Have you tried using another non-Mac computer with integrated DisplayPort, or another DisplayPort/Thunderbolt display with the Mac and adapter?

– Daniel Beck
Jan 23 '13 at 22:44







Have you tried using another non-Mac computer with integrated DisplayPort, or another DisplayPort/Thunderbolt display with the Mac and adapter?

– Daniel Beck
Jan 23 '13 at 22:44






5




5





You can't, and unfortunately probably won't be able to for a while. Apple requires the input to be "thunderbolt" even though that's very similar to display port (or mini DP), it doesn't work. Macs TB port can do either though. All this info is last I researched a few months ago. Doesn't look like any updates around through a quick browse today.

– nerdwaller
Jan 23 '13 at 22:57





You can't, and unfortunately probably won't be able to for a while. Apple requires the input to be "thunderbolt" even though that's very similar to display port (or mini DP), it doesn't work. Macs TB port can do either though. All this info is last I researched a few months ago. Doesn't look like any updates around through a quick browse today.

– nerdwaller
Jan 23 '13 at 22:57










4 Answers
4






active

oldest

votes


















11














If the Wikipedia article is to be believed (and I do believe it is correct based on what Thunderbolt is), then your configuration will not work.




Compatibility



Apple Thunderbolt Displays, like the video input on Thunderbolt iMacs,
drop compatibility with all previous standards, including VGA, DVI,
and DisplayPort.3 As such, they cannot be connected to computers
lacking a Thunderbolt port, including pre-2011 Macs and the vast
majority of PCs.




Thunderbolt is not the same as Display Port. Therefore you can only connect thunderbolt equipped Mac's (or some PC's with thunderbolt hardware and appropriate drivers) to the Thunderbolt display.



From the Apple Mini DisplayPort FAQ





  1. My computer has the same connector but the symbol is different, what does that mean?


Some Apple computers have a Thunderbolt port instead of a Mini
DisplayPort. Computers with a Thunderbolt port will have the following
symbol next to a port although the port physically appears the same as a
Mini DisplayPort:



enter image description here



Thunderbolt ports:



Are compatible with all of the Mini DisplayPort adapters referenced
below in question 5 and with Apple Mini DisplayPort equipped displays.
Support adapters like Apple's Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
and Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter which are not otherwise compatible
with Mini DisplayPorts. See Thunderbolt ports and displays: Frequently
asked questions (FAQ) for more information on Thunderbolt.




So with your adaptor, you can drive a DisplayPort based monitor to your PC, but not a thunderbolt display as it lacks support for DisplayPort. That's why it didn't turn on and work.



Some Googling and I haven't yet been able to find a USB based thunderbolt adaptor, it seems there is talk of such a device using USB 3.0 to Thunderbolt although at reduced speeds. There are a few thunderbolt PCIe cards available and some PC motherboards support thunderbolt.






share|improve this answer


























  • USb to thunderbolt seems senseless. It would need to use USB input, create PCI-e data and display port data, and use an expensive chip to merge those into Thunderbolt.

    – Hennes
    Jul 21 '16 at 16:28











  • If there is a need to drive something thunderbolt only then there may end up being a device for it. But I think thunderbolt will die off as being apple only. It's just not gotten widespread support beyond apple.

    – Matt H
    Jul 24 '16 at 22:27











  • I disagree. It is in all (both) my desktops. And those are not Macs but regular Z170/Skylakes. And I wish my laptop had it, so I could connect external PCI-e devices, e.g. external graphics cards to 10GBit NICs. In the case of thunderbolt-3 you would not even need those since you could abuse Thunderbolt for very fast point to point networking (e.g. backups, disk imagining, ...).

    – Hennes
    Jul 25 '16 at 4:56











  • @lulianOnofrei - Thanks for the edit. That was a direct copy from the FAQ, grammar errors and all.

    – Matt H
    Jul 1 '18 at 23:42



















5














Because the Thunderbolt connection is designed not just as a display connection and also a data connection it is not possible to use only a display port connection to connect to a Thunderbolt display. Also, if I can recall, the DisplayPort connection that is built into the Thunderbolt display is designed as a output for daisy-chaining a display port monitor to your computer, and NOT as an input.



The reason why Thunderbolt displays require a Thunderbolt connection is because, as you mentioned, they have no power buttons and are turned on/activated by a signal from a computer telling them to turn on. In other words, unless you can get a motherboard or card in your computer that has a Thunderbolt connection and can send the right signals to your monitor, it is not possible to use a DisplayPort connection as an input into your Thunderbolt Display.






share|improve this answer































    0














    Thunderbolt is not mac exclusive, so you can do that, if your laptop/pc has a thunderbolt port. Some people have done it.



    BUT



    You will need a windows driver for this monitor.



    This driver can be obtained from Apple's Bootcamp software package (the one Apple provides so you can run Windows on a Mac natively. This package includes Thunderbolt Display driver among other things. But you might need a mac to download it.



    Because currently, Boot camp 6 is available through "Apple Software update" windows tool only. And it won't run unless you have a real mac.






    share|improve this answer































      -1














      I tried to connect my 27" Apple 4K Thunderbolt display to my Voyager laptop and initially it didn't work.



      I ended up buying two Samsung 28" displays and because of the configuration of my ports, they had different resolutions. Following the Voyager manual, I was able to go in to BIOS and change the Thunderbolt 3 port to Display Only, so with one connected to HDMI to HDMI and the other connected with a T3 to HDMI adapter, I was able to get both to display 3840 x 2160.



      I had purchased a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter to fit the mini cable on the Apple (StarTech TBT3TBTADAP) from StarTech.com before going in to BIOS and it didn't work. Once getting the Samsungs to work through the BIOS change, I tried the Apple again, and it worked. The resolution is 2560 x 1440 and is crisp and beautiful.



      Unfortunately, I can't remember if I had downloaded something from Apple or elsewhere (I did read the StarTech directions and followed them) when I tried before and it didn't work. If you have a Thunderbolt port on your laptop or PC and you go into BIOS and change the port to Display Only, and it still doesn't work, you may need the Startech adapter and additional downloads.



      You may have to restart your computer after connecting.



      Now they all work at once, but at different resolutions - not a big deal in my situation.



      Hope this helps.






      share|improve this answer

























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        4 Answers
        4






        active

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        4 Answers
        4






        active

        oldest

        votes









        active

        oldest

        votes






        active

        oldest

        votes









        11














        If the Wikipedia article is to be believed (and I do believe it is correct based on what Thunderbolt is), then your configuration will not work.




        Compatibility



        Apple Thunderbolt Displays, like the video input on Thunderbolt iMacs,
        drop compatibility with all previous standards, including VGA, DVI,
        and DisplayPort.3 As such, they cannot be connected to computers
        lacking a Thunderbolt port, including pre-2011 Macs and the vast
        majority of PCs.




        Thunderbolt is not the same as Display Port. Therefore you can only connect thunderbolt equipped Mac's (or some PC's with thunderbolt hardware and appropriate drivers) to the Thunderbolt display.



        From the Apple Mini DisplayPort FAQ





        1. My computer has the same connector but the symbol is different, what does that mean?


        Some Apple computers have a Thunderbolt port instead of a Mini
        DisplayPort. Computers with a Thunderbolt port will have the following
        symbol next to a port although the port physically appears the same as a
        Mini DisplayPort:



        enter image description here



        Thunderbolt ports:



        Are compatible with all of the Mini DisplayPort adapters referenced
        below in question 5 and with Apple Mini DisplayPort equipped displays.
        Support adapters like Apple's Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
        and Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter which are not otherwise compatible
        with Mini DisplayPorts. See Thunderbolt ports and displays: Frequently
        asked questions (FAQ) for more information on Thunderbolt.




        So with your adaptor, you can drive a DisplayPort based monitor to your PC, but not a thunderbolt display as it lacks support for DisplayPort. That's why it didn't turn on and work.



        Some Googling and I haven't yet been able to find a USB based thunderbolt adaptor, it seems there is talk of such a device using USB 3.0 to Thunderbolt although at reduced speeds. There are a few thunderbolt PCIe cards available and some PC motherboards support thunderbolt.






        share|improve this answer


























        • USb to thunderbolt seems senseless. It would need to use USB input, create PCI-e data and display port data, and use an expensive chip to merge those into Thunderbolt.

          – Hennes
          Jul 21 '16 at 16:28











        • If there is a need to drive something thunderbolt only then there may end up being a device for it. But I think thunderbolt will die off as being apple only. It's just not gotten widespread support beyond apple.

          – Matt H
          Jul 24 '16 at 22:27











        • I disagree. It is in all (both) my desktops. And those are not Macs but regular Z170/Skylakes. And I wish my laptop had it, so I could connect external PCI-e devices, e.g. external graphics cards to 10GBit NICs. In the case of thunderbolt-3 you would not even need those since you could abuse Thunderbolt for very fast point to point networking (e.g. backups, disk imagining, ...).

          – Hennes
          Jul 25 '16 at 4:56











        • @lulianOnofrei - Thanks for the edit. That was a direct copy from the FAQ, grammar errors and all.

          – Matt H
          Jul 1 '18 at 23:42
















        11














        If the Wikipedia article is to be believed (and I do believe it is correct based on what Thunderbolt is), then your configuration will not work.




        Compatibility



        Apple Thunderbolt Displays, like the video input on Thunderbolt iMacs,
        drop compatibility with all previous standards, including VGA, DVI,
        and DisplayPort.3 As such, they cannot be connected to computers
        lacking a Thunderbolt port, including pre-2011 Macs and the vast
        majority of PCs.




        Thunderbolt is not the same as Display Port. Therefore you can only connect thunderbolt equipped Mac's (or some PC's with thunderbolt hardware and appropriate drivers) to the Thunderbolt display.



        From the Apple Mini DisplayPort FAQ





        1. My computer has the same connector but the symbol is different, what does that mean?


        Some Apple computers have a Thunderbolt port instead of a Mini
        DisplayPort. Computers with a Thunderbolt port will have the following
        symbol next to a port although the port physically appears the same as a
        Mini DisplayPort:



        enter image description here



        Thunderbolt ports:



        Are compatible with all of the Mini DisplayPort adapters referenced
        below in question 5 and with Apple Mini DisplayPort equipped displays.
        Support adapters like Apple's Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
        and Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter which are not otherwise compatible
        with Mini DisplayPorts. See Thunderbolt ports and displays: Frequently
        asked questions (FAQ) for more information on Thunderbolt.




        So with your adaptor, you can drive a DisplayPort based monitor to your PC, but not a thunderbolt display as it lacks support for DisplayPort. That's why it didn't turn on and work.



        Some Googling and I haven't yet been able to find a USB based thunderbolt adaptor, it seems there is talk of such a device using USB 3.0 to Thunderbolt although at reduced speeds. There are a few thunderbolt PCIe cards available and some PC motherboards support thunderbolt.






        share|improve this answer


























        • USb to thunderbolt seems senseless. It would need to use USB input, create PCI-e data and display port data, and use an expensive chip to merge those into Thunderbolt.

          – Hennes
          Jul 21 '16 at 16:28











        • If there is a need to drive something thunderbolt only then there may end up being a device for it. But I think thunderbolt will die off as being apple only. It's just not gotten widespread support beyond apple.

          – Matt H
          Jul 24 '16 at 22:27











        • I disagree. It is in all (both) my desktops. And those are not Macs but regular Z170/Skylakes. And I wish my laptop had it, so I could connect external PCI-e devices, e.g. external graphics cards to 10GBit NICs. In the case of thunderbolt-3 you would not even need those since you could abuse Thunderbolt for very fast point to point networking (e.g. backups, disk imagining, ...).

          – Hennes
          Jul 25 '16 at 4:56











        • @lulianOnofrei - Thanks for the edit. That was a direct copy from the FAQ, grammar errors and all.

          – Matt H
          Jul 1 '18 at 23:42














        11












        11








        11







        If the Wikipedia article is to be believed (and I do believe it is correct based on what Thunderbolt is), then your configuration will not work.




        Compatibility



        Apple Thunderbolt Displays, like the video input on Thunderbolt iMacs,
        drop compatibility with all previous standards, including VGA, DVI,
        and DisplayPort.3 As such, they cannot be connected to computers
        lacking a Thunderbolt port, including pre-2011 Macs and the vast
        majority of PCs.




        Thunderbolt is not the same as Display Port. Therefore you can only connect thunderbolt equipped Mac's (or some PC's with thunderbolt hardware and appropriate drivers) to the Thunderbolt display.



        From the Apple Mini DisplayPort FAQ





        1. My computer has the same connector but the symbol is different, what does that mean?


        Some Apple computers have a Thunderbolt port instead of a Mini
        DisplayPort. Computers with a Thunderbolt port will have the following
        symbol next to a port although the port physically appears the same as a
        Mini DisplayPort:



        enter image description here



        Thunderbolt ports:



        Are compatible with all of the Mini DisplayPort adapters referenced
        below in question 5 and with Apple Mini DisplayPort equipped displays.
        Support adapters like Apple's Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
        and Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter which are not otherwise compatible
        with Mini DisplayPorts. See Thunderbolt ports and displays: Frequently
        asked questions (FAQ) for more information on Thunderbolt.




        So with your adaptor, you can drive a DisplayPort based monitor to your PC, but not a thunderbolt display as it lacks support for DisplayPort. That's why it didn't turn on and work.



        Some Googling and I haven't yet been able to find a USB based thunderbolt adaptor, it seems there is talk of such a device using USB 3.0 to Thunderbolt although at reduced speeds. There are a few thunderbolt PCIe cards available and some PC motherboards support thunderbolt.






        share|improve this answer















        If the Wikipedia article is to be believed (and I do believe it is correct based on what Thunderbolt is), then your configuration will not work.




        Compatibility



        Apple Thunderbolt Displays, like the video input on Thunderbolt iMacs,
        drop compatibility with all previous standards, including VGA, DVI,
        and DisplayPort.3 As such, they cannot be connected to computers
        lacking a Thunderbolt port, including pre-2011 Macs and the vast
        majority of PCs.




        Thunderbolt is not the same as Display Port. Therefore you can only connect thunderbolt equipped Mac's (or some PC's with thunderbolt hardware and appropriate drivers) to the Thunderbolt display.



        From the Apple Mini DisplayPort FAQ





        1. My computer has the same connector but the symbol is different, what does that mean?


        Some Apple computers have a Thunderbolt port instead of a Mini
        DisplayPort. Computers with a Thunderbolt port will have the following
        symbol next to a port although the port physically appears the same as a
        Mini DisplayPort:



        enter image description here



        Thunderbolt ports:



        Are compatible with all of the Mini DisplayPort adapters referenced
        below in question 5 and with Apple Mini DisplayPort equipped displays.
        Support adapters like Apple's Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
        and Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter which are not otherwise compatible
        with Mini DisplayPorts. See Thunderbolt ports and displays: Frequently
        asked questions (FAQ) for more information on Thunderbolt.




        So with your adaptor, you can drive a DisplayPort based monitor to your PC, but not a thunderbolt display as it lacks support for DisplayPort. That's why it didn't turn on and work.



        Some Googling and I haven't yet been able to find a USB based thunderbolt adaptor, it seems there is talk of such a device using USB 3.0 to Thunderbolt although at reduced speeds. There are a few thunderbolt PCIe cards available and some PC motherboards support thunderbolt.







        share|improve this answer














        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited Jul 1 '18 at 12:45









        Iulian Onofrei

        207417




        207417










        answered May 1 '13 at 22:09









        Matt HMatt H

        3,42822544




        3,42822544













        • USb to thunderbolt seems senseless. It would need to use USB input, create PCI-e data and display port data, and use an expensive chip to merge those into Thunderbolt.

          – Hennes
          Jul 21 '16 at 16:28











        • If there is a need to drive something thunderbolt only then there may end up being a device for it. But I think thunderbolt will die off as being apple only. It's just not gotten widespread support beyond apple.

          – Matt H
          Jul 24 '16 at 22:27











        • I disagree. It is in all (both) my desktops. And those are not Macs but regular Z170/Skylakes. And I wish my laptop had it, so I could connect external PCI-e devices, e.g. external graphics cards to 10GBit NICs. In the case of thunderbolt-3 you would not even need those since you could abuse Thunderbolt for very fast point to point networking (e.g. backups, disk imagining, ...).

          – Hennes
          Jul 25 '16 at 4:56











        • @lulianOnofrei - Thanks for the edit. That was a direct copy from the FAQ, grammar errors and all.

          – Matt H
          Jul 1 '18 at 23:42



















        • USb to thunderbolt seems senseless. It would need to use USB input, create PCI-e data and display port data, and use an expensive chip to merge those into Thunderbolt.

          – Hennes
          Jul 21 '16 at 16:28











        • If there is a need to drive something thunderbolt only then there may end up being a device for it. But I think thunderbolt will die off as being apple only. It's just not gotten widespread support beyond apple.

          – Matt H
          Jul 24 '16 at 22:27











        • I disagree. It is in all (both) my desktops. And those are not Macs but regular Z170/Skylakes. And I wish my laptop had it, so I could connect external PCI-e devices, e.g. external graphics cards to 10GBit NICs. In the case of thunderbolt-3 you would not even need those since you could abuse Thunderbolt for very fast point to point networking (e.g. backups, disk imagining, ...).

          – Hennes
          Jul 25 '16 at 4:56











        • @lulianOnofrei - Thanks for the edit. That was a direct copy from the FAQ, grammar errors and all.

          – Matt H
          Jul 1 '18 at 23:42

















        USb to thunderbolt seems senseless. It would need to use USB input, create PCI-e data and display port data, and use an expensive chip to merge those into Thunderbolt.

        – Hennes
        Jul 21 '16 at 16:28





        USb to thunderbolt seems senseless. It would need to use USB input, create PCI-e data and display port data, and use an expensive chip to merge those into Thunderbolt.

        – Hennes
        Jul 21 '16 at 16:28













        If there is a need to drive something thunderbolt only then there may end up being a device for it. But I think thunderbolt will die off as being apple only. It's just not gotten widespread support beyond apple.

        – Matt H
        Jul 24 '16 at 22:27





        If there is a need to drive something thunderbolt only then there may end up being a device for it. But I think thunderbolt will die off as being apple only. It's just not gotten widespread support beyond apple.

        – Matt H
        Jul 24 '16 at 22:27













        I disagree. It is in all (both) my desktops. And those are not Macs but regular Z170/Skylakes. And I wish my laptop had it, so I could connect external PCI-e devices, e.g. external graphics cards to 10GBit NICs. In the case of thunderbolt-3 you would not even need those since you could abuse Thunderbolt for very fast point to point networking (e.g. backups, disk imagining, ...).

        – Hennes
        Jul 25 '16 at 4:56





        I disagree. It is in all (both) my desktops. And those are not Macs but regular Z170/Skylakes. And I wish my laptop had it, so I could connect external PCI-e devices, e.g. external graphics cards to 10GBit NICs. In the case of thunderbolt-3 you would not even need those since you could abuse Thunderbolt for very fast point to point networking (e.g. backups, disk imagining, ...).

        – Hennes
        Jul 25 '16 at 4:56













        @lulianOnofrei - Thanks for the edit. That was a direct copy from the FAQ, grammar errors and all.

        – Matt H
        Jul 1 '18 at 23:42





        @lulianOnofrei - Thanks for the edit. That was a direct copy from the FAQ, grammar errors and all.

        – Matt H
        Jul 1 '18 at 23:42













        5














        Because the Thunderbolt connection is designed not just as a display connection and also a data connection it is not possible to use only a display port connection to connect to a Thunderbolt display. Also, if I can recall, the DisplayPort connection that is built into the Thunderbolt display is designed as a output for daisy-chaining a display port monitor to your computer, and NOT as an input.



        The reason why Thunderbolt displays require a Thunderbolt connection is because, as you mentioned, they have no power buttons and are turned on/activated by a signal from a computer telling them to turn on. In other words, unless you can get a motherboard or card in your computer that has a Thunderbolt connection and can send the right signals to your monitor, it is not possible to use a DisplayPort connection as an input into your Thunderbolt Display.






        share|improve this answer




























          5














          Because the Thunderbolt connection is designed not just as a display connection and also a data connection it is not possible to use only a display port connection to connect to a Thunderbolt display. Also, if I can recall, the DisplayPort connection that is built into the Thunderbolt display is designed as a output for daisy-chaining a display port monitor to your computer, and NOT as an input.



          The reason why Thunderbolt displays require a Thunderbolt connection is because, as you mentioned, they have no power buttons and are turned on/activated by a signal from a computer telling them to turn on. In other words, unless you can get a motherboard or card in your computer that has a Thunderbolt connection and can send the right signals to your monitor, it is not possible to use a DisplayPort connection as an input into your Thunderbolt Display.






          share|improve this answer


























            5












            5








            5







            Because the Thunderbolt connection is designed not just as a display connection and also a data connection it is not possible to use only a display port connection to connect to a Thunderbolt display. Also, if I can recall, the DisplayPort connection that is built into the Thunderbolt display is designed as a output for daisy-chaining a display port monitor to your computer, and NOT as an input.



            The reason why Thunderbolt displays require a Thunderbolt connection is because, as you mentioned, they have no power buttons and are turned on/activated by a signal from a computer telling them to turn on. In other words, unless you can get a motherboard or card in your computer that has a Thunderbolt connection and can send the right signals to your monitor, it is not possible to use a DisplayPort connection as an input into your Thunderbolt Display.






            share|improve this answer













            Because the Thunderbolt connection is designed not just as a display connection and also a data connection it is not possible to use only a display port connection to connect to a Thunderbolt display. Also, if I can recall, the DisplayPort connection that is built into the Thunderbolt display is designed as a output for daisy-chaining a display port monitor to your computer, and NOT as an input.



            The reason why Thunderbolt displays require a Thunderbolt connection is because, as you mentioned, they have no power buttons and are turned on/activated by a signal from a computer telling them to turn on. In other words, unless you can get a motherboard or card in your computer that has a Thunderbolt connection and can send the right signals to your monitor, it is not possible to use a DisplayPort connection as an input into your Thunderbolt Display.







            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered May 1 '13 at 21:14









            Ben FranchukBen Franchuk

            1,03971534




            1,03971534























                0














                Thunderbolt is not mac exclusive, so you can do that, if your laptop/pc has a thunderbolt port. Some people have done it.



                BUT



                You will need a windows driver for this monitor.



                This driver can be obtained from Apple's Bootcamp software package (the one Apple provides so you can run Windows on a Mac natively. This package includes Thunderbolt Display driver among other things. But you might need a mac to download it.



                Because currently, Boot camp 6 is available through "Apple Software update" windows tool only. And it won't run unless you have a real mac.






                share|improve this answer




























                  0














                  Thunderbolt is not mac exclusive, so you can do that, if your laptop/pc has a thunderbolt port. Some people have done it.



                  BUT



                  You will need a windows driver for this monitor.



                  This driver can be obtained from Apple's Bootcamp software package (the one Apple provides so you can run Windows on a Mac natively. This package includes Thunderbolt Display driver among other things. But you might need a mac to download it.



                  Because currently, Boot camp 6 is available through "Apple Software update" windows tool only. And it won't run unless you have a real mac.






                  share|improve this answer


























                    0












                    0








                    0







                    Thunderbolt is not mac exclusive, so you can do that, if your laptop/pc has a thunderbolt port. Some people have done it.



                    BUT



                    You will need a windows driver for this monitor.



                    This driver can be obtained from Apple's Bootcamp software package (the one Apple provides so you can run Windows on a Mac natively. This package includes Thunderbolt Display driver among other things. But you might need a mac to download it.



                    Because currently, Boot camp 6 is available through "Apple Software update" windows tool only. And it won't run unless you have a real mac.






                    share|improve this answer













                    Thunderbolt is not mac exclusive, so you can do that, if your laptop/pc has a thunderbolt port. Some people have done it.



                    BUT



                    You will need a windows driver for this monitor.



                    This driver can be obtained from Apple's Bootcamp software package (the one Apple provides so you can run Windows on a Mac natively. This package includes Thunderbolt Display driver among other things. But you might need a mac to download it.



                    Because currently, Boot camp 6 is available through "Apple Software update" windows tool only. And it won't run unless you have a real mac.







                    share|improve this answer












                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer










                    answered Oct 30 '16 at 20:27









                    jazzcatjazzcat

                    24826




                    24826























                        -1














                        I tried to connect my 27" Apple 4K Thunderbolt display to my Voyager laptop and initially it didn't work.



                        I ended up buying two Samsung 28" displays and because of the configuration of my ports, they had different resolutions. Following the Voyager manual, I was able to go in to BIOS and change the Thunderbolt 3 port to Display Only, so with one connected to HDMI to HDMI and the other connected with a T3 to HDMI adapter, I was able to get both to display 3840 x 2160.



                        I had purchased a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter to fit the mini cable on the Apple (StarTech TBT3TBTADAP) from StarTech.com before going in to BIOS and it didn't work. Once getting the Samsungs to work through the BIOS change, I tried the Apple again, and it worked. The resolution is 2560 x 1440 and is crisp and beautiful.



                        Unfortunately, I can't remember if I had downloaded something from Apple or elsewhere (I did read the StarTech directions and followed them) when I tried before and it didn't work. If you have a Thunderbolt port on your laptop or PC and you go into BIOS and change the port to Display Only, and it still doesn't work, you may need the Startech adapter and additional downloads.



                        You may have to restart your computer after connecting.



                        Now they all work at once, but at different resolutions - not a big deal in my situation.



                        Hope this helps.






                        share|improve this answer






























                          -1














                          I tried to connect my 27" Apple 4K Thunderbolt display to my Voyager laptop and initially it didn't work.



                          I ended up buying two Samsung 28" displays and because of the configuration of my ports, they had different resolutions. Following the Voyager manual, I was able to go in to BIOS and change the Thunderbolt 3 port to Display Only, so with one connected to HDMI to HDMI and the other connected with a T3 to HDMI adapter, I was able to get both to display 3840 x 2160.



                          I had purchased a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter to fit the mini cable on the Apple (StarTech TBT3TBTADAP) from StarTech.com before going in to BIOS and it didn't work. Once getting the Samsungs to work through the BIOS change, I tried the Apple again, and it worked. The resolution is 2560 x 1440 and is crisp and beautiful.



                          Unfortunately, I can't remember if I had downloaded something from Apple or elsewhere (I did read the StarTech directions and followed them) when I tried before and it didn't work. If you have a Thunderbolt port on your laptop or PC and you go into BIOS and change the port to Display Only, and it still doesn't work, you may need the Startech adapter and additional downloads.



                          You may have to restart your computer after connecting.



                          Now they all work at once, but at different resolutions - not a big deal in my situation.



                          Hope this helps.






                          share|improve this answer




























                            -1












                            -1








                            -1







                            I tried to connect my 27" Apple 4K Thunderbolt display to my Voyager laptop and initially it didn't work.



                            I ended up buying two Samsung 28" displays and because of the configuration of my ports, they had different resolutions. Following the Voyager manual, I was able to go in to BIOS and change the Thunderbolt 3 port to Display Only, so with one connected to HDMI to HDMI and the other connected with a T3 to HDMI adapter, I was able to get both to display 3840 x 2160.



                            I had purchased a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter to fit the mini cable on the Apple (StarTech TBT3TBTADAP) from StarTech.com before going in to BIOS and it didn't work. Once getting the Samsungs to work through the BIOS change, I tried the Apple again, and it worked. The resolution is 2560 x 1440 and is crisp and beautiful.



                            Unfortunately, I can't remember if I had downloaded something from Apple or elsewhere (I did read the StarTech directions and followed them) when I tried before and it didn't work. If you have a Thunderbolt port on your laptop or PC and you go into BIOS and change the port to Display Only, and it still doesn't work, you may need the Startech adapter and additional downloads.



                            You may have to restart your computer after connecting.



                            Now they all work at once, but at different resolutions - not a big deal in my situation.



                            Hope this helps.






                            share|improve this answer















                            I tried to connect my 27" Apple 4K Thunderbolt display to my Voyager laptop and initially it didn't work.



                            I ended up buying two Samsung 28" displays and because of the configuration of my ports, they had different resolutions. Following the Voyager manual, I was able to go in to BIOS and change the Thunderbolt 3 port to Display Only, so with one connected to HDMI to HDMI and the other connected with a T3 to HDMI adapter, I was able to get both to display 3840 x 2160.



                            I had purchased a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter to fit the mini cable on the Apple (StarTech TBT3TBTADAP) from StarTech.com before going in to BIOS and it didn't work. Once getting the Samsungs to work through the BIOS change, I tried the Apple again, and it worked. The resolution is 2560 x 1440 and is crisp and beautiful.



                            Unfortunately, I can't remember if I had downloaded something from Apple or elsewhere (I did read the StarTech directions and followed them) when I tried before and it didn't work. If you have a Thunderbolt port on your laptop or PC and you go into BIOS and change the port to Display Only, and it still doesn't work, you may need the Startech adapter and additional downloads.



                            You may have to restart your computer after connecting.



                            Now they all work at once, but at different resolutions - not a big deal in my situation.



                            Hope this helps.







                            share|improve this answer














                            share|improve this answer



                            share|improve this answer








                            edited Feb 1 '17 at 5:04

























                            answered Feb 1 '17 at 4:56









                            MaureenMaureen

                            11




                            11






























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