Blackmagic Forum

Hi all My old Mac Pro has a USB3 PCI adapter. Will the UltraStudio Mini Monitor with thunderbolt work through that?

Thanks

No, this won't work. USB and Thunderbolt are different protocols. Also, the UltraStudio Mini Monitor has a Thunderbolt 2 connector which is a different physical connector than USB 3.0, so it wouldn't even physically fit in the port.

Thank you so much! I suspected it was too good to be true!

Dave Del Vecchio wrote:No, this won't work. USB and Thunderbolt are different protocols. Also, the UltraStudio Mini Monitor has a Thunderbolt 2 connector which is a different physical connector than USB 3.0, so it wouldn't even physically fit in the port.

Depending on the age/year version of your MAC, it will have a different Thunderbolt version, you can check on the Apple website for this, or you don't have any Thunderbolt connection at all on the MAC ?
through the years this changed from DisplayPort > Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3/ USB-C
DisplayPort and Thunderbolt 2 looked the same on the MAC but where not...
USB3 is even much slower than Thunderbolt 2, putting a PCI card into the MAC would be an option, if a HDMI switch/splitter is no option.

Eric-Jan wrote:or you don't have any Thunderbolt connection at all on the MAC ?

Thank you but, no I have an old Mac Pro, as I said in the first listing.

adding a PCI card would be your only option to add an extra monitor, or a new MAC with faster connection options, since you really have an old MAC.... which is very limiting these days, to have good use,with what is possible for any modern workflow.

time for a 2ndhand update ? or refurbished MAC ? any new MAC nowadays is not worth it's money