Right, that is great news Neil, glad you got it sorted and strange that just a cable made the difference. But a good lesson for us all to be aware of.
Regards Pete > On 26 Mar 2022, at 1:38 pm, Stephen Chape <chap...@bigpond.com> wrote: > > Great outcome Neil. > Good old fashioned persistence eh ! > >> On 26 Mar 2022, at 1:02 pm, Neil Houghton <n...@possumology.com> wrote: >> >> Hi Peter, >> >> No, only newer machine is a Macbook Air which, aside from being with Georgie >> in Perth at the moment, only has USB3 ports. So no other way to test the >> same monitor/lead setup. >> >> But, I’m pretty sure it shouldn’t be the older OSX since the machine, as >> bought, supposedly supported video output up to 2560x1600 through the mini >> display port and it came with SL 10.6! >> >> >> However, since Officeworks is a 15 minute walk, and since I value my ever >> diminishing time on this earth, I may pass on saving a few dollars waiting >> for Amazon and just buy the lead and see if it works! >> >> Sometime later …… Well, that DID work!! >> >> Both iMac and external monitor are now set at 2560x1440 and, interestingly, >> the monitor display also seems much crisper and cleaner with the new cable. >> >> Also, a quick systems report now shows that the iMac recognises the display >> as: >> LEN D32qc-20: >> Resolution: 2560 x 1440 @ 60 Hz >> Pixel Depth: 32-Bit Color (ARGB8888) >> Mirror: Off >> Online: Yes >> Rotation: Supported >> Connection Type: DisplayPort >> Television: Yes >> >> So, now I’m a happy camper and, even though the monitor only has the same >> resolution as the iMac screen, the larger physical size means I don’t need >> the same zoom level on Excel spreadsheets and so see more of each worksheet. >> >> The lesson learned is: >> If you want to drive an external monitor from an older Mac with a mini >> display port output you will get MUCH better results with a mini display >> port to display port cable than with a mini display port to HDMI cable. >> >> >> >> Cheers >> >> >> >> >> Neil >> >> From: <wamug.org.au-wamug-boun...@lists.wamug.org.au> on behalf of Peter >> Crisp <petercr...@westnet.com.au> >> Reply-To: WAMUG <wamug@wamug.org.au> >> Date: Friday, 25 March 2022 at 14:26 >> To: WAMUG <wamug@wamug.org.au> >> Subject: Re: [WAMUG] Cannot get external monitor to display full resolution >> >> Hi Neil, I read this with interest as I too have found the adaption of >> external monitors with Mac’s a bit hit and miss. >> >> As a test, do you have on hand a late model Mac/Macbook you could see if the >> later OSX is smarter in this sense and how it recognises the external >> monitor when you plug it in using the leads you currently have and get the >> quick systems report for the connected monitor. Your 2009 Mac is certainly >> high spec but by being 2009, it is held back to older OSX versions and >> perhaps this may be the issue. You may have to get yourself a late model >> iMac but I wouldn’t resort to that yet. >> >> Pete. >> >> >>> On 25 Mar 2022, at 1:48 pm, Neil Houghton <n...@possumology.com> wrote: >>> >>> OK, here is the iMac setup: >>> >>> Late 2009 27” iMac – top configuration, 2.8 GHz core i7, Graphics ATI >>> Radeon HD 4850 512 MB >>> iMac has been reconfigured with 250 GB SSD, 3TB internal drive and >>> currently 20GB RAM >>> Currently running El Capitan OSX 10.11.6 >>> >>> With the SSD and RAM upgrade this is still pretty snappy and I am >>> frequently running multiple Excel spreadsheets and/or multiple browser >>> windows with many tabs in each – which took me to a second monitor. >>> >>> For a while I had a 27” full HD 1920x1080 monitor running, which all worked >>> fine but I found the discontinuity of tracking from the 2560x1440 iMac >>> screen to the 1920x1080 monitor screen sufficiently annoying that I ended >>> up reducing the iMac resolution to 1920x1080 to match the monitor – which I >>> found much more useable. >>> >>> However it seemed a shame to have to resort to downgrading the iMac >>> resolution – so, given that the iMac can support video output up to >>> 2560x1600 - I decided to upgrade the monitor! >>> >>> I found a good deal on a 31.5” monitor with 2560x1440 resolution – the same >>> as the iMac native resolution this was the product (though it was only $355 >>> when I bought it) >>> https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B08J3S6BT4 >>> >>> I was pretty happy when after promising delivery by March 30 to April 11 >>> they actually delivered it yesterday – 2 days after I ordered it! >>> >>> So all setup and ready to go – and it is all working fine EXCEPT, despite >>> the monitor having 2560x1440 resolution, the maximum resolution offered in >>> the OSX display preferences is 1080i, ie 1920x1080 and a quick systems >>> report shows that the iMac recognises the display as: >>> LEN D32qc-20: >>> Resolution: 1920 x 1080 @ 60Hz (1080i) >>> Pixel Depth: 32-Bit Color (ARGB8888) >>> Mirror: Off >>> Online: Yes >>> Rotation: Supported >>> Interlaced: Yes >>> Television: Yes >>> >>> In my setup the monitor connection is by a direct mini display port to hdmi >>> cable (no adaptors) as this was readily available when I bought my previous >>> monitor. >>> >>> I have googled this and find that this is not an uncommon problem and not >>> specific to any particular monitor but seems to be a problem with the Mac >>> recognising the availability of the higher resolution of an attached >>> monitor. People seem to have mixed success in resolving this problem but >>> some seem to have more luck with Display port connections, rather than >>> hdmi, recognising higher resolutions and this monitor does have a display >>> port input as well as hdmi. >>> >>> So, I guess, the question is – does anyone have any experience of driving >>> higher resolution monitors from older imacs? Is buying a new cable such as >>> this: >>> https://www.amazon.com.au/Rankie-DisplayPort-Cable-Resolution-Ready/dp/B00YOQYQWY >>> or this: >>> https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/comsol-displayport-to-mini-displayport-4k-cable-2m-comdpdp020 >>> >>> likely to solve my problem? >>> >>> Any feedback gratefully received! >>> >>> Cheers >>> >>> >>> Neil >>> >>> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- >>> Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> >>> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> >>> Settings & Unsubscribe - >>> <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug> >> >> >> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- Archives - Guidelines - >> Settings & Unsubscribe - >> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- >> Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> >> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> >> Settings & Unsubscribe - >> <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug> > > > Regards > Stephen Chape > > Mac by choice > Windows because my employer knew no better > > > > > > -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- > Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> > Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> > Settings & Unsubscribe - > <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug>
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