How to connect an Apple Thunderbolt display to a PC

displayporthdmithunderbolt

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.

Best 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.

Related Question