You may have a new Mac Miniand when choosing your screen, you have seen some with many Hz or high resolution, however, when it comes to connecting it, you find that you are not able to take advantage of all the quality of the monitor that you have bought.
And, depending on the model and its ports, we will have many alternatives, from HDMI and USB-C to DisplayPortso today we are going to see the differences between these image transmission methods, so that you can choose the best one.
Which image connector to use?
First of all, we are going to see the difference between the different ports, so that you can know what the maximum quality and Hz available from your different connectors is, since that could be the main reason why you do not receive a certain signal. They usually come at the bottom of each one, otherwise, you must read the manual of the monitor and/or equipment.
HDMI
- HDMI 1.4: Until 144Hz at 1080p, but limited to 30Hz in 4K.
- HDMI 2.0: Until 144Hz at 1440p or 60Hz in 4K.
- HDMI 2.1: Supports up to 120Hz in 4K and 60Hz in 8Kideal for gaming or high-quality videos on compatible screens.
USB-C (Thunderbolt)
USB-C alone does not define the refresh rate; It depends on the video standard you support:
- With DisplayPort 1.4 via USB-C: Up 240Hz at 1440p either 120Hz in 4K.
- With DisplayPort 2.0 (on USB4/Thunderbolt 4): Up to 144Hz in 4K or even more at lower resolution settings.
DisplayPort
- DisplayPort 1.4: Supports up to 240Hz at 1440p, 120Hz in 4K and 60Hz in 8K.
- DisplayPort 2.0: Until 240Hz in 4K and even higher frequencies at lower resolutions.
This means that if you are looking for the best possible quality, that is, your 240 Hz and 4K monitor can use those values, you should go for a DisplayPort, otherwise, you will not get that image.
To this we must add the importance of your equipment, since a Mac Mini M4 will not be the same as an M2, since each model supports, in turn, a maximum, although if you connect it with the best possible, it will always use everything what it has, so you wouldn’t even need to check it, as long as the monitor is always connected to its best outlet, which is what we are looking for.
In summary:
- Higher Hz on modern monitors: DisplayPort 1.4 or 2.0.
- Decent frequency and practical connection: USB-C with DisplayPort Alt Mode.
- Less Hz, but more universal: HDMI.
In case of connecting a MacBook with battery, for example, Using USB-C may be the best option because it will charge at the same timesomething very practical, although it has nothing to do with image quality, but it can be a point that makes a difference.
And you, are you one of those who connected your Mac to any port on your monitor, or did you know that there are clear differences between them, even within the different connectors, depending on their version? Leave us a comment with your opinion or experiences about it.
