These are the supported resolutions that the LG Ultrafine 5K monitor can work with on older Macs
No es oro todo lo que reluce, los monitores LG UltraFine 4K soportan sólo USB 2.0 a través de sus puertos USB-C
Yesterday we finally saw the launch of the LG UltraFine 5K in the official Apple store, accompanied by the good news of the extension of its discount until March 31st. This monitor is the heir to the now-defunct Thunderbolt Display, and as such it is nominated as the best external display option for the MacBook Pro with its 5K resolution of 5120 x 2880 pixels.
And now that units from this screen reach the homes of the first customers beyond the assignments for the media analysis, it’s time to uncover some hidden details. For example, the LG UltraFine 5K can connect to older Macs using lower resolutions .
That is, the display is used at native resolution of 5120 x 2880 pixels on the new MacBook Pro, but if you connect them using an adapter they can be used on older Macs even if that means not taking full advantage of their retinal resolution. If we buy the adapter from Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 we can use the LG UltraFine 5K with these Macs:
Resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels at 60Hz
- Mac Pro (end 2013)
- MacBook Pro with 15-inch retinal display (mid-2014) and later
- MacBook Pro with 13-inch Retina Display (early 2014) and later
- iMac with 27-inch Retina Display (late 2014) and later
- iMac with 21.5-inch retinal display (late 2015)
- iMac with 21.5-inch display, late 2015
- 13-inch MacBook Air (early 2015)
- 11-inch MacBook Air (early 2015)
Resolution of 3200 x 1800 pixels at 60Hz:
- Mac mini (late 2014)
A word of caution: For Mac mini and Mac Pro, the functions that appear during MacOS startup may not be shown . Choice of boot partition, recovery mode… would be hidden using the LG UltraFine 5K as the main monitor, which would only turn on once macOS had been started. This is solved by relegating it to a secondary monitor.
In addition, Apple also states that we can use the LG UltraFine 5K with the Thunderbolt 2 adapter and the new MacBook Pro getting also the native resolution of 5120 x 2880 pixels, although the normal is to do it directly with the Thunderbolt 3 cable.
Caution: According to the developer Xavier Ramirez, the Apple adapter to Thunderbolt 2 does not support DisplayPort connections . So if your intention is to connect a monitor you already have using that port, it is best to opt for HDMI or a third party adapter. There is the disadvantage that you cannot daisy-chain other accessories using that port, but at least the display will work.
However, the UltraFine 5K’s backwards compatibility may make it easier for those looking for a monitor and having one of those Macs: you can buy one and make sure that when it’s your turn to change your computer you get the most out of that 5120 x 2880 pixel. Or you can choose from other brands, which are always available.
At Apple
