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I would like to get a 27 inch 4k display to hook up to my early 2014 macbook air. My Early 2014 Macbook air only has a thunderbolt 1 connection and I an aware it is not possible to get 4k quality through my thunderbolt 1 connector.

Could I still use the display, using a thunderbolt 1 to thunderbolt 3 adaptor, and get a decent quality, perhaps 2k, on it without anything looking distorted?

Troy
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Thunderbolt 1 is not "forward compatible" with Thunderbolt 3; Thunderbolt 3 is backward compatible with Thunderbolt 1. So, you cannot go TB1 >> TB3

That said, TB (1, 2, or 3) is a "multiplexing" of different signals - PCIe, DisplayPort, power, and USB(TB3). What you need to do is connect the "video" signal from the Thunderbolt Port to your monitor.

So, what you need is a mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable to connect to your 27" monitor. Your monitor should be able to adjust to the lower resolution while maintaining quality.

Allan
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  • Thank you for your answer that makes a lot more sense. So the monitor I get will have to have a DisplayPort cable input because if the monitor only had a USB-C input it wouldn't be compatible? – Troy Jun 01 '17 at 02:38
  • Chances are it will have it. You can go DP to HDMI, but I am not a fan of converting signals. If you must go DP to HDMI, get an active adapter. See this answer for more details. – Allan Jun 01 '17 at 11:34