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Using Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports to Build Out a System
Related: 2017 iMac 5K, 4K and 5K display, computer display, display connectivity, DisplayPort, iMac, iMac 5K, iMac Pro, Mac Pro, NEC, NEC PA302W, NEC professional displays, Other World Computing, OWC Thunderbay, OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock, SSD, Thunderbolt, Thunderbolt 3, weather events
Thunderbolt 3 has twice the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 2—terrific. But it cannot connect to most displays without an adapter of some kind; see Options for Connecting a Display with Mini DisplayPort or DisplayPort input to a Mac with Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C.
There is also the issue of using existing Thunderbolt 2 devices, such as (in my case) five Thunderbolt 2 OWC Thunderbay 4 units containing hard drives. There is no point to upgrading them for performance; the speed won’t change since hard drives don’t come close to maxing-out Thunderbolt 2.
Display connectivity is a particular thorn, because it terminates the Thunderbolt chain. The OWC Envoy Pro EX Thunderbolt 3 SSD is another such case (terminates the chain, as any bus-powered Thunderbolt peripheral must).
In other words, I have two devices that will terminate the Thunderbolt chain, and only 2 ports on the 2017 iMac 5K. This is one strong point in favor of the iMac Pro, which has 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports on two Thunderbolt 3 busses.
How am I going to manage this with the 2017 iMac 5K? Here’s how.
Thunderbolt 3 Port #1
Connect to OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock, which has its own Mini DisplayPort port; this allows my NEC PA302W wide gamut display to operate.
Pug my main storage, a Thunderbolt 3 version of the OWC Thunderbay 4, into the Dock. It in turn has a Thunderbolt 3 port into which I can plug an Apple Thunderbolt 3 Male to Thunderbolt 2 Female Adapter, then hang my existing Thunderbolt 2 OWC Thunderbay 4 units off that.
Thunderbolt 3 Port #2
This port could serve the OWC Envoy Pro EX Thunderbolt 3 SSD or any other Thunderbolt 3 peripheral with that SSD at the end of the chain.
All of this feels quite limiting, which is why the iMac Pro with its four Thunderbolt 3 ports on two Thunderbolt 3 busses is appealing.
Below, the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock has a mini DisplayPort for connecting an external display.
Configuring my 2017 iMac 5K
See Switched to 2017 iMac 5K as Primary Machine: Details on Gear I’m Using.
Below, the storage for home and travel:
The iMac 5K along with the NEC PA302W and the Apple Thunderbolt 3 Male to Thunderbolt 2 Female Adapter.
