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I'm about to buy a mac mini. I want to use a KVM to switch between the mini and my PC.

Mac Mini appears to only have an HDMI input on the back. It says it comes with a DVI to HDMI converter. However, when going through the purchase process they give you the option to buy a mini dv to DVI adapter.

That's where I get lost.

I have a 24" Samsung which uses DVI - so what exactly would I need?

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The Mac Mini Tech Specs page says (as you mentioned) that the video outputs supported include:

  • Thunderbolt port with support for up to 2560-by-1600 resolution
  • HDMI port with support for up to 1920-by-1200 resolution
  • DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (included)
  • Support for dual display and video mirroring

The DVI adapter included with the Mac Mini would work fine. There's no need to buy any additional adapters. Just make sure to get a KVM that supports DVI and supports the maximum resolution of your monitor, and you'll be fine.

The Mini DisplayPort to DVI adaptor listed in the optional add-ons would only be necessary if you wanted to connect two DVI monitors. The HDMI to DVI adapter included for free works fine, so unless you're planning to use two displays, you don't need a DisplayPort to DVI adapter.

HDMI and DVI are 100% compatible, so an HDMI to DVI adapter will work better anyways. DisplayPort and DVI are different electronically. Adapters therefore have a higher chance of being slightly finicky.

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  • Got my Mac Mini the other day. KVM worked like a charm. However, i'm noticing that the font/text on my display is a bit blurry when using my Mac mini. It's not the KVM as the blurriness is there when plugge din directly. Is there any sort of font smoothing that I'm missing?
    – Jack Marchetti
    Commented Sep 3, 2011 at 3:32
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What you need is the Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, it s $29.00 to add when you purchase your Mac

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  • And then just make sure I get a KVM that has a DVI input basically?
    – Jack Marchetti
    Commented Aug 27, 2011 at 5:36
  • Can you provide some reference that the Mac Mini uses a mini displayport and that there isn't a better option? If it has DVI or HDMI built in, that would be a better choice.
    – nhinkle
    Commented Aug 27, 2011 at 5:37
  • Yep, keep all the connectors/ports the same and you'll have no problems
    – MaQleod
    Commented Aug 27, 2011 at 5:41
  • The mac mini says it comes with a HDMI to DVI converter, but is that Mini display port? I dont even know what a mini display port is.
    – Jack Marchetti
    Commented Aug 27, 2011 at 5:42
  • @nhinkle, The thunderbolt port is backwards compatible, but I'll see if I can track down some specs that back it up.
    – MaQleod
    Commented Aug 27, 2011 at 5:44
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Also double check that the KVM supports the video resolutions that you wish to use. Some KVMs dont support really high resolutions, or resolutions that have non-typical aspect ratios.

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