I have a 2011, 15″ MacBook Pro (running 10.6.8) with the defunct, AMD(?) graphics chip. I’m trying to connect to a 23″ Apple Cinema Display using a brand-new Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter (LogiLink CV0037), but it doesn’t work. I am aware that my laptop has a Thunderbolt port, not a Mini DisplayPort. However, everything I’ve read seems to indicate that a Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter should work perfectly fine for what I’m trying to do, given Thunderbolt’s ‘backward compatibility’.
The most likely culprit in my mind is that I’ve permanently disabled the faulty graphics chip by following these video instructions, which might be interacting with how my machine connects with the display. Is this likely correct? Is the AMD(?) chip required to run external displays? Are there any other obvious possibilities?
Also, it’s worth noting: Both the display and adapter do in fact work. I plugged the display into an older 17″ MBP with a mini-DisplayPort with no problems. Also when I pull the adapter out of either the 15″ or 17″, the laptop screen goes blue for a few seconds, suggesting that the 15″ MacBook Pro is also detecting something, just not integrating the display connection fully(?).