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I have one of the new Macbooks on the way and have also bought the Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter with HDMI to go with it.

If I want to get VGA with this adaptor, rather than buying the same adaptor but with VGA, I want to use an HDMI to VGA adaptor such as this one.

This adaptor has a USB power in if the HDMI out does not have sufficient power output. Will the Macbook adaptor's HDMI port have sufficient power to make this unnecessary or will I also have to use the adaptor's USB port when using VGA?

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I just tested the proposed setup: It does not work the VGA monitor stays black. I have the Macbook 12Inch 8,2 early 2015 and the Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter with HDMI. Naively I bought an HDMI--VGA converter (ICYBOX HDMItoVGADOngle) and connected it to the HDMI -- no success.

Apple wants me to buy a second 90EUR adapter when I want to make a beamer presentation with this mobile notebook.

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You won't know until you actually get it and test it.

HDMI specs say you should get 5v at 50mA. That's not much to start with.

You can read about this more from here. You could get more power but it would have to have MHL (mobile high definition link) support. That will be able to give you up to 40 watts.

Now, I looked on the Apple site and it appears that the Adapter you selected isn't very highly rated. I have rarely had success with genuine Apple adapters and instead had to rely on 3rd party adapters to get a reliable results.

You may want to save yourself the headache and just get the VGA adapter and be done with it.

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  • Okay thanks. Unfortunately I really need the option of VGA or HDMI. I'll just take the plunge and buy the HDMI to VGA adaptor and post back here with the results when I I've tested the adaptor out.
    – Oscar Robinson
    Jul 6, 2015 at 15:49
  • I hope it works for you - I know how frustrating it can be when things don't work quite right. Let us know how it all makes out.
    – Allan
    Jul 6, 2015 at 15:55
  • "I have rarely had success with genuine Apple adapters and instead had to rely on 3rd party adapters to get a reliable results." When it comes to the MiniDisplayPort->DVI adapters, I've seen third-party knock-offs fail at 2-3x the normal rate of genuine Apple display adapters. I love Monoprice, however their MDP-DVI adapters are 1/3 the price, and they fail 3x as often. Kinda balances out.
    – Patrick McMahon
    Jul 6, 2015 at 20:18

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