Mini-DP to HDMI to Connect to External Monitor

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My Lenovo T450 has a mini-DP video output port (no HDMI output).  My Dell external monitor has HDMI input.

I bought two different mini-DP to (male) HDMI cables, used them to connect the T450 to the monitor, and the computer says “No External Monitor Found”.   Tested with a different monitor — same problem.

Then I bought a mini-DP to (female) HDMI adapter cable, connected it to the T450, then used a (male to male) HDMI to HDMI cable to connect from the adapter cable to the monitor.  The T450 found the external monitor, and the connection works fine.

Why does the single DP-to-HDMI cable not work, while the two-cable connection works?  Is there a way I can use the single mini-DP to HDMI cable?

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Sometimes you need an active adapter, active means it has a signal conversion processor at one end of the adapter. It appears that is what you have purchased, is the DP to HDMI adapter you purchased described as active in the documentation?

If you have a display port graphics card that supports dual mode (DP++) you maybe able to use the single cable. Rarely some bad cables can still make it out in to the marketplace.

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Some of those conversion cables are directional. Going from an output to an input may work but using the same connections to go from an input to an output may not.

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Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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