Project iMackenstein - Turning An Old iMac Into An "Apple" Monitor
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- čas přidán 28. 05. 2024
- What would you do if you have an old iMac laying around? Probably collecting dust right? In this video, I'm gonna show y'all how I turned my 2007 20" iMac into an "Apple" external monitor.
This video took forever to make, please show your support by hitting that thumbs up button, and please subscribe if you like this type of content!
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
2:25 - Initial Disassembly
7:59 - Screen & Control Board Tests
10:41 - Stripping the iMac
15:22 - After-Strip & Reassembly
21:05 - End Results - Věda a technologie
I did something like this, with some improvements: as the controller card has sound output, I kept the speakers, which works very well. The power supply was also to supply power to the controller, and the on/off button was also, to turn the board on and off (connected to the keyboard). The next step is to integrate a remote control (I will need to buy a new keyboard with support)
Thanks for you comment. I want to try something similar, because the sound quality of those old iMac is superb.
Could you post some pics of how you did that
How did you keep the speakers in tact? I plan to do this and would like to keep the speakers.
@@philliplanos I kept the speakers' original connectors and just connected the wires to them (I chose wires of suitable thickness for the connection). A small workaround. The most important detail is to connect according to polarity, or it may render the speakers useless.
You may be able to get a suitable connector for more professional work (I couldn't tell you what type or connector code).
I have this exact project on my workbench. Thanks for this detailed DIY video!
thaet board that you got also seems to have a audio amp on it so it is also possible with a bit of improvisation to use the imac onboard speakers aswell and have it full working
Really great video. The secret is the controller board you used! Please!!!! LOL
Very detailed! Thanks!
Could you please list the control board and the inverter board model numbers? I have exactly the same model that I would like to do the same modification to.
I'm about to do this, so thanks for this video
If you could get the display plugs (HDMI, VGA, display port, etc) to be on the bottom so that you just plug them in through the ram hole then that would be the best.
Just found your channel. Excellent content - another sub for you sir!
Great video! Enjoyed it a lot. It was entertaining and useful. Best wishes from Panama 🇵🇦
thank you for your support!
You can very easily make these iMacs perfectly useable for basic tasks. Upgrade the cpu to Intel T9300/T9500, 4gb of ram or more (6gb max), clean out the dust, add an SSD and install MacOS Catalina with a patcher, or windows
Best tutorial for this conversion ever.
Nice, clear and entertaining without becoming a joke.
I'm going to do something like this soon, since my iMac is getting too damn slow... I guess I'm buying a M1 Mac Mini soon :)
actually I had been using this monitor with my M1 Mac Mini for the past few months and it had been an amazing experience! thank you for your support.
Very cool job, thank you!
Please tell me which set of boards to buy for the imac 21.5 late 2010 screen
I have a 20 inch lying around and this is exactly what I'm going to do cheers Dx
A small rubber grommet would help out with the HDMI / power cable hole. Also you might consider adhering the control board to the bottom. Dangling like that takes away from the OEM look, IMHO
This is exactly what I wanted to do. I've got a 2011 21" iMac that got struck by lighting but a working display and a 2015 27" 5k imac with a failed drive. Thought it'd be cool to use one as a display for a PC workstation.
Great idea. If there was a 3D print to mount the buttons on the bottom to, and maybe use some extension cables so that things could be unplugged at the back, it'd perhaps be perfect. Or perhaps a 3D Print and tiny PCB at the rear for the HDMI/VGA/Power ports.
honestly if I was planning to use something like this as a main display, I definitely would. however this is quite just a lazy project that anyone capable of using a screwdriver can do.
Thank you very much for your video. The matter is to find the appropriate board controller. I'll throw myself in, after having seen your job.
yes, that's the more time consuming part.
Great job and video!!! 👍👍👍
thank you for your support!
in other conversion videos (27") the lack of brightness is mentioned - is there something to be aware of when looking for the appropriate controller?
Please let us know about the controller that you use.
Also, I wonder if you can fit more updated parts.
Great job!!
Awesome M3tech, i was wonder to convert my imac 27inch 2009 model by a lenovo laptop mother board, im thinking if how to directly jumper the power button since its integrated on the keyboard it self, and if possible the bare motherboard can bootup without attached battery, mousepad and keyboard.
Can you give us a link to this controler? I cannot find it. All of these are just the main logic board but you have the second one to power up the backlight.
Good use of broken iMacs that still have a working screen
@@aIwI89 CAN YOU EVER LEAVE ME ALONE
@@aIwI89 STALKER
@@aIwI89 I HATE WINDOWS IT IS SHITTY SPYWARE I WILL KEEP THE IMAC IM REPLYING FROM
Could you please list the control board and the inverter board model numbers? I have exactly the same model that I would like to do the same modification to. Me too!!!
Yoo just got one of thise imacs for free from a teacher and i have the exact same plan thx for the video
Looking to update my 2010 i7 which has osx highserria just wondering what metal card would i need
Is there a controller board that can also send audio to the iMac speakers. You use an HDMI cable but sacrifice the audio signal. I have a 2007 20 in iMac and want to convert it to a display with working speakers.
Hi, where i can buy this mother for transform my pc in monitor ? Do you have a link ?
Would you need to keep the fan? Does the display get hot?
Excuse me Whats the model of the board? I have a A1200 24 " Imac to use it, Thanks
great video. thanks for sharing it. I wonder what did you do for the vertical sync cable on the display?
Hi do you think is possible to turn an imac into a mac mini? thanks in advance.
just got 2 27 inch iMacs that have failed video cards. about to drop some inverter boards inside
hello my imac 2012 model a1418 does not have a display. it works fine but it's too slow slow slow it's because it doesn't have the screen. can i do something for it to work normally with the external monitor sorry my english. Thanks
Nice choice of music, maybe a bit distracting but shows great taste anyway ;)
you could have used some double sided foam tape to securely hold the inverter board and main controller board
I will be doing this with a 2015 5k iMac.
Where do you add the camera
I was able to convert a 2011 27" 2K - words of caution: keep the speakers in place. At first I removed as much as I could but the speakers are necessary to support the bottom of the screen. be careful where you purchase the controller board. may sellers ship from china and offer returns where buyer pays for return shipping. This can easily be 3x the cost of the board. The sniper pays deeply discounted shipping rates that aren't available to most of us. I got good results but not full 2K resolution -- there are limits on the controllers boards. After a few weeks getting dimming screen. I wil need to check my power supply. It may need more juice specs ask for 12V 3A which is not a common power supply. I have boxes full of 1.5A and 2A.
I think it'd be cool to make the monitor "dual-boot" where you could just power just the LCD or boot the imac.
if possible, just get a belkin av360 if you own a 27' imac from the year ( 2009 / 2010 ) boom a dope gaming monior 😎 and i havent tested it yet myself but i think using the " Mclassic " adapter can bring out the 1440p.
dope video !
oh how much I wished my iMac to have target display mode support. unfortunately it's the previous generation. thank you for the support!
Excellent. From where can I find that board for the 2008 24’ iMac?
you can look up your own display model number and check. every different batch of display requires a different type of board.
Does anyone know if Ventura supports those boards?
I love guild wars !
I have iMac 2007 mid exactly same model you have. I want to know whether I have to buy specific controller board. please let me know the name of the board or give me the link to buy it.
M201EW02 V.B?
@@user-zk8ns8en5q same question here!
Same
Find the model number and Google compatible controller board
Ditto: What boards were used, website>? Cool. At least we know it can be done.
I did this with a 2009 27". I was able to wire up the iSight camera, the speakers, the superdrive and the microphone so that they are fully functional. (The SD card reader is USB, so I could technically wire that up too, but I haven't.) I even wired the power button to the power switch on the controller board. I put a USB-C power brick and USB-C dock on the inside so I'd only have one cable to connect my MacBook. I want to fill the USB and ethernet ports on the back, but that is a project for another day.
Hey i have also a imac 27".The Problem i have is that i think the controller that i found and buy have not enough power für the imac srceen , i mean its works fin but the srceen is too dark ,Its very darker than the original imac.
Do you have similar probelms? Iam sorry for my englich it is not my native language
@@irishgreen2189 It might be the brightness settings not working properly which is common when messing with this type of iMac!
@SD Could you give me some instructions to how to do this wiring? And would such a wiring be possible with an iMac 27" 2014 an younger?
@@EliezYT and how i can fix this ??
@@irishgreen2189 depends is it a graphics card that’s doing this? Or something else.
No es mala idea pero.....1- primero yo hubiera fijado el inversor a la pantalla con celo de doble cara 2- segundo los controles lo hubiera fiado a la tapa de la memorias, 3- tercero - la fuente la hubiera colocado dentro protegido con alguna pantalla metálica para evitar interferencia y hubiera aprovechado el conector (220v) que trae el Imac de fabrica.
Is the original speakers of the iMac not connectable to the control board? It'll be more valuable, if there is sound
I believe it depends on which control board you use.
@@rcpmac I did the same thing after watching your vid. And I believe I bought the same boarf you used. The board has one speaker port and iMac has two speakers inside. So I couldn't connect both speaker ports into the board😱
Do you can post where to buy the board controller ????
the controller board varies from different display panels. just search for "controller board" + your display model. your best luck will be eBay.
Qual o modelo desta placa?
maybe the link off a magazine? I'm from Brasil!!
I have a new iMac 2017 5k and a old 2011 iMac. Is possible to use the old 2011 iMac as a second monitor with my new iMac after the modding ?
Since the board has HDMI, I assume a HDMI to thunderbolt would work for you. I have an old 2007 iMac I might consider connecting to my M1 mac mini.
you can just use target display mode on a 2011 iMac
2007 and it still has the same starting storage as an iMac in 2024
actually it's way more usable with the same amount of storage in present day than back then. with more advanced cloud services large local storage is slowly getting obsolete.
@@purely_maxwell Back when that Mac was released, the size of the OS, your applications and media files would be somewhat smaller than today. Whilst backing up your important data to the cloud is probably not a bad thing per se, assuming you feel it's secure enough to withstand a concerted effort to hack into it, it's definitely not an ideal replacement for local storage. Relying on cloud storage means relying on your Internet provider and your storage provider... two potential weak points in the chain. I still prefer offline storage solutions and installing software locally, rather than using cloud based services and apps. Physical storage devices are pretty cheap these days. 🙂
Is the data cable vital for this to work or can I just snip it off? Cus I cant remove the screw
the original screen data cable is not needed, because we are swapping for another data cable.
Does something like this also work with a 21.5 inch 4K iMac? Great video!
yes it will!
@@purely_maxwell Awesome, thank you!
Please 🥺🥺🥺
Hello, is there a link to a shop to buy one for a iMac 27"?
no, it is not possible for me to give you a link for a controller board as every one of them is made for a specific type of display panel. you will need to find out the model number of your display first
It tusn out I have a 2007 one too, can you send the buying link of the controller board for that iMac?@@purely_maxwell
I ended up with inverted colors. Anyone else? Would love direction on how to fix that.
Would the monitor works with Windows pc and does it run hot?
yes it works with Windows. It's definitely a bit warm but that's normal because of the screen is so close to the board.
List the control board??? Don't find a link to product?
You need the correct monitor code, there is no such thing as a universal controller. With the code, look for the control board.
Maybe a bit nicer execution of the control panel instead of dangling from the RAM opening?
I did this with an old iMac and the backlight on the screen is so dim it’s not worth using and I can’t find any answers on what’s wrong smh
incorrect inverter voltage mayhaps. make sure you have the correct boards for your display as every batch is different.
Where is the controller board from
Why wont you list the specs on the motherboard?
Hello, is there a link for that 2007 controller board as I happen to have a 2007 20' one too.
I would leave dvd drive. So you can get a cool video player
How would you leave it and power it up?
@@madgemccoy4695 I did the same thing with my 2006 white iMac. the internal DVD drive has a PATA style connector so I simply purchased a PATA to USB adapter to plug into my computer. Now the DVD drive works seamlessly and appears as if it were a real iMac
@@virgomunoz thanks for the info.
Can you sensi a link to buy the board? Thank you
there are a lot when you search on ebay. it will be different control board for everyone sepending on the display model.
Get an M1 mac mini board and put it inside the monitor !
Do they use the same connectors?
seems like such a hassle for a lower than 1920x1080 display, i think it is just better to buy a cinema display
Unfortunately you have to take a part the iMac and look at the display to get a serial number and use that serial number to get the controller card. It’s not as simple as the video makes it out to be !!
you have to take it apart anyways to do the mod, so I don't see how that's an issue.
@@JustFixIt99 it is an issue when trying to buy parts. It’s a pain in the ass to take it apart to find the serial number to order the controller card. Who knows how long it will take for the controller card to come in the mail, etc.
@@soulrebel2006 Again though, you have to take it apart anyways to do this mod, so there is no difference. Presumably if you're trying to use it as a monitor you have another computer anyways. I really don't see your issue here...
I explained this in the video yet a lot of people still kept asking me if I could send them the link to buy the same controller board I used. I said every display model is different and they're not interchangable.
Nice video, terrible music
it probably has a dead gpu its very common
yeah I've thought of this. but the gpu chipset is directly soldered onto the motherboard on the 20 inch models, nothing much I could do tbh. I'd rather put it into use this way.
@@purely_maxwell actually its only soldered on the 2009 models on the 2008 and below its removable
wow I was about to watch but apparently you dont actually list any controller board numbers cause you were too busy making a video instead of something truly useful.
not to pile on, but your vid is even lamer since you didn't keep the SPEAKERS in the display.
can you add the speakers and create this then