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)
@@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).
Hey man, any chance you could elaborate on how you actually pulled this? Like a recommendation on a controller and where and how to connect the speakers? Thanks!
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
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.
2 года назад+1
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 :)
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.
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.
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!!!
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
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.
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.
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.
This is great work, thank you so much. Would it be possible to keep and use the internal speakers (pretty good speakers), perhaps connecting them to the HDMI audio output? And how about the Apple iSight internal webcam? Just some thoughts.
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
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.
@@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😱
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
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
you need to take off the display from the iMac, and see the display model number. every Mac is different. you then need to find the controller board for that specific display
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.
each imac display has their own coordinating controller, mine wouldn't work for you for example. you have to find the model of your display and find accordingly
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.
How do you keep the screen tilted where you want now that you’ve removed all the internals? The weighting is screwed up so it tilts to the sky all the time…
Very cool, but there got to be some kind of solution to make for that exposed piece of print dangling underneath, somebody should make some actual button housing for it
Nice, however, critical details left out, such as who to find the replacement video controller board that is compatible with the screened some of the connectors as to how they go into the new controller set up...If this was just for entertainment - good job, other wise look for other videos to help.
that's why I don't tell people which one to buy, because every Mac is different, and people would need to disassemble their Mac and find the display serial as I mentioned in the video, then buy the controller board. I got mine locally, it's also on sale in a lot of places
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
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 !
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. 🙂
@@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
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 !!
@@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.
Why not just give people the link to the product page of the board...so people at least can have a place to start the project, yes, I know the board is not for every imac, but why not just give the link so we can start from somewhere, or the point of this video is useless
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.
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.
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).
Hey man, any chance you could elaborate on how you actually pulled this? Like a recommendation on a controller and where and how to connect the speakers? Thanks!
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
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.
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.
in other conversion videos (27") the lack of brightness is mentioned - is there something to be aware of when looking for the appropriate controller?
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.
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.
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!!!
Please let us know about the controller that you use.
Also, I wonder if you can fit more updated parts.
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
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.
Really great video. The secret is the controller board you used! Please!!!! LOL
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.
Hi, where i can buy this mother for transform my pc in monitor ? Do you have a link ?
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?
@@빅또르-w3e same question here!
Same
Find the model number and Google compatible controller board
This is great work, thank you so much.
Would it be possible to keep and use the internal speakers (pretty good speakers), perhaps connecting them to the HDMI audio output?
And how about the Apple iSight internal webcam?
Just some thoughts.
I have this exact project on my workbench. Thanks for this detailed DIY video!
I have a 20 inch lying around and this is exactly what I'm going to do cheers Dx
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.
Looking to update my 2010 i7 which has osx highserria just wondering what metal card would i need
Very cool job, thank you!
Please tell me which set of boards to buy for the imac 21.5 late 2010 screen
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
Excuse me Whats the model of the board? I have a A1200 24 " Imac to use it, Thanks
just got 2 27 inch iMacs that have failed video cards. about to drop some inverter boards inside
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.
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
I'm about to do this, so thanks for this video
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.
Would you need to keep the fan? Does the display get hot?
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😱
Very detailed! Thanks!
Just found your channel. Excellent content - another sub for you sir!
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
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.
how can I find the right controller board for my display. What kind of specifications are important? I want to do the same to my iMac 2008.
you need to take off the display from the iMac, and see the display model number. every Mac is different. you then need to find the controller board for that specific display
Great video. This is the exact iMac that I have and want to try this idea with. What exact board did you use? Cheers
you need to disassemble your own iMac to check for the specific board you'll need. every Mac is different
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
Hi do you think is possible to turn an imac into a mac mini? thanks in advance.
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.
great video. thanks for sharing it. I wonder what did you do for the vertical sync cable on the display?
Cual es el modelo de la tarjeta controladora que usaste ?
each imac display has their own coordinating controller, mine wouldn't work for you for example. you have to find the model of your display and find accordingly
Great job and video!!! 👍👍👍
thank you for your support!
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.
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.
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.
you could have used some double sided foam tape to securely hold the inverter board and main controller board
Does something like this also work with a 21.5 inch 4K iMac? Great video!
yes it will!
@@purely_maxwell Awesome, thank you!
Please 🥺🥺🥺
I think it'd be cool to make the monitor "dual-boot" where you could just power just the LCD or boot the imac.
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.
I will be doing this with a 2015 5k iMac.
Ditto: What boards were used, website>? Cool. At least we know it can be done.
How do you keep the screen tilted where you want now that you’ve removed all the internals? The weighting is screwed up so it tilts to the sky all the time…
If it's tilting up, then you'd have to add some weights inside, near the bottom.
it shouldn't tilt up since the weight is mainly from the display
didn't need to, the display panel is heavy enough
Yoo just got one of thise imacs for free from a teacher and i have the exact same plan thx for the video
Very cool, but there got to be some kind of solution to make for that exposed piece of print dangling underneath, somebody should make some actual button housing for it
my goal is to make it useful, so won't be bothering with aesthetics until the second turn around. maybe in the future!
Nice, however, critical details left out, such as who to find the replacement video controller board that is compatible with the screened some of the connectors as to how they go into the new controller set up...If this was just for entertainment - good job, other wise look for other videos to help.
that's why I don't tell people which one to buy, because every Mac is different, and people would need to disassemble their Mac and find the display serial as I mentioned in the video, then buy the controller board. I got mine locally, it's also on sale in a lot of places
Could you detail the parts? I have the same one
Where is the controller board from
Where do you add the camera
Does anyone know if Ventura supports those boards?
Nice choice of music, maybe a bit distracting but shows great taste anyway ;)
maybe the link off a magazine? I'm from Brasil!!
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
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!
Why wont you list the specs on the motherboard?
Great job!!
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.
I ended up with inverted colors. Anyone else? Would love direction on how to fix that.
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.
I love guild wars !
Qual o modelo desta placa?
Maybe a bit nicer execution of the control panel instead of dangling from the RAM opening?
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. 🙂
Hello, is there a link for that 2007 controller board as I happen to have a 2007 20' one too.
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.
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.
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.
Why not just give people the link to the product page of the board...so people at least can have a place to start the project, yes, I know the board is not for every imac, but why not just give the link so we can start from somewhere, or the point of this video is useless
can't have people who don't know what they're doing buy the wrong board, fry the display and blame it all on me lol
@@purely_maxwell easy, put a warning beside the link
Agreed. At least telling us how to go about the process of finding the right one would be more helpful than this
What does „show we“ mean? You said that really often and I never heard that before 😅
I think I said "shall we" but the generated subtitles might not have picked that up
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