Can I use a 2017 iMac as a external display for a PC?

[ryanflucas]

I need to fix a desktop PC. Before I lug out a LCD display, is there a simpler way using a iMac?

For example my 2017 21" 4K iMac. It would be really nice if I could have a cable here I could connect to the PC so the iMac acts as a monitor for that PC. I would still use a separate keyboard and mouse for the PC though. Then similar to flipping AV option on a TV, I would flip over and see the PC on my Mac screen. I don't need high resolution, it could even be windowed. It's not permanent so I'm not considering networking and SSH. I'd like to wipe and re-image Windows 10 to the PC yet keep a somewhat tidy desk.

Is there some sort of way I could rig this so that I could easily flip between Mac and PC? Or perhaps a cable I can buy and save for the next time I need to do this?

 

[theluggage]

Not as a regular monitor.
You can do it with an older, pre-Thunderbolt iMac (2010?) - it is called “target display mode” but later iMacs could only accept Thunderbolt inputs and the retina macs dropped it entirely.

However, you could check out the Microsoft Remote Desktop app in the Apple App Store to see if that works for you.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

No no target display modes on the retina imacs. And they have been mac to mac only over thunderbolt since 2012 anyway.

A remote desktop app or even a wired Ethernet connection may work well for you though.

 

[Karnicopia]

No no target display modes on the retina imacs. And they have been mac to mac only over thunderbolt since 2012 anyway.

A remote desktop app or even a wired Ethernet connection may work well for you though.

Just curious how would a wired ethernet connection help with this? I have a similar problem with connecting a work laptop and I'm not sure they would let me run remote desktop on the work machine but I'm curious about the comment on the wired ethernet connection.

One other option for the OP that may sound a bit goofy but seems to be working for me is you can pick up a black magic ultra studio mini recorder and that will take HDMI input and send the signal out through thunderbolt which you can then feed to the iMac. Then you can run some streaming software like OBS on the iMac which is free and add the black magic device as a source and maximize the image and the iMac will act as a monitor. Use the mouse and keyboard connected to the PC but you get the image full screen on the iMac (1080 resolution). Not ideal but it definitely works. The bad thing is you would have to pick up the ultra studio and possibly an adapter if you need TB3 so probably not worth it if you don't do this very often but it seems to be the best solution I've been able to come up with so far. I would like to get something like Remote Desktop or some other solution working if possible because this whole thing does seem a bit hacked together and way more complicated than it should need to be but I figured I would mention it in case it helps anyone that can't go the RDP route.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Just curious how would a wired ethernet connection help with this? I have a similar problem with connecting a work laptop and I'm not sure they would let me run remote desktop on the work machine but I'm curious about the comment on the wired ethernet connection.

One other option for the OP that may sound a bit goofy but seems to be working for me is you can pick up a black magic ultra studio mini recorder and that will take HDMI input and send the signal out through thunderbolt which you can then feed to the iMac. Then you can run some streaming software like OBS on the iMac which is free and add the black magic device as a source and maximize the image and the iMac will act as a monitor. Use the mouse and keyboard connected to the PC but you get the image full screen on the iMac (1080 resolution). Not ideal but it definitely works. The bad thing is you would have to pick up the ultra studio and possibly an adapter if you need TB3 so probably not worth it if you don't do this very often but it seems to be the best solution I've been able to come up with so far. I would like to get something like Remote Desktop or some other solution working if possible because this whole thing does seem a bit hacked together and way more complicated than it should need to be but I figured I would mention it in case it helps anyone that can't go the RDP route.

You can connect the two computers using Ethernet and then access shared files etc see here

https://support.apple.com/kb/PH25349?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

You can also connect via Ethernet and use a Remote Desktop app safely and with little lag. Windows ten has this built in I think.

 

[theluggage]

Just curious how would a wired ethernet connection help with this?

It might be less "laggy" with Remote Desktop than a WiFi connection - that's all.

 

[Karnicopia]

Thanks I have a work laptop and haven't been able to get remote desktop to work but I'll try and give that a shot if I am able to it sounds interesting. I think I have found a way to request RDP through my work but they typically only allow it for desktops so you can remote into your machine from home, here's hoping they will let me request it for a laptop.

 

[thefriendshipmachine]

has anyone tried buying a 4k capture card and using that to "simulate" target display mode? It's not 5k but maybe its "good enough"?