DIY 5k Monitor - success :-)

[codedj]

Hi guys, I have a planar IX2790 (https://www.planar.com/media/439284/planar-ix2790-specsheet.pdf) 27" 5K monitor. It has worked well for me until I upgraded to M2 mac mini. The display port to usb-c doesn't work get a blank screen. Tried many cables.

I am planning to open the monitor and do the upgrade like everyone here has done. My question is, did you have to contact the seller on aliexpress to give them the exact display panel SN or name. Given that the front display panel of my monitor looks exactly like iMac 27" - can I assume LM270QQ1 from 2014 (given when I purchased the monitor).

Also, if I decide to upgrade the display panel in the future to a newer 5K panel will I need to do some kind of firmware upgrade - is that even possible? I assume the seller has to be willing to share the firmware at that point.

 

[PaulD-UK]

The reason the seller needs details of the panel is to supply the correct video and backlight cables.
Your monitor is probably more similar to an LG LM270QQ2 panel, which has different cables to the Apple ones.

 

[fredn]

The time has finally come for me to convert my 2017 5K iMac.

Congrats, nice work!

Questions:

* If I want to connect my MBP to the monitor using HDMI, where would it get the data for the Camera/ethernet/microphone, etc? Is it a must to also connect the USB-C cable?
* If it is a must to connect the USB-C cable, is it possible to disable power delivery? My MBP already gets power from my dock, and I'd like to reduce the heat inside the monitor, maybe use a smaller power supply
* Can you add details about the IR remote to the parts list? Is there a separate board required also?

Thanks for any insights!

 

[PaulD-UK]

You must connect with a USB-C cable to get USB functionality of webcam/microphone etc.

I don't know how to disable USB-C PD charging unless you put a dock in between the MBP and the display.
People in this thread generally use a USB-C<DP 1.4 8K cable to prevent charging.

I think that maybe the MBP can be made to prioritise which port or MagSafe connector is used for USB-C PD charging - maybe the first connected to a power supply?

Search for 'R1811 or R9A18 remote control' on Google.
There are sellers on eBay and AliExpress offering it - all sellers of these boards will supply a remote.
The IR receiver in on the Control Strip which is part of the video board kit.
The Hajing T18/T19 don't work with the remote.

 

[fredn]

You must connect with a USB-C cable to get USB functionality of webcam/microphone etc.

People in this thread generally use a USB-C>DP 1.4 8K cable to prevent charging.

Thank you for answering, Paul!

Does connecting USB-C > DP also connect the webcam/microphone etc for a one-cable solution?

 

[PaulD-UK]

No webcam etc without a USB-C cable.
You can have both connected, and choose the DP input for the main video, but I don't know if that disables PD charging.

 

[Aiwi]

Congrats, nice work!

Questions:

* If I want to connect my MBP to the monitor using HDMI, where would it get the data for the Camera/ethernet/microphone, etc? Is it a must to also connect the USB-C cable?
* If it is a must to connect the USB-C cable, is it possible to disable power delivery? My MBP already gets power from my dock, and I'd like to reduce the heat inside the monitor, maybe use a smaller power supply
* Can you add details about the IR remote to the parts list? Is there a separate board required also?

Thanks for any insights!

Most regular monitors have a dedicated upstream USB for this. The R1811 does not have this. The R1811 only has the USB-C port as upstream. This effectively means that any other input, like DP or HDMI, will only carry audio and video. No usb data or charging.

As mentioned by another user, the IR receiver is on the regular control board (the thin board with the buttons). I’m sure you can buy the remote control from most sellers of the board.

 

[fredn]

You can have both connected, and choose the DP input for the main video, but I don't know if that disables PD charging.

Most regular monitors have a dedicated upstream USB for this. The R1811 does not have this. The R1811 only has the USB-C port as upstream. This effectively means that any other input, like DP or HDMI, will only carry audio and video. No usb data or charging.

Ya, this is very interesting that the R1811 doesn't have a dedicated upstream USB port.

If I connect my setup like the following diagram, dy'all think it'll work?

 

[PaulD-UK]

Can't say for sure, but I think it should work - it's quite usual to have two input cables to the R1811, with one selected to drive the screen.
Or you could just connect the USB cable to the webcam or to a mini hub inside the iMac to also connect microphones etc.

 

[Aiwi]

Ya, this is very interesting that the R1811 doesn't have a dedicated upstream USB port.

If I connect my setup like the following diagram, dy'all think it'll work?

View attachment 2310962

I haven't tried this myself, but you could also just try with just a simpler usb c cable, one that carries usb 2 or 3 data only. It will be a bit of trial and error though

 

[marwan87]

So I completed my build thank you to everyone for the inspiration and help.

I managed to get the on/off button on the Mac to work and the speaker. The speakers are a bit crap but im glad I did them.

I went with the control button through the vents, with the help of a Dremel, I did want the cables to come out the current ports but the bend angle was to great and I didn't want to damage my cables.

USB-C is great works with my Mac straight away, charges my MacBook Air, I used the USB's as passthrough for my network cable so one cable does all the heavy lifting, the other USB will be for a webcam.

I did try get an internal webcam but the quality was awful so quickly dropped that idea.

 

[rik_st]

The time has finally come for me to convert my 2017 5K iMac.

What I have yet to find is a conversion that keeps the stock iMac look. This is what my project aims to achieve.

The stock look is achieved using the Thunderbolt 3 ports as input for both USB-C and DisplayPort. The USB A ports and the Ethernet port have full functionality. When using the USB-C input, all data transfer and charging (90W PD) of the source computer is be done using just one cable.

The FaceTime camera, microphones and speakers are all integrated just like the original iMac.

(In the image below I have not yet pulled the protective sheet from the adhesive strips, as I am still stress testing everything)

I won't post all the pictures and steps here, as it is just too much. Instead go to my 5K-iMac-Studio-Display-Stock-Look GitHub page to read all the details. There you also have the parts list. In short, it cost me about USD400 to do the conversion, not including the original iMac.

Another feature is that it has HDMI 2.1, enabling 5K input on both HDMI ports (At 422).

After shots:
View attachment 2310293

View attachment 2310194

View attachment 2310210 View attachment 2310294

View attachment 2310196
View attachment 2310199

What is difference with and w/o Backlight Booster Board on R1811? Is it really necessary?

 

[jdee2wheels]

Sorry if this has been asked before:

If I put the display board in an external case, is it possible to keep the host iMac functioning and be able to switch monitor inputs for use with another computer too? Is so, what board is best to purchase?

My main computer is a 14" MacBook pro and I'd like to use that with the 27" screen most of the time, but it would be nice to keep the iMac as an always on server if possible.

Thanks!

 

[Aiwi]

What is difference with and w/o Backlight Booster Board on R1811? Is it really necessary?

It will certainly work without it, but you will not get the full 500 nits of brightness. I do not have the specific number on what brightness you would have without the board, but I am sure that value is somewhere in this thread.

 

[rik_st]

It will certainly work without it, but you will not get the full 500 nits of brightness. I do not have the specific number on what brightness you would have without the board, but I am sure that value is somewhere in this thread.

On T19 the same issue?

 

[codedj]

It will certainly work without it, but you will not get the full 500 nits of brightness. I do not have the specific number on what brightness you would have without the board, but I am sure that value is somewhere in this thread.

You just made me think of the Studio Display LCD which has 600 nits. Wonder if these boards will be able to handle it.

 

[PaulD-UK]

The iMac 5K screen panel is only rated 500 nits, so not as bright as the Studio Display.
The boards are designed for the specific internal cabling of the LG iMac panels, which are probably different to the Studio Display Panel.

A recent post here said the T18 was brighter without a Constant Current board than an iMac Pro.
The T18 is very similar to the T19, just different inputs.

 

[jag001]

On T19 the same issue?

Certainly on the T18 I get 500nits without the extra current board… I now have an unused current board that I didn’t need 🤦🏻‍♂️

 

[davidg5678]

Sorry if this has been asked before:

If I put the display board in an external case, is it possible to keep the host iMac functioning and be able to switch monitor inputs for use with another computer too? Is so, what board is best to purchase?

My main computer is a 14" MacBook pro and I'd like to use that with the 27" screen most of the time, but it would be nice to keep the iMac as an always on server if possible.

Thanks!

See this webpage: https://khronokernel.com/macos/2022/03/01/5K-MONITOR.html

 

[jdee2wheels]

See this webpage: https://khronokernel.com/macos/2022/03/01/5K-MONITOR.html

Thanks for the link. Given the throttling issues mentioned, it doesn’t seem ideal to run an imac that is not natively connected to its display. bummer!

 

[rik_st]

Finally decided to disassemble my working iMac 5k late 2017. As I don’t want to open it myself, want to use services, which repair iMacs. So, what can I sell and leave for rebuilding it to display?
Sell all inside except display and cables for it, speakers, of course, case and that’s all? Do I need original power button or smth else?

 

[fredn]

It appears that the R1811 has only 65W of power delivery -- Has anyone run into problems with this? My 16" M1 Max MBP can easily draw more power than that, not to mention an eventual upgrade to a future MBP will draw even more power for sure.

How stable is the R1811 power delivery? @Aiwi @PaulD-UK

(Got the 65W figure from this pic: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002734914614.html)

 

[PaulD-UK]

According to @Aiwi in post #822 in his Github link the R1811 is rated at providing 90w power in the System Information of his laptop.

You would probably need a proper case fan cooling solution to prevent the R1811 overheating if you draw that much power from it.

 

[Aiwi]

According to @Aiwi in post #822 in his Github link the R1811 is rated at providing 90w power in the System Information of his laptop.

You would probably need a proper case fan cooling solution to prevent the R1811 overheating if you draw that much power from it.

The amount of PD seems to be limited by the power supply you are using. According to the manufacturer for the R1811 board, we need at least 24V 7.5A (180W) for 65W PD. When I added an extra 30W capacity by using a LRS-200-24 24V 8.8A (210W) power supply, it reported itself as being able to deliver 90W.

I have not stress tested the PD charging, as my M2 Max Macbook very seldom draw that much power continuously.

I would believe the R1811 would turn itself off in order to protect itself against any overheating. But this evidence is just anecdotal as I tried to run it at extremely low fan speeds and it refused to display an image.

 

[PaulD-UK]

My R1811 (with firmware v04) runs fine with the heatsink fan disconnected, as I power it through a controller that doesn’t turn it on until it reaches 35 degrees C and then ramps it up to 50 degrees.
It works fine like that but I don’t use PD power. And I have a proper case exhaust fan like originally in an iMac.