iMac G4 to M1 conversion progress

[connor55]

very nice, I Wonder if I can get away with just flattening the original antennas and extending the cables out to reach that spot. That or I was thinking I could make a window in the faraday cage(ie. cut the metal layer out under the plastic dome), and have the antennas sit directly against the inner plastic wall. with the metal out of the way, that should theoretically let the signal through.

 

[opeter]

original panel! goes to show how good these were for their time.

Thank you! Really interesting, how good backlight it still has. Nice! May it serve you well.

 

[Ursus1968]

Hey guys, I wanted to share a little project I've been working on over the holidays. I'm new to this forum and I am not a professional at this by any means, I just like to challenge myself with projects like this. I'll share the details of my ongoing project, but please keep in mind that I am just doing this for fun.

It started when my friend gave me an iMac G4 that he didn't need anymore, and I thought the design was way too cool to just throw away or not use. Technically it was working just fine (the disc drive wasn't strong enough to open the door anymore though) but the system didn't have wifi, and was really slow for even the most basic tasks. I had heard about colbyjohn94's successful M1 project and wanted to see if I could also do it.

My goal is to make the computer appear stock from the outside, while retaining all the original functionality(except for all the outdated ports) and being powered by Mac mini hardware either from an M1 or the upcoming M1 pro/max in the future.

At this point I'm just looking for a good deal on a used M1 Mini with decent specs (16gb 512gb at least). Or if the rumoured "pro" mini comes out before then, and the hardware is small enough, I may get that instead. Imagine what a sleeper that'd be..

Anyway, here are the progress pics. Enjoy!

View attachment 1938005

Picking it up.. working slowly but really dusty and doesn't connect to the internet. View attachment 1937938​

Got it home, and immediately began to gut it.

View attachment 1937939
They really made use of every bit of space here
View attachment 1937940
pretty unique PSU, such an apple thing to do

View attachment 1937941
Finished gutting the main components.. now what? Time to do some research...

View attachment 1937942
after some digging I found this amazingly detailed guide from Dremeljunkie http://www.dremeljunkie.com/2011/08/guide-step-by-step-17-imac-g4-tmds-to.html If you plan to do this, this guide is essential. Removing the base made life a lot easier from this point.
View attachment 1937946
Picked up a few of these, Plan is to use stock PSU(which has 5 12v rails) and down convert them to 5vdc and 3.3vdc as per the guide
View attachment 1937947
Needed a new drive as well with a bit more modern SATA, which allows me to then connect it to the Mac mini by USB. The included DC adaptor was also conveniently outputting 12v as well, so I can again use the stock PSU for this.

View attachment 1937948
and of course the resistors and alligator test wires per the guide

View attachment 1937956
Had to remove the faceplate from the optical drive in order to mount it in the G4 dome, but works correctly when connected to my MacBook

View attachment 1937958 View attachment 1937959 View attachment 1937957
Prepping the PSU and making a 5VDC output for use later. hard to dial these things in perfectly, but I think its close enough..

View attachment 1937960
again following the guide, making sure everything on the inverter/backlight side of things works. so far so good
View attachment 1937961
this took a little while even with tweezers, but they look like they're in the right position. thank goodness again for the guide, or id have never figured this out!
View attachment 1937962
prepping my remaining wires.. dont mix up the grey, white and purple. they look really similar at a glance.
View attachment 1937963
I think thats all the connection I need to make, after quadruple checking I think its right.. lets find out
View attachment 1937964
amazingly its working! this felt good as I was sure id mess up some of the wiring.

View attachment 1937965
time to give the dome its first and only bath after 20 years lol

View attachment 1937967
I know the guide says you dont really need 3.3VDC, but I felt better being closer to the stock setup(thinking that running 5V to the display would compromise longevity)
View attachment 1937970
here is the PSU complete with 12, 5, and 3.3vdc outputs

View attachment 1937973
Put the base back on, ran the wires through, and beginning to solder/clean up as much as I can

View attachment 1937974
Saw another guide where the guy uses hot glue to hold the pins in. Good idea, im gunna do that too. (the image quality actually improved after doing this)
View attachment 1937976
power supply and video connections are and looking a little less like a rats nest..

View attachment 1937977
Temporarily trying to put the optical drive in, and trying to figure out where I should put everything. I realized after setting it up this way that there was only about 1.5cm of space directly under the optical drive. not enough space even for the tiny M1 guts. so I later relocated everything else to the side or below the drive. That means ill have to mount the logic board above the drive. I hope theres enough space..

View attachment 1937978
testing the "brainless" iMac G4, using my MacBook for now. everything managed to fit together just fine with everything ive installed so far being under the optical drive. That leaves the space above the drive for the Mac mini hardware. I may have to remove the stock fan, and probably put the Mac mini PSU on the bottom or side of the dome. This may get tricky, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

I would also need room for a low profile usb hub to run down from the logic board to the rear ports.

To be continued.. just need to find a Mac mini now

Hey guys, I wanted to share a little project I've been working on over the holidays. I'm new to this forum and I am not a professional at this by any means, I just like to challenge myself with projects like this. I'll share the details of my ongoing project, but please keep in mind that I am just doing this for fun.

It started when my friend gave me an iMac G4 that he didn't need anymore, and I thought the design was way too cool to just throw away or not use. Technically it was working just fine (the disc drive wasn't strong enough to open the door anymore though) but the system didn't have wifi, and was really slow for even the most basic tasks. I had heard about colbyjohn94's successful M1 project and wanted to see if I could also do it.

My goal is to make the computer appear stock from the outside, while retaining all the original functionality(except for all the outdated ports) and being powered by Mac mini hardware either from an M1 or the upcoming M1 pro/max in the future.

At this point I'm just looking for a good deal on a used M1 Mini with decent specs (16gb 512gb at least). Or if the rumoured "pro" mini comes out before then, and the hardware is small enough, I may get that instead. Imagine what a sleeper that'd be..

Anyway, here are the progress pics. Enjoy!

View attachment 1938005

Picking it up.. working slowly but really dusty and doesn't connect to the internet. View attachment 1937938​

Got it home, and immediately began to gut it.

View attachment 1937939
They really made use of every bit of space here
View attachment 1937940
pretty unique PSU, such an apple thing to do

View attachment 1937941
Finished gutting the main components.. now what? Time to do some research...

View attachment 1937942
after some digging I found this amazingly detailed guide from Dremeljunkie http://www.dremeljunkie.com/2011/08/guide-step-by-step-17-imac-g4-tmds-to.html If you plan to do this, this guide is essential. Removing the base made life a lot easier from this point.
View attachment 1937946
Picked up a few of these, Plan is to use stock PSU(which has 5 12v rails) and down convert them to 5vdc and 3.3vdc as per the guide
View attachment 1937947
Needed a new drive as well with a bit more modern SATA, which allows me to then connect it to the Mac mini by USB. The included DC adaptor was also conveniently outputting 12v as well, so I can again use the stock PSU for this.

View attachment 1937948
and of course the resistors and alligator test wires per the guide

View attachment 1937956
Had to remove the faceplate from the optical drive in order to mount it in the G4 dome, but works correctly when connected to my MacBook

View attachment 1937958 View attachment 1937959 View attachment 1937957
Prepping the PSU and making a 5VDC output for use later. hard to dial these things in perfectly, but I think its close enough..

View attachment 1937960
again following the guide, making sure everything on the inverter/backlight side of things works. so far so good
View attachment 1937961
this took a little while even with tweezers, but they look like they're in the right position. thank goodness again for the guide, or id have never figured this out!
View attachment 1937962
prepping my remaining wires.. dont mix up the grey, white and purple. they look really similar at a glance.
View attachment 1937963
I think thats all the connection I need to make, after quadruple checking I think its right.. lets find out
View attachment 1937964
amazingly its working! this felt good as I was sure id mess up some of the wiring.

View attachment 1937965
time to give the dome its first and only bath after 20 years lol

View attachment 1937967
I know the guide says you dont really need 3.3VDC, but I felt better being closer to the stock setup(thinking that running 5V to the display would compromise longevity)
View attachment 1937970
here is the PSU complete with 12, 5, and 3.3vdc outputs

View attachment 1937973
Put the base back on, ran the wires through, and beginning to solder/clean up as much as I can

View attachment 1937974
Saw another guide where the guy uses hot glue to hold the pins in. Good idea, im gunna do that too. (the image quality actually improved after doing this)
View attachment 1937976
power supply and video connections are and looking a little less like a rats nest..

View attachment 1937977
Temporarily trying to put the optical drive in, and trying to figure out where I should put everything. I realized after setting it up this way that there was only about 1.5cm of space directly under the optical drive. not enough space even for the tiny M1 guts. so I later relocated everything else to the side or below the drive. That means ill have to mount the logic board above the drive. I hope theres enough space..

View attachment 1937978
testing the "brainless" iMac G4, using my MacBook for now. everything managed to fit together just fine with everything ive installed so far being under the optical drive. That leaves the space above the drive for the Mac mini hardware. I may have to remove the stock fan, and probably put the Mac mini PSU on the bottom or side of the dome. This may get tricky, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

I would also need room for a low profile usb hub to run down from the logic board to the rear ports.

To be continued.. just need to find a Mac mini now

Truly awesome mod, very inspiring! Pardon a maybe idiot question, but I wonder about the DVI connector. I know that Dremeljunkie specifically recommends the MOLEX PN 74320-4004

, but assuming that the target computer has a female HDMI port, and there exists female DVI -> Male HDMI adapters, would there be any particular reason not to use such an adapter instead? I mean the pin mapping should be the same, and you would be able to plug the pins in without soldering, just like with the Molex connector, should you not?

 

[PML7554]

Truly awesome mod, very inspiring! Pardon a maybe idiot question, but I wonder about the DVI connector. I know that Dremeljunkie specifically recommends the MOLEX PN 74320-4004 View attachment 1962944 , but assuming that the target computer has a female HDMI port, and there exists female DVI -> Male HDMI adapters, would there be any particular reason not to use such an adapter instead? I mean the pin mapping should be the same, and you would be able to plug the pins in without soldering, just like with the Molex connector, should you not? View attachment 1962945

I confirm this adapter will work. I used this one for my own mod instead of the molex one. You juste have to plug the pins by the mapping.

 

[connor55]

Truly awesome mod, very inspiring! Pardon a maybe idiot question, but I wonder about the DVI connector. I know that Dremeljunkie specifically recommends the MOLEX PN 74320-4004 View attachment 1962944 , but assuming that the target computer has a female HDMI port, and there exists female DVI -> Male HDMI adapters, would there be any particular reason not to use such an adapter instead? I mean the pin mapping should be the same, and you would be able to plug the pins in without soldering, just like with the Molex connector, should you not? View attachment 1962945

The reason he uses that connector from molex is because the pins match the size of the female pins perfectly from the iMac(they slide on smoothly, and stay on easily). It would technically be possible to run the iMac wires directly into the female dvi end of the hdmi to dvi adaptor, but it would be difficult to get the, to stay put When messing around with a lot of wires.

the other problem with the M1 Mac mini specifically is this: using hdmi as the output to the iMac display won’t work as an all in one solution, because for some reason the backlight doesn’t turn on unless you’re plugging it in manually to the hdmi port every time you wake from sleep or restart.

this is why I had to switch to using usbc output to dvi. Now the backlight behaves properly. Colbyjohn had the same probl‘em with his setup, so it’s something inherently flawed about the M1 macs.

so unless you have easy access to the hdmi port on your M1 Mac mini, or are using an intel Mac mini, don’t use hdmi as your video output to the g4 display!

 

[connor55]

The reason he uses that connector from molex is because the pins match the size of the female pins perfectly from the iMac(they slide on smoothly, and stay on easily). It would technically be possible to run the iMac wires directly into the female dvi end of the hdmi to dvi adaptor, but it would be difficult to get them to stay put When messing around with a lot of wires. Your connection and image quality could possibly suffer as a result as well.

the other problem with the M1 Mac mini specifically is this: using hdmi as the output to the iMac display won’t work as an all in one solution, because for some reason the backlight doesn’t turn on unless you’re plugging it in manually to the hdmi port every time you wake from sleep or restart.

this is why I had to switch to using usbc output to dvi. Now the backlight behaves properly. Colbyjohn had the same probl‘em with his setup, so it’s something inherently flawed about the M1 macs.

so unless you have easy access to the hdmi port on your M1 Mac mini, or are using an intel Mac mini, don’t use hdmi as your video output to the g4 display!

 

[Ursus1968]

The reason he uses that connector from molex is because the pins match the size of the female pins perfectly from the iMac(they slide on smoothly, and stay on easily). It would technically be possible to run the iMac wires directly into the female dvi end of the hdmi to dvi adaptor, but it would be difficult to get the, to stay put When messing around with a lot of wires.

the other problem with the M1 Mac mini specifically is this: using hdmi as the output to the iMac display won’t work as an all in one solution, because for some reason the backlight doesn’t turn on unless you’re plugging it in manually to the hdmi port every time you wake from sleep or restart.

this is why I had to switch to using usbc output to dvi. Now the backlight behaves properly. Colbyjohn had the same probl‘em with his setup, so it’s something inherently flawed about the M1 macs.

so unless you have easy access to the hdmi port on your M1 Mac mini, or are using an intel Mac mini, don’t use hdmi as your video output to the g4 display!

Thanks for the detailed answer! I am still considering my options in regards to how to best scratch my G4 mod-itch. I have 2 fully functional G4 20"s, and 2 functional + 1 not-so-functional G4 17"s, and I am trying to make up my mind if I want to sacrifice a functional 20" or instead go for the half-broken 17". And I am not decided on if I should go for an M1 Mac mini, or something else, but considering that you and Colbyjohn have done it with M1, it is of course tempting to go the route that you have trailblazed and be able to learn from your explorations (it would still be quite a challenge for me to pull it off, but I guess it would not be fun if it was too easy )

 

[jasoncarle]

Very cool project!

 

[connor55]

Thanks for the detailed answer! I am still considering my options in regards to how to best scratch my G4 mod-itch. I have 2 fully functional G4 20"s, and 2 functional + 1 not-so-functional G4 17"s, and I am trying to make up my mind if I want to sacrifice a functional 20" or instead go for the half-broken 17". And I am not decided on if I should go for an M1 Mac mini, or something else, but considering that you and Colbyjohn have done it with M1, it is of course tempting to go the route that you have trailblazed and be able to learn from your explorations (it would still be quite a challenge for me to pull it off, but I guess it would not be fun if it was too easy )

Sorry my reply got kinda messed up. I am jealous that you have 2 20 inch models. I would have taken that over the 17 if I could find one. I would suggest finding a modern panel you can fit into the 20" (16:10) something with LED backlights and hopefully close to retina quality. That would be way more worth it to me. And it might not require as much internal volume either, so you won't need the 24V rail or 5 and 3 either. you'd have to do more research there, but it'd be worth it.

At this point, if you're not in a rush. I might suggest researching the display, find a good panel that'll fit and is good quality. By that point, the m1max or m2 Mac mini will likely be released, and you can consider going that route instead if the logic board is small enough.

If you're going to keep the DVD drive intact, the Mac mini logic board is about as big as you can get, unless you find a completely different way to lay things out inside.

 

[Ursus1968]

Sorry my reply got kinda messed up. I am jealous that you have 2 20 inch models. I would have taken that over the 17 if I could find one. I would suggest finding a modern panel you can fit into the 20" (16:10) something with LED backlights and hopefully close to retina quality. That would be way more worth it to me. And it might not require as much internal volume either, so you won't need the 24V rail or 5 and 3 either. you'd have to do more research there, but it'd be worth it.

At this point, if you're not in a rush. I might suggest researching the display, find a good panel that'll fit and is good quality. By that point, the m1max or m2 Mac mini will likely be released, and you can consider going that route instead if the logic board is small enough.

If you're going to keep the DVD drive intact, the Mac mini logic board is about as big as you can get, unless you find a completely different way to lay things out inside.

I am indeed quite happy/lucky to have found two 20"s , but it took quite a while to find them, they are quite scarce where I live (Sweden). I am in no particular rush to do the mod, but don't want to put it off for forever either. Now that 16:10 is coming back into style, it will hopefully become easier to find HD panels with that ratio. As for keeping the DVD intact, that is not a priority, I am more interested in features like being able to connect to the Apple Pro speakers.

 

[Andropov]

Now that 16:10 is coming back into style, it will hopefully become easier to find HD panels with that ratio.

Shame it ever went out of style.

 

[anthonymoody]

SO very cool. I'd pay "something" for this though not sure how much! And I wouldn't even need the DVD drive If you can get a modern display into one, especially the 20"....man you'd really have something!

 

[MRxROBOT]

Wow! You did incredible work on this project. Thoroughly impressed.

 

[connor55]

SO very cool. I'd pay "something" for this though not sure how much! And I wouldn't even need the DVD drive If you can get a modern display into one, especially the 20"....man you'd really have something!

Yeah the 20" would have been great to have, they seem to be really rare these days though. Im actually surprised at how okay I am with the stock 17" display. Its obviously not retina quality, but its perfectly usable and bright even during the day. The matte finish helps a lot as well.

I am indeed quite happy/lucky to have found two 20"s , but it took quite a while to find them, they are quite scarce where I live (Sweden). I am in no particular rush to do the mod, but don't want to put it off for forever either. Now that 16:10 is coming back into style, it will hopefully become easier to find HD panels with that ratio. As for keeping the DVD intact, that is not a priority, I am more interested in features like being able to connect to the Apple Pro speakers.

The pro speakers require a little bit of modding to work with a regular headphone jack.Apple really tried to make them unusable with anything else. if you don't need the optical drive, there will be tons of room for all kinds of things in the dome. For my particular project, the goal was to maintain all the original features.

Wow! You did incredible work on this project. Thoroughly impressed.

Thank you

 

[AustinIllini]

This is absolutely insane. So cool.

 

[pippox0]

Awesome - very cool

 

[Spike1999]

Amazing stuff ?, the YouTube video pointed me here. How long did it take from start to finish to achieve this?

 

[MobiusStrip]

Nice job! Maybe I missed it, but did you solve the screen wake-up problem?

 

[robco74]

Kudos to making on the Ars homepage.

 

[TechnoLawyer]

That is seriously awesome. Love it. Only thing that would make it better would be, as has been said, find a better panel to fit within the bezel.

 

[Ursus1968]

Sorry my reply got kinda messed up. I am jealous that you have 2 20 inch models. I would have taken that over the 17 if I could find one. I would suggest finding a modern panel you can fit into the 20" (16:10) something with LED backlights and hopefully close to retina quality. That would be way more worth it to me. And it might not require as much internal volume either, so you won't need the 24V rail or 5 and 3 either. you'd have to do more research there, but it'd be worth it.

At this point, if you're not in a rush. I might suggest researching the display, find a good panel that'll fit and is good quality. By that point, the m1max or m2 Mac mini will likely be released, and you can consider going that route instead if the logic board is small enough.

If you're going to keep the DVD drive intact, the Mac mini logic board is about as big as you can get, unless you find a completely different way to lay things out inside.

So...I have been doing some research trying to find a 20" display with 16:10 format and at least 1920x1200 resolution, but with no luck. That combined with the fact that my semi-broken 17" is after some trouble shooting more definitely in the "broken" corner, so I at least start with try doing a 17" mod.

 

[connor55]

Kudos to making on the Ars homepage.

Wow thanks for letting me know, I had no idea this was going to spark this level of interest!

That is seriously awesome. Love it. Only thing that would make it better would be, as has been said, find a better panel to fit within the bezel.

Thanks! I intend to eventually find a 20" monitor casing and a more modern panel to go along with it. Until then I'm actually quite happy with the 17" display despite what the specs may suggest.

 

[connor55]

Amazing stuff ?, the YouTube video pointed me here. How long did it take from start to finish to achieve this?

Thanks! Took about a month including researching, trail and error, and waiting for parts to ship.

Nice job! Maybe I missed it, but did you solve the screen wake-up problem?

Thanks, yes I had to use one of the thunderbolt ports to plug in a DVI adaptor in order to get everything to behave properly. For some reason the HDMI was just not playing nice with the iMacs display, even though it worked find with other DVI monitors.

 

[illitrate23]

???? Amazing mod, awesome to see the project from the early steps to the end.
I have a G4 iMac that’s stayed on my desk since I stopped using it because one of these days, eventually, I hope to follow in your footsteps. It’s such a cool design to not try and keep using it somehow

 

[Dfds]

Really cool projec, nice to see some old equipment being given new life.