iMac G4 to M1 conversion progress

[profcutter]

Your fame knows no bounds!

This Modded iMac G4 With an M1 Chip Is My Dream Computer

The resulting machine blends a funky retro aesthetic with modern power.

gizmodo.com

 

[connor55]

???? 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

Thanks glad you enjoyed it. Yeah its got too much character to just throw away. Hope to see yours running with new hardware eventually

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

Thanks, I’m hoping it’s good for another 5-10 years this way.

 

[connor55]

Your fame knows no bounds!

This Modded iMac G4 With an M1 Chip Is My Dream Computer

The resulting machine blends a funky retro aesthetic with modern power.

gizmodo.com

Wow that’s incredible, I’m honoured and blown away by the level of interest in this. Thanks for sharing that!

 

[lepidotós]

If you still have the original parts that you took out, be sure to sell them off rather than just throwing them away. Even if you don't actually care about the iMac G4 as an actual computer, other people do and would appreciate the spare parts.
And to everyone wanting to do this yourself, if you have a working one, try to sell it off and buy or trade it for a dead one. You could easily get $200 for one working.​

 

[connor55]

If you still have the original parts that you took out, be sure to sell them off rather than just throwing them away. Even if you don't actually care about the iMac G4 as an actual computer, other people do and would appreciate the spare parts.
And to everyone wanting to do this yourself, if you have a working one, try to sell it off and buy or trade it for a dead one. You could easily get $200 for one working.​

I hear ya, I am working on selling off the remaining useable parts from the original G4 hardware, as well as an entire unmodded G4 17" that still works.

 

[robco74]

Now The Verge as well.

 

[TechnoLawyer]

Now The Verge as well.

This much attention, I'd list it on ebay with a ridiculously high reserve and see if some crypto gazillionaire wants to pay way too much money for it. I mean, someone paid like $80k for an iphone modded to have a usb-c charging port.

 

[connor55]

Now The Verge as well.

?

This much attention, I'd list it on ebay with a ridiculously high reserve and see if some crypto gazillionaire wants to pay way too much money for it. I mean, someone paid like $80k for an iphone modded to have a usb-c charging port.

Lol not a bad idea, but I’m actually using it as my daily driver now.

 

[profcutter]

That’s awesome, good for you!

 

[wakka]

I love this. Brilliant work

 

[PML7554]

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

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.

FYI, I found an other solution to solve Sleep/wake issue.
For my intel Mac mini mod I was using a HDMI splitter to be able to watch Netflix/prime video and co by overriding HDCP protection. In fact, it also works to solve this sleep/wake issue. I’m upgrading my mod with a M1 Mini, and I don’t have the issue thanks to the splitter.

 

[kkclstuff]

Love what you're doing! Happy to lend a hand if you need 3d printed parts for internal/structual/adpter (fan shrouds) parts, Let me know. Also locating header blocks/terminators/connectors/etc can be a chore but they're out there with some digging on Digikey/mouser/alibaba. (While doing a 2011 iMac bluetooth upgrade, finding the JIS connectors was maybe the biggest battle LOL)

 

[alexgillan]

Would this downconverter work if I set it to 5V or 3.3V ?

Power Supply Module DC Converter 5V-36V to 1.25-32V 3A 5A CC https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07VP5HG5M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_6B1CSHZ8TA1E869D9M9H

I want to use my 17” iMac as an external display only. So as the recommended 3.3V is set on a downconverter I won’t need to use a 5V and a another 3.3v one?

 

[connor55]

FYI, I found an other solution to solve Sleep/wake issue.
For my intel Mac mini mod I was using a HDMI splitter to be able to watch Netflix/prime video and co by overriding HDCP protection. In fact, it also works to solve this sleep/wake issue. I’m upgrading my mod with a M1 Mini, and I don’t have the issue thanks to the splitter.

Definitely will be following to see exactly how you set that up. It’ll be good for future modders to make it better than I did. I think I’m going to leave mine the way it is for now though, since redoing it would involving buying a whole bunch of different adaptors, dongle, and extension cables. Not to mention ungluing all my ports ?

Love what you're doing! Happy to lend a hand if you need 3d printed parts for internal/structual/adpter (fan shrouds) parts, Let me know. Also locating header blocks/terminators/connectors/etc can be a chore but they're out there with some digging on Digikey/mouser/alibaba. (While doing a 2011 iMac bluetooth upgrade, finding the JIS connectors was maybe the biggest battle LOL)

Thanks I appreciate it! one nice thing is that I can physically see if the fan ramps up through the iMac vent holes, and I can clearly see that even with hours and hours of gaming, the iMac gets warm, but the fan only speeds up a bit, and quickly ramps down after closing the game. Hopefully this means my diy duct is doing its job haha. But the connectivity really does need to be fixed. I was thinking I could cut a window in the metal layer of the dome, and have the original antennae sit right up to the inner plastic(laying flat against it). I don’t see why this wouldn’t work, and it wouldn’t cost a dime lol.

Would this downconverter work if I set it to 5V or 3.3V ?

Power Supply Module DC Converter 5V-36V to 1.25-32V 3A 5A CC https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07VP5HG5M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_6B1CSHZ8TA1E869D9M9H

I want to use my 17” iMac as an external display only. So as the recommended 3.3V is set on a downconverter I won’t need to use a 5V and a another 3.3v one?

The Drexel junkie guide says that you can get away with just using 5v, so you may only need 1. Either way, that one should work yes.

 

[Ursus1968]

Mac mini teardown has begun.. View attachment 1945374
View attachment 1945375
So empty lol
View attachment 1945376
View attachment 1945378
Amazing that an entire computer is smaller than just the stock G4 HDD. should fit over the cd drive nicely.
View attachment 1945377
splicing into the Mac mini AC cord to tie into the G4
View attachment 1945381
Maybe I can reduce the amount of slack later but this'll do for testing right now.
View attachment 1945382
after some struggle, I got this LED out of the Mac mini. Now theres nothing left in the shell.
View attachment 1945379
threw the components together to see if the "unified" AC cable works. Ill have to do something about the fan set up to make it fit
View attachment 1945388
It works!
Fished the power button out of the rear face plate, tested it with a meter and luckily its just a normally open button just like the G4s! Should make using the stock power button relatively convenient. (micro soldering aside)
View attachment 1945380
Here's a very rough sketch of how I want to lay things out. The internal fitment will probably the most challenging part of the entire project. Red goes directly to the Mac mini, yellow will go to a USB hub, green is ac related stuff
View attachment 1945384
rearranging the fan to make it more compact. It would be nice to have a 3D printer to make a custom duct. but ill have to improvise for now..
View attachment 1945385
Had some actual furnace ducting tape lol, so just testing this out to redirect the air into the heat sink(not that the M1 necessarily needs it)
View attachment 1945386
sealing all the gaps View attachment 1945387
back on the board in the new arrangement. added a layer of electrical tape outside to keep anything nearby from shorting by accident.

I may need to order a bunch of 90 degree ports to fit this properly..

Feeling a bit stupid now, but I am trying to figure out from the pictures how you have the power supply wired up.

From what I can see you get 220V (hm, realize that may be 120V in your case?) in through the original G4 power port, and then splice the wires from the AC filter together with the cut MacMini power cord, is that correct?

Someting like this, if it makes sense?

Wallsocket -> Original G4 cable -> original power socket in G4 -> AC filter in G4 -> Original G4 wires <-splice-> Cut MacMini cord -> power socket in MacMini.

Correct this far?

 

[connor55]

Yes, or you can splice directly into the ac input wires on the PSU. But I find it easier to use a bit of the wire and plug so that it’s detachable. Make sure to use solid solder connections and a lot of insulation. I also grounded the Mac mini PSU to the iMac chassis for safety. There are 2 ground mounts on the Mac mini PSU that should be labelled ground or earth. Make sure everything else is insulated though.

 

[Ursus1968]

Yes, or you can splice directly into the ac input wires on the PSU. But I find it easier to use a bit of the wire and plug so that it’s detachable. Make sure to use solid solder connections and a lot of insulation. I also grounded the Mac mini PSU to the iMac chassis for safety. There are 2 ground mounts on the Mac mini PSU that should be labelled ground or earth. Make sure everything else is insulated though.

Agree with you that using a plug is the better option, keeps things a bit modular!

My next maybe stupid question is this: Was it an option for you to not use the original G4 Power Supply, and instead get power from the M1 PSU, to feed to the display + DVD drive? I am trying find specs on what the M1 PSU actually outputs, to understand if it would be possible to go that route, instead of splicing in a powersupply and feeding power to display/fan that way. I am planning for a setup where I will need 12V for the control board for a new display, possibly also 12V for the original fan, and a guesstimate of 3V for the original bezel LED.

 

[connor55]

It may be possible to use the M1 PSU for everything, but with the power needed for the inverter, display, Logic board, and the DVD Drive, I wasn't confident that I had enough overhead from just the M1 power supply. I decided to just let each power supply power its original components. The M1 PSU is about 150W and the G4 one is around 160W if I'm remembering right, but you can find that info pretty easily. If you manage to just use the M1 power supply, you can save a good amount of space in the upper dome though. but if you're not doing the disc drive, its not going to be a problem anyway. just remember to ground both power supplies to the chassis

 

[Ursus1968]

It may be possible to use the M1 PSU for everything, but with the power needed for the inverter, display, Logic board, and the DVD Drive, I wasn't confident that I had enough overhead from just the M1 power supply. I decided to just let each power supply power its original components. The M1 PSU is about 150W and the G4 one is around 160W if I'm remembering right, but you can find that info pretty easily. If you manage to just use the M1 power supply, you can save a good amount of space in the upper dome though. but if you're not doing the disc drive, its not going to be a problem anyway. just remember to ground both power supplies to the chassis

Pretty much landed in the same conclusion after doing some more research. Balancing between making it more "clean" and tapping into the M1 PSU vs going for a more modular approach with a separate PSU for display & fan, I realized I did not want to gamble on that there would not be some weird Apple configuration of the M1 PSU that could make things difficult, and as you write, I should not have any problem housing an extra PSU for display/fan. Found this video that showed some M1 PSU details, for those interested, where they provided a detailed pinout of the 20 pin connector and M1 totalt power consumption:

 

[alexgillan]

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!

Which kind of adapter /cable did you use for usbc output to dvi? cause I got a dvi cable to usbc and I tried two brands and both end up showing green lines on the iMac screen.

so atm i have a dvi to hdmi adapter connected to a hdmi cable to a hdmi to usb-c dongle but the sleep/wake issue is really annoying. I’m gonna try the hdmi splitter thing but I’d rather not having an extra cable for powering the hdmi splitter.

 

[Ursus1968]

Quick update: after a lot of struggle with making a firm connection to tiny ribbon cable pins, I’ve got the original g4 power button (with a small piece of its motherboard for mounting) working with the Mac mini logic board.

current struggle: all the 90 degree adaptors fit, but for some reason display backlight (even though it’s running off usb C) won’t turn on unless I remove the usb plug for the dvd drive. Sometimes it works just fine though. I’m scratching my head over this one, and struggling to think of a solution or test for this, as the problem is also intermittent.

Any advice you can share when it comes to connecting the original powerbutton to the M1 powerbutton?

 

[connor55]

Which kind of adapter /cable did you use for usbc output to dvi? cause I got a dvi cable to usbc and I tried two brands and both end up showing green lines on the iMac screen.

so atm i have a dvi to hdmi adapter connected to a hdmi cable to a hdmi to usb-c dongle but the sleep/wake issue is really annoying. I’m gonna try the hdmi splitter thing but I’d rather not having an extra cable for powering the hdmi splitter.

USB-C to DVI Cable 4K, LSVTR Type... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07VH5TFQL?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share this is the one that I used and it continues to work properly for me. I had to use a dvi male to male cable as well.

Any advice you can share when it comes to connecting the original powerbutton to the M1 powerbutton?

There are 5 tiny leads but they are effectively only 2(+ and -). Use a meter to figure out which leads are which, as I can’t remember exactly which are which. The best way to connect wires to those leads is with micro soldering, and then stabilizing the connections against a surface like a small board. Search for m1 g5 iMac to see a Build video. That guy goes in detail about how he connected the stock power button to the Mac mini one.

 

[Ursus1968]

There are 5 tiny leads but they are effectively only 2(+ and -). Use a meter to figure out which leads are which, as I can’t remember exactly which are which. The best way to connect wires to those leads is with micro soldering, and then stabilizing the connections against a surface like a small board. Search for m1 g5 iMac to see a Build video. That guy goes in detail about how he connected the stock power button to the Mac mini one.

ok thanks! I believe I have seen that video, if it is this one that you are referring to.

 

[connor55]

That’s the one!

 

[alexgillan]

USB-C to DVI Cable 4K, LSVTR Type... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07VH5TFQL?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share this is the one that I used and it continues to work properly for me. I had to use a dvi male to male cable as well.

thank you so much! I’ve been trying with HDMI but now I know the issue.