I saw your post here
https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/23157636/
I don't consider myself technical but even I know the 5k iMac uses a custom TCON chip because DP 1.2 doesn't support the bandwidth required for 5k pixels. That's why target display mode isn't available on that model, not as you say 'the reason is that it is Apple'. They made a big deal about it when they launched and the information is readily available.
You didn't realise that so it suggests you're not half as clever as you think you are. But by all means please post a video of your your project when all the parts you speak of are working.
I don't know everything about everything. I know enough to be confident in my knowledge. I had forgot what the apple community was like. You can bag the crap out of Microsoft on a MS forum and no one gives a stuff. In Apple forums everyone gets all offended. My point in that other thread was if apple wanted to make it possible they would have. They could have invented another connector or simply run it at a lower resolution for external inputs. These crazy resolutions are about as useful as clippy was in office 2000. Allowing an iMac to really functional properly as a screen might stop people throwing them out after their underpowered hardware becomes too slow and that would benefit their customers.
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Glad you got it sorted. A few post above you asked where to solder HDMI and what kind of interface does it use internally, so you are progressing fast... Which HDMI-LVDS exactly converter are you getting and what is your plan with power source once you remove all the electronics
Now I understand what you mean by "poor design". No, the iMac is not designed to make it easy for you "to work on it" or to be a good base for DYI projects. No internal part is designed to be easy serviceable and removable many times. Also there is nothing wrong about flat ribbon cables. I would be actually interested to know what cables are you using in your superior designs
I was looking at this one
http://www.chalk-elec.com/?page_id=1280#!/HDMI-to-LVDS-converter/p/14647633/category=3094861
I agree there is nothing wrong with ribbon cables. They are designed for stuff like LCDs where you are unlikely to remove the cables very often, if ever. However there is no question they are less durable that something like a sata plug. In my experience flat ribbon cables often fail. Sata connectors on the other hand are much more durable, designed to be removed 100s or even 1000s of times. My dislike with the iMac design is not that they use ribbon cables, but that they make it so you need to remove many ribbon cables to get to the HDD. It is simply poor design to have a durable connector, designed to be user serviceable, behind many ribbon cables. In all my laptops the HDD can be removed easily. It is a terrible design where you need to remove the screen to change a HDD.
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Thanks btrach. Unfortunately that is $2000, a little more than I want to spend
. My current PC I have had the case for at least 10 years and the monitor almost 8. It's still higher than full HD res with webcam and cost about $300. My PC I upgraded a few years ago for $500 to an i5. So budget over the last 8 years might be $1000.
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How are you going to power it? Seems like you need the MB to turn the PSU on / off.
Even if it works, it is a very huge, heavy display with no flexibility of ports or adjustments.
I can either power it from the power supply in the mac or by running some power from the PC. With ATX power supplies in the PC you can turn them on by bridging one wire. I presume the same thing would be possible in an iMac. As for being huge and heavy it's not really that big a deal. With regards ports it only needs one. I'm pretty sure I could wire up the USB ports so they worked.
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Complete waste of time. You can sell the iMac, and then use that money to buy a really nice 27" IPS screen and a webcam.
The iMac is not working so sale price won't be fantastic. I agree it would potentially be a waste of time but lots of projects are, right?
My wife really likes the simplicity of the iMac and it does look pretty good, even to an apple hater such as myself
