Who else is still using a 2017 iMac?

[rin67630]

I just pimped a 2017 iMac 22".
The most stupid iMac I've ever met !
Selling a computer in 2017 with only a mechanical HDD needed a good share of chuzpe.
That one got to be an unbearable snail, running Ventura on the HDD with APFS.
And the was the model witout Retina screen !
I have pimped many iMacs from 2012 to 2015 with SSDs and OCLP, but that one was really the only one, which did not work at all with OCLP.
It got stuck on a white Apple on a red background and 30% progression.
Finally I installed Ventura on an external SSD without OCLP. It is usable now, but not more than just that.

 

[Abazigal]

Still holding on to a 2017 5k iMac as well. I am living with my parents, my dad is semi-retired and spends most of his free time in the study room, and he has basically commandeered the iMac for himself. Uses it mainly for web browsing and watching YouTube, and the screen is gorgeous for this purpose.

I did spend extra to bump the ram up to 40gb and to add a 1tb SSD, so while the iMac no longer receives software updates, it feels like a waste to replace it (and replace it with what exactly?!!).

 

[DerKommissar]

I'm also still running a 2017 27 incher, but it's starting to show its age. Like the OP, I maxed out at the time with the 4.2 ghz i7 and 8 gb vram, but I saved some money and got the 512 GB SSD. Upgraded to 40 GB ram shortly after. Going on 8 years, it's been worth the money, but I absolutely would have traded it in already if they still made a 27 inch iMac. All of the office apps run pretty slow now and launch like a dog. Even though that's likely the fault of MS, it's still an annoyance.

I've been holding out as long as I can, but I will upgrade if...

1. The next iMac includes a M4 pro option.
2. The new mini still keeps the M4 pro option and the new case still keeps a reasonable amount of ports. And the 32 or 24 gb ram option is not priced too close to the price of the base Mac Studio.

If none of that hits, I'll get the next Mac Studio.

All that said- I think this is the longest I've held onto a Mac, and I've owned a lot of them: IIsi, Q605, Q630, PB 150, PM 7100, Beige g3 (kept that one the 2nd longest), QS PM G4, PM G5, Two intel iMacs (one had the screen die), and then the 2017 iMac.

 

[MacInTO]

I just got a used one for $200. It is the low spec 5k model with 8GB RAM and 1TB fusion drive. The screen is amazing! Performance is so-so, but it's better that what I had before, a 2012 15" MacBook pro which was getting long in the tooth.

I might upgrade the processor to the i7 7700 and the NVMe as well as delete the spinning drive. Will I notice a difference if I do this?

 

[DerKommissar]

Honestly? Outside of the SSD upgrade, it’s not worth it. You’d still be stuck in an OS 2 versions old, and one that performs worse on intel than the prior version to boot. Going to the I7 just would not buy you enough performance to make it worth it. Especially when you can buy a base mini new and have a faster computer.

 

[MacInTO]

I don't care about the OS, I'm still using High Sierra because I use older versions of software and do not want to upgrade. I actually had to downgrade the OS on the iMac to test it with the software. I have another Macbook Pro that is on Catalina.

 

[pshufd]

I just got a used one for $200. It is the low spec 5k model with 8GB RAM and 1TB fusion drive. The screen is amazing! Performance is so-so, but it's better that what I had before, a 2012 15" MacBook pro which was getting long in the tooth.

I might upgrade the processor to the i7 7700 and the NVMe as well as delete the spinning drive. Will I notice a difference if I do this?

You can just hang an external SSD off of it with macOS and your data files and it will be a significant improvement. I'd recommend adding at least 8 GB of RAM too.

 

[Fishrrman]

MacInTo --

To add to what pshfud said in reply 82...

A 2017 iMac will have USBc ports on the rear that support USB3.1 gen2 speeds.

If you were to get an external USB3.1 gen2 SSD, it would give you read speeds around 900-910MBps. Pretty good.

So... I suggest just leaving the internal drive components "as they are", and plugging in an external SSD instead -- to become your new external boot drive.

My current favorite is the Crucial X9...

 

[drrich2]

A 2017 iMac will have USBc ports on the rear that support USB3.1 gen2 speeds.

If you were to get an external USB3.1 gen2 SSD, it would give you read speeds around 900-910MBps. Pretty good.

I did something like this. My 2017 5K Retina iMac's Fusion Drive was messing up and on the way out, so I (on the suggest of a Mac Rumors forum member) bought Samsung T7 Shield 4-TB USB-C external drive on holiday special off Amazon. I used my old MacBook to format it and get Mac OS Ventura installed on it, then used my iMac's attached Carbon Copy Cloner backup on an external hard disk drive to migrate content to the T7. Then I had the iMac switch to using the T7, which is plugged into a USB-C port on the back and dangles.

USB-C, not Thunderbolt. I thought it might let me make do with passable performance for awhile.

Instead, my subjective experience opening applications, etc..., is that it seems a little snappier than it used to be. It's not just as good, it's better.

To steal the line from the Staples commercials, "That was easy."

 

[Dimvol]

I want to leave iMac 21.5 2017 for old games, like Quake 3, Surviving Mars, Subnautica 1 and 2. I see in the first message that they installed i7 7700k and wrote about everything except what the temperature was. Probably under a hundred degrees Celsius?
For Radeon, a temperature above 70 degrees is already a dangerous temperature. Does anyone use one now with 7700 or 7700k?
I wonder what the temperature is in it after replacing the processor. Thanks in advance for the answers, if any.

 

[pshufd]

I want to leave iMac 21.5 2017 for old games, like Quake 3, Surviving Mars, Subnautica 1 and 2. I see in the first message that they installed i7 7700k and wrote about everything except what the temperature was. Probably under a hundred degrees Celsius?
For Radeon, a temperature above 70 degrees is already a dangerous temperature. Does anyone use one now with 7700 or 7700k?
I wonder what the temperature is in it after replacing the processor. Thanks in advance for the answers, if any.

Try to find an iMac Pro - you won't have to change the CPU. It has really beefy cooling and runs quietly.

 

[Dimvol]

Thanks for the advice. I understand, but I don't see the point in buying another old computer. Besides, it's not that bad.
I can play Subnautica at 2048x1152. I have to turn off anti-aliasing. But it's quite comfortable to play. The temperature on the CPU and GPU does not exceed 60-62 degrees. Radion Pro 560 with 4 GB copes well. The i5 7500 processor is weak. There are very few options for replacement: i5 7600 or something from i7 7700 - regular, T or K.
The only thing that confuses me is whether the cooling system will cope. There are reports of successful replacement, but no one talks in detail about the temperature.

 

[PlayUltimate]

Just traded mine into to Apple recently. Decided to get a 14" MacBook Pro. I do miss the monitor. . . . But I am happy to regain space on my desk. It lived a long, happy life.

 

[Mac Hammer Fan]

My brother has an iMac 2017-27inch-SSD and he is very satisfied with this Mac. After 2025, when Ventura is no more officially supported, he will try OCLP to run a newer system.

 

[SalisburySam]

I’m searching for reasons to migrate my 2017 iMac from Montery to Ventura. Haven’t found anything compelling yet if I’m being honest, but still looking.

 

[pshufd]

I’m searching for reasons to migrate my 2017 iMac from Montery to Ventura. Haven’t found anything compelling yet if I’m being honest, but still looking.

I upgraded to Ventura for the weather app. Windows 10 has a nice weather app which they removed in Windows 11. I was actually running a Windows virtual machine in the past just for a weather app. It's funny because macOS added a weather app and Windows removed theirs.

I'm running Sonoma now as I love the widgets.

I was fine on Monterey on my 2015 iMac which I'm about to sell. I'm still running it on my backup laptop and there's nothing wrong with it.

 

[SalisburySam]

I upgraded to Ventura for the weather app. Windows 10 has a nice weather app which they removed in Windows 11. I was actually running a Windows virtual machine in the past just for a weather app. It's funny because macOS added a weather app and Windows removed theirs.

I'm running Sonoma now as I love the widgets.

I was fine on Monterey on my 2015 iMac which I'm about to sell. I'm still running it on my backup laptop and there's nothing wrong with it.

Interesting thanks. I get weather info more from my iPadPro and iPhone, don’t really use it on my iMac so that’s not an upgrade driver for me. Sonoma is supposedly unsupported on my 2017 iMac so haven’t even considered it. Still not seeing anything to compel me to go from Monterey to Ventura.

 

[Dimvol]

Venturа works well there. Maximum possible performance, while it remains cool. Sonoma or Sequoia beta are easy to install there, patches are only needed for Wi-Fi (OСLP).
But they are often connected with a cable and Wi-Fi is not needed at all, you can do without it. But for unknown reasons, the processor temperature increases by about 10 degrees. I already showed this in another topic. And artifacts appear in the form of pink cubes on the desktop in the upper right corner. Sequoia is currently bad and can only be installed for review. What can they give you? Only widgets and desktop pictures. Whether you need it or not at such a price is up to you. I will use Ventura. In games, there is a loss of performance, freezes appear, and the fan is heard louder and more often.

 

[kalsta]

Yep to the OP, still enjoying my 2017 27" iMac over here. With 24GB RAM and a 1TB SSD it feels just as fast as the day I bought it. I'd happily stick with it for years to come, but the vintage status and lack of Apple Silicon is obviously limiting its capabilities.

The plan is to get a Mac Studio to replace it in 2024. I think I'll miss the beautiful 5k display terribly, but as of now I can't justify spending $1,600 on a "smart" display with the guts of an iPad and all the unnecessary bells and whistles that involves.

… I do wish Apple had not disabled the ability to use iMacs as external displays without extensive modification. They're all about recycling/upcycling until they want to sell you an overpriced, overspecced Studio Display.

Bingo. In Australia, Apple charges a whopping A$2499 for their Studio Display, and here I am with pretty much the same display sitting right in front of me, but I can't use it because Apple disabled Target Display Mode in 2014. If I were to sell my iMac, I'd be lucky to get A$800 for it. Kind of crazy isn't it.

I don't know if the shift to Apple silicone chips had anything to do with it, but there seems to've been a big paradigm shift at Apple. 27" iMacs with 5K retina screens, a good overall value option (if we ignore having to toss the screen with the computer, once target display mode went away), was eliminated. The 24" iMac remains, but that smaller screen is off-putting to many. The iMac Pro was discontinued and the Studio came out (which sounds like a 'headless Mac,' but you can't upgrade RAM or add internal storage, so it's functionally an all-in-one - monitor).

Initially, I was disappointed that Apple didn't update the 27" iMac with Apple Silicon. When I bought my 2017 iMac, I thought it was the best allrounder Apple ever offered, with an unbeatable (within the Apple ecosystem anyway) balance of size, performance and price. (The current 24" iMac, besides being too small, is right up there with Apple's ugliest Mac releases IMO.) But my current dilemma is a timely reminder of the waste that comes with a built-in screen, so I think my days of buying iMacs are over.

Yes I agree, the Studio would have been the Mac users had been demanding for years if it was in the least-bit upgradeable. It does appear that Apple has put profits above customers here. It has an opportunity to reverse that trend in the future if leadership ever realises that the best long-term business strategy is always to please your customers.

I'll probably end up buying an M4 Mac mini when it launches and trying to make the iMac work as a display with some of the hacks other people have suggested. If that doesn't work, I might have to buy a cheaper non-Apple display to go with it. 🫤

 

[DaveF]

Still using my 2017 5K 27” i5 iMac. I plan to replace it with an m4 Mac mini this year or early next year. And I’m thinking of gutting my 2017 iMac and converting it to a 5K display for the mini.

 

[kalsta]

Still using my 2017 5K 27” i5 iMac. I plan to replace it with an m4 Mac mini this year or early next year. And I’m thinking of gutting my 2017 iMac and converting it to a 5K display for the mini.

I'm all ears if you can point me to any resources on how to do that!

Edit: I found this partly-baked guide on iFixit. You gotta wonder what happened to the author and his attempt. 🫤

A couple more:
Converting a 5K iMac into an External 5K Display
Convert a 5K iMac into an External Display
(Plus the MacRumors one shared three comments down)

 

[Dimvol]

Something like this.
Problem 1: you can't find a ready eDP cable, you'll have to make it yourself (there is no documentation for this matrix).
Problem 2: it's not known what the resulting image quality will be, scaling to the resolution of this matrix is inevitable.

I don't know what to do next either.
Advantages of new computers on Apple silicon:
Bigger screen (24 inches, 21.5 is too small, 27 is too big).
Cool and powerful. There are good new games only for Apple silicon (for example Lies of Pi, Stray)
Disadvantages: not all old games can be transferred to Apple silicon.
They don't look like these. They've become simpler. And these ridiculous colors...
People advise buying a game console.
If we are talking about using it for the Internet, working with documents, photos, then there is no point in changing it at all. The old one can still be used quite well.

 

[Elmo1938]

me too. still waiting for an upgraded iMac27 or😅 iMac32

 

[PaulD-UK]

@kalsta

DIY 5k Monitor - success :-)

My "latest Macs" are a heavily upgraded 2009 Mac Pro (6c CPU, M.2 SSD, USB 3, RX580...) and more recently a 12c 2013 Mac Pro with an eGPU (Vega 56) - both machines with more than enough CPU power, GPU power and RAM for my needs, but I long aspired to upgrade to a nice 5k monitor to replace my...

forums.macrumors.com

The latter part of the thread is up to date info.
There is no need to compromise the quality of the display with something like the link from @Dimvol.
The end result is as good as the original iMac, and completely compatible with AS Macs. 🙂

 

[DaveF]

I'm all ears if you can point me to any resources on how to do that!

Edit: I found this partly-baked guide on iFixit. You gotta wonder what happened to the author and his attempt. 🫤

A couple more:
Converting a 5K iMac into an External 5K Display
Convert a 5K iMac into an External Display
(Plus the MacRumors one shared three comments down)

I learned about the idea from this detailed video.