When Apple’s new Studio Display was released last month, many people were quick to point out that the panel is almost identical to the one Apple used in the 2014 27-inch iMac. Due to the similarities between the two decided YouTubers Luke Miani to see if he could convert an old iMac to a Studio Display.
Can an iMac be converted to a Studio Display?
Miani explains:
Apple’s new Studio Display is quite an interesting product, but at $ 1,599 it’s without a doubt a bad value. But since there are so few other monitors out there that offer 5K resolution of 27 inches, for some it is the only option. Until today. If you do not want to spend $ 1600 on Apple Studio Display, you can make your own!
The obvious solution here would be to use Target Display Mode, which is a feature that lets you use an iMac as an external monitor for another Mac. However, Apple stopped this feature with the release of macOS Mojave, and the Retina iMac was never supported by the feature.
With that in mind, Miani set out to convert a 2014 iMac into a standalone, fully functional external display for $ 600. This process involved completely cleaning the iMac, which is something you need to do by removing the front panel of the iMac itself. Once this complicated process was completed, Miani had to search for the correct conversion card that allows you to actually connect the iMac.
The finished product is quite impressive. There is even a USB-C connection, and the iMac’s built-in webcam is fully functional. The total cost of this project turned out to be $ 829, which is about half the price of Studio Display. You’re missing some features, such as P3 color gamut support, but it’s an impressive result for under $ 1000.
Watch Miani’s full video below. It’s a bold process to watch, even if it’s something most people would not dare to tackle.
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