iM 4,1-14,4 27" 2010 iMac as "target display" works!

[Vladistone]

I'm trying to make an additional display for mac mini M2 be recognized (look at the screenshot - display LC-1011-2 11" 1920*440 HDMI-connected. It works fine, but is not displayed in the display settings window. I additionally installed SwitchResX (but maybe in vain, since I only managed to make it display in MAC settings once, by setting non-standard monitor settings... but now I have completely lost these tricks).
Can anyone help? Or suggest a source of knowledge in these manipulations with an additional non-standard screen?

 

[Shnite]

I got back to that iMac 2010 and put a fresh install of Sonoma 14.6.1 on it. TDP no longer works. It appears to flash once but unable to switch to the video source. I did not have to fiddle when it was on Monterey. Cmd F2 worked every time. Would be interesting to know if TDP works in Ventura, now that Monterey is sliding out of the end-of-life window.

I managed to get Target Display Mode (TDM) working on Ventura 14.7.8 (23H730), but it takes 5–30 attempts to successfully switch to the video source.
iPad Pro M1 -> iMac 27" 2010 (11,3).

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

I managed to get Target Display Mode (TDM) working on Ventura 14.7.8 (23H730), but it takes 5–30 attempts to successfully switch to the video source.
iPad Pro M1 -> iMac 27" 2010 (11,3).

Would it be easier if you try getting TDM working on High Sierra?

 

[Vladistone]

Would it be easier if you try getting TDM working on High Sierra?

At MacOS 10.13.6 easily TDM-switching, without many approaches
It's much more difficult to switch or synchronize at TDM for MacOS upper than HS...

 

[aggri1]

I just upgraded to a Mac Mini from a 2010 iMac, which of course I was expecting to use as a display.

I did eventually get it working, but it required an extra piece of hardware. My iMac is a 2010 (so Target Display Mode using DisplayPort not Thunderbolt) and the new mac is a M4 Mini. Connecting a USB-C-to-miniDisplayPort cable directly between the computers didn't work (as the Apple documentation suggests). The iMac turned black briefly and then went back to its own output. Presumably the Mini didn't somehow understand that it was to output a displayport signal over the thunderbolt / USB-4 (?) port.

What has worked for me is using a (Dell) thunderbolt dock, and a miniDisplayPort cable from that dock to the iMac. Somehow this allows the displayport signal to get to the iMac (including sound). The thunderbolt dock provides the Mini with some USB-A ports too!

Not sure if worth it in general unless you see value in such a Thunderbolt dock for some other reason also, but I had the Dell dock from my work and thought I'd try it.

Cheers.

 

[Shnite]

I just upgraded to a Mac Mini from a 2010 iMac, which of course I was expecting to use as a display.

I did eventually get it working, but it required an extra piece of hardware. My iMac is a 2010 (so Target Display Mode using DisplayPort not Thunderbolt) and the new mac is a M4 Mini. Connecting a USB-C-to-miniDisplayPort cable directly between the computers didn't work (as the Apple documentation suggests). The iMac turned black briefly and then went back to its own output. Presumably the Mini didn't somehow understand that it was to output a displayport signal over the thunderbolt / USB-4 (?) port.

What has worked for me is using a (Dell) thunderbolt dock, and a miniDisplayPort cable from that dock to the iMac. Somehow this allows the displayport signal to get to the iMac (including sound). The thunderbolt dock provides the Mini with some USB-A ports too!

Not sure if worth it in general unless you see value in such a Thunderbolt dock for some other reason also, but I had the Dell dock from my work and thought I'd try it.

Cheers.

View attachment 2566539

Like this???

Dell Thunderbolt WD22TB4 4 Dock 130W

or

Dock TB16 Thunderbolt 180W

or

Dell DELL-TB18DC - DUAL-C THUNDERBOLT DOCK TB18DC - EUR PRECISION 7530 AND 7730​

​

​

 

[aggri1]

Like this???

Dell Thunderbolt WD22TB4 4 Dock 130W

or

Dock TB16 Thunderbolt 180W

The Dell Thunderbolt dock I have is smaller than those but looks very similar. I've no idea what 'feature' it is which allows it to work - I would guess that those would work identically.

However, as I mentioned, buying a dock just to use an old iMac as a monitor is probably not worth it - a new screen would probably be a better idea: yes the iMac 'screen' works, but it's not as convenient as a 'real' screen (e.g. need to boot the iMac, volume and brightness controls don't work on the 'new' / source Mac, require the iMac to have a keyboard attached, and it uses more power than a plain screen) and a new screen would probably provide a better image for the same / similar price.

I do like the environmental aspect of reusing rather than creating more rubbish / eWaste all the time though.