MP 1,1-5,1 5,1 and Target Display Mode on 2011 iMac?

[GlynH]

Just a quick sanity check if I may please?

I have a 2010 cMP 5,1 and a mid-2011 27" iMac that is currently very poorly but I plan to repair sometime soon.

Maybe sooner if the following might work...😉

Both machines are running High Sierra and seem to meet the requirements to utilise Target Display Mode here but I wondered if anybody here has actually used it successfully with this hardware combination?

If so I guess I can use either a Mini Display Port or Thunderbolt cable to connect the MDP on the Quadro NVS 510 to Thunderbolt on the iMac and if so does it matter if it is a TB1 or TB2 cable?

And am I able to toggle easily between the video output of either machine using the Command-F2 key combination as suggested?

If all in the affirmative then it would save me from buying an older LED Cinema or Thunderbolt Display of unknown condition which would be a bonus! 😎

Any gotcha's I might need to be aware of?

And I know this is wishful thinking on my part but is there any way I might be able to share the same wireless keyboard/trackpad between the two machines? No? I thought not...but it didn't hurt to ask! 😉

Thanks & kind regards,
-=Glyn=-

 

[mikas]

No, sorry, I haven't uset all of the combinations there are, but please let me try to answer.

iMac 2010 takes standard DP input I believe from any appropriate source, Mac or PC or whatever, but iMac 2011 requires TB input, nothing else will be rejected.

 

[KeesMacPro]

Both machines are running High Sierra and seem to meet the requirements to utilise Target Display Mode here

The link you posted looks a bit contradictory IMO (had to reread).
It says iMac 2011-2014 require Thunderbolt .
iMac 2009/2010 require DisplayPort.

The MP 5,1 has no native Thunderbolt connector , only Firewire so , as @mikas stated, this will not work I'm afraid.

 

[joevt]

The OS doesn't matter. Thunderbolt Target Display Mode will work with any OS on the iMac (I've done TDM using Monterey on a 2013 iMac).

The problem is that it requires Thunderbolt. An older iMac that used DisplayPort Target Display Mode would be easier to use.

If you add a Thunderbolt add-in card to the Mac Pro then it could work, but only if you can get it to support Thunderbolt IP networking. I'm not sure if that's been tested to work? Once Thunderbolt IP networking works, Thunderbolt Target Display Mode shouldn't have a problem (but it might...)
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/testing-tb3-aic-with-mp-5-1.2143042/

 

[joevt]

If you add a Thunderbolt add-in card to the Mac Pro then it could work, but only if you can get it to support Thunderbolt IP networking. I'm not sure if that's been tested to work? Once Thunderbolt IP networking works, Thunderbolt Target Display Mode shouldn't have a problem (but it might...)
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/testing-tb3-aic-with-mp-5-1.2143042/

Here's more info/speculation about Thunderbolt Target Display Mode:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/lg-ultrafine-5k-owners-thread.2023452/post-30681399

 

[GlynH]

Well thanks for taking the time to reply guys even if it wasn't what I wanted to hear. 🙁

I thought it would be too good to be true...that would have been absolutely ideal as not only would it save money buying a used LED Cinema Display of unknown provenance but I don't have room on my desk for two 27" displays!

I did read and re-read the Apple document from thinking it wouldn't work at all to thinking t would and then discovering it probably wouldn't so I've run the whole gamut of emotions on this subject.

What you've said here pretty much confirms my fear that I needed Thunderbolt and reading up on the flashed Titan Ridge for example hints that it is not guaranteed it will work as a display solution.

Ah well Plan B it is then...whatever that is!

Thanks for taking the time to jump in and advise 👍

Thanks & kind regards,
-=Glyn=-

 

[joevt]

Ah well Plan B it is then...whatever that is!

planb is the name of the video input device of the Power Mac 8600 (7500, 8500, etc.). I wrote a Mac OS X driver for it (10.4). I suppose it could work as a target display mode if your other computer outputs composite or s-video 😜