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iMac DV

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 17, 2014
2
0
Here's a question. When the Retina iMac internals eventually show their age and I want to upgrade to a more powerful system, can I jury-rig it to be used as an external display by bypassing the internal hardware and linking my future desktop system to the monitor element of the iMac?

I don't mind drilling into the system and gutting it, as long as I get to use the display element in a few years.
 

lewisd25

macrumors 6502a
Jul 6, 2007
851
591
No one knows for sure yet. Wait for a tear down...even then it may be an unknown unless someone hacks it.
 

paolo-

macrumors 6502a
Aug 24, 2008
831
1
All the other iMac models can be used as external displays out of the factory. The retina iMac can't. I think the main reason behind it is that display port 1.3 which enables 5k resolution has just been released mid September. We'll probably have to wait for this time next year for thunderbolt 3/display port 1.3 support to be available.

From the looks of it hacking into the display will probably be next to impossible as Apple had to make custom chips for it and is probably using a custom protocol.
 

iMac DV

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 17, 2014
2
0
Hmm, looks like I'll be waiting for the breakdown and most likely the 2nd gen then.
 

jterp7

macrumors 65816
Oct 26, 2011
1,256
137
Hmm, looks like I'll be waiting for the breakdown and most likely the 2nd gen then.

recalling their video, the laymen explanation reinterpreted means you'd need an intermediary to connect any current mac products with the 5k display. The teardown may reveal what this is and if its possible or not.
 
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