Mac Mini and Imac display

[TheOldC00t]

Hi all
Purchased a 2014 Mac Mini running Monterey and a 2014 Thunderbolt 2 display. Also have a 2017 27" Imac running Monterey. Would like to have 2 monitors for each. The Imac can be a 2nd display for the Mini using a Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 display cable.

If the T2 display is plugged in to the mac Mini, can it be a 2nd display for the Imac? If I run 1 cable from the the T2 port on the T2 display to the T3 port on the Imac, will it work for both configurations?


Thanks for any help

 

[joevt]

I'm not sure what display you are referring to. The Apple Thunderbolt Display uses Thunderbolt 1. It was introduced in 2011 and discontinued in 2016.

The only software that allowed a display to be switched from one Mac to another via Thunderbolt was Thunderbolt Target Display Mode and that only works for switching the display of a Thunderbolt 1 or Thunderbolt 2 iMac.

The 2017 iMac cannot be a display for the Mini unless you made some modifications?

The Thunderbolt display needs to be connected to the iMac for it to be a display for the iMac.

Apple should make software like Thunderbolt Target Display Mode to do arbitrary display swapping over Thunderbolt. This software could work for the Thunderbolt Display because it is connected via Thunderbolt but not the 2017 iMac display since the 2017 iMac display cannot be connected to Thunderbolt like the display of the 2011-2014 iMacs could.

There are software solutions that can let you share displays over the network, but that's more like screen sharing.

 

[Bmac0288]

So I’ve been thinking of getting a m1 Mac mini but I don’t know which screen to buy. I’ve been working on upgrading my 2010 iMacs gpu but in all honesty I think I want to just use it as the main display for the Mac mini. Is this possible? My 2010 iMac is the 11,3

 

[joevt]

So I’ve been thinking of getting a m1 Mac mini but I don’t know which screen to buy. I’ve been working on upgrading my 2010 iMacs gpu but in all honesty I think I want to just use it as the main display for the Mac mini. Is this possible? My 2010 iMac is the 11,3

If it's 24 or 27 inches then it should work.
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT204592
You'll need a USB-C to Mini DisplayPort cable. Or you may use a Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort adapter with a USB-C to DisplayPort cable.