Old iMac as second monitor

[Deadeasy]

I recently bought a new iMac and am wanting to use the old iMac as a second monitor , for FCP etc.
The older computer is a Mid 2010 and the new one is late 2015 .
I have looked up tutorials on you tube and everyone says its as easy as connecting the two with a thunderbolt cable and pressing command F2 on the computer that you want as your second screen . But I have had no luck in doing this . Any help would be greatly appreciated .
Thanks
Deadeasy

 

[azentropy]

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204592

You don't say if you have the 27 or 21, only the 27" 2010 supported it.

 

[redheeler]

Assuming the mid 2010 is a 27", you're going to need a Mini DisplayPort cable, not a Thunderbolt cable. Thunderbolt only works on mid 2011 - late 2013 models.

 

[Deadeasy]

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204592

You don't say if you have the 27 or 21, only the 27" 2010 supported it.

Thanks for the reply , the 2010 is a 21inch and the new one is the 27
Disappointing if that seems to be the only model that it can't be done with
[doublepost=1485901409][/doublepost]

Assuming the mid 2010 is a 27", you're going to need a Mini DisplayPort cable, not a Thunderbolt cable. Thunderbolt only works on mid 2011 - late 2013 models.

Yeah its the 21 inch model

 

[azentropy]

Thanks for the reply , the 2010 is a 21inch and the new one is the 27
Disappointing if that seems to be the only model that it can't be done with
[doublepost=1485901409][/doublepost]
Yeah its the 21 inch model

Well the good news is that if you were just wanting to use it as a monitor anyway you can sell it and get more than enough $ for a nice 24" or even 27" (non-retina) monitor.

 

[neliason]

Well the good news is that if you were just wanting to use it as a monitor anyway you can sell it and get more than enough $ for a nice 24" or even 27" (non-retina) monitor.

Personally I'd do this. Target Display Mode is a neat feature and could be useful occasionally in some situations. But the iMac you are using for the second monitor is fully running, consuming power, generating heat etc. It would be nice if you could just use the monitor in the iMac but you can't.

 

[Deadeasy]

Well the good news is that if you were just wanting to use it as a monitor anyway you can sell it and get more than enough $ for a nice 24" or even 27" (non-retina) monitor.

yeah looks like that

Well the good news is that if you were just wanting to use it as a monitor anyway you can sell it and get more than enough $ for a nice 24" or even 27" (non-retina) monitor.

Yeah that looks like the way to go . The Dell untrasharp 24 inch looks OK