Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Target Display Mode to return?
- Thread starter bunnicula
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I have talked to several specialist from Apple.com Chat... they all think that the target display mode is enabled on the latest 2017 iMac. But I am not sure if they have the correct info... I am planning to check on this in person at Apple Store later today.
Target Display Mode support page hasn't been updated:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204592
The Thunderbolt 3 page has been updated with 2017 iMac info, but no mention of Target Display Mode.
https://www.apple.com/thunderbolt/
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204592
The Thunderbolt 3 page has been updated with 2017 iMac info, but no mention of Target Display Mode.
https://www.apple.com/thunderbolt/
We'll have to wait till someone receives their new iMac to confirm.I really hope these are slow to update. I noticed that earlier.
Honestly, I believe the hardware is now ready and there's no reason to not support it.
If it supports Target Mode I finally can buy one.
But if not the real name of this should be iMac Professional ******** !
But if not the real name of this should be iMac Professional ******** !
They better be. Otherwise, Apple is telling us to throw away display or sell in time as used then replace with a new one more often. In that case, I'm done. If it can be used as a target display, I will definitely buy 2017 iMac.
I'm going to guess no on this one. Not a feature that Apple is in a hurry to bring back, useful though it may be.
But we'll see - I use it quite a bit on my old Mid 2010 iMac which works fine with non-Thunderbolt Macs (such as the classic Mac Pro), and Target Display Mode really does make that iMac more useful in its old age.
But we'll see - I use it quite a bit on my old Mid 2010 iMac which works fine with non-Thunderbolt Macs (such as the classic Mac Pro), and Target Display Mode really does make that iMac more useful in its old age.
I was advised by Apple support that you can use the Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt adapter and use target display on another iMac...provided it is thunderbolt technology. According to the support person, he checked with someone higher up (he could be feeding me a line, but that doesn't sound like Apple to me) and confirmed the 2017 iMac does allow for target display....just make sure the target display is thunderbolt!
With that, I will need to retire my 2009 iMac. Been using it in target display with my 2012 iMac utilizing the thunderbolt port, and the miniDisplayPort on my 2009 iMac. It's been a good run, first iMac. Time to go to that Apple Store in Boca.
With that, I will need to retire my 2009 iMac. Been using it in target display with my 2012 iMac utilizing the thunderbolt port, and the miniDisplayPort on my 2009 iMac. It's been a good run, first iMac. Time to go to that Apple Store in Boca.
I am not confident that target display mode will work, since on the previous 5K iMacs it was found out that the screen needed two streams of DP signals, being fed directly from the GPU via internal non-standard circuitry in a duplex manner for the full 5K 60Hz to be realized. Even with Thunderbolt 3, the MBP connecting to the LG Ultrafine 5K used similar tricks, but this time over a singular TB cable, since the intel TB3 specs only use DP 1.2 where a single DP connection does not have enough bandwidth for full 5K 60Hz. LG and Apple was probably on some hardware tricks to allow 2 streams of DP going through that one TB3 cable, treating them as data than DP streams.
If Apple were to allow the same to happen with the new iMac, specially to allow duplex DP1.2 to enter the motherboard to be fed to the panel(s), it actually should take substantial amount of engineering in circuitry and probably something more on firmware / OS level for that to happen.
Therefore, my guess is that if Target Display Mode is enabled, it won't be full 5K 60Hz, in which case Apple is likely to just not allow TDM at all.
If Apple were to allow the same to happen with the new iMac, specially to allow duplex DP1.2 to enter the motherboard to be fed to the panel(s), it actually should take substantial amount of engineering in circuitry and probably something more on firmware / OS level for that to happen.
Therefore, my guess is that if Target Display Mode is enabled, it won't be full 5K 60Hz, in which case Apple is likely to just not allow TDM at all.
There are no tricks with TB3 and 5K ... dual displayport 1.2 streams are part of the spec. The new iMac already has TB3 built in, the question is whether Apple bothered to wire everything up. The part that seems very unlikely is for the new iMac to operate as a dual cable 5K monitor, similar to the Dell and HP 5K monitors.
I'm watching this thread with great interest, as I'm ready to pull the trigger if the answer is yes. Can't wait for real-world tests!
yep, 5k imac can act as a display. (tested in apple store) You need a tb3 cable that connects to a 15" MBP to the current imacs, or if you have the 13" you need to connect to 1 from the left side, the 2 tb3 from the right are not working
Last edited:
Thanks, this is really great news. May I ask if you tried to confirm if the display was definitely running at full 5K 60Hz?
can I also use it with a device that has a HDMI output (e.g. PS4)?
will the target display mode on new iMac's work with older laptops which only have Display Port, or even Windows system with Display Port?
I'm waiting for target display mode since the first 5K 27-inch iMac release.
I work at home at least two days a week, and in my corp we use HP Windows laptops, so the target display mode is a must for me (I can't have two desks).
Can anyone comfirm target display mode will work, don't care if at 5K or not, using a Windows PC with a displayport?
Or there is any possibiity to use eGPU API to achieve something similar?
I work at home at least two days a week, and in my corp we use HP Windows laptops, so the target display mode is a must for me (I can't have two desks).
Can anyone comfirm target display mode will work, don't care if at 5K or not, using a Windows PC with a displayport?
Or there is any possibiity to use eGPU API to achieve something similar?
it's very unlikely target display mode works with a PC. the last gen of imacs that had the feature can only be driven by another mac that supports it. unless apple changed something, target display mode does not exactly convert the imac into a dumb monitor. there is a bit more going on than that.
That's good news. I wonder if this adds any plausibility for future eGPU support on the internal display. In other words, have something similar to target display mode but while the iMac is actually booted into MacOS, such that the display is kind of emulating the role of an external monitor for the iMac internals / eGPU.
I just got my new iMac and seems target display mode doesn't work for me....trying to update the software and see what happens....
That's not correct. I routinely use my 2011 as a "dumb monitor" for a Windows PC with a mini display port. Of course, I have no idea whether the new iMacs will do this.
no, i believe we are both correct. the first imacs with target display allowed just about anything to input into them. but when TB came along, that changed and only macs can output to TDM. see here:
https://www.tekrevue.com/tip/ins-outs-imacs-target-display-mode/