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I just upgraded an almost identical 2012 iMac in a recent video! Very decent computer still!

Yes, you are correct. If you want your Mac to be wired for both, they make USB to Ethernet adapters. It is possible to use only 1 network adapter and have both computers on the same network switch too. The benefit of 2 network cards is less network congestion - you can have a dedicated link with static IP between the two computers for Sunsine/Moonlight only, so you have less network congestion.

No, unfortunately Target Display with Windows PC only works on 2009 and 2010 27" iMacs. The 2011 and newer iMacs use proprietary protocol which does not work with Windows. You would need to use the last method, Sunshine/Moonlight (or Parsec).

Yes, I've seen that done. Actually strongly considered doing that mod. Maybe will at some point in the future, and will make a video :)

YIKES! That's seems like a lot for an almost 17 year old computer! Are all older computers that expensive in your area, or just Apple?

@rebootretro Apple products stand out for being.. well.. apple! But in general, people overprice old stuff

It's true. For basic tasks, an upgraded iMac works just fine. But if you push it at all, it really shows its age and has trouble keeping pace. And even upgraded to the max, it's still old architecture. I've got an upcoming video - 2008 Mac Pro vs 2017 iMac - which shows this exactly about old architecture.

According to Apple, it is not possible with a 2011+ iMac AND Apple Silicon Mac. I have many times searched for anyone who has found a way to do this, and I have not found even one. It looks like this is not possible with Thunderbolt and Target Display Mode. However, if you use OpenCore to upgrade to Monterey or newer AND enable AirPlay Receiver feature, you can use the AirPlay method. Or you can use the Sunshine/Moonlight method (or Parsec, which is a commercial competing product). The only other option would be a 3rd party paid product, like Luna Display or Duet Display. Hope this helps!

@ Thanks for the reply. Apple often complicates our lives. The methods you suggested seem interesting but I am not very good with computers: are there any video tutorials you can show me to use one of these methods please? Thanks

Someone commented saying they were going to try using UV lights to see if those alone would accomplish the same thing. Hopefully they post back after doing the test. I would be great if you could outfit a closet with UV lights just for de-yellowing plastics!

Hello, if you are using a newer version of OpenCore it should detect the GCN GPU and automatically do the GCN setting. If you get video on the iMac LCD, then this setting is probably correct. You should never have artifacts, or else there is an issue with your GPU. If you are using a cooler from 27 inch model, you need the copper shim because the die height is not tall enough on the M5100 to reach the stock cooler. This causes insufficient mounting pressure and the die will overheat. You also need to make sure you reinstalled (or better yet replace) the thick sticky white goo thermal paste, because this cools the memory chips and I think some other things. I think if you have a 21.5 inch model iMac, you do not need the copper shim because the die height on the stock GPU is taller. But double check. Artifacts usually happens from cooling issue, bad VRAM, or bad GPU die. A bad OpenCore config should not cause artifacts.

@@rebootretro Thanks for the answer, I'm using an iMac 27 late 2009 i5 imac 11.1 in the installer it works perfectly, but when it starts monterey it gets full of artifacts, I tested Mac os high sierra. and it worked perfectly, without any artifacts that's why I think it's something system related or a configuration that I left out, for example this AMD GCN I didn't activate it in opencore

Another interesting case is that I had a M6100 video card and the boot selector did not appear. I did the bios and it appeared. I saw a website with several bios, but I lost the name of that website.

​@@vitortiberio100 Are you running a fully clean install of Monterey (WITHOUT install patches)? Are you running the latest OpenCore version? I don't think an option exists anymore in newer versions of OC, I think it's automatically detected. I would maybe run a GPU benchmark under High Sierra (like Heaven) to see if the GPU can perform normally for 10+ minutes under load. If there is bad VRAM only in upper regions, maybe it doesn't get hit all the time. Also, are you sure it has the Mac BIOS preloaded? Many Ali Express sellers just say "compatible with Mac VBIOS" but it comes loaded with PC BIOS. It's also possible they loaded the wrong VBIOS - that card has 3 versions for 3 different cards, and they are not interoperable (although I would think this would cause it not to work at all).

@@rebootretro So, it happened to me that I installed Ventura and this happened, the screen was all with artifacts and it only worked with Monterey, my video card is the same as yours!, but I had the W5170 and I had the same problem when I installed the latest version of Monterey and the screen was all with artifacts, but I'm going to do this by modifying the BIOS, there must be a BIOS already with the selector, or I use the BIOS that you used, it's safer, even because it's for a client, and I don't have his machine here at home

It depends on the method you use. Target Display for 2009/2010 is not laggy. AirPlay is always laggy. Sunshine/Moonlight method there is a very small delay, but no jitter - extremely smooth with the right settings. It will look pretty perfect to a casual gamer, but a highly competitive gamer may notice some latency. Sunshine/Moonlight is using the same technology behind Nvidia Shield.

@@rebootretrothank you very much for your reply.

You might be able to find an older version of Moonlight that supports Mavericks. Mavericks is pretty old, and at this point likely has a quite a few unpatched security vulnerabilities. I'd recommend upgrading Mac OS regardless. If your Mac is older, you might be able to use OpenCore Legacy Patcher to install a much newer Mac OS (like shown in this video: th-cam.com/video/WsjyPFolmhw/w-d-xo.html)

As long as it's decent quality, it doesn't really matter. I use Noctua NT-H1 because it's relatively cheap and good quality. The premium pastes are a little better, but cost a lot more. For the thick white paste, I reused mine because I didn't have this type on-hand, but I would definitely recommend replacing this too. Make sure your cooler is mounted evenly on the die (tighten in stages). Setting your fan curve to run the card cooler will have much bigger benefit to the card than better paste will. I'm not positive offhand, but I think I generally have them running around 45c average core temp at idle; I think Apple's stock curve lets them hit over 75c idle which is way too high IMO.

@@rebootretro I have no idea what to look for the thick white paste you say. I would appreciate it if u could suggest what you would put on yours. Setting the fans to run so the temp is 45c will need a fan app? Im very excited to receive the used gpu cause this time i want to make the best of it and revive as much as i can my good old iMac and if i manage it you will have a big part in that :)

@@rebootretro Hello my friend... since im trying to "Retro Revive" my iMac ;-) maybe i wouldn't mind about costs so much, especially since i've been burned twice with the gpu! So which thermal pastes would you use yourself for both gpu chip and the others?

Thanks for the comment! Absolutely agree, we need to be less wasteful and stop chasing after the newest, shiniest things that come out. I'm curious, what Macs have you used with a 2011 TDM? Apple says the second Mac must be 2019 or older with Catalina or older; we know this is false for the 2009/2010 since it uses standard DP signals. But from what I've heard, 2011 onward do actually have some real limitations. Particularly, I've read that it does not work in conjunction with Apple Silicon Macs. There is very little info online about this. Any insight as to where the real world limits are?

Yes there are many GPU models that support Metal. In the video description, check the forum link. The forum has a huge list of supported GPUs, just check what mods are required for each model, and Google if it has Metal support in the macOS version you want,

@ thanks I appreciate, I ran in to a problem with my imac 2009/2010 27” and when i started the imac it only made the start sound (not the audio) and it wont start or do any audio and i think its my cpu that went old do you know what it is?

​@@Bobwhoisgood The CPU pretty well never fails. I have handled probably hundreds of Intel CPUs over my career and never come across a dead one. From my experience the main logic boards are extremely reliable too in these models, although these can fail and give symptom of failed CPU. My experience the highest failure rates are the GPU, then PSU, then backlight driver. You should do both PRAM and SMC reset, then retest. SMC reset is done by unplugging power, and hitting power button a couple times while unplugged. Then plug back into power. To do PRAM reset, hold CMD+OPT+P+R all together immediately after pressing power button. Keep holding those until you hear the startup chime a SECOND time. Some people have issues doing PRAM reset with non-Apple keyboard. Ideally use a wired USB official Apple keyboard. If you must use a PC keyboard, make sure it's USB wired (not wireless) and use keys WIN+ALT+P+R instead. If you get the startup chime sound, then your CPU, RAM and logic board are working and the most likely issue is the GPU or screen backlight driver board (the issue could also be PSU, but generally you'd have other symptoms too so PSU is least likely). If you get no sound, no fans, no HDD sounds, etc, (i.e. completely dead) then the issue is likely the PSU. The PRAM reset is key, because it will reset any wonky parameters that could prevent startup or startup chime. The startup chime is very important for diagnostics, to know where the issue is.

@@rebootretro thanks ill try to do the SMC reset i will try thanks for the help :D

@@rebootretro the SMC doesn’t work so ill try the PRAM so ill think it should work cus i have a wireless keyboard and thats a problem so ill go buy a mac keyboard withe usb i hope it helps thanks (:

And do you think I have to upgrade the VBios ? (More difficult for me !)

Hi there! You don't need to get the card from Amazon, there are many places including eBay or Ali Express. Make sure you read up on that forum, because there are different variants of cards. I can't really say for sure which cards work best, because I've only done this with the FirePro M5100. But that forum post linked in description has an in-depth list of which cards work and which mods are necessary. Keep in mind that even if you use the same M5100 as I did, there are 3 versions of the card and each version requires a different vBIOS. Make sure you choose the correct one. There are a couple Nvidia Kepler cards which I think work without vBIOS flashes, but keep in mind these Nvidia has poor driver support and requires excessive patching for Metal to work, and none of the newer Nvidia cards support Metal at all. I know you're hoping for an easy drop-in replacement, but unfortunately this doesn't really exist for the 2009-2011 iMacs. Each card you choose has some downfalls, and most cards will require a vBIOS flash to work properly. One big reason I like the M5100 cards is they are really cheap on eBay/Ali Express, and they have full native Monterey support. They should support Sequoia (not natively, but with Metal patches), although I haven't tested this yet to confirm. I think there is a newer AMD card that should support Sequoia natively, but the issue is these newer cards cost much more money. And it is hard to sink so much money into a 2010 computer. Lastly, make sure you understand proper safety when working inside these iMacs, or have someone help you who is experienced in this type of work. These iMacs all have exposed power supplies behind the screen, which can hold a dangerous charge and shock you even after the computer is unplugged. Make sure you stay safe with your project, and have fun :)

Hi sir ! Thanks so much for your long and precise answer!! Well, I have to think if I do it or not ! It’s not my job !! And that to “only” use Swift apps on my old iMac 2010 upgrade with OpenCore Legacy Patcher to run MacOs Monterrey!! Anyway.. thanks a lot for your TH-cam job Salut de France

@@patricetoulouse6055 No problem, hope it helps you! Also, I forgot, but I think the M5100 does not need the copper shim and works with stock 21.5 inch cooler. Double check though :)

@@patricetoulouse6055 No problem, hope it helps you! Also, I forgot, but I think the M5100 does not need the copper shim and works with stock 21.5 inch cooler. Double check though :)

Thanks for the nice comment! I know what you mean about the forums; perhaps it looks somewhat easy in the video, but I spent several days messing around with this until I figured out fully how to do it, lol. Which was largely to do with very little documentation. I imagine you haven't upgraded your GPU yet, which is likely why iMovie won't work at all. The latest version of iMovie absolutely requires Metal graphics and won't work without it. The only "software fix" around this is to run an older version of iMovie from before it moved entirely to Metal graphics. Although in order to run an older iMovie, you may also need to roll back your macOS version to support it. In theory, upgrading your GPU to a Metal-compatible one should solve this on Sequoia. There are some new apps which may also require newer CPU features in addition to Metal; I'm not 100% certain if iMovie has any additional CPU requirements that the 2011 CPU doesn't meet. BUT, I'm currently working on making a video involving a 2008 MacPro with a Metal-upgraded GPU, and one of the tests is iMovie. I can tell you for certain iMovie does open, but I haven't tested editing yet. If this 2008 runs it, your 2011 CPU should be fine after upgrading the GPU. Make sure you're subbed and watch for that video. I'll try to remember to message you back after I run the tests. Regarding the glass, I would not be too paranoid about it, but obviously use proper safety - have safety glasses and insulated gloves. The glass does have some flex/bend to it without breaking. The key is to open it evenly, not allowing the glass to twist too much side to side. Also don't open too wide of an angle, or the bottom pins in the glass get stuck in the frame and could crack the glass. Lastly, if you do open it make sure you know proper safety on these units, or have help from someone who has proper training. Behind the screen is an exposed power supply, which can stay charged and shock you even after the computer is off and unplugged.

I know, it's pretty insane. A few people thought this was fake. There's a blog online which talks about it, and I was skeptical too. I tried it because the blog seemed reputable, and a number of other people also claimed it worked. But to be fair, inside a house the windows block a lot of the UV portion of light. And in direct sunlight it is hit with strong UV. I'm not saying this is why it works, but it's the only explanation I can think of why it yellows inside the house and whitens outside.

The 2015 Air is still a pretty good machine! I had a 2015 Air too, but currently do all my editing on a 2015 iMac with similar spec. With longer and more complicated timelines it occasionally beachballs, but it's still adequate for sure. The 2015 iMac is a weird one, because it has no NVMe slot or RAM slots, and the 8GB RAM really holds it back for editing. I know the watch unlock worked fine on Monterey, it's good to know it works on Sequoia too!

The adhesive strips, last I checked for ones that seemed even remotely reputable (which admittedly was quite a while ago now), were priced from Amazon. The problem with Ali Express is it can take up to 6 months to receive parcels in the Americas, depending on how they ship it. And so many people reported those cheap strips have caused screens to fall out and destroy the screen, logic board, or both. I'm not saying it's impossible to find decent ones for cheap; I once bought cheap no name Ethernet crimp ends which were way better than name brand ones from a local big chain store. If you found reliable strips at that price, that's an amazing score for sure!

Yes, I don't really like the idea of exposing it to UV either, but when they're severely yellowed it looks just awful. My understanding of retrobright is that it chemically etches the plastic and actually changes the texture (on a microscopic level), so my theory is that sun bleaching will do less harm. I like the retrobright results, but I'm leery of what it does chemically to the plastic. My personal opinion is that a little yellow can be chalked up to "character" and "history", whereas I would consider heavy yellowing as "damage" that should be repaired during a restoration.

Thanks for the comment! Yup, it's handy to have the CD drive. My daily drivers don't have them anymore, and it was a little frustrating the other day when I needed to burn one, lol. So I have to boot up another system, or grab the external drive. Glad you're still making use of the 2009, they were (and still are) great systems!

No, unfortunately Target Display mode on these Macs is proprietary and does not work in combination with Apple Silicon Macs. I show other methods (like Sunshine/Moonlight) in this video: th-cam.com/video/TQwCJYiLqSo/w-d-xo.html

It should work the exact same on a 2014 mini as shown on the 2012 iMac video.

I'm not super familiar with the 2007, but it looks like it is upgradable with MXM II cards. Unfortunately the MXM II cards are much older, so it won't be a big performance jump by today's standards even if you get the best possible card available. I don't believe any of the MXM II cards are Metal-compatible. It probably isn't worth upgrade a 2007 iMac GPU unless yours is failing.

Did you install the post-install patches? You need these patches to get graphics working properly. Also, I think the newest version of Photoshop uses Metal graphics, which your 2009 doesn't have unless you upgraded your GPU. With the post-install patches installed, older Photoshop versions were working and Firefox/Chrome should work fine too.

Thanks for the comment! My understanding is that although Apple uses a Thunderbolt cable, they don't use standard Thunderbolt display protocols. I've been told this method does not work at all with Apple Silicon Macs. But you should be able to use the AirPlay method (the iMac needs to be OCLP patched and enabled to work), or Sunshine/Moonlight/Parsec method should work.

The 2013 uses some sort of Apple proprietary non-standard Thunderbolt display protocol. Apple says for TDM the iMac must have High Sierra or earlier and the other Mac must be a 2019 or earlier with Catalina or earlier. Some people claim to have gotten it to work with newer versions of macOS, but the reports are very mixed as far as success. You can always try it and see, but Apple officially says it won't work and only a handful of people claim to have gotten it working with newer OSes. Perhaps I should make a video testing this. Yes, your only other option would be additional software - either something like Sunshine/Moonlight, Parsec, or a commercial option like Luna Display.

You're right, it's a little bit of bother, but it really isn't all that bad. This particular project I did was more difficult because I ran into some weird obstacles along the way. And plus, the newest versions of OCLP now auto-builds your USB key too. I should really do a new video showing the easiest method. It's truly not that bad, just gotta follow the steps. And some of the extras, like Macs Fan Control, are not entirely necessary.

That sounds really frustrating! I haven't noticed issues with Sequoia yet, but I haven't used it very much. My personal systems are not upgraded yet. I expect they will fix most issues as updates come out. Hopefully your experience gets better!

The newer iMacs do not support monitor input at all, so you would have to use the Sunshine/Moonlight or Parsec method. You install the Sunshine server on your new PC, and install the Moonlight client on your Mac. You will still need a monitor/keyboard/mouse for the PC to set everything up and for troubleshooting if the Sunshine server crashes or if there is a Windows issue. But otherwise, you can leave the PC "headless" and login to your PC through Moonlight. This lets you easily switch between Windows/Mac with CTRL + arrow left/right using your Mac's screen, keyboard and mouse. If you find Sunshine/Moonlight difficult to set up, you could also try Parsec which is a commercial alternative (there is a free version). Parsec has been featured on Linus Tech Tips before.

Thanks for the comment! I don't have the computer on-hand anymore, but I believe it was the Core i7-3770. Stock it had a mechanical hard drive; when it started acting up, it was upgraded to a SATA SSD. The i7 shouldn't be significantly faster for general tasks - I'd mostly expect the SSD to affect this. I didn't check to confirm, but the 2012 models should have the Apple proprietary NVMe slot, which will accept standard NVMe SSDs if an adapter is used. It would be ideal to use the NVMe slot, since you can use much faster SSDs than SATA SSDs. Either way, if you find yours unusually slow, there might be something else wrong; if you haven't already, might be worth trying a fresh OS install.