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The newer OSes have some DRM issues when using legacy graphics hardware acceleration (on the older GPUs). I haven't tried to confirm, but theoretically if you upgraded to a Metal-supported GPU it should work with the TV app on newer OSes. If you're curious about GPU upgrades, I also have a video on this - I upgraded a 2009 27" which is a very similar process to yours.

Thanks, you’re right …I figured that out through trial and error. The only upgrade I did (beside memory) was the SSD - which turbocharged its performance. I wish there was a nice chart that showed models corresponding to their max OS when using OCLP. The Open Core Legacy Patcher has been a game changer. I also have a newer 27” that is now running Sequoia - albeit without the iPhone app and other features.

​@@BradfordBeckett Ya, the SSD makes a HUGE performance boost! Does OCLP system not work with the iPhone app? I've tried the app (it's cool), but I don't recall if I tried it on the 2012 system.

@@rebootretro I was referring to my main system where I am running Sequoia on my 2017 Retina 5K, 27" using OCLP. I upgraded it with 40gb ram and a 2tb SSD....the iPhone Mirroring app won't work because it's running a 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5....BUT, other than that, it runs like an absolute beast with no problems. The 2011 machine won't go higher than Monterey without issues - but that is a huge improvement over it's Apple max OS.

The active mini DisplayPort to HDMI only works on the 2009/2010 models. The 2011 onward models work only with Mac to Mac for Target Display Mode (and only certain models/OSes). The only way to hook up an Xbox to a 2013 would be to use a USB HDMI capture card. Keeping in mind a capture card will likely add some input latency/lag, so whether this is an option for you depends how competitive you are while gaming.

I looked online, and it seems the late 2009 with Core 2 Duo should support it. Check the link in the description to make sure - It has good documentation for exact cards supported for exact iMac models.

Nice! You had the 6GB upgrade; out of the seemingly hundreds of DDR2 modules I have kicking around, no single 4GB modules so I was stuck on 4GB total (which was probably the largest motivation for upgrading). The screensaver trick didn't work all that well; the issue would come back sometimes and you'd have to re-do it. Ultimately it was better than nothing I suppose. Either way, you got an amazing deal on your upgrade; got a newer system with larger screen AND pocketed $20. Can't go wrong with that!

HAHA! CatTV... love it.

@@robertrea8829 I don’t have the Mac on hand anymore, but I think I set the fan to CPU average sensor, and set a manual range between 30 low speed and 90 full speed. But your settings really depend on how you use your Mac. Ideally you want the fans to ramp up sooner, but if you regularly get into heavier loads the fan will get very loud very fast and you may have to play around with settings. Anything you set more aggressive than the Apple default will help the system out.

@@rebootretro Thanks.

@@melchora7 Thanks for the comment! I didn’t time it before/after, but I didn’t notice it was unusually slow. Everything seemed normal. If you find that it’s hanging for a long time before the loading bar, try doing a PRAM reset, then holding OPT on startup to choose boot device (make sure to choose OCLP partition). Sometimes the EFI “looses” the default boot device and will hang trying to detect it before the system even begins to load.

Ya, the whole reflow thing is only a temporary fix unfortunately. On some laptops I have had it last longer with increased fan speed and good paste but they generally always fail again. I upgraded a 2009 with a Radeon M5100 (video here: th-cam.com/video/n9koG8p9Ch0/w-d-xo.html). I used OCLP and it has full native Metal graphics support on Monterey. With additional patching, you should be able to take the M5100 all the way to Sequoia (but haven't tried yet). I like the M5100 because it's cheap and (up to Monterey) had full graphics support without patching drivers. It's a bit of a pain to install it, but once you flash the vBIOS it's not too bad.

Yes, these suck back quite a bit of power. It's been a while, but I think I clocked it at about 150W under typical use. They'd make great monitors over Target Display if the consumption wasn't so high. Fine for occasional use, but for daily it adds up fast! We're running the same setup, but a 2009. It's only used occasionally for accounting and light graphics work - totally a perfect system still! For what little hours it runs, the power isn't really an issue. If it was used daily I'd replace it just from a power standpoint.

For others reading along, it's the xeon that runs 160-plus watts. The i7 870 is 95 watts TDP. If you have the i7 3770 that's down to 77 watts. It's not a ton of amperage, but 20 hours a day it adds up. I couldn't find a definitive rating on the M4, but some hobbyists suggest 22 watts. That's how an M-series laptop runs so long on battery.

Thanks for the comment! Ya, the OCLP team does pretty great work. These systems have loads of useful life well after Apple drops software updates.

I agree, I don't care for most new features either, or new bugs. However, the security updates can be somewhat important if you use the device online. The biggest problem with old OSes is they don't support the latest web browsers, which means you're missing vulnerability patches. I do wish there was a way to get security patches without needing full system updates.

@@rebootretro the best macOS yosemite style now with big sur with the phone icons it's ugly and a little weird I liked everything on big sur apart from the dock

For the iMac, 2012 was the first year with thin sides and glued screens.

I can't say for sure, but I have heard that certain brands and sizes of USB sticks cause this problem. I would try a different brand stick and a different size. I don't think I show in the video, but I used a USB to SATA adapter with an old SATA SSD. Also, I would try to fully erase your system disk and freshly partition for APFS. Sometimes the installer defaults to HFS+ which will cause problems. I've also had a problem in previous installs where the installer would get "stuck" at "x minutes left" - but if you let it sit there for an hour+ it would eventually make it through. Hopefully one of these helps!

For $20 you can't go wrong! Great extra machine for toying around on.

I think some people have managed to use TDM outside those specific OS versions, but it seems really dicy. Kinda silly that that TDM is proprietary and can't just operate as an industry standard Thunderbolt display. That's interesting, I didn't know you could use USB/Thunderbolt to direct connect for AirPlay. I'll have to play with that. That's the biggest issue with AirPlay, is the latency is horrible.

You did really well with it for sure! These were pretty reliable systems, with the biggest issues looking to be GPU failure. Although with replaceable GPUs, these just keep on going!

You should check out the video I did here (th-cam.com/video/TQwCJYiLqSo/w-d-xo.html) where I used an iMac as a monitor. As for what connects to what, it depends on which Mac you have. The late 2009/2010 models will accept any DisplayPort signal from any other device, including an M4 Mini. With my testing I had upgraded to Monterey via OCLP and I think had a GPU upgrade at that point too. Mine was a little buggy, which I think was the aftermarket GPU. It does work past High Sierra, but completely unsupported so it could potentially be glitchy. Just watch out, because the 2011 iMacs have the same connector on the back but DO NOT support DisplayPort signal, only a proprietary Thunderbolt TDM connection. The 2011 only works with certain Mac models and OS versions; I'm told the Apple Silicon Macs don't work at all with this. But nearly every model of Mac will work with the Sunshine/Moonlight method shown in the video (or use Parsec alternative for an easier Mac to Mac setup).

@@rebootretro lucky me. the iMac is from 2010. Great tip to the workaround monitor over lan. I will try it.

@@susihormon7821 Yes, the 27 inch 2010 is one of the best systems to use as a monitor! If you need an HDMI input, you can use an active DisplayPort to HDMI converter (the passive cables don't work, you need an active cable with a converter chip inside). The DisplayPort input is much better than LAN method. Good luck with your project :)

What? The dust? I've seen worse. I worked in computer service for a number of years, and some of the people with the most spotless houses had the most dust in their computers. Most people don't think much about maintaining their computers until they stop working, lol.

That's interesting about V2. From what I've seen so far, V2 brought huge improvements for older Mac support. I like how you're thinking ahead for upgrades; just knowing full well Apple will drop support and having a plan!

I believe it does work on a 2011, but I haven't looked deeply into it or tried it yet. You're right though, it could be buggy. Realistically the biggest reason to upgrade an old Mac is to run modern software and get security updates. If you're on Sonoma, you're still good for all of that. If you want to keep your system stable, it would be a good idea to only load it after they officially support it.

That's horrible!! I'm sorry to hear that happened! I've read about a few people that happened to, but also people who used the proper seal kit and had it fall out too :( I would suggest as a temporary solution to use it with an external monitor. I use an iMac with a completely smashed and unusable screen as my daily driver - 2x external monitors connected. If you go the external monitor route, the fans will run full speed if the connector is ripped off (because it can't measure screen temperature, and then thermal throttles). You should be able to fix this by installing OCLP (OpenCore Legacy Patcher) just like in the video; there is a custom mod (off by default) to disable thermal throttling. With throttling disabled it should run at full speed again and the fans won't sound like a jet taking off. Hopefully this can get you your computer back until you can buy another one :)

I talk about this later on in the video. Is it possible they intentionally (or even unknowingly) get malicious code into OpenCore? Yes, it's possible. But the OpenCore team has historically proven themselves to be a reputable group. And the code is open source, so it can be scrutinized by anyone. Ultimately you have to trust somebody. What's to stop an Apple employee from injecting malicious code into stock macOS? Apple's code isn't open source, so we rely entirely on the internal developers to vet the code. Also, for example, there has been vulnerable code in the past (I think it was related to the C compiler, or SSH, or something) which was also open source and included in macOS for years before anyone noticed. While we can assume that an OCLP system is likely less secure in certain ways just simply based on the system using certain old drivers/patches, I don't think it's necessarily fair to call it outright "insecure". Based on the longstanding history of the OCLP team, I would seriously doubt there would be any intent to cause harm. Realistically, a stock macOS should always be more secure, because you're not using patches and rolled back drivers. But for some people who can't afford a computer, my opinion is that a OCLP system is more secure than running an outdate/obsolete stock macOS. Just my opinion though.

I'm not sure, but I would start with a PRAM and SMC. It is also possible there is a logic board or GPU issues which could cause that too, but always start with a PRAM & SMC reset before going further. Resetting these can solve a number of weird problems like you describe. I've included links to the Apple docs just in case; double check, because the process changes based on model. (PRAM - support.apple.com/en-us/102539) (SMC - support.apple.com/en-us/102605)

@@rebootretro thanks so much, i appreciate the fast response. Those two things are the first ive tried but without luck 🙂 The GPU issue is something that has come into my mind and if its that its gonna be the second one that failed 😞 The Ati5750 is the gpu that im looking for, but who knows in what quality its really gonna be.

@@giorgos7six I would also make sure while you test to unplug all USB devices, if you haven't already. To my knowledge (I'm going 100% off memory, so I could be wrong!), I think these iMacs will still fully boot without a GPU. You could try removing the GPU to see if it cures the boot loops which would confirm if its a bad GPU. If it boot loops without the GPU connected, I suspect the GPU isn't the problem. Also, it's possible the PSU is beginning to fail and browning out. Generally a bad PSU wouldn't boot loop, but if the brown out is on the right rail it's possible. My thought is that the logic board seems ok since you get the chime. But a faulty SMC could certainly cause a loop like this. It's really hard to say, but I'm thinking it's most likely one of the first 2. Given the age, I'd spend more time trying to diagnose and test before buying parts. You definitely want to avoid throwing money at it. Good luck!

@@rebootretro yeah i think your definitely right... i will do that GPU try u suggested, thanks 🙂

@@rebootretro I did as you said, i removed the gpu, started the iMac and there was no chime/boot loop heard. Seems that it was the gpu causing the issue! Many many thanks youre the best!

Thanks for the comment! I really enjoy making more retro content, but I find I need to pepper newer stuff like this in so YT promotes the content better. I try to make everything entertaining so it's enjoyable for everyone to watch :). And yes! Those graphics artifacts were very common! If you saw my 2008 iMac video, that Mac was purchased brand new and had a GPU replaced a few years back for similar failure. Still running great after the new GPU, and only retired it more recently.

LOL! This is probably the most hilariously true comment so far, haha! Can't say I haven't had the same frustration at times with Apple stuff.

That's good to know about the OWC seal kit! I know a lot of the ones on eBay and Amazon are junk.

@@rebootretro Yes, well, I have never had the need to take mine apart again, so... Definitely agree on the eBay or Amazon junk if their iPhone kits are anything to go by.

It's truly easy to tell that their "environmental marketing" is a sales tactic vs. actually caring for the environment and waste.

Many of those things might be true. However, you also generate enough heat to warm a 2 bedroom apartment, a much higher electric bill, and enough noise to hear people complain about the airplanes flying over all the time. In addition, as soon as you add an external gpu, it’s no longer an all in one. For me personally, the never ending noise from my 2020 5k iMac (a powerhouse of a machine btw), was a major issue when working with my students and my teachers, and even more of an issue when I started making music recordings to send out. Honestly, once I got my M1 MacBook Air which was silent, and ran rings around the iMac in the apps I was using. I did find it a good home with my wife’s brother and his family. Who in their right mind would max out everything on an m4 iMac?

M4 it is bullshit for dekstop computer Intel is way better ram can upgrade almost everything RIP iMac 27 best Mac Ever made Never who is never come back

Ultimately it still works great for someone learning and poking around. For heavier workloads in a commercial environment, you're right - an upgrade may be necessary.

lol, I knew I should have mentioned Linux! Haha.

Yes, but only the older ones get Metal acceleration. The new ones (8xx onward I think) are basic framebuffer driver only. So they all work fine for basic web browsing and video playback, but only the older ones work for Metal apps like iMovie, Apple Maps, etc.

Yes, this would be fantastic!

They can “run” forever. But they lose access to OS upgrades after about 6 years and security updates after about 8-9 years. My 2015 MBP is still running fine on the older software version… they only stopped security updates this September. Yes, it’s Apple’s way of forcing you to buy new hardware and yes, I think DOJ should force them to break up hardware from software. I did go the OCLP route and it just made the fan run constantly… but it worked. It’s not my main computer any more so my wife uses once or twice a month for Zoom meetings.

That's weird about the fan... I've never seen that problem with OCLP. It might be an SMC issue; you could try an SMC reset to see if it resolves it. But yes, very true; Apple hardware often long outlives the OS support. Very sad, because Apple generally ships good spec hardware even on base model systems.

What version of windows are you running? It’s not windows 11. I had a 2007 iMac that was my main computer until 2015, and my windows machine until 2016. It’s still in use by a friend of mine running some version of Linux.

@@musicalimarc Windows 10. Unfortunately I will be forced to buy a new PC next year but not because it’s slow. I’ll probably install Linux on my desktop first to see if I can find alternative programs that I can use.. The Intel 4770 still has plenty of power.

My dell xps from 2009 with 8g ram, i5 is now running Windows 11 as of yesterday. Everything seems to work perfectly. There is a yt video that uses a script on github by builtbybel. Smooth upgrade. I also use the opencore method to run sequoia on a 2014 imac. No issues.

Ya, I did the same. The only laptop I ever bought brand new was the original 2006 polycarbonate Macbook, and I sold it after a few years when I stopped really using it. I've got "replacement" ones, but it's not the same. Mine had the original box and was pretty mint condition. Oh well.

I had the 12 inch PowerBook G4 and I loved that thing. I think it’s still hiding in a box somewhere since I still have the power brick for it and I don’t recall ever giving it away. The only reason I stopped using it was major back issues. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but almost 5lbs for one computer plus many many textbooks including one that weighed more than the laptop meant something had to give. I in 2099 I hackintoshed a dell mini 11 inch netbook which got me through a fair number of years of grad school and I wrote some of my masters thesis on that, and some of it on my first gen iPad.

I tried o'clock on a late 2011 mbp 17" and it worked perfectly, except for the built in camera, which was not detected.