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Model A1225 / Mid 2007 and Early 2008 / 2.4, 2.8, or 3.06 GHz Core 2 Duo processor

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Can I Mod an early 2009 24" iMac to external monitor?

Hi,

I have an early 2009 24" iMac. It works well but it's starting to get old.

My question is if there is a chance to use it as an external monitor attaching a LCD controller to the screen.

My goal is to make a switch to use the iternal hard (core2duo) or use the imac as external monitor with a DVI plug on the back.

Thanks.

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Pontuação 8
14 comentários

You want to keep the whole iMac intact but use it as a secondary display?Interesting....:-) what are the last three of your serial number?

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Yes, to mantain the portability of an iMac with the power of a mid tower PC

My serial is : ********0TL

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Apple iMac "Core 2 Duo" 2.93 24-Inch (Early 2009) Specs

Identifiers: Early 2009 - MB419LL/A - iMac9,1 - A1225 - 2267

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Just to make sure we are on the same page, you want to hook up your iMac as secondary display to what? What is the main computer that you want to use to hook it up to?

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Thanks to mayer and identifying your computer, it looks like your panel is a LM240WU2 manufactured by LG, so we know the pinouts for the driver and the inverter. The panel is also utilized on the

NEC LCD2490WUXi

NEC LCD2490WUXi-BK

Hazro HZ24W

Hazro HZ24Wi monitors.

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This may be late, but YES. The answer is YES. YES you can convert your old iMac (or laptop or anything!) to a standalone monitor. I did this sucessfully with both an old 17" Powerbook screen, and an old 2007 24" iMac.

1) Gut the iMac completely. Remove all components from the shell

2) Install a VGA Control Board. Based on the model number you provided, this would be your best bet:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/M-NT68676-2A-HDM...

3) recycle screws and screw posts from the old guts to secure the VGA control board. You can also use plumber's tape+bolts, or just hot glue and duct tape.

4) The power supply. Most VGA control boards take the standard 12V that eeeevvvveeerrrryyything uses (usually 5.5x2.1 plugs). So find any old wall-wart or power supply you have lying around, just make sure your 12v psu has sufficient amperage. I placed the PSU inside the iMac case, and soldered the power plug to the inside of the iMacs power port, so that I can use the original white power cable to power the iMac. If you are concerned about heat, you can either: (a) splice into that soldered joint (pre-psu) and add a 120V-to-USB adapter and a 5V fan or two, or (b) splice into the post-psu 12v side and add a 12v computer fan.

5) the VGA Control Board's Menu Button Board: fastened this to the bottom of the iMac case (using bolts, nuts, and metal plumber's tape) pointing downward out of the uncovered RAM bay. You can't see them unless you tilt the iMac up, it's nice.

6) the Video-In. This was the only imperfect bit. My VGA control board for my 24" iMac used VGA+DVI+HDMI. I bought an HDMI adapter that is normally used for running HDMI through conduit and installing in-wall jacks. It is a couple inches long, female on both ends, and one end has extra screw posts where you can screw it to the back of a Decora plate. You can find similar ones for DVI and VGA. Google is your friend. I dremmeled a hole in the back of the iMac, stuck the HDMI over it, then bolted it on with nuts and bolts. I used a very short HDMI cable from newegg to connect it to the VGA controller.

From there, it was a simple reassembly. It looks just like an iMac, except if you look on the back or bottom there's a random hdmi port and extra buttons. It's also significantly lighter. I have a hackintosh PC built into an old metal G5 case. It is satisfying using the 24" iMac with the hackintosh, running modern games on Win7.

Anyways, I hope this helps you and anyone else who reads this. The key to converting old screens is to find the make and model number, then google that plus the words 'VGA control board' and you'll find that you need. I got mine both times, from eBay. Goodwill is a great place to get cheap working 12v power supplies. Look for at a 12v power brick with at least 3A and you should be good.

EDIT FEB 11 2015:

To anyone wondering what VGA control board to get:

**Apple does not manufacture its own screens.**

Apple uses many different make/model screens across products or within the same product: Say for example, Apple sells a million units of a particular model of iMac. Chances are, the screens are NOT going to be all the same Make&Model. Apple may have took 200,000 screens from one source, 500,000 screens form another source, 300,000 from another source to make that million units. Thus, it is not practicable for you to post your hardware identifiers on the internet and ask me what VGA board to get.

Here is the only way to be sure:

1) Take apart your iMac.

2) look on the back of your iMac's LCD panel for the manufacturer's sticker listing the model #, S/N, etc.

3) Google/eBay search for "your-screens-model-number VGA Control Board".

No one is going to hold your hand or do it for you. If you want to hack your screen from your old iMac into a working monitor, roll up your sleeves and prepare to get dirty.

EDIT MAY 2015:

I am now working on an iFixit guide for doing this to an iMac. Stay tuned.

Edit December 2017:

Nevermind, I never got around to finishing that guide, and iFixit deleted the W.I.P. guide. So nvm, not gonna happen. But tbh this text post should have enough information for you to Do It Yourself, you just have to want it. Want it bad enough to try something scary and new. You can do it. I believe in you :)

Edit June 2019:

Here. I made a little “How To Buy The Correct Video Control Board" guide.

Sheesh. This comment from 5 years ago just won’t die. I keep getting PMs, emails and even the occasional phone call to my business about it. I hope that guide serves as a good starting place. This was a fun little DIY project I did many years ago. Maybe you can enjoy doing it yourself, too.

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14 comentários:

Hey, it's great! I have similar problem, but with late 2009 27" with crushed graphic processor. Saviour!

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I have an iMac 24" 2.66 2x2gb 640gb w/ Serial Number: W89240BK0TG. I would like to convert this to an external monitor. Do you know what type of controller I would need to purchase? Thanks!

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@Adam, I have the same problem and i was wondering what control board you were using?

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I have a question.

I´ve got an old iMac 2007 20" and I want to convert it.

Your Instructions OlympiaiPodRepair is just AWSOME!

The only thing I am bewildered about is, do I need the Inverter Board for that type of Mod or do I just have to plug the LDV5 into the VGA board?

A response would be just AWSOME!

Greetings from Germany

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i need help, i have similar lcd iMac dead. used as a monitor lcd panel

need help lifting the inverter , I think that's my real problem

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If the motherboard of your iMac is still functional, you can get the AirServer software, It is only $14 buck to buy, from there you can either mirror(or extend) your other Mac to the old iMac display with no mod, no wire or cable required as long as both Macs are on the same network. For $14 the AirServer is well worth buying.

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AIr server is terrible, grainy, delayed and totally defeats the purpose of trying to use that beautiful monitor. Waste of money.

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Install the software called AirServer on your iMac.

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Maybe relevant - I carefully followed the steps here [1] to successfully convert my old desklamp iMac 20" to a DVI monitor. I hooked it up to my desktop Linux machine (of course hidden under the desk :) and felt as happy as a man can ever be. So great to give this old Mac a new leash of life! I think the principle is same for this new model too.

[1] http://www.dremeljunkie.com/2011/11/all-...

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Maybe relevant:

MacBook Pro Screen Conversion

How to do the same thing, but using a 17” Macbook Pro’s screen. The process is more or less the same on a laptop as it is on an iMac, but the iMac has the luxurious added benefit of there being so much space to work with.

I hope this helps!

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Try this : https://fr.ifixit.com/Réponses/Afficher/...

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would love to do it but looks like a PITA and not worth the trouble- especially with all the folks having trouble with doing it ----

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@jeffrey97648 really not much of a PITA to do this. It all depends on what panel you have and what universal driver you are going to use. "all the folks having trouble with doing it" what kind of trouble?

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