Can I keep my iMac late 2014 and use it with a Mac Mini? There’s nothing wrong with the display just the poor old thing is slowing down these days! I also store all data, whatever it is, on external hard drives and iCloud.
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
Original Title: mac mini
iMac 27″, macOS 11.7
Target Display Mode went away when the first 5K Retina iMac – the one that you have – came out. Apple has also added restrictions such that no current Mac supports using any iMac (even an older one) as a Target Display.
There is a third-party workaround product called Luna Display that might let you use that iMac as a second display. But even if you plugged the Luna Display device into a Mac mini, then ran a separate USB cable from the Mac mini to the iMac to help carry video data, it wouldn't be the same as a real hardware video connection. An article on the Astropad site itself says that Luna Display has limitations and is not recommended for high-motion content such as gaming or video editing.
So you're going to need to get a real display for the Mac mini.
In terms of 27" 5K screens, the closest thing to your iMac screen would be the 27" Apple Studio Display ($1600+). For a long time, it and the 27" LG 5K UltraFine display were the only two 27" 5K displays on the market. Now there are several others that have come out or about to, from Samsung, Asus, and ViewSonic.
27" 4K screens are much easier to find, and generally cheaper. You can find some budget 27" 4K screens with IPS panels and 100% or near-100% coverage of sRGB for as little as $300 - $400.
Target Display Mode went away when the first 5K Retina iMac – the one that you have – came out. Apple has also added restrictions such that no current Mac supports using any iMac (even an older one) as a Target Display.
There is a third-party workaround product called Luna Display that might let you use that iMac as a second display. But even if you plugged the Luna Display device into a Mac mini, then ran a separate USB cable from the Mac mini to the iMac to help carry video data, it wouldn't be the same as a real hardware video connection. An article on the Astropad site itself says that Luna Display has limitations and is not recommended for high-motion content such as gaming or video editing.
So you're going to need to get a real display for the Mac mini.
In terms of 27" 5K screens, the closest thing to your iMac screen would be the 27" Apple Studio Display ($1600+). For a long time, it and the 27" LG 5K UltraFine display were the only two 27" 5K displays on the market. Now there are several others that have come out or about to, from Samsung, Asus, and ViewSonic.
27" 4K screens are much easier to find, and generally cheaper. You can find some budget 27" 4K screens with IPS panels and 100% or near-100% coverage of sRGB for as little as $300 - $400.
No sorry, the 2014 iMac is all-in-one computer. It does not have external video input or support being use as a display for another computer.
FWIW you can use most any after-market external display with a Mac mini.
see > Connect a display to Mac mini - Apple Support
Thanks, just v attached, probably wrongly, to my iMac. I’ll coax it along for a while longer. Thanks though.
You're welcome.
Using iMac late 2014 as a display with Mac mini
