f4mi
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[Sneak Peek] IT'S ALIVE!
🕑 Added 2025-03-06 02:46:28 +0000 UTCNot too long ago I made a post here telling you the next project I wanted to work on was transforming an iMac G5 (even though after getting it I found out the seller accidentally sent me an Intel iMac which from the outside is almost identical but drastically changes the insides making it a bit harder to do what I want potentially) completely by taking out the insides from a broken one and replacing them with a new modern display and somehow wiring the ports on the back to make it into a one cable solution that works as both a display AND a dock for any device supporting USB 3.2/USB-C Video Out like the Steam Deck, my Macbook or my Redmagic phone
I am documenting every single idea and experiment to somehow make this work on the way along to along the way, hopefully completing this day by day and will cover its progress progressively both here with some more dedicated posts later this week (i am less than a week in and it's already been a whoooole process to figure out how to make stuff fit and just how to make stuff work without altering the original design in a way that is noticeable from the outside) AND in the final video, and so far what you are about to see is a temporary solution BUT:
I managed to temporarily fit the new panel (2560x1600 240hz) inside the iMac housing and it FITS PERFECTLY being exactly the same size as the old one but of course way better and yeah after doing that and taking measures I think I have a pretty good idea of how to make everything fit.
AAAAAND THE FIRST STEP IS DONE
Embedded here you can see a small short video where I play Driver: San Francisco on it!
No speakers so far, soooo the video is mute
BUT
I have also managed to get a pair of small stereo speakers that can plug directly to the board that I am using to drive that display panel, it's not here yet but what this means is that yes the "iMac" is also going to output sound just like a real one would!
And between that, the USB Ports AND (hopefully) the working superdrive from the outside the iMac is going to look relatively normal.
SPEAKING OF WHICH yeah I plan on actually fitting a SuperDrive on the side:
I ordered an original USB superdrive from Vinted and after measuring everything I THINK I should be able to make it fit here if I design and 3D print a custom holder for it.
Meaning that yes, you are also going to get access to a DVD Burner through that one single USB-C Cable in theory.
What I scrapped iiiiis the internal battery: I wanted this whole contraption to be able to also power your Steam Deck/Macbook and charge it from an internal battery BUT USB-C is very complex for reasons I'll get into later in dedicated posts and trying to make that work in a way that lets the final user of this just charge the whole thing using a single usb-c port and have it also passthrough the power when that battery is charged to avoid overcharging the cells and damaging everything is.... not easy, I have found some battery bank boards that could to it but they would not fit inside of here.
So yeah, this is it for now, thanks again for your support!
Gonna make a more detailed "Day by day progress" post about this later this week! (which is straight up going to be based on the notes and recordings that I am using to edit the video that will then go on the channel :) )
Bye for now :D
EDIT: going to post the "progress" update that was planned for the end of the week on monday since i had some stuff come up irl and i am slightly late on my schedule, sorry for the sliiiight delay but i can assure you the project is going as planned and i am pretty hyped to share everything as a preview with you all aaa
![[Sneak Peek] IT'S ALIVE!](https://img5.patrefans.com/storage/3/ha/gv/563145-019e83dc-978e-7cd0-bf94-3c4d12ba62e6.jpg)
