Using 27in iMac as display for Mac Pro (both latest models)

I'm in need of using my new 27in iMac (current 2012 model) as the display for my current 2012 Mac Pro. As you probably know, the mac pro has 1 DVI port, 2 mini display port, and some firewire ports. The iMac has 1 firewire port and 2 thunderbolt ports. Both units have USB 2.0 obviously. I found that the new iMac doesn't support target disk mode with non-thunderbolt machines so that won't work. I wonder if there is a way to use these other connections to enable my mac pro to display on the imac. Any suggestions?
(My latest wonder is if I can upgrade the video card in the mac pro with a card that has thunderbolt outputs?)

That is a subtle distinction, but I think you are right.
Use an iMac with Thunderbolt as a display
If you have an iMac with Thunderbolt, any other Mac with Thunderbolt can use it as a display. The iMac will play both the video and audio from the other Mac.
Connect the Thunderbolt cable to the Thunderbolt ports on each computer.
Make sure both Mac computers are turned on and awake.
Press Command (⌘)-F2 on the keyboard of the external display Mac.
If you want the external display Mac to play audio as well as video from the primary Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Sound, and then click Output. Select the external display Mac from the list of devices.

Similar Messages

Can I use 27' iMac(Later 2009) as a display for Mac Pro(future 2013)?

Can I use 27' iMac(Later 2009) as a display for Mac Pro(future 2013)?

See > http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11302
To be able to use the iMac as an external display, the Mac Pro should come with a Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt port, so think that it will include Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt, although we don't know anything.
To connect the iMac to the Mac Pro, as your iMac has got a Mini DisplayPort, you have to use a Mini DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort cable (Thunderbolt is compatible with Mini DisplayPort cables, but Mini DisplayPort isn't compatible with Thunderbolt cables). Then, just follow the steps of the page above to use the iMac as an external display

Using IMAC 27 (LATE 2009 ) as primary display for MAC PRO PRO 2013

I have been a user of IMAC & Macbook but not mac PRO.
I wish to upgrade to MAC PRO ( 2013 ). As i want to make the transition less costly i want to use my current IMAC 27in ( LATE 2009 ) as the one and only display.
First question . Is the above possible with MAC PRO ?
Second question related - When using the above option eg MAC PRO as main system and 27in IMAC as display. Will the hard drive and on the IMAC be possible to go in to sleep mode. I would be concious about power consumption and the life expentancy of the constant use of the HARD DRIVE on the IMAC.
I would like to be able to keep the hard drive on the IMAC off or at least in sleep mode.

Target Display Mode FAQ:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3924?viewlocale=en_US

IMac as Display for MacBook Pro

I would have my iMac as extrernal display for MyBook Pro.
If I will find coresponding adapter will I be able to do so?
iMac MA589LL with mini-DVI port (tech specs shows it is output but didn't say if it can be input mode)
MacBook Pro MB990LL with Mini Display Port
Thanks in advance...

Only 2009 and 2010 27" iMacs and 2011 ThunderBolt iMacs have the ability to be used as an external display.
'Older' iMacs don't have that ability.
Sorry
Stefan

Use the new iMac as a display for Mac Pro

The goal is a simple one; use the newest model iMac 27inch as a display for the newest model Mac Pro (desktop tower). The latest Mac Pro has DVI and DisplayPort out and the iMac obviously has thunderbolt, usb, and firewire. I've discovered that there isn't really a way to get thunderbolt on the Mac Pro unless someone knows something I don't. If it's the case that thunderbolt can't be added to the current Mac Pro (be it by a new video card, or otherwise), I'm wondering if I could use a DVI to USB adapter to display it on the iMac.
I guess the takeaway here is that I don't need a virtual solution. Primarily, I use screen sharing via gigabit ethernet to access it. However, when you need a physical hardware monitor (let's say when you restart your machine or need to boot outside of OS X), you can't use the virtual options. I need to be able to use it independantly, like a traditional monitor setup. Any thoughts?

No that will not work. The iMac will not accept video in on using USB, or anything except Thunderbolt.
Best of luck.

Using 2009 iMac as display for 2012 MacBook Pro

I have a late 2009 27-inch iMac and a Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012 MacBook Pro. How do I use the iMac screen as a display for the MacBook.

Hi Jim on Apple,
Welcome to the Apple Support Communities!
It sounds like you need to put your iMac in what is called Target Display Mode. The attached article has some great information on Target Display Mode including setting up and other common frequently asked questions.
Target Display Mode: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3924
Have a great day,
Joe

Using 27" iMac as display for a gaming PC

Before anyone rips me to ribbons for wanting to use an iMac as a display for a windows PC, let me explain my situation: I need to upgrade my 2007 iMac and I was looking at the 27" iMac. I would like use it as a monitor for my gaming PC when I'm not using it as a Mac because I barely have enough room on my desk for my old iMac and gaming PC monitor as it is. A 27" iMac will take up my whole desk and won't fit with any other monitor. I'd just get a bigger desk, but my studio apartment is too small and cluttered for one.
I know there is the Atlona DVI to Mini DisplayPort Converter, but after hours of searching, I could only find articles saying "it should work with PC" not "I tested it and it does work with PC. Here are some pictures as proof". I'm not willing to spend that much on something that might work.
I was wondering if anyone knew of a site that gave proof that the Atlona DVI to Mini DisplayPort Converter worked the way I hope it does? or does someone know of something coming out in the near future that would allow what I need?

I have exactly the same problem and have been scouring the forums to find an answer. Hoping to use my shiny big iMac as a display for my gaming PC which only has a DVI output. From what I've read I get the impression the answer is currently no (some problem specific to the 27" iMacs from what I can make out), but out of interest have you had any luck with this??
The only answer I can find round this at the moment (if the converter you mention doesn't work) is to get a new graphics card with a DisplayPort output - still weighing up whether to splash out on a new one and what the chances are of me screwing up my PC if I try installing it myself!!

Use 2008 iMac as display for dvi vga pc

I Am building a pc and I would like to use my early 2008 imac as a display for a DVI and VGA output motherboard. I have read MILLIONS of questions on Target Mode and know as well as my name that iMacs older than 2011 cannot be used with Target display mode.I put target mode Earlier because of my iPad's incompetence with this website. In fact I can't edit anything I type in this question on my iPad. Annoying.
CAn I use FireWire to connect my iMac to my dvi or VGA pc output? My iMac also has a mini display port but I'm guessing that is an output only. Maybe there's a solution involving TINKERING or going inside the imac. You can guess my warranty is over since it's 2014.
SO any solutions to connect iMac to pc as a display Except using target display mode and thunderbolt which is IMPOSSIBLE with my prehistoric Mac.
Very sorry about the bad formatting but my iPad cannot edit any text I've already typed on this page, as I've already mentioneD. Just like a typewriter!

Sorry but a 2008 iMac simply does not have that capability, the only solution available to you is using an outdated app called Screen Recycler. You will probably be disappointed in the performance though.

Imac as display for mac mini

hello there:
can i use an imac as the display for a mac mini? i have an old Power PC imac and i'm considering the purchase of a new mac mini and need to know if i need to buy a new monitor or not. thanks in advance.

Not without a standalone monitor.
(71601)

Can I use an iMac to control a mac pro

I have a 2008 Mac pro that's working well. Since I'm doing a lot a video creation that needs to go to DVD I'm not ready to give it up. but I see the need for a more modern machine for some of the newer software I would like to use. so here is the question.
Can I use a new iMac as my primary machine, and send the video files to the mac pro for rendering, compression, and storage?
also can I boot up an older OS (snow leopard) from a disk on the mac pro?
thanks

You can use file share
iOS: About File Sharing
You can use remote desktop to control hte Pro by another computer
OS X Mavericks: Allow access using Apple Remote Desktop
http://www.apple.com/remotedesktop/

Great displays for Mac Pro 8 core (2010)

Im using a Samsung one right now and its 1080p but even when i watch 1080p movies on the display the lines and colors are blocky and i cant fix this. So i was thinking maybe if i bought an older apple display like the Cinema display that this would be a better fit. Im not in video editing or anything I just want a good quality display to show the full potential of the computer.
Thanks for your time

Goodredroad,
The fact is that there is no such thing as a "retina" display.
You have an Apple Macbook Pro with a 2560x1600 display. Probably a 15" Macbook Pro with a 2560x1600 display.
If you calculate that display resolution (in PPI, or pixels per inch), a 2560x1600 15" display is 201.26ppi (with a 0.126mm dot pitch).
What this means is that you have over 200+ pixels per inch (PPI). Which is a nice/decent display, with very high pixel density. Many phones right now are over 300ppi (pixels per inch) with extremely low dot pitch numbers. They are extremely high resolution displays (with very high pixel density). This is what gives you the "clarity" and why a high-resolution display (in a very small screen size, with extremely high pixel density gives you such clarity).
Now you are complaining about "poor resolution" on your Samsung display (using an extremely old craptastic 3-4 year old Radeon 5000 series graphics card) which is laughable (at best).
The Samsung monitor that you mentioned is a 24" monitor (anytime you increase the size of the monitor, and use the same, or lower resolution, you are going to have FAR LESS pixels per inch). So yes, of course if you look at a display with 200+ pixels per inch, and then compare it to a display that gets nearly HALF of that resolution (pixels per inch) that large display is going to seem "grainy" or "poor resolution".
That 24" display should have at least 3840x2160p (4K2K) resolution, just to get 183ppi (and 0.1384mm dot pitch) which would still be lower resolution (lower pixel density) than your 15" display.
You would actually need a 5760x3240p 32" display (which is half-way between 4K2K and 8K4K), and that would give you a 206.52ppi (and 0.123mm dot pitch) resolution, which would be comparable to what you are seeing on your 15" 2560x1600 "retina" display.
Yes, small little touchscreen cell phones (and now small laptop displays) are using high resolution displays (with much greater pixel density) and it does give you a much clearer picture.
Large monitor displays have not caught up, and most large monitors (24" and larger) should be in the 8K4K (7680x4320p) display resolution range right now. Unfortunately, most are extremely low resolution (1920x1080p) which is more like a low-resolution TV (HDTV) display, and not really a high-resolution "retina" display (with a high pixel density).
If you stand back about 15 feet, from the 24" display, then yes it would look similar to your retina display (because you couldn't see the poor resolution up close), but since you are sitting in front of the 24" display, and are using a high-resolution (200+ppi monitor display as your reference display) it's extremely easy to see why your 24" display "looks like crap".
It has nothing to do with "1080p" because your retina display is not 1080p (it's actually 2560x1600p), so it's actually 1600p (on a small 15" screen) and you're trying to ask why a large 24" 1080p screen is much lower picture quality than a small 15" 1600p display?
Well the simple and correct answer is that your pixel density is much greater on a small 15" retina display (2560x1600p screen resolution on a 15" display gives you 201.26ppi and 0.1262mm dot pitch resolution).
The 24" Samsung (or any 1920x1080p display for that matter) is a lower-resolution display (it is only 1920x1080p) and it is also a much larger screen size (which means the pixels are spaced out much farther apart). So the large 24" Samsung (at 1920x1080p screen resolution on a 24" display gives you 91.79ppi and 0.2767mm dot pitch).
What that means is that your 24" Samsung monitor is HALF of the resolution (pixel density) as your 15" 2560x1600 display.
The pixels are spaced out twice as far, and the pixel density is HALF of what your high resolution 15" MacBook Pro is. So of course you are going to notice a very poor quality resolution (if you are comparing it to your retinan display on your Mac). It would almost be like comparing a 540p display (analog) to a 1080p (HDTV) display at the same size. You would notice a tremendous difference in picture quality and clarity.
So no, the two are not even close to being similar. You would need a 32" UHDTV with 8K4K (7680x4320) display resolution, and yes that would give you great picture clarity (with a high pixel density) and you would notice that it would look similar/identical to your 15" display in picture quality.
But comparing a 1920x1080p 24" Samsung against a 15" 2560x1600p display is laughable, if you are trying to compare the picture quality (PPI and dot pitch) between the two (which is what visual resolution to the naked eye is).
The closer the pixels are together, the "better" the picture looks. That is why Apple is calling it a "retina" display. There is nothing "retina" about it, it is simply just a higher screen resolution (2560x1600p) on a smaller display (15" display) thus giving you a much higher pixel density (and much higher dot pitch) and thus giving you a much higher visual quality/clarity (then what you are used to).
So yes, if you compare it to a large 24" 1920x1080p display, you'll always be dissatisfied with the larger display. If you want better picture quality, then get a Radeon HD 7970 graphics card (capable of 4K2K screen resolution) and then get a 4K2K monitor (such as a 30" 5120x3200p monitor) and you would have the exact same picture quality as on your 15" retina display.
3840x2400p at 22.5" Display would give you a similar pixel density (201.26ppi / 0.1262mm dot pitch) as your 15" 2560x1600p display.
So if you want the same quality resolution, on your desktop computer, then just buy a 22.5" display with 4K2K (3840x2160p display resolution) and that will give you the same exact picture clarity and quality (201.26ppi and 0.1262mm dot pitch) that your Apple Macbook Pro "retina" (2560x1600p) display has.
You'll also need a high-end graphics card (like a Radeon HD 7970) so that you can display the higher resolution (4K2K resolution).
> I have tried all of that and im still not getting a "1080p" quality. I have compared
> the quality of the videos on my mac pro and than watch the exact same video on
> my Macbook pro retina. The files are the same they were downloaded off the itune
> store at 1080p so i know thats not a variable. The monitor that im using is a Samsung
> Syncmaster SM 2494HM. On the test account i got the same results
The files you are watching are being watched on a much smaller display (with a much higher pixel density display) so of course you are going to notice a drastic difference in picture quality.
It would be similar to watching a 540p movie on a 92" television and complaining that a 32" 1080p television "looked better" than the 92" 540p television.
Same concept.

2 displays for Mac Pro. What do you recommend? What do I need?

I have an older Mac Pro (2007ish - Model Identifier: MacPro1,1) with a NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT graphics card. I currently use an old Apple 22" Cinema Display (1 generation - clear plastic style). Anyway, I want to upgrade my display and switch to a dual monitor setup. So I'm looking for two displays in the 22-24" range. I have some questions about what & how.
First, will my graphics card support two displays? If not, what do I need instead?
Second, what displays do you all recommend? (I'm a graphic & web designer) My budget would be in the range of about $1000 per display.
Lastly, I was really hoping to hold out for the new Apple displays but Apple doesn't seem to be moving very fast in that arena. I've actually been waiting a long time for the upgrade and now the whole mini-display port thing has me wondering what to do.

I'd look at replacing the 7300GT, either ATI 4870 or.... ? before the 7300 bites the dust, and because Apple/ATI driver support for OpenGL and upcoming technology (the 7300GT w/ 256MB is also down bottom rung of ladder).
Legacy 7300 performance
http://www.barefeats.com/harper15.html
An idea of 2009 Mac Pro Core Image
http://www.barefeats.com/nehal06.html
Gaming chart tends to show how various cards stack up:
http://www.barefeats.com/nehal05.html
(read between the lines a bit)

Using a iMac as display for the Powerbook?

Can an iMAC computer be used as a display for the Powerbook laptop? Could I use the iMac keyboard plugged into the Powerbook and maybe the iMac mouse as well?

Does ScreenRecycler do what you want?
(43378)

Time capsule - use as wi-fi connection for mac pro to the internet

hello
i recently purchased a mac pro 2.8/ 2Gb/ 320 HD
it did not come with a wireless card.
today i bought a time capsule and want to use it to connect my mac to my wireless internet connection from my modem (dsl) via the time capsule. i have connected the time capsule to my mac via ethernet.
the internet is not working. can anybody help me please?
i have managed to get the ethernet connected and active.
when i look at "network diagnostics" ethernet is green, network settings is green and isp is green. but internet is red (failed) and service is red.
please help

i will have to use an ethernet cable between the modem and the TC, right?
Yes. It sounds like your modem is actually a combination modem & wireless router instead. Unfortunately, creating a WDS between this device and the TC will be unlikely successful ... so the only alternative (without buying anything else) would be to connect the TC to the modem via Ethernet.
this is frustrating as the apple store i bought the TC from in Osaka, Japan, would not sell me an airport card to install myself.
I believe this is because the AirPort card for your model of Mac Pro is not considered a User-installable item by Apple. I'm surprised they didn't offer to do the install for you.
then, as a solution said that i could use the TC to do what i described above.
Although they were partially correct that it can be done with the TC, it appears that they didn't provide the complete picture on how to do it.

Display for mac pro 3.1

how can I connect mac pro 3.1 to HD tv?

You can connect your Mac to HD TV with DVI to HDMI adaptor cable.

Using 27in iMac as display for Mac Pro (both latest models)

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for