Turning a 27" 2011 iMac into an external QHD Display with a Juicy Crumb Dock Lite

Thanks to channel sponsor, PCBWay: www.pcbway.com
Thanks to Juicy Crumb Systems' latest creation, it's never been easier to convert an obsolete 2011 27" iMac into a beautiful and unique external display. Put that gorgeous 2560 x 1440 display to a better use with the Juicy Crumb Dock range of products.
Find out pricing and availability on their Kickstarter page, here:
www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
Check out the Juicy Crumb website here.
juicycrumb.com
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I have been asked by many how this upgrade differs from the cheap, generic LCD driver boards available on eBay and AliExpress. Unlike those, the Juicy Crumb uses the original iMac power supply and backlight inverter, allowing for a far brighter viewing experience and a much easier installation. And I can vouch for the brightness - it is spectacular!
Others have been comparing the Juicy Crumb price to some of the cheap QHD displays available on the market. The Juicy Crumb 27" iMac is now my primary display, and it sits right next to an expensive Samsung QHD display. The Juicy Crumb is far superior, so if you do want to do a price comparison, make sure you compare with a quality QHD display.
#iMac #M1 #apple
If you enjoy the content and would like to make a small donation, you can do so here:
www.paypal.me/branchus
Tools/Products used (paid links):
T15 Torx (for opening compact Macs): amzn.to/2ZJKWN3
Microscope: amzn.to/2HnSI5H
Microscope camera: amzn.to/2TdSYsZ
Budget alternative microscope: amzn.to/2PmRagt
Soldering station: amzn.to/31QvCMW
Soldering iron tip (T12): amzn.to/2L3Juwt
Budget alternative soldering station (uses T12 tips): amzn.to/2SeUpHg
Hot air rework: amzn.to/2ZjYzPH
Budget alternative hot air rework: amzn.to/3fN1ZU7
Helping hands (third hand): amzn.to/31JUhVL
Ultrasonic cleaner: amzn.to/2ZJKFtB
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UV Solder mask: amzn.to/2ZnK1yu
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[@juicy_crumb]

Hi Guys, Thanks for the interest In our work! We are running a bit behind schedule as we had to make some last minute changes to the Kickstarter reward tiers. The Kickstarter should be live within an hour! Thanks.

[@Mrik974]

Hi guys, I just found that video, and your cool product. Last time I checked all devices sold were not good enough in terms of brightness. My old 2011 iMac is eagerly waiting for your device to get to market, do you have an estimated date ? :D

[@juicy_crumb]

@@Mrik974 Thanks for the interest! Yes, the brightness of our boards match the original factory display as we use the original BackLight Inverter. We're currently awaiting our first batch of DockLites to arrive from the manufacturer, we're hoping to have completed all DockLite pre-orders by the end of August/Early September. As for the DockPro it likely won't see the light of day until early 2024.

[@ActionRetro]

this repurposing of old tech is very cool!

[@juicy_crumb]

Thank you for the interest! 😊

[@DavidStahlOLDHAPPyMACs]

great Video Bruce that is A neat conversion and Welcome to The PCBWAY Family

[@papac6831]

what a fantastic idea, im kicking myself i sent 2 27" 2011 iMac to the recycle about 3 month ago both had duff gpus and i could not see a good way out for them. thanks, great vid Bruce.

[@RudysRetroIntel]

Excellent idea, work and video!! Thanks for sharing!!

[@TheBasementChannel]

What we really need is one of these boards for the 5k iMac!

[@juicy_crumb]

It’s in the cards 😉

[@MarkHawk]

Love the idea. I hope they make a version that could work with the 2010 model. I also like their "M1/M2 Mini" install board concept.

[@eWhizz]

This is awesome! Such a good idea.

[@mattlang8603]

This is VERRRRRRRRRY cool. Thanks for sharing.

[@RetroTechy]

Now I want a follow up video, the story on how you broke the glass even more 😂

[@enzofitzhume7320]

Great idea. I've always loved iMac screens. Wonder if I could connect my Apple 2c to something like this. That would be way cool!

[@oscarcharliezulu]

Damn, I owned one of these exact ones for a while, did my comp sci degree using it and had the OWC kit to add a SSD , making it a lot faster and a lot more usable.

[@thomasb.900]

Thats awesome, great video

[@TheBasementChannel]

Woah. The M1 iMac board sounds incredible.

[@digitalrampage]

You simply pull an M1 macMini logic board out, put it in a caddy and it replaces the HDD in the 27”. It uses the iMac PSU as well, so it’s all pretty neat and tidy.

[@waltertrindade2153]

very good, thank you so much!

[@CodeProfessor]

Very cool!

[@aa-au]

What a great conversion idea! I had similar iMac 27" conversion ideas. but i think I will leave it to Juicy Crumbs Systems. I have many iMac 27" to convert. Great video.

[@pbe6965]

I converted mine while ago, some boards (probably not as advanced though) that can be found if you search enough. But the inverter they use is pretty weak which makes the screen pretty dim, it was borderline unusable when I swapped the control board for one of those chinese ones. So if Juicy Crumbs can fix that, that would be a huge improvement (I modified mine to get more power, but that required a bit of skills and not really a user friendly procedure).

[@BranchusCreations]

I have mine set up here on my Mac Pro, and it is super bright. So much so that I've had to reduce the brightness quite considerably to prevent sunburn. 😆

[@aa-au]

@@BranchusCreations So a great display AND at the right brightness, get a tan at the same time!

[@juicy_crumb]

@@pbe6965 As our solution utilizes the original iMacs Backlight Inverter you can expect it to match the brightness and clarity of the original iMac!

[@Merluche58]

Great! Do you know which devices (if any) would work with late 2009 iMac 27"

[@pacmke8181]

This is such a cool project! It's a shame apple doesn't continue to support target display mode, but this is a fantastic idea!

[@WelcomeToMarkintosh]

Very cool! Does it need the HDD? I've removed mine & stuck into an '09 Pro

[@txgrolsch]

Bruce, is this usable as a generic external display or only as an external Apple (Mac) display????

[@soulinspiration1]

Juicy Crumb has not released this yet! How did you get one? It would be great to get my hands on one.

[@douglasfurlong1]

I was wondering if you took the pin outs from an internal display screen,,(fishfiner) Could you create an hdmi output from it? The reason why i ask is because most fishfinders do not have video output and i am trying to find a way to have it....do you have any suggestions as to where i could start? I love your videos.

[@digitalrampage]

Its not possible as the 2011 is a DisplayPort display which is not the same as HDMI which is a different digital method.

[@rdcbj6435]

First time seeing your video I have a 2011 / 27 inch it’s driving me nuts looking at and seeing such a nice butter shell going to waste it does run just running really slow and I’m just debating about the upgrades I7 chip maybe even upgrading the graphics card all these things I’d rather do what you have I think available and one M2 by now please send me details something. Thanks.

[@giorgos7six]

Hi Bruce, awesome video! Would the installation of the Juicy Crumb board be the same for my mid2010 27" iMac (Core i7)?

[@giorgos7six]

What’s going on? Nobody is replying here, nor are there any news from JCrumb regarding the boards release date. Maybe the project has paused?

[@Pendleton115]

@@giorgos7six The project is still in development, we are currently in the process of testing our Final Design Prototype, and will be starting mass production of the DockLite soon. Currently we only offer support for the 2011 27" iMac, but plan on expanding to other iMac models in future.

[@giorgos7six]

@@Pendleton115 are you a member of the JCrumb team?

[@Pendleton115]

@@giorgos7six That’s correct, I am one of the Co-Founders of Juicy Crumb Systems :)

[@giorgos7six]

@@Pendleton115 you guys are doing a great & smart work coming up on this idea! Respect ;-)

[@BCjeffro420]

nice

[@MischievousMischief]

Would it work with my mid-2010 iMac?

[@mojoblues66]

$249 for the lite board, even if you get the iMac for free it's not worth the trouble of installing it vs buying a new QHD monitor for the same price and warranty included.

[@interstellarconundrum4774]

Seems pretty obvious, unless you're into doing that kinda stuff for fun, it's just not worth it. Luna display dongle is a much better option.

[@NurmYokai]

Ten months later, the DockLite is priced at $386-401. Which would cover the cost of two or three 1440p monitors. Instead of partially turning a Functioning iMac into eWaste, it would be easier to use the "Share Screen" function. Using the iMac as a second processor. MacOS: "Share the screen of another Mac While your screen is being shared, the user of the other Mac sees what’s on your screen and can open, move, and close files and windows, open apps, and even restart your Mac." i.e. Using Share Screen connect a monitor-less Mac to the iMac, using the IMac's screen.

[@MrTheog1989]

G'day Bruce, how does this differ from one of the generic LCD driver boards you'd find on aliexpress etc? Is it just the PCB shape and compatible pinouts for the iMac or is there more at play? Apologies if this is an ignorant question, I'm not an Apple guy in the slightest, found your channel because of the ultrasonic cleaner project and really like your content (even if it is... apple) ;) Cheers!

[@digitalrampage]

It uses the original power supply of the iMac and original backlight board and you don’t need a seperate controller.

[@juicy_crumb]

As previously mentioned, our solution utilizes the original iMac Power Supply and Backlight Inverter, allowing for a brighter viewing experience that matches the original iMac. Additionally our PCB contains an integrated Amplifier to power the original speakers without having to mess about with a soldering iron or splicing wires. Hope this answers your question!

[@MrTheog1989]

@@juicy_crumb Thanks for the detailed reply. Do you have projects planned in the future for ecosystems outside of the Apple realm? I love the concept of this and signed up to the mailing list, always keen to support Aussie tech initiatives!

[@juicy_crumb]

@@MrTheog1989 Thanks for the interest! We do have other projects lined up in future. Mostly Apple focused for now, but who knows what the future holds!

[@kissofjudaz]

@MrTheog1989 Yes you can get those boards for £20+post. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKmYeqKfhc-DeZo

i am looking to get the docklite and am curious about plugging in a console such as a PS4 into the iMac display? it looks like the video in port is a mini-DP...so in theory would an HDMI to mini-DP cable/adaptor work to get the PS4 displayed? anyone else try to do something similar?

[@TheMetalMag]

great

[@MrPnew1]

Thanks for the video Bruce but no pricing yet available unfortunately. Great product though

[@MrTheog1989]

@Pedro147 Pricing is up on the Kickstarter now with the cheapest tier model costing $386aud

[@MrPnew1]

@@MrTheog1989 thanks 🙏

[@SnowsLife]

I dont think the regular Juicy crumb dock is worth it, unless the iMac is dead. Up to the 2014 models, if it still boots up, you can just use target display mode. Its free and its activated by pressing command F2 on bootup.

[@kissofjudaz]

@SnowsLife Been trying to get my 2011 imac to work with 2017 15" Macbook pro, no joy up to now, if you know of any good tutorials?

[@prima_z6210]

ouch the prices, for a PCB with simple components thats crazy. This is the price of a brand new 144hz 2023 screen

[@CaptMoore]

We could really use something like this to convert the intel 5k iMac screens to use with Mac mini/studio apple silicon computers. A $300 -$400 conversion would be so much better than a $1600 apple studio display.

[@rafnev]

Hi, it works with the mid2010 27” iMac?

[@giorgos7six]

That’s what I’ve asked too, but no reply yet 😢

[@Pendleton115]

@@giorgos7six Only compatible with the 2011 27" iMac for the time being, although we plan on expanding to other iMac models in future!

[@giorgos7six]

@@Pendleton115 It seems that there are quite a few 27" 2010 owners that are willing to do the upgrade and are waiting for the equivalent board ;-) When will u guys be ready?

[@cbullar4205]

Great idea with exception to one massive flaw, the board from juicycrumb costs more then an equivalant monitor would cost so no thnks, i would rather just buy a monitor and save money.

[@johnkyd3977]

3rd!

[@vesolcable]

For that price you can buy better monitor. So no go

[@J7tattooine]

But why

[@josephphillips9243]

Ssshhhh no one share this video until we have had time to buy all 27" from Ebay at half price so we later sell then four higher when this link does get shared.

[@davidseva8394]

The price makes it not worthwhile. Better to buy 27 inch thunderbolt display

[@Couch_engineer]

what? $250 for base or $382 for pro? I can just buy a bigger monitor for less than that.

[@KyleGP]

First

[@vansen5425]

400$

[@peepopalaber]

overpriced. perfect for apple aficionados . its a massive adapter board, nothing more. you can get the lcd drivers for around 40 bucks from aliexpress for 27 ''iMac A1312 A1316 A1407 which have hdmi, dvi, vga input, ... audio amps etc. when you want line-in blabla.... fitting for LM270WQ1 displays. and yeah, you can get driver and adapter boards for everything else and you pay a fraction of the price. if you are interested, i cobble together an adapter board you can order with pcbway or whatever for free when i get the dimensions ....

[@thewatchersofthewood3530]

Oh? Well I have 30 of the 27" iMac 2011 with dead GPU's in my storage space. I have been replacing the factory GPU with flashed Dell GPU's but my supply dried up. This would interest me.

[@kissofjudaz]

@HendrikGranna. shorturl.at/kmrVW