YouTuber creates the ‘first’ Apple Silicon iMac in the world using M1 Mac mini parts [Video]

YouTuber creates the ‘first’ Apple Silicon iMac in the world using M1 Mac mini parts [Video]

by

While we wait for Apple to launch Apple’s first silicon-powered iMac sometime this year, YouTuber Luke Miani resolved to solve the problem on his own. In a new video, Miani shows how he built “the world’s first Apple Silicon DIY iMac” using an iMac shell and a Mac mini …

Using iFix disassembly guides, Miani started the process by tearing up a 27-inch 2011 iMac. Note that this is the pre-redesigned model, so it does not have a tapered design on the sides. He then did some research and found a converter card that allows you to turn an iMac into an HDMI monitor.

After that process was completed, the iMac 2011 essentially became an Apple Cinema Display, but Miani had not completed his quest to create an all-in-one iMac with Apple Silicon inside. Then, from there, he removed the entrails of the M1 Mac mini from its casing and found a place inside the iMac to mount them.

After assembling the Mac mini parts inside the iMac, the process was essentially complete. Miani had created the “first” all-in-one Apple Silicon iMac in the world. As impressive as it may be, there are a few caveats:

The first problem was that, when I initially turned on, the Magic Mouse and the keyboard barely connected and the Wi-Fi was very slow. The reason for this is that the Mac mini, like most Macs, had three antenna connections, and one of those antennas is on the small metal plate that we removed when we disassembled the Mac mini. So, it had only two of the three antennas and was certainly suffering when it was placed inside the metal casing of the iMac.

To get around this, Miani reused one of the metal antenna bands inside the original iMac’s chassis, giving it high-speed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Unfortunately, the other problem is that there are no doors. This means that there is no USB-C or Thunderbolt connectivity with this M1 iMac.

More than anything, this video serves as a very impressive proof of concept. As Miani notes in the video, one of the most interesting things is to see all the empty space around the Mac mini parts inside the iMac, especially when you consider that the M1 chip is faster than the Intel i7 chip it is replacing in this iMac specific .

Check out the full video below and tell us what you think of this DIY M1 iMac in the comments!

FTC: We use affiliate links for cars that generate revenue. Most.

Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more news from Apple:

Source