- Joined
- Jul 25, 2013
- Messages
- 448
- Motherboard
- Asus X99 Deluxe
- CPU
- E5-2697v3
- Graphics
- RX 580
- Mac
- Classic Mac
- Mobile Phone
Picked this guy up yesterday for $80 with some additional accessories. It's a 1.25GHz 20" iMac G4 USB 2.0, circa 2003. After reading about all the mods forum members have done, I have decided to go with a NUC, and per Ersterhernd's recommendations and testing, I have selected an Ivy Bridge i3 NUC, most likely the DC3217BY model, and have elected to NOT reuse the original PSU.
The key issues here are going to be:
Powering the LCD and avoiding static
Obviously the display conversion is going to be the biggest part. Powering the backlight and wiring the conversion to DVI and then to HDMI is going to be most of the work, then it will just be port management and cable management to adapt the NUC ports and extend them to the iMac body. Use of the internal speakers would be a big plus, especially if I can get the Microphone rewired to work with the NUC.
So first, does anyone have a recommendation on a PicoPSU? The one Ersterhernd used looks to run around $50 USD, I'm hoping I can find one that works just as well for closer to $30. I've already gone ahead and purchased the upconverter at Ersterhernd's recommendation, since the shipping times are less than optimal. So it looks like I'm looking to get a 12V PicoPSU with enough power to supply power to the 20" backlight at full brightness.
Hope this project goes well. Thanks for all your help in advance, and a special thanks to Ersterhernd and everyone else who inspired the undertaking of this project.
-IC
The key issues here are going to be:
Powering the LCD and avoiding static
- Ersterhernd had many issues with what we believe to be EMI.
Reuse the original power cord- to maintain the outward appearance of the original G4.
Maintain NUC upgradability- in another 11 years or so, this guy might need another upgrade.
Full Display Brightness- I don't think I am going to make the display dim via a microcontroller, so I would rather it be at full brightness, which means a PicoPSU with enough wattage to support it.
Budget Features- It's not huge that this thing has a ton of features at the moment. Those can be added later when I have the funds. Basic wiring and full NUC functionality are the main goals for the initial aspect of this project.
Obviously the display conversion is going to be the biggest part. Powering the backlight and wiring the conversion to DVI and then to HDMI is going to be most of the work, then it will just be port management and cable management to adapt the NUC ports and extend them to the iMac body. Use of the internal speakers would be a big plus, especially if I can get the Microphone rewired to work with the NUC.
So first, does anyone have a recommendation on a PicoPSU? The one Ersterhernd used looks to run around $50 USD, I'm hoping I can find one that works just as well for closer to $30. I've already gone ahead and purchased the upconverter at Ersterhernd's recommendation, since the shipping times are less than optimal. So it looks like I'm looking to get a 12V PicoPSU with enough power to supply power to the 20" backlight at full brightness.
Hope this project goes well. Thanks for all your help in advance, and a special thanks to Ersterhernd and everyone else who inspired the undertaking of this project.
-IC