Connecting a Target Display Mode (TDM) iMac to a Thunderbolt 3 Mobo?

[KrishnaR]

OK, so this question has been asked in some different forms on the forum, but none have in the way I need them to. So I currently have a Mid 2011 iMac, with a Thunderbolt 1 port. I want to know if I buy a mobo with thunderbolt 3, will it connect as a second display? Yeah, yeah, I know it will use the onboard graphics, but I would be using that 2nd monitor for school mainly. Apple's documentation says that I can use a Thunderbolt 3 to 2 adapter to connect a Mac with Thunderbolt 3, but do hackintoshes fall into this category? As reference, I attached my iMac's specs in case it helps.

 

[haxxor9000]

I'd love to know if anyone was able to get this to work. Would love to use my XPS 15 9560 (running Mojave) Thunderbold 3 port with an adapter to extend display onto my 2011 iMac with Target Display Mode... So far no luck...

 

[JiminiD]

I have tried this using both Apple's standard TB3 adapter as well as Startech's and was unable to get this to work. I have a 2011 iMac which would only accept a TB connection opposed to other models that may accept a display port connection.

I believe there are 2 impediments here:

1. The TB port is not recognized in the System properties as having a functioning Thunderbolt drivers, which would be necessary to connect to the 2011 iMac.

2. A restriction of the hackintosh requires the TB device to be connected upon booting, this initializes the device to then be visible in the OS and function.

I have tried connecting the motherboards TB3 to the 2011 iMac that is running, then pressing and holding "Command+F2" while booting into OSX on the hackintosh. The connection was still not recognized.

I was hoping to get this working to utilize my old iMac, though is looking like i'm going to have to purchase a new monitor : /

 

[scottkendall]

I have tried this using both Apple's standard TB3 adapter as well as Startech's and was unable to get this to work. I have a 2011 iMac which would only accept a TB connection opposed to other models that may accept a display port connection.

I believe there are 2 impediments here:

1. The TB port is not recognized in the System properties as having a functioning Thunderbolt drivers, which would be necessary to connect to the 2011 iMac.

2. A restriction of the hackintosh requires the TB device to be connected upon booting, this initializes the device to then be visible in the OS and function.

I have tried connecting the motherboards TB3 to the 2011 iMac that is running, then pressing and holding "Command+F2" while booting into OSX on the hackintosh. The connection was still not recognized.

I was hoping to get this working to utilize my old iMac, though is looking like i'm going to have to purchase a new monitor : /

Have you modified your TB3 firmware? I would guess this to work if you modify the TB3 Firmware! Though the Designare is a bit harder it is completely possible to use an external flasher to flash modified firmware to the winbond chip. I can not say that it will work for sure but I would guess that it does since targeted disk mode is said to work if the targeted disk is a real mac.

[SUCCESS] Gigabyte Designare Z390 (Thunderbolt 3) + i7-9700K + AMD RX 580

CaseySJ's Coffee Lake in Phanteks Evolv X ATX Case: Gigabyte Designare Z390 - i7-9700K - UHD 630 - AMD RX 580 (Please do not quote this build guide in its entirely. Post a link instead.) (See this post for how to refer to a Guide or Mini-Guide.) URGENT: Please avoid Clover 5123 and newer for...

www.tonymacx86.com

Scroll down to

Spoiler: Thunderbolt Local Node and Thunderbolt Bus Investigation
Spoiler: Quick Reference to Mini-Guides and Micro-Guides

 

[JiminiD]

Thanks @scottkendall,

Scroll down to

Spoiler: Thunderbolt Local Node and Thunderbolt Bus Investigation
Spoiler: Quick Reference to Mini-Guides and Micro-Guides

Upon reading the spoilers I would have to flash the TB chip in my z390 to get Thunderbolt to initialize in the System Report. I am confident enough to give it a try, though I am concerned this would impact the Win10 functionality on the TB ports as I am dual booting. Is there any feedback on that?

 

[scottkendall]

Thanks @scottkendall,


Upon reading the spoilers I would have to flash the TB chip in my z390 to get Thunderbolt to initialize in the System Report. I am confident enough to give it a try, though I am concerned this would impact the Win10 functionality on the TB ports as I am dual booting. Is there any feedback on that?

I think it breaks it at least partly if you post in Caseys z390 Designare thread he could tell you more than I can. The issue is that Mac OS manages the card on a Mac and in windows the card has a controller that the software interfaces with. We are turning that controller off when we use the modified firmware. I have a windows VM that I use for my one last Windows program, one day I will have completely broke my addition to windows lol. Do you boot to windows for gaming? that is the only reason I could see that you would need to go into windows!

 

[JiminiD]

The issue is that Mac OS manages the card on a Mac and in windows the card has a controller that the software interfaces with. We are turning that controller off when we use the modified firmware.

I may have to pass on this then - would I completely lose the TB functionality in Windows? I am also using a TB audio interface, which does currently work in both the OSX and Win configurations.

I have a few programs/web-apps that are only Windows compatible, hence the dual boot. I was hoping to use my 2011 iMac as a target display, as I loved the image and colors. Now it is looking like she is going to be retiring being I recently picked up a Asus 28" 4k monitor. I will be able to game on it now too.

As a workaround I was using either "Screen Share" or Remote desktop to keep the iMac in use, though ironically the Windows boot would be able to utilize the ThunderBolt connection for networking and I would have a pretty responsive remote desktop experience, where with the OSX boot I would be limited to the LAN connection for remote access.

 

[scottkendall]

I may have to pass on this then - would I completely lose the TB functionality in Windows? I am also using a TB audio interface, which does currently work in both the OSX and Win configurations.

I have a few programs/web-apps that are only Windows compatible, hence the dual boot. I was hoping to use my 2011 iMac as a target display, as I loved the image and colors. Now it is looking like she is going to be retiring being I recently picked up a Asus 28" 4k monitor. I will be able to game on it now too.

Like I said previously I do not know you should make a post In the z390 Designare thread with your question regarding windows and a modified TB3 card. Or you could just try it and then change it back if it does not work to your liking. I would choose the former.

As a workaround I was using either "Screen Share" or Remote desktop to keep the iMac in use, though ironically the Windows boot would be able to utilize the ThunderBolt connection for networking and I would have a pretty responsive remote desktop experience, where with the OSX boot I would be limited to the LAN connection for remote access.

From the Mac side the networking works after the modified firmware is been updated.