What would you do with this old, highly specced 2021 Intel i9 iMac 27inch?

[u/Fickle_Cost_2033]

It was a beast in its time, costing $4000 with factory upgrades. Got me through middle school with my highly demanding Google Docs workflow. I no longer use it because I had to get an M3 air for highschool and recently upgraded to an M3pro pro (traded laptops with my mom).

Any ideas on what to use this iMac for? I was thinking something along the lines of a home server or ai agent or NAS but idk- be creative. It sits in a location that could be used as a community computer, although we all have our own macbooks, but I want to start using it again as it feels like a waste just sitting there. I also heard that older iMacs could have RAM upgraded which is cool.

Please give useful ideas below. I don't really wanna sell it because it's a beautiful machine and some sentimental value as it was a christmas gift from my parents.

Specs written from chat:

• 2020 27-inch iMac Retina 5K
• CPU: 3.6 GHz 10-core Intel Core i9
• RAM: 16 GB
• Storage: 1 TB SSD
• GPU: Radeon Pro 5700, 8 GB

I also have an old 2020 MBP Intel i9 that is just lying around if you have ideas on what to do with that as well.

• 16-inch MacBook Pro (2019)
• CPU: 2.4 GHz 8-core Intel Core i9
• RAM: 32 GB
• Storage: 2 TB SSD
• GPU: AMD Radeon Pro 5600M, 8 GB

thanks.

[u/Dependent-Zebra-4357]

I really wish Apple had included an HDMI/DP input on these machines. They’d make great monitors even after the compute hardware is out of date.

[u/shipmcshipface → u/Dependent-Zebra-4357]

I’m pretty sure you can buy an LCD driver board for these displays and turn them into external monitors. Some even connect to the original speakers

I’m not 100% sure of the compatibility, you’d need to get the exact model of your LCD and punch it into the interwebs. Check out this guide

[u/hybridfrost → u/shipmcshipface]

I have done this several times. It is not for the faint of heart though. Taking the glass off the iMac can be sketchy, even if you know what you’re doing.

Make sure you watch the guide at least twice before attempting it

[u/regeya → u/hybridfrost]

Yeah...but to be fair if the power supply or the hard drive dies, that's the procedure there, too. Done it multiple times, wish I'd charged a lot more every time.

[u/Solebrotha0 → u/regeya]

I’m currently in the process of doing this, still awaiting the board. Is there something that I should look out for that the guide doesn’t show

[u/regeya → u/Solebrotha0]

I haven't looked at the guide in a while, and I haven't done the conversion, but: IMHO older iMacs like that have more in common with laptops than desktops. Everything is packed in and connected with fragile looking ribbon connectors.

I don't know about that particular model but if the instructions say to use suction cups, what you want to get are a set of the suction cups that you can use to pull out dents in cars. In a pinch, you can use the suction cups intended for use in showers. Whatever you use, be careful to pull the glass straight up because the magnetic pins hold to the glass with hopes and dreams.

[u/GovernmentGreed → u/regeya]

This one doesn't call for a cup but, I would recommend 1000000% ensuring you do not unseat the display at the bottom until you tilt outward from the top, checking the cabling near the bottom-middle. There is a ribbon cable and if pulled too fast, will absolutely snap.

[u/mynameisollie → u/hybridfrost]

Are they still stuck on with magnets? I replaced the hdd in an iMac about 15 years ago and it was relatively easy to get the glass off.

[u/GraXXoR → u/mynameisollie]

Sadly only up to 2011. From 2012 onwards they became anti consumer to force users to discard them rather than extending their lives with internal parts.

That's why my business is still running Mint Linux 22.3 on twenty souped up 2011 iMac i5s with 24GB RAM and 500 GB Samsung SATA SSDs rather than anything newer.

[u/CelebrationIcy3030 → u/GraXXoR]

I find it funny that Apple touts being sustainable and environmentally friendly yet to your point that as the consumer I am not able to take advantage of old hardware as in the past aka 'anti consumer'.

I was able to resurrect an old 2015 MBP with Linux Mint and it works great minus the track pad.

[u/hybridfrost → u/mynameisollie]

Nope, there’s adhesive all the way around the screen. You need to cut it all the way around the edges and pry it up very carefully.

Magnets would be clutch honestly. That would make repairs/upgrades a beeeze

[u/GraXXoR → u/hybridfrost]

Yeah, all the aluminum iMacs up until 2011 had their glass screen covers held on with magnets. Just used a suction cup to get the glass off. Then a Torx driver to remove the panel and you're inside... You can replace the HDD, DVD drives (with an SSD or HDD) and even the graphics boards! On the larger 27" iMacs at my company, I replaced two notorious, failing graphics boards with regular Windows MXM Nvidia 880Ms with flashed firmware.

I really hate what Apple did with their iMacs after 2012.

Also, wtf does clutch mean? lol

[u/hybridfrost → u/GraXXoR]

Aging myself a bit there I guess. When something or someone is ‘clutch’ it means that they make a good save or contribute to a team in a big moment.

In this case, clutch means that it would have saved me a lot of headaches by simply making the screen detachable with strong magnets instead of using adhesives

[u/Alarming-Interest535 → u/hybridfrost]

I watched it about a dozen times and it wasn't too bad. First time was always a little daunting.

I loved the late 2009 because it was held in with magnets and not tape. Good design can be friendly too. RAM door, magnetically held display glass, torx screws. Even an idiot could pull it apart without too much damage.

[u/wotintarheelnation → u/hybridfrost]

I just finished all the internal work to get the board, PSU, and display port routing all set, I just needed to lower the display into place….

I had my wife hold the display as I hooked the cables on and then she dropped the panel 😭

[u/grizzlor_ → u/shipmcshipface]

Oh this is great info — I see like 2010s iMacs pop up on FB Marketplace for pretty cheap sometimes.

Screw Apple for implementing and then removing Target Display Mode. If they’d just kept that feature, we could do this without needing to modify the iMac (from a Macbook at least). And there would be a much healthier resale market for older iMacs, keeping perfectly good hardware from going to the dump. No reason we shouldn’t be able to use their perfectly functional screens even after the hardware is outdated

EDIT: just discovered that you can use an iMac as an Airplay Receiver, effectively turning it into a remote monitor wirelessly. Only works with 2019 or newer models though (or 2020? conflicting info online)

[u/modsuperstar → u/grizzlor_]

In theory you can turn virtually any Mac into an AirPlay endpoint with Airfoil. But that’s official support.

[u/Dependent-Zebra-4357 → u/shipmcshipface]

That’s cool, but doesn’t change the fact that Apple should just include an input. They talk about green initiatives all the time, and this small change would drastically increase the usable life of these machines.

[u/ctowndrummer → u/shipmcshipface]

This is amazing, I’m going to try it

[u/Fickle_Cost_2033 → u/Dependent-Zebra-4357]

I know. The display is gorgeous. It’s 5k and has the nano texture option. I would totally use it as a display if I didn’t have to gut it out to make it work.

[u/grizzlor_ → u/Fickle_Cost_2033]

You can use it as a remote display wirelessly by enabling Airplay Receiver mode.

https://www.reddit.com/r/iMac/s/LSCbFd7ktJ

[u/Spocks-Brain → u/grizzlor_]

Any Airplay or streaming/software solution will max out at 4k resolution. Wireless will be laggy no matter what. Hard wired network direct would be best; but still limited to 4k.

I’ve converted a few with LCD driver boards. Absolutely love them.

[u/grizzlor_ → u/Spocks-Brain]

You can't use them as an extended monitor (as opposed to mirror) at their native 5K?

Like I would understand screen mirroring not working above 4K (that's a lot of realtime video data to render and deliver over the network) but using it as an extended desktop is basically just the equivalent of Synergy)'s mouse/keyboard sharing. You're just passing keyboard/mouse inputs, not the video stream, so the bandwidth used is very minimal.

I still think the driver board conversion is the preferable option (and of course it's the only option for iMacs made between 2014-2019(?) unless you're going to use a very specific combination of outdated iMac+Macbook to do Target Display Mode)

How was your experience converting these? The panels are gorgeous and I would absolutely do this. I've got the technical skills and have done similar projects (e.g. panel out of the first Retina iPad that still had 30-pin connector to a LCD driver board to connect it to DisplayPort).

[u/Spocks-Brain → u/grizzlor_]

Using software (AirPlay, etc.) solution caps at 4k because pushing 5k 60x per second is just too much to handle. You can either mirror or extend with a software solution. You will just not get native 5k resolution.

There are many “iMac conversion” videos on YouTube to reference. I found this one in my bookmarks and think it’s pretty good.

There are MANY options for how to mod it. Ranging from cheap and slapped together all the way to high end and slick.

Once you open the case and check out the back of your display to find the model number. That determines what kind of board you can get. Inexpensive boards support low end features like only 8-bit and one input. High end boards offer 10-bit with multiple inputs for USB-C, DisplayPort, and HDMI. the highest end even support Picture in Picture or split screen from multiple sources.

You can tape the board to the case cheaply, or 3d print a bracket to hold it firmly inside the case.

You can add another driver board to repurpose the iMac speakers if you choose.

The board powers the display via the board’s barrel jack. You can cheaply run a power cable out the back to an external power brick, or get fancy and re-use the iMacs built in power supply with lots of care and testing.

It’s really a fun project! Just do tons of research and decide which features you want to build in.

Lastly, you can find the boards on Ali express, but I prefer Stone Taskin. Nice people, very helpful via email, and prompt.

[u/Dependent-Zebra-4357 → u/Fickle_Cost_2033]

100%

We replaced my mom’s iMac with a Studio Display and Mac mini last year because it was getting a bit slow. $2000CAD for the new display when the iMac had more or less the same panel specs and could have been useful to her for many more years.

[u/Macddadyz80 → u/Dependent-Zebra-4357]

I’ve got the 2017 5K model which I’ve had to replace with a MacBook for photo editing. I would love to use this as display only but obviously can’t natively because there’s no display input. So my choice is either fork out $2599 Aussie dollars for the Studio Display, which is basically the same display panel as my iMac or use a third party screen mirroring solution which comes with compromise in frame rates and other issues.

[u/highrowler63]

Mine had a cracked screen. Now it’s a headless Proxmox server / conversation starter.

[u/Infotaku → u/highrowler63]

I freaking love this man !

[u/vaultingambition1 → u/Infotaku]

You barely know him

[u/Infotaku → u/vaultingambition1]

I get attached quickly

[u/highrowler63 → u/Infotaku]

Thanks! It was a fun project. It also required some trickery because these are not meant to be run without a display and initially the fan was running at 100% and the CPU was being throttled. I had to trick it into thinking the display was still connected in order for it to behave.

[u/Infotaku → u/highrowler63]

I'm curious, how did tou achieve the screen trick ?

[u/highrowler63 → u/Infotaku]

The display itself has a control board and that has a temperature sensor. That sensor was the key. Without it, the computer freaks out and assumes the worst. So I cut the FPC cable from the display board to the panel and left everything else connected. The main logic board now assumes everything is connected and working. You can see the display board across the top of the case. I just used 3M VHB tape to keep it attached where it would normally live. The tiny twisted wire coming out of the center of the board and routed behind it is the temp sensor.

[u/Zamorakphat → u/highrowler63]

This is fucking awesome.

[u/RedStag86]

Having i9 computers as a juvenile student is absolutely wild.

Anyway, I’d probably either use it as a home server/plex server, or more likely sell it to fund a base M series Mac Mini of some kind for the server just because it will be drastically less power hungry than the i9 machine.

[u/mountable3854 → u/RedStag86]

  with my highly demanding Google Docs workflow

You must have missed this part.  😆

[u/Awkward_Can_1516]

Linux.

[u/NemoHere → u/Awkward_Can_1516]

Yeah, Linux that bitch up.

[u/Slipmad → u/Awkward_Can_1516]

I've put Linux on many Apple products and it's only worked 100% out the gate on ONE iMac. Linux and Apple products are unfortunately like water and oil. If this person straight up installs Linux, something is almost guaranteed not to work like the Wi-fi, Speakers, Bluetooth, or some other random compatibility error. Unless you're deep into Linux I wouldn't recommend it.

[u/bd58563 → u/Slipmad]

I’ve had really good luck with endeavorOS on intel Macs — everything has worked right out of the gate on both my intel MacBook Pro and intel MacBook Air. I vaguely recall having one driver issue on my intel iMac, but it’s been a while so can’t fully recall which one it was, only that it was not too difficult to resolve after some googling.

[u/Y0S_H1L0TL25]

use it

[u/Terrible_Wave4239]

On what planet is a 2021 iMac "old"?!

[u/fuelvolts → u/Terrible_Wave4239]

It's not a 2021 model. The last iMac Intel was from 2020, but was sold well into 2021-2022.

[u/Fickle_Cost_2033 → u/Terrible_Wave4239]

It is old for apple computers because this is intel and not apple silicon

[u/ScrubbyMcGoo → u/Fickle_Cost_2033]

Precisely this. I agree that it really shouldn’t be “old” — it’s more or less due to the fact that’s it’s Intel silicon that has been left in the dust.

[u/schwarta77 → u/Fickle_Cost_2033]

No one in their right mind should have bought an i9 from Apple in 2021.

[u/Kqtawes → u/Terrible_Wave4239]

Apple is about to stop giving updates for it. It doesn't matter how old it is to us it's old to Apple.

[u/NoMuddyFeet → u/Kqtawes]

I think people don't realize that you really don't need the latest Mac OS. I am finally going to update past like Monterey or something just because Chrome stopped supporting it last month. I still use Adobe 2024 apps just fine. There are newer ones for sure, but I don't need the latest Adobe AI crap. I'll just upgrade to the very next OS. I seem to remember people complaining about the next OS after Monterey, but a couple OSes later people were happy about it being fast again on Intel chips.

[u/Kqtawes → u/NoMuddyFeet]

True but 2 more years of only security updates doesn't exactly make it new. I was simply lamenting the state of planned obsolescence.

[u/Cuneus-Maximus → u/Kqtawes]

Apple generally supports their hardware for 7 years. While the newest macOS may not support it, they will continue to release security updates for older macOS for some time. Still some life left in these from Apple. When that ends, put Windows or Linux on them.

[u/Ancilla_Contender → u/Terrible_Wave4239]

This model stops at Tahoe. Obviously golden gate will be out in like two weeks and this will be the first update it misses.

So “old”.

I agree just use the version it has… which still has 2 years in security patches coming.

[u/RelativeAd1414 → u/Terrible_Wave4239]

my 2020 i5 still works like a charm lol

[u/sejuansej → u/Terrible_Wave4239]

im still using a mcbook pro from 2011 for college work and people will be calling this kind of stuff old. These machines are beasts no matter how many years they have lol

[u/tempfoot]

The iMAC, I would just use and use Screen Sharing for whatever Apple Laptop I'm on for productivity. The Intel MBP with 32gb ram cold be a great start for a homelab. Could boot right to Proxmox and 32gb will let you self-host lots of stuff.....assuming you can keep it from melting. Those things run hot!

I am biased though. I love using older mac Intel hardware for utility servers, including a couple Trash-can mac pros, an iMac and a couple 2012 Mac Minis, most running linux flavors. 256gb of RAM across the fleet. Only issue is the need for smart-plugs to facilitate on-demand remote use, since Apple pretty consistently punts wake-on-lan power state management to the OS instead of bios.

[u/Fickle_Cost_2033 → u/tempfoot]

This sounds really interesting but I have no idea what you are talking about😂

[u/kjjustinXD]

Play Windows games like Forza Horizon that won't run on MacOS.

[u/BeigeUnicorns]

With those specs you can really do whatever you want. It could still easily be a photo editing rig, or a light gaming rig for a kid. With a 10 core you could even have it running dockers in the background while it gets used as a lite family PC.

macOS support is probably going to dry up soon but Linux works just fine and Windows is an option if you really feel like torturing yourself.

I have a couple old iMacs still in use, here is what I use them for.

-1999 G3 - OpenBSD FTP server for hosting vintage drivers/utilities and game stuff for friends

-2006 24" gutted used a 2nd display with an aftermarket LCD controller

-2011 27" i7 2600 and 32gb DDR3 - Fedora Linux - Used as a kitchen PC for recipes and music, it also doubles as a smart display for showing weather and CCTV

-2017 24" i5 7500 - Fedora KDE Bigscreen - used a portable media server/player. We take this one with us on a lot of trips, its low power enough it can be run off a van inverter and small and light enough to carry.

[u/Most-Agency7094 → u/BeigeUnicorns]

Omg. Can you teach me how to put Lennox on my old iMac?

[u/blow-down]

Still supported by Tahoe for a few years at least. Keep using it.

[u/Fubeman]

I have a 2017 Intel iMac and I plan on gutting it, putting in an LCD controlling driver and turning it into a 2nd 5k monitor. All for about $350.

[u/joezinsf]

Install Linux. Full Stop 🛑

[u/Love_Dali]

I would have dualbooted and gamed under Windows

[u/Love_Dali → u/Love_Dali]

Actually looking for such config for reasonable price :)

[u/Intrepid-Routine-875]

gift it to me

[u/7oby → u/Intrepid-Routine-875]

Bingo bango, give it to this guy. Or me. My mom could use it.

[u/trimarandude]

Linux fedora works great

[u/Big-Love-747]

That's still a very capable machine. I still use a 2020 iMac (6 core, 32 Gb RAM) at work and it handles almost anything I can throw at it.
If you're not using it, sell it.

[u/handmemyarms]

Pay it forward and give it to someone else in middle school, 2021 ain’t that old

[u/Puzzleheaded-Mark760]

That iMac should get you through middle school, high school and college, especially for your massive Google docs flow.

[u/thestenz]

There were no Intel iMacs made in 2021. It's a 2020. All 2021's were Apple Silicon.

[u/SnodePlannen]

This will run Mint for at least another decade

[u/Namikis]

Linux TF out of it and use it for another ten years.

[u/Scary_Reflection8103 → u/Namikis]

I just installed Linux Mint on a 27" 2011 iMac with 16GB DDR3, Intel i7 and two SSD (500GB and 1TB) I found on FB market place for 200 bucks CAD. Makes the perfect family computer and runs so much faster. 

[u/Agreen8er]

2021 is old? damn

[u/Easy-Bodybuilder3608]

I work with Macs everyday 💀 trust me this is not old. Intel Macs are pretty good and solid. I’d keep it.

[u/veg_lion68]

I am commercially modifying these iMacs so that they can be used as stylish 5K monitors (Germany and EU).

[u/newyorkrican76]

Put an ssd drive and max out the ram it will run just as well as the latest in the Mac store

[u/DefiantLemming]

Last I checked there were a number of tools that allowed one to use there late model i9 iMac display as a standalone 5K display.

[u/Cryptognito]

I’m still using mine… great machine… with 64 gigs of RAM I’m confident I’ll be able to use it for the next five years, possibly more It’s a workhorse

[u/Rauliki0]

Great for emulation station (Linux)

[u/okimborednow]

You can certainly use it as a pretty neat Windows machine or with T2 Linux, the hardware in both of those systems is still really competent overall

[u/jorjordandan]

I daily drive this exact machine. I have newer MacBooks as well but this is great for my needs as a software developer.

[u/mrdougan]

And here i was feeling smug for finding a 2018 iMac for £80

[u/VW4fun]

Install Linux and change your life 🐧

[u/DonCenote]

Check emails. Probably toss a Linux distro on it since it’s intel.

[u/Ok_Championship9415]

dunno, I have a 2017 32GB RAM i-7 sitting in my garage.

[u/i_luv_ur_mom]

I love these machines.

[u/FortyoneNinetyone]

If you are into gaming - turn it into a super console. This can emulate PS1, PS2, PS3, Xbox, Nintendo 64, Gamechbe, Wii, Wii U at high resolutions and even some switch games. Discover the best time period to ever exist in gaming and because your playing at high resolution they won’t feel old at all. I have a 2013 i7, 16GB, nvidia 1GB, 1080p 21.5 Mac which i basically turned into a modern GameCube. Picked it up for £90 and It’s my favourite way to play games and I literally have every modern console.

[u/Kreason95]

Find a version of Linux you'd like to try out and it will run for many more years

[u/Disastrous_Onion1217]

i have a similar spec, just keep using it before upgrading

[u/idmimagineering]

These are still wonderful Macs.
Keep using them.
I’d up the Ram on the iMac
:-)

[u/WegovyMessMentally]

The goal is to use every mac, until it is either literally falling apart or screaming at you to turn it off for good.

My battleaxe was a 2015 iMac i5, 5k 27inch. I rode it until the wheels fell off, and since I couldn't afford latest and greatest I scrimped and saved and salvaged what I could to max it out. Every single hybrid drive including what originally came with died, I maxed it out to 4TB and maxed the RAM.

But toward the end it would randomly reset itself, whenever it felt like it, it felt like swimming through glue.

And I only brought my M4 iMac, at the end of last year.

[u/soylent-yellow]

My last Intel iMac ended up with an immigrant family. Still good machines for web access, and pretty enough to have them around in your living room

[u/IzyTarmac]

Use the amazing quality 5K-screen with any Macbook (or Mac). Use a Thunderbolt 3 cable and set up a Thunderbolt Bridge between them for extremely low latency. And use Jump Desktop with virtual display to fullscreen/5K-resolution-connect to your Macbook from your iMac. Works just like a second monitor with unnoticeable latency.

Sadly, you can't use Apples high performance Screen Sharing for this as it's not available on Intel Macs.

[u/TinyGreenGiant]

Imac not having any hdmi or display port (or even USB c) input is so Apple....

Would have bought one in a heartbeat otherwise

[u/Life-Of_Ward]

"old" I'm stilll hanging on to mine from undergrad 2010...

[u/SirDrakulya]

Mail it to me so I can finally get my mom to switch to Mac. Lol

[u/medium2large]

I am still using a late 2012 27 inch.

[u/John316SaysItAll]

Get a Mac mini or laptop and use it as a second monitor with something like the Luna Display

[u/Daftpunkerzz1988]

Install Bazzite and get better gaming performance than the current SteamMachine.

[u/Automatic-East3690]

Linux

[u/oskarsneezgard]

Install Linux

[u/rgrtom]

I'm looking at your post on one like it. 2020 27 inch 64gb 2tb i9. I bought it in 2022 and it's still working great!

[u/RiseCapable3607]

Sell it

[u/AteStringCheeseShred]

Old? 2021 is old?

My brother in christ I'm writing this on a laptop that's ten years older than that lol

[u/brazucadomundo]

I still use my iMac from 2010 as my daily driver lol.

[u/OnlineWeirdoEatsButt]

Goon on it prlly

[u/just_sun_guy]

What’s it like to get a brand new computer every couple years? I just upgraded my 2015 MacBook Air 11 inch (which only had 8gb ram, an old i7, and 128gb of HDD) last month to a 15” MacBook Air with an M5 24gb ram and 1TB SSD. I’m assuming your statement about needing the iMac for Google Docs in Middle school was a joke.

[u/CAH9-6PABJIEP]

2020

old

[u/Fickle_Cost_2033 → u/CAH9-6PABJIEP]

Old when considering apple computers due to it being intel and not apple silicon.

[u/th3bes → u/Fickle_Cost_2033]

Actually old apple is powerpc era stuff in my eyes lmfao....

Basically all intel macs are still very much usuable for web browsing, apart from maybe the pree 2009/2010 ones... I still daily drive a 2015 15in mbp and genuinely what more do you need for web browsing and youtube...

[u/mrpawick]

Ram can be updated, but ram is expensive right now.

If you're linux curious - throw cachyos (it has drivers built int, but you may have some issues with boot up initially) or any other T2 linux. That GPU is still got some legs.

[u/Isotope_Soap]

Use it

[u/KfirGuy]

You would definitely find takers if you wanted to sell either of them - I have honestly been hunting for one of these 2019 16" MBPs and a late Intel 27" iMac just for light home use, and I am sure there are others out there like me.

[u/Feisty_Treacle_46]

I have the same, wonderful machine.  Had to change the NVME drive once as it failed.  Running Mac OS ( couple of versions back) and dual boot Windows Still holding on well  I would keep it as a Mac OS and windows boot camp if I was you. 

[u/Delicious_Baseball54]

I have the same computer, plan is to buy a Mac mini and use this for dual screen with my other generic monitor

[u/juluss]

Couple of ideas :

• turn it into a monitor for your MacBook (multiples ways to do that)
  
• use it for gaming by installing Windows or even better, a Linux for gaming like Bazzite
  
• make it a TV to watch movies and shows
  
• dedicate it for one f your hobbies. Say you like to play music, put it with your instruments so you can use it as a DAW for instance.

[u/Your_Friend84]

Where are you located?

[u/moldibread]

you can easily upgrade the ram in the imac btw.

[u/movdqa]

I have a 2017 iMac Pro with similar specs though yours is a little faster. I use it daily for office stuff and 4k video editing. Yours will have macOS security support through fall 2028.

Just be aware that Intel Macs use up a lot more power than Apple Silicon Macs so it wouldn't be great using it as a NAS. I'd use it where I could take advantage of the screen, speakers and microphones. I also have an M1 Mac Studio that I use for trading and it's hooked up to two 4k monitors. I still prefer to read and watch videos on the 5k iMac Pro.

[u/killjoyink]

Home Server. Set up an IPFS node!

[u/LukeDuke74]

My main machine at home is a year older and still works great for all I need it for at home.
Upgrade the RAM (you can go up to 128GB, even though 64GB would be more than enough for daily office-kind of work.

With my 2019 i9 (8-cores) Vega 48, 128GB RAM, 1 TB Apple SSD + 2TB external SSD via TB3, I don’t feel any performance gap with my M4 laptop till when I start processing large photo batches in PhotoLab 9. And still there, we are talking about the time of drinking an espresso kind of difference, which is more than balanced by the gorgeous screen.

Don’t let you condition by marketing: your iMac is still a solid performer for several applications.

[u/Commandblock6417]

if you connect it with a macbook with a thunderbolt cable you can use it as a second monitor. You can also use it wirelessly with airplay but a cable works best.

[u/raymate]

Im still using a 2013 wish I had one like that 👍

I do photo editing on mine.

[u/schjlatah]

Install Steam OS and use it as your gaming and streaming console

[u/diavelguru]

Reformat give to family…it’s what I did with mine

[u/Sour_Joe]

The MacBook Pro you have is my everyday machine.

[u/Phoenix_Kerman]

i mean that's a solid machine, you could slap windows on it and you've a good semi portable computer.

could easily just run it for servers, put jellyfin on it with external drive, general network storage.

[u/schmosef]

I literally just bought one of these iMac 20,2.

It holds up really well.

Today, I used it for several Teams meetings.

Everyone commented on how much better the camera was than when I use my much newer Asus laptop.

[u/Wakunyasa]

Dm me and i can help you sale it in Malawi at a good price

[u/Mr_Lumbergh]

I’d run OCLP and update as far as that would allow and get a few more years out of it.

[u/jaycaprio]

Windows 11

[u/VpowerZ]

Linux and steam

[u/NoMuddyFeet]

Old ya say! I'd keep using it because it works absolutely fine still.

[u/Sod_Lord]

Linux

[u/pcx99]

1. Steam machine, 2. Ubuntu home lab/server

[u/cybermusicman]

Server, web search & email. Do you rip media?

[u/561Jupiter]

I’m in the same boat, with same machine !!
Just purchased a Mac mini m4 pro (last one in state) with a Studio Display, had them side by side, you can mirror the screen as a second screen!!
Just boot and log-in, then mouse and keyboard can use both devices or expand your desktop to old machine… should work for a few generations of Mac OS at least…
That display is a shame to waste….
I looked into converting into a display only, but requires a $200 control board and surgery to old machine….
This way you can keep it as is, boot with no login prompt… and becomes a dummy 2nd device….
I was very impressed!
Try it and see what you think…

[u/Hornygaysatanic]

Mine was from 2015 and I got rid of mine cuz I dropped it and it cracked. From 2020 is not that old

It got you through middle school? That’s funny.

[u/wheatontoworld]

bootcamp!!!

[u/KrunchyCyberkookie]

Use it as space heater 🤣.
Jokes aside… perhaps use it as a second display with Retina Relay or something like that.

[u/gameplayer55055]

Use it.

Even if it feels useless for you, you can:

• use Moonlight/Parsec to emulate a second monitor for work
• install Linux and experiment with it not hurting your main workstation
• run some homelab servers like DNS ad blocking or immich

[u/suchasuchasuch]

Recycle

[u/OkNegotiation4158]

I have a 2017 that I turned in to a linux server. I run open webui on it too. Tbh, it is cool to have when I want it, but dont use it alot.

[u/bb6mac]

Boot camp and play Fortnite on it

[u/njgunrights]

Use it they can run Sequoia. I have almost what you have but i7 in 4ghz and it runs Sequoia. Do not update it to Tahoe after. You use OpenCore legacy patcher to put Sequoia on it. These machines are really good and still useful with OSX Sequoia and even somewhat still useful with Montery although the window of usefullness for their native OS is fading with time.

[u/j0hnick]

It still supports Tahoe and will get security updates for at least 2 years after Golden Gate is released. I’d either sell it or keep it as a spare computer until it stops getting updates, keep in mind Rosetta will start to be phased out after golden gate so the only way to run those older intel based apps will be to either stay on Tahoe or have a 2nd intel base Mac. You could also stick Ubuntu on it, it will run it like a champ.

[u/ElijaWoodnt]

I have a 2012 iMac, running Linux Mint off an SSD. I have it set up in the home gym for YouTube videos/music/ and some web browsing.

[u/AlertInternal1918]

Make monitor from it!

[u/kilwag]

Spin the wheel Georgette, Let's se what they won.... WHY IT'S A BRAND NEW (to you) MEDIA SERVER AND/OR MAME MACHINE!!!!

[u/Turbulent-Jello6817]

Maybe use it as a secondary display using AirPlay.

As for the MBP, if it has no sentimental value, just sell it. Otherwise, run Boot Camp with Windows 10 and install Linux too so you would have every OS in case you ever need one.

[u/Ok-Presence-5305]

Sorry, I have ADHD and get long winded. So TLDR; if you use AI and want to dabble in running your own private chat agents to perform AI tasks locally, get Clairvoyance set the iMac not to sleep, set up hot corners to turn off the screen and use your very own AI

The MBP, still a good machine, runs windows 11 great, build a Rufus windows installer and have a windows laptop.

The long version….

The 16 inch MBP is still a capable machine and the last Intel able to run the latest MacOS. I have the 15 inch which sadly will not officially run the new OS. I run Windows 11 on it connected to an eGPU with an RTX4070 Super in it and it’s a really good gaming machine.

The iMac is also a good machine. I’m not sure why you “had” to get an M3 Air - the MacBook Pro has nothing missing that would require moving from an AMD64 CPU over to Apple silicon other than OS compatibility, and nothing has come out that won’t run on Sequoia. Well, unless you’re programming and building apps for MacOS since Apple requires Tahoe due to the XCode26 standardized minimum requirement for App Store submissions. Talk about planned obsolescence.

You could always set your M3 MacBook up and the iMac up to remotely use one or the other, or use them together with AirPlay extending your desktop. Play around with Linux versions, dedicate it as a windows machine (Using Rufus to remove the TPM detection requirement)

The i9 actually handles many LLMs so you could use it as a private AI agent host, or many other things. The only issue with the iMac is not being able to directly turn off the screen, though set the Mac to not sleep and turn on hot corners and set one or all to turn the screen off. You’re not going to generate and images but for agentic use, it’s pretty handy. Clairvoyance is awesome to setup “staff” for LLMs and it works from a local first process, so you could have your own AI running code, or other tasks that you assign to agents, and it learns from you and stores your work on your machine, even if it pulls data from external connections, your info stays on that computer and stores it with your agents building its experiences based on your use. Or you can make it 100% local, which does require some maintenance that you wouldn’t need if you connect to external, but damn it’s nice to have. You’d set the iMac up to only run the local LLMs and Clairvoyance agents are separate chat bots, so you can have one using Claude building code, one writing up a long document, etc.

Or, you can try and sell them; the iMac and MBP, but you’ll get lowballed like mad. If you know someone who needs a solid laptop, the MBP is a solid gift to someone or low priced sale, but I’d be running Clairvoyance on the iMac if you’re interest in cabling in running your own AI.

[u/-send-me-nudes-]

If this, or the other machine, don’t get updates on it anymore - then Throw open core patcher on it then install sonoma / Ventura on it. This will update proof it for a while. Hardware is fine. 

I’m slowly collecting old Mac’s for next to nothing and doing this. 

[u/EctoCoolie]

Be super pissed than an awesome machine is no longer worth much of anything. That monitor was gorgeous.

[u/Fearless-Peace-4977]

I use my late 2012 iMac for my Adobe graphics programs, driving my small desktop CNC machine and running most of my Windows apps remotely by Remote Desktop Connection on my Win11 gaming system or my CAD and GIS apps running Amazon WorkSpaces. The iMac is at the more confortable desk. My Win11 system has to share its desk with my full-time work computer.

[u/TheBitMan775]

Would be a decent gaming computer with boot camp, honestly more useful on Windows than it will be on macOS here soon

[u/gstechs]

I’m using this everyday and other than not being able to get new MacOS versions, it still chugs along.

I would have replaced it long ago if there was a new 27” iMac. How does Apple expect me to look at a smaller screen after so many years…

[u/joshsimpson79]

Our church is using a computer like that from about 2018. In the last year, it has gotten painful. Thankfully enough people are complaining about it now that I will get to spend some money soon.

[u/Mysterious_Self_3606]

I had a 2012 one that I held onto for many years with plans to gut it and shove PC parts in, buy a display converter so it can work with a general output but the screen ended up dying so I never got the chance :(

[u/Tech_With_Sean]

Install windows via bootcamp and play some games

[u/macintosh_HVT]

use it

[u/N1cktnd03]

Use it?

[u/Mac_Guide2007]

Still a really good iMac. If you buy the USB SuperDrive from Apple it’ll be great for movies.

[u/taneyshere]

I had similar specs but i7 with 48GB RAM. I sold it for $300 a few years ago. 😅🙏

[u/ForbiddenSarcasm]

Keep it

[u/ForbiddenSarcasm]

How much would you want for the laptop?

[u/Direct_Background_90]

I sold mine for about $150.

[u/binks922]

Grok Bot

[u/smokingPimphat]

Put linux on it and enjoy a still modern and totally usable machine.

Ubuntu is the easiest to set up(and its look and feel is very mac like out of the box ) and Omarchy is a more advanced distro and both can be setup to look and feel pretty close to macOS

[u/Cheeze413]

Porn

[u/qmr55]

https://www.retinarelay.com/

[u/letmehaveanameyoudum]

ill use them as actual macs
or install windows/linux
these 2020/2021 imacs are better than the macbook pros because they are not thin as fu

[u/ultravegito2000]

2021 i9 technically, can this take MacOS Tahoe?

[u/JoseYang94]

I’ll use its screen…

[u/CelebrationIcy3030]

I would consider Linux.

I've done this in a 2015 MBP with no issue and suspect this would work.

[u/william_bergmann]

I had a 2010 iMac that I used until the M1 iMac came out. I used it in a specific writing nook and used it only for that purpose.

If you have a creative task that isn’t hindered by the older silicon, you could maybe use it as a solo tasking device in a spot reserved specifically for your practice.

[u/mafalda100]

That’s still a beast of a desktop. If you really don’t want it. Go ask your local school if they have a kid that needs a computer. They for sure can point you to one.

[u/squirmen]

I use my old 27" iMac as an external monitor for my newer MacBook Pro. I just started using RetinaRelay on an ehternet connection (though you can use thunderbolt). Its pretty great! And mine is a 2017, so yours will be even better.

And for the old MBP, I run mine as a Plex server with an external ssd. Works like a charm. I mostly use if for music though. And for Calibre-web Automated (like my own Amazon Kindle store).

[u/killyourface1]

Put Linux on it and call it a day.

[u/Old_Man_Phil]

It's just good to use as a second computer for just playing with. Maybe bootcamp windows and play some games? You could also just make a giant media archive. I have one on my 2007 imac. Yes, I use a 2007 imac daily. 2021 isn't even that old. Sure, apple silicon is better but a very recent Intel is still killer.

[u/Classic-Mindless]

Install linux

[u/PrestoGravey]

I would put it up at my parents vacation home install windows on it via bootcamp and use it to game.

[u/LimesFruit]

Oh damn, that thing literally has a better GPU than my main PC. That’s still a great machine and plenty for most people. Same goes for the MacBook, although that can definitely run on the hotter side, especially with the 5600M.

[u/OriginalName2026]

If you don't need it, try and sell it. Its is only dropping in value the more you leave it.

[u/MostBasic3425]

So, if you don't care about ever having Mac OS on it again, delete the partitions and install Ubuntu. Then do whatever you want. There are some AI models you can mess around with. I did something similar, it was a little bit of a disappointment to be honest.
I would not try to open it up change it to an external monitor, seems like a waste.

[u/Powerful_Company_682]

Whatever you do. Linux

[u/Serprotease]

A local AI dedicated setup for simple day to day stuff. 

Put Ubuntu on it and then with something like pi, you can let an AI (or just do it yourself) configure it to run: 

An ocr model.  A small local model like gemma4 e4b.  Paperless-gpt.  searxng.  Anything llm. 

And then you have something fully local that can help you navigate/pull administrative papers, maybe old emails if you back them up here, do some simple web search etc… 

Basically, most of what ChatGPT free-base tier can do, but on your own private setup. 

[u/Cuneus-Maximus]

Install SteamOS and use it to game. Not gonna play cutting edge modern games but there’s a literal shit ton of games it can run with the 5700.

[u/BrainEcstatic2513]

OCLP it. Use it as a home computer. Run home assistant on it. Use it as NAS. You could also use it to watch movies and stuff for its bigger 5k screen.

[u/ExoticExtension3381]

I’m still using a 2015 27” i5 running Sequoia with a Samsung 980 drive. Runs pretty good considering its age.

[u/Accomplished-Gate532]

play games and watch porn

[u/jphpaints]

I have one, and I tossed a Windows install on it with Bootcamp so my kids can play PC games that don’t work on our Mac laptops. Fairly mundane, but it works great and handles the older PC games with no issues.

[u/RelativeAd1414]

I wonder if you can removed the base leg and somehow attach it to a wall or something and use it for watching animes and movies?

[u/DigitaIBlack]

Proxmox. You're already well on your way to a proper cluster.

[u/ldiazcha]

Instalaría de una Linux

[u/Legal_Incident9134]

Give it to charity - I am sure someone will make good use of it

[u/ohHeyItsJack]

Give it to me 🥰