Take my money! So I can replace my home made #iMac5K display!
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/12/16/apple-developing-imac-with-m5-max/
Well, bad news for my custom built #iMac5K monitor, its no longer turning on. I was hoping it would last long enough for Apple to release a new monitor... but it only made it 1 year.
The little power LED does not even come on so its either the power supply or the driver board. I don't really have a multimeter to test the power supply. But also, the power supply is ¥1,550 on AliExpress whereas the driver board is ¥18,800... so I think I will buy a new power supply and try it. If it doesn't work, I don't think I will replace the driver board as I don't want to sink that much more money into it.
The question is, if it doesn't work... then what will I do about a cheap monitor until Apple finally updates theirs. I guess I will just get a cheap 4k.
It looks like this JapanNext 5k monitor just became available for sale. Based on the specs it looks like the same panel as the #iMac5K and the Studio Display. The price looks very appealing. So if apple doesn’t update their monitors soon it might be an option for me.
This is the last post about the #iMac5K display project.
The TL;DR is that its an amazing monitor for only ¥60,000 (~$400). Its bright, crisp, and the colors are gorgeous. Way higher quality than using a 4K monitor running at the virtualized 5K desktop. That said, the one thing I regret is that I didn't spend more money on it.
I got an iMac a1419 monitor which is not DCI-P3 and has some image retention issues. The board I got was cheaper than the gold standard R1811 which does not support DDC for soft brightness and volume control and DCI-P3. If I had spent around ¥110,000 (~$740), I could have gotten an iMac a2115 and R1811 board that has all those features and no image retention. (the risk with a2115 monitors is they turn pink though).
If I had spent more money, I would have gotten real features that I would have appreciated. While I have notifications set for Yahoo Auctions and Mercari for a2115 iMacs, I will bite my tongue and ignore them and stick with my setup for at least a year.
2025 appears to be the year of the high res monitor. There were many good options shown at CES, thought none of them are shipping yet:
- Viewsonic VP2788-5K
- LG 32U990A-6K
- Asus PA32QCV-6K
Also, Apple could update their Studio Display.
So I think in the next year or two, there will be many upgrade paths to move beyond my homebrew monitor 😁
This is the last post, but to see the whole #iMac5K journey, open this link: https://jeffburg.social/tags/iMac5K
This is the 2nd to last post on my #iMac5K monitor project. This is the one on costs.
I think being in Japan helped me a lot here, the used intel iMacs are ridiculously cheap. Also, the proximity to China made ordering things from AliExpress extremely quick (1 week or so)
The total was:
¥63,761 (~$419.25) 🤑
The most expensive items:
- ¥30,000: iMac 5K from Mercari
- ¥18,734: Display Driver Board
- ¥2,724: 4K USB Webcam
- ¥1,549: Internal Power Supply
- ¥1,322: USB 4 Extension Cable
- ¥7,342: Misc cables, tape, tools
To see all the items I got, go to this spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gCnq91C6vQ1X_eOuz2oZXxCtChWloJTyJYj-GiWnoCQ/edit?gid=487872435#gid=487872435&range=A2
Getting the extra accessories was really worth it. It has a working webcam and speakers. Also, using the internal power supply is much nicer than having a power brick (which my previous LG 4K had 👎)
Considering the price, its an extremely good deal. Its easily the best monitor I have ever had. I even think its integration with Mac via USB-C is more reliable than my previous LG monitor or my work 4K Dell 🤣
In the last post, I will talk about future plans. After CES this year, It looks like the 5K and 6K monitor market are finally picking up and we will have a lot of options. 📈
This is the 3rd to last post on my #iMac5K monitor project. This weekend, after having used it for a few weeks, I finally sealed up the iMac
I am really happy with the outcome of this project. Is the monitor perfect? No. But for ~¥60,000 (~$383), its fucking amazing.
Apple's 5K display is a marvel. Its incredibly sharp and bright. The level of clarity is so much higher than my 27" LG 4K monitor running in 5K mode. And its so bright that I usually run it at 50% or less brightness.
I am also surprised by how much the aesthetic of of the iMac improves the look of the desk over my generic LG 4K.
The one major downside is the image retention. These older 5K (a1419) displays are known for image retention issues and I definitely have it. Its not noticeable most of the time, but it peeks out occasionally.
Considering the alternatives from Apple are Studio Display (¥219,800) or Pro Display XDR (¥877,600), I think my ¥60,000 version is amazing.
In the 2nd to last post, I will break down all the prices. In the last post, I will give a more full review of the pros and cons and what I'm looking forward to next.
Just… Josh 
Jeffrey Bergier
