Driver board vs Encore.
Rebuilding the iMac or using it as it is.
A display driver board removes the iMac's computer and connects the panel directly to USB-C, so the iMac becomes a true monitor: native 5K on a 27-inch Retina iMac, and no apps at all. It costs a few hundred euros, needs real work inside the iMac, and you lose the computer, the speakers and the camera. Pick a board if your iMac's computer has failed or you want native 5K with no software. Pick Encore if you want to keep the iMac working as a computer and as a smart display.
Who should pick which
- Pick a driver board if the iMac's logic board has died, or you want the panel as a plain monitor with no software and are comfortable opening a glued iMac.
- Pick Encore if you want to keep the iMac as it is, including its keyboard and mouse over a cable, and to use it as a clock, music player and calendar when you stop.
Side by side
| Encore | Driver board | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free during the public beta | $449 on an Australian store for one kit we checked; boards alone from about $170 in a 2025 forum report |
| Which iMacs | Late 2009 to 2020; older with Encore Receiver Legacy | 27-inch Retina 5K, 2014 to 2020 (A1419, A2115). Boards also exist for older 27-inch panels |
| Result | A second screen for your Mac; the iMac stays a computer | A permanent monitor; "this kit will convert your iMac into a standalone external monitor" |
| Resolution | Retina iMacs at up to 2560 x 1440 | 5120 x 2880 at 60 Hz on the 5K board |
| Skill needed | Install two apps | Opening the iMac, removing the logic board, routing cables, and handling adhesive and fans; Adam Engst calls it "major surgery" |
| iMac camera and speakers | Speakers yes, camera coming soon | "Camera and speaker from the iMac will not be functional", per the seller |
| Smart display when idle | StandBy clocks, weather, calendar, AirPlay music, Hey Mac | No |
The cost and the work
The kit we checked from Macfixit is listed at $449 on its Australian store, shows 5120 x 2880 at 60 Hz, and includes a USB-C cable, adhesive and a power adapter. It takes the iMac apart. Hackaday's write-up of a 5K conversion shows the fuller story: an R1811 board with backlight problems, swapped for a T18 board, and the webcam and speakers replaced with external parts.
On a TidBITS Talk thread from May 2025, Adam Engst calls the job "major surgery", and another member points out that boards don't include a power supply, audio bridge or mounting hardware. Boards are also available for the 2009 to 2011 27-inch iMac, with lower resolution: see using a 27-inch 2009 to 2011 iMac as a monitor.
What you give up
The iMac's computer is removed, so it can no longer run macOS, be a second screen for a Mac through software, or be a smart display. The camera and speakers usually stop working, and any resale value goes with the logic board.
When it is the right call
If your iMac's logic board or GPU has failed, a driver board may be the only way to use the screen. Encore needs a working iMac. If the iMac still runs, try the software route first: it costs far less, takes minutes, and leaves the iMac whole. Check your iMac on the compatibility page.
Facts on this page were checked on 9 November 2026 on the linked pages. Speeds are each maker's own figures, not independent measurements. Something out of date? Tell us and we fix it.
Questions
How much does it cost to convert a 27-inch iMac into a monitor?
One complete kit we checked is $449 on Macfixit's Australian store, on 9 November 2026. A 2025 forum thread mentions bare boards from about $170 on eBay, which need extra parts. Hackaday's write-up of a 5K conversion used two boards, an R1811 and a T18.
Do the iMac's speakers and camera still work after a conversion?
Macfixit, the kit seller we checked, says "Camera and speaker from the iMac will not be functional". Some builders add separate parts.
Is converting an iMac better than using an app?
If the iMac's computer has failed, a board is the only way to use the panel. If it still works, an app is far cheaper and reversible, but won't drive every pixel of a 5K panel in the way a board does.