Can I use my 27 Thunderbolt Display as a iMac or I need a cpu to run it?

Question

Can I use my 27 Thunderbolt Display as a iMac or I need a cpu to run it?

Hello, so I have this apple 27 thunderbolt display and I'm not really sure how it works, I was told that a pc was already inside of the monitor that the only thing it was missing when they gave it to me was a controller to turn it on? I'm just a bit confused on how it would turn on and if there is another way too.

Serial #: ******

Please contact me to see if there is something I can do or if it needs a pc I would like to know

Thank you!

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[Edited by Moderator]

Earlier displays & monitors

Posted on Sep 25, 2024 7:22 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 27, 2024 2:08 AM in response to gomezcrystal52

The Thunderbolt Display probably contains embedded computer circuitry. This would be like the computer circuitry built into a microwave oven or a USB keyboard – permanently dedicated to running the display, and not equipped to act as a general-purpose computer for running Mac, Windows, or Linux applications.

To connect one of these displays to a modern Mac, you'd need a $50 Apple Thunderbolt 3-to-2 adapter. A USB-C (male) to Mini DisplayPort (female) adapter would not work – the connectors would fit, but the adapter wouldn't be able to provide the kind of input that the Thunderbolt Display needs.

I could be mistaken, but I believe that the Thunderbolt Display does not have "hardware" menu controls … and that Apple never released software for adjusting brightness from any computer other than a Mac.

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