Mac Mini
Can I use iMac (2011) as a monitor for mac mini (2020)? Would the CD drive work also?
iMac 21.5″, macOS 10.13
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Use your iMac as a display with target display mode - Apple Support
Your Mac mini is actually the 2018 model so satisfies "Mac from 2019 or earlier".
You will need a Thunderbolt 3 adapter
Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter - Apple
and a Thunderbolt cable/
Apple Thunderbolt Cable (0.5 m) - White - Apple
Plug the adapter's USB-C plug into a Thunderbolt 3 port on the Mac mini and connect the Thunderbolt cable from the adapter to the iMac.
The CD drive won't work but an external tray-loading optical drive is a lot better than the slot-loading drive in the iMac. You can choose one from: