iMac 5K Target Display Mode (TDM) Solution

Hi, Thanks for this topic.

I am thinking of returning the Imac 5K for this disadvantage. I tried to use the Switchresx, it works ... but there is a delay.

Think, my macbook-imac 5k are just connected over Wifi so I have a lag. When I disconnect the Wifi the screens are no longer shared. I do not connect them just by thunderbolt, though, although I have them connected by the cable.

Any idea? Thanks!

I really want to buy a 5k Imac for my 2016 MacBook Pro Touch but there's no support for Target Display Mode. I know the new MacBook Pro can drive 2 5K monitor so why not enable the Target Display Mode? I guess back to Ebay or Amazon to hunt for 2010 Imac. Alot of people don't know 2009-2010 Imac was the must have Mac to buy you can connect your Apple TV, Mac mini, Mac Pro's, Playstation, Xbox natively as a monitor.

You don't need to buy new software, in some cases. This worked for me with an iMac 5K and a Mac mini: First make sure each machine has screen sharing turned on and firewalls turned off. Also, temporarily log them out of your wifi network or they may default to that. Connect the two machines with a Thunderbolt cable. Give each machine it's own manually fixed IP address, such as 10.0.1.4 and 10.0.1.5. in the Thunderbolt Bridge pane of network settings under System Preferences. Don't duplicate the IP address of any other machines you may have. Use the same subset mask, such as 255.255.255.0 (I'm no expert on subnet masks so see what your machines have been using before this). Now go to the Finder's "Go" menu and select "Connect to Server." In the address field put vnc://(supply the second IP address without spaces) and proceed. You should now be able to screen share. Note: I did have to borrow a keyboard, mouse and a cheap 19" screen to first set up the Mac mini obviously, since it doesn't come with these things).

I have followed this instructions before, when I do the thunderbolt bridge I can ping the ip of my iMac from my Mac laptop, but I can't ping the ip of my laptop from my iMac. Same situation for the screen sharing, I can screen share my iMac to my laptop but not the other way around which is what I want. I verified ips are manually assigned on the same subnet, no firewall on both sides, but still doesn't work.

By the way, this required me to buy $29 thunderbolt 2 to thunderbolt cable and $49 thunderbolt 3 to thunderbolt 2 adapter.

A different user's solution to a similar problem here iMac 21.5" mid 2010 as Secondary Display

Thanks for the info. Now I just need to go buy a Thunderbolt cable.

But this doesn't allow you to use both your laptop monitor and the iMac as a monitor. You've lost the dual screen aspect of Target Display Mode. Unless I'm missing something?

Is this only support 2560 X 1440? I can use the max resolution if I have a CPU with Windows installed and a good GPU card?

Thanks,
Toan