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A CRACKED IMAC HIDES A 5K PANEL - DIY PERKS TURNS IT AND A DEAD LAPTOP BOARD INTO A HIGH-END PC

A cracked iMac hides a perfect 5K panel, and a tested second-hand gaming laptop board can still have an RTX GPU. Matt Perks shows how to build a high-end all-in-one from hardware everyone threw away.

by Matt Perks (DIY Perks)

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

WorkshopOpen-hardware

difficulty
●●●●○
time
a weekend-plus
license
license not specified
repo
repo 0 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Videos
1
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COMPAREE VERDICT

This is upcycling at its most ambitious: take the 5K panel out of a cracked iMac, drive it with a display driver board, and pair it with a tested second-hand laptop motherboard, all built into a wooden frame. The payoff is a 27-inch 5K all-in-one PC built from hardware other people threw away. The hardest part is not the woodwork, it is the hunt: a cracked iMac whose LCD is still intact, a driver board whose model number matches your panel, and a laptop board sold as tested and working, ideally with its heatsink and fans, with a barrel power plug and a power button you can trigger. Matt shows the whole build in his video, and the forum thread adds his buying advice (search terms, what to avoid, power options). What can go wrong: a panel damaged under the cracked glass, or a board that will not boot outside its laptop. This is for someone who likes hunting for dead hardware as much as the build itself. If you want a parts list and a cut sheet, this is not that project.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —This is a video build guide with a forum FAQ thread, not a repository with downloadable files.
  • —No CAD files for the wooden frame—you design and cut your own based on your donor hardware dimensions.
  • —No formal BOM—parts come from scrap hardware you source yourself (cracked iMac, dead laptop motherboard, old TV speakers).
  • —The eDP adapter board is a commercial product (specific model shown in the video); you buy it, you do not build it.
  • —Documentation is the 24-minute YouTube video plus the forum thread—both are thorough, but you adapt measurements to your specific donors.
  • —No licence restrictions—it is a how-to guide, not licensed code or hardware.

Parts to buy

7 items

From our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.

  • Display driver board whose model number matches your iMac panelFind
  • Donor hardwareFind
  • Modified old laptop power adapterFind
  • Hardwood edge profile and wood oilFind
  • Aluminium sheet and vinyl wrap for the backFind
  • Standoffs and screwsFind
  • SSDFind

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Can I build this?

Printnothing required
BuyA display driver board whose model number matches your iMac panel, donor hardware (a cracked 5K iMac with an intact LCD, a tested and working laptop motherboard, speakers from an old broken TV), a modified old laptop power adapter, a hardwood edge profile and wood oil, an aluminium sheet and vinyl wrap for the back, standoffs and screws, plus an SSD, extra memory and a Wi-Fi card if the board needs them.
ToolsHair dryer or heat gun and a strong thin wire for slicing the glass off the LCD, cut-resistant gloves and eye protection, alcohol and cloths for the leftover glue, a saw and drill for the wooden edge and aluminium back panel, a soldering iron for the power-button ribbon cable, and a multimeter for finding the power pin.
SkillsIntermediate electronics (matching a display driver board to the panel, powering and booting a bare laptop board, modifying a power adapter), confident woodworking for a custom frame, and patience removing the cracked glass without damaging the LCD. This is not a first electronics project.
Timea weekend if you already have the donors and have done similar work; a weekend-plus if you are sourcing hardware or learning the eDP wiring as you go
CostLow band if you find donors cheaply: the main purchases are a tested laptop motherboard, a display driver board that matches your panel, a power adapter and frame materials. Prices vary a lot with what you find.
SafetyThe biggest hazard is the cracked front glass: Matt warns it is real glass, that you must wear proper cut-resistant gloves and eye protection while slicing it off, and he cut himself when he started without strong gloves. Warm the glass gently with a hair dryer or heat gun, never so hot that it is too hot to touch, or you can damage the LCD. The laptop board runs on DC from an external adapter; if you modify an old laptop power adapter, work only on its low-voltage output side. Wear eye protection when cutting or drilling the aluminium back panel.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

Videos

A new way to build a PC in 2026!24:38

Full build walkthrough uploaded 17 July 2026, 1.19M views. Covers iMac delamination, eDP wiring, frame construction, and final assembly.

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Gallery

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Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Watch the main video (The entire build is documented here—delamination technique, eDP adapter setup, frame joinery.)
  2. 2.Read the forum FAQ thread (Step-by-step answers to compatibility questions and donor hardware sourcing.)
  3. 3.Source your donor hardware(You need a cracked 5K iMac with an intact LCD, a laptop motherboard sold as tested and working (Matt buys them on eBay from sellers who accept returns — never 'untested' or 'spares or repairs'), ideally with an RTX GPU and its cooler, and speakers from an old TV or monitor.)
  4. 4.Buy the eDP driver board(Matt links the driver board he used in the forum thread. The board must match your panel's model number, so check it before ordering, and make sure it supports the panel's full resolution.)

Resources

Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.

KNOWN ISSUES

  • The single biggest trap: buying a cracked iMac without confirming the LCD underneath is intact. Cracks often propagate internally, and you will not know until you peel the glass off. Ask the seller for a photo with the backlight on if possible.
  • eDP driver boards are panel-specific. If you order the wrong board for your iMac generation, it will not drive the display. Write down the exact panel model number (visible on a sticker at the back once disassembled) before ordering.
  • Removing the cracked front glass is the riskiest step: go slowly, because any damage to the LCD underneath ends the project. Once it is off, Matt says the bare panel is a normal glossy LCD and can be used as it is.
  • Power needs planning. Matt prefers boards with a barrel power input fed from modified old laptop adapters; USB-C-powered boards with a discrete GPU can outgrow a 100 W USB-PD supply.
  • The wooden frame dimensions are entirely custom to your specific panel and motherboard. There are no cut files—you measure, design, and cut your own. If you have never done joinery before, this will take longer than the electronics.
  • Getting a bare laptop board to boot. Check before buying where the power button is: some boards have solder pads near the keyboard connector, others need a ribbon cable or a daughterboard, and some keep BIOS settings only with the original battery or a CMOS cell.

Can I use a 4K iMac instead of a 5K one?

Matt's build uses a 5K iMac. Other panels can work in principle, but only if you find a driver board that matches that exact panel model, so check that first.

How does the laptop motherboard connect to the iMac panel?

You do not tap the laptop's internal display connector. The iMac panel is driven by its own display driver board, and the laptop motherboard feeds it through one of its external video outputs. Matt prefers a DisplayPort-capable USB-C output over HDMI so you can see the BIOS during boot.

Do I need the iMac's original logic board?

No—the iMac logic board is discarded. You are only keeping the LCD panel, and you drive it with the eDP board. The rest of the iMac (logic board, PSU, HDD) is scrap.

How do I power the laptop motherboard outside the laptop chassis?

Matt recommends boards with a barrel power input and powers them from cheap old Dell, HP or Lenovo laptop adapters, modified to fit. Boards that take USB-C can run from a USB-C supply or a Thunderbolt dock, but USB-PD tops out around 100 W, which is tight for a discrete GPU.

Can I skip the wooden frame and just mount it in a monitor stand?

Yes, if you only want the panel working as a standalone monitor. The wooden easel frame is for the all-in-one aesthetic and to hide the motherboard and wiring behind the screen. You can VESA-mount the panel alone if you prefer.

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Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

The build pairs a salvaged iMac 5K panel with a tested laptop motherboard bought second-hand. Where would you start your hunt, and which board would you pair with that panel?

CompareeTEAM1mo agoedited

Practical notes from our verification: this is not a downloadable project. It is DIY Perks' video 'A new way to build a PC in 2026!' plus a forum thread, so every build will differ with your donor hardware. For the 5K iMac screen you need a matching display driver board; Matt links the one he used and stresses that the model number must match your panel before you buy. For the laptop motherboard, his advice is to buy only boards explicitly listed as tested and working, never 'untested' or 'spares or repairs', and to prefer boards with a barrel power plug, which he powers from modified old Dell, HP or Lenovo adapters. The forum thread answers most compatibility questions. If you like hunting for used hardware as much as building, this is a rewarding project; if you want a kit with a fixed parts list, it is not that kind of project. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.

Matt Perks (DIY Perks)

Matt Perks runs DIY Perks, a YouTube channel known for high-end builds that turn salvaged and e-waste hardware into beautiful, functional machines. The message behind this build: tech is getting expensive, but dead tech is everywhere.

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