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A retro tech enthusiast has revitalized a classic Apple iMac G4 “lampshade” computer with a state-of-the-art M4 injection. Shoehorning one of us Mac Mini M4 computers in this classic 20-inch all-in-one computer design offers more than a performance upgrade. It turns an outdated retro curiosity from 2002 into a fighting device for 2024 – and a few years beyond.

YouTube channel Action Retro likes to interestingly mix old technologies with new ones. And it’s no surprise to see the channel indulge in this merging of computing ages, as this identical iMac G4 was updated with the guts of an Apple M2 Mac Mini not too long ago. This was already a massive step forward, remembering that the iMac G4 was released during the Mac OS 9 and X crossover era.

The Dock Light Modboard (20″) from Juicy Crumb Systems was already in place from the Mini M2 mod. This board sits at the bottom of the pedestal, offering various modern interfaces. Importantly, its round PCB positions the modern ports for the 20-inch iMac G4 pedestal chassis in all the right places. Action Retro pointed out that the system has separate LCD power and system power buttons on the back of the circular base.

With the iMac G4 already modified and highlighted as outlined above, you can assume that physically fitting it into the Mac Mini M4 won’t be the most difficult project. Action Retro started this retrofit job by suggesting that all that needs to be done is to remove the plastic bottom from the Mini and be careful with the oddly positioned power button and wiring. These two power wires were quickly peeled off the power button of the Mac Mini so that they could be attached to the power button of the iMac base.

While in the pedestal chassis, Action Retro also wisely replaced an old, noisy Apple fan with a properly sized (92mm) Noctua model.

Now, it was time to fit the Mac Mini inside. However, after double-checking the available physical clearance, Action Retro decided to remove the Mac Mini M4. It may have fit as it was, but the enthusiast felt safer removing the metal casing. This meant that it would be less difficult to seal the modified iMac G4 cleanly, with less chance of chassis, PCB and components clashing.

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Before shutting down the system, all internal wiring and routing was taken care of. After a test boot, the system was sealed, and from the front it would look physically identical to Apple’s old iMac produced in 2002.

All in all, Action Retro seemed very pleased with its job of revitalizing the rather old iMac G4, which still looks kind of futuristic today. Also thought the separate monitor power and system power buttons were appropriate. However, to perfect their work, Action Retro decided to wire the new Noctua system fan to draw power from the Mac Mini M4, not its LCD/chassis host.