Use the iMac Pro as a monitor
Yes, the iMac Pro works as a full 5K monitor for another Mac. It is the display I use every day: my MacBook Pro sends its second desktop to it over one Thunderbolt cable with DisplayBridge, the app I develop.
In short: any of its four Thunderbolt 3 ports works, the picture runs at 5K and 60 Hz, and because the iMac Pro is still a powerful Mac, it is worth keeping it one.
The iMac Pro in facts
| Full name | iMac Pro (2017), model number A1862, in space gray |
|---|---|
| Display | 5120 × 2880 pixels, 500 nits, wide color (P3) |
| Thunderbolt ports | Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports on the back |
| Last macOS | macOS 15 Sequoia |
| DisplayBridge | Tested, works: full 5K at 60 Hz, with sound; my everyday display |
| AirPlay to Mac | Yes, it can receive AirPlay |
| Target Display Mode | No |
| Used price (eBay US) | Median $699; half of all working units sold between $600 and $700 |
What DisplayBridge is
DisplayBridge is the Mac app I develop for using one Mac as a display for another. It runs on both Macs, they connect over one Thunderbolt cable, and a click on Connect turns the iMac Pro into a second display of the Mac you work on, uncompressed at the full 5K and 60 Hz, with sound. When you disconnect, the iMac Pro is a normal Mac again. It costs $29 once after a free 7-day trial; the iMac Pro never needs a license.
My setup: an iMac Pro as the second display of a MacBook Pro
My iMac Pro is the display I use with my MacBook Pro. Both run DisplayBridge, one cable connects them, and when I click Connect, the iMac Pro becomes the MacBook's second screen at the full 5120 × 2880 pixels and 60 Hz. This is what the DisplayBridge window shows during such a session:
The iMac Pro has four Thunderbolt 3 ports, twice as many as the regular 5K iMacs, and any of them works for the cable. From the window, I can set the iMac Pro's brightness and volume, and choose whether the sound plays on the iMac Pro, on the MacBook, or on both. The step-by-step guide shows the whole setup with screenshots.
The iMac Pro can also receive AirPlay, which is free and wireless but compresses the picture and doesn't run the panel at its native 5K. For everyday work, I use the cable.
The best-looking 5K iMac, with great speakers
To me, the iMac Pro is the coolest-looking of all the 5K iMacs. Its space gray aluminium, with the matching dark keyboard and mouse it came with, still looks great on a desk next to a modern MacBook.
It also sounds great. With DisplayBridge, the sound of your MacBook can play through the iMac Pro over the same cable: in the DisplayBridge window, choose the iMac Pro under "Sound plays on". Its speakers are very good, loud and with a strong, powerful bass, so the iMac Pro becomes your MacBook's display and its speakers at the same time.
Worth keeping as a Mac
With a Xeon processor, workstation graphics and 10 Gigabit Ethernet, the iMac Pro is still a capable Mac, and it runs macOS Sequoia. With DisplayBridge it can be your second display whenever you need one and a full Mac the rest of the time. A conversion kit, on the other hand, would remove its logic board for good, and the board seller I bought from doesn't even list the iMac Pro.
Known weak points of the iMac Pro
In 2018, many iMac Pro owners reported sudden restarts (kernel panics), often after the Mac had been asleep, and the crash reports pointed to the firmware of its T2 chip. When you test a used iMac Pro, let it go to sleep and wake it up again a few times, and walk away from one that restarts unexpectedly. Mine works perfectly as my everyday display.
What a used iMac Pro costs
The iMac Pro sells much less often than the regular 5K iMacs. Working units sold on eBay in the US for a median of $699 between April and September 2026; most went for between $600 and $700, and loaded configurations for up to about $1,150. That is about the same as a 2020 iMac. If you only want a 5K monitor, a 2017 iMac is the much cheaper way to the same class of display.
Before you buy one, go through the checklist on my iMac 2017 page: Thunderbolt ports, screen, Apple Account and Find My, company management (MDM) and firmware password. The iMac Pro also has Apple's T2 chip, which supports Activation Lock: open About This Mac, then System Report, and check that the Hardware overview shows "Activation Lock Status: Disabled". Workstations like the iMac Pro often come from companies, so the MDM check matters here.
Prices: eBay US sold listings, condition "Used", April to September 2026, without listings for parts, damaged or locked units, and without sellers with no positive feedback. Checked on 11 October 2026.
Questions about this
Which of the iMac Pro's ports do I use for DisplayBridge?
Any of the four Thunderbolt 3 ports on the back. Connect a Thunderbolt or 40 Gbit/s USB-C cable from one of them to your other Mac; the USB-A ports and the 10 Gigabit Ethernet port aren't used.
Can a conversion kit turn an iMac Pro into a monitor?
The driver board seller I bought from lists the A1419 and A2115 iMacs, but not the iMac Pro (A1862). If you want to convert one, ask the seller with the part number from the sticker on the back of your panel. With DisplayBridge, no conversion is needed.
Does the iMac Pro need its own DisplayBridge license?
No. Only the Mac you work on, the one that sends its picture, needs a license. The iMac Pro that shows the picture never needs one.