Apple Thunderbolt Display conversion to USB-C

I recently revived a broken Apple Thunderbolt Display by following a guide shared by Colin Grant (kudos to him for his work!). After some searching online, I found a 27-inch Thunderbolt display, with chipped glass on one side and a broken Thunderbolt cable. The seller mentioned it wasn’t working with their Mac due to the cable issue, even though they used an official Thunderbolt to USB-C converter.

Before purchasing, I connected my Mac to the external Thunderbolt port on the display to confirm it worked, and after some haggling, I got the price down to €100. To me, this was a fair deal for a 27-inch, 2K resolution display in 2024 (especially since many newer displays didn’t meet my wife’s approval for the living room setup.)

Parts and Tools Used:

Parts:

  • Buck converter Get the USB-C version !

  • Apple Thunderbolt 27" Glass replacement

  • MBRF10100CT

  • USB-C/Thunderbolt extension cables needs to be high quality, TB does not like when the length is too much. I bought different colors to tell them apart. Black is video and white is power in my case.

  • You can get 39k resistor for cheap, or a pack of various resistors on Amazon

Steps Taken:

  1. Replaced the Broken Thunderbolt Cable: I replaced the internal Thunderbolt cable with a new one, then tucked the USB-C converter underneath the motherboard on the right side, securing it with hot glue.
  2. Installed the USB-C Extension Cable: I sourced a high-quality, long USB-C extension cable (1m or more) that could handle 40Gbps speeds. I had to test a few cables to ensure compatibility, as some didn’t work right away.
  3. Used a Buck Converter: I sourced a buck converter from AliExpress, ensuring it supported the necessary quick charge protocol for powering the MacBook.
  4. Case Modification: I had to trim the case slightly to accommodate a thicker USB-C power extension cable. Without this modification, there was a small gap (3-4mm) when closing the screen at the bottom.
  5. Voltage Check: After checking the voltage to ensure everything was correct, I reassembled the display.

Final Setup:

Now, I have two USB-C cables running directly into my MacBook Air M2: one for the display and another for charging.