Thanks for the fast reply @NOTNlCE! That gives some hope that I’m not completely inadequate handling these MXM boards 😅
I’ll see if I can resource more and hopefully better K2100M’s around here then
Lol at “very soon™“ 😂
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iM 4,1-14,4 2011 iMac Graphics Card Upgrade
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Thanks for the fast reply @NOTNlCE! That gives some hope that I’m not completely inadequate handling these MXM boards 😅
I’ll see if I can resource more and hopefully better K2100M’s around here then
Lol at “very soon™“ 😂
for everybody here, who want install a big card, here i show u the problem(not the red circles, they still was in the picture - found it on google, sure from this thread), where the blue rectangle is, there r the VRMs... u see, just the little part in the middle will have contact(so only the two VRMs in the middle will be cooled, but bad cooling, because u need a thick pad), so the best is u grind down everything where is green(on the second pic) n put fitted copper spacers on the right place, best with arctic silver thermal glue, or when u want to be professional u can solder 
Thank you to all contributors to this great thread!
Saw a deal I couldn't pass on, a 27" 2011 i7 with the white screen issue going for €125,-. A steal because working examples go for at least €500,- around here still.
So picked it up, ordered a HP K2100M for €80,- (couldnt find cheaper K1100M's) and while waiting for parts and equipment to arrive I came across another one with even better specs (factory 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD) but different issue (shutsdown at random). So picked that up as well for €120,-. More of a gamble but I figured it most likely to be the PSU being faulty in that one.
Yesterday all parts where in except for a new PSU (first want to troubleshoot that one a bit more) and I started on both machines. I absolutely love the tinkering around with these things so that is an added bonus
Started with swapping out PSU units since that was easy to do and fastest to troubleshoot, but also with the other PSU the second iMac has the same shutdown issues. This needs more investigation but will do that later. Could ofc be that both PSU's are faulty but we'll see, ATH didn't come up with anything even not after the longer test.
So on to the GPU replacement, that went easy, with the biggest issue being drilling out the rivets on the bracket of the replacement K2100M. After that is was smooth sailing especially with the Linux on USB stick SSH-ing flash.
-BREAKING NEWS- (literally)
As I was waiting for the fresh HS install to finish I was typing all the above and what do you know; no image, no bong nothing...
So after a lot (LOT) of troubleshooting and taking the whole thing apart 3-4 times I came to this point:
I broke my replacement K2100M
This whole process of checking, RAM, CPU seating, PSU swap, multiple GPU swaps took the better part of my evening and made me at that point regret saying "I absolutely love the tinkering" blabla.
I'm hoping it is safe to assume that the replacement card is causing this. Truth be told; I dropped the card and some of the connector pins (the wide ones) were a bit bend but bending them back the card did function for about an hour or so in total. I think that my not so good tightening or overtightening of the bracket screws in combination with 1mm thick thermal pads instead of compound caused quite some stress to the MXM card and caused it to fail at the end. So if you guys are looking for someone that can physically torture GPU's; I'm your man!
So now I'm down 2 GPU's and an iMac of which I'm not completely sure if it is the PSU or something more exotic causing random reboots 😅
Ah well, all good fun.
Tomorrow a fresh free day, let's try swapping over the still functioning HD6970 2GB from the other machine just to have one working unit. And then order a new K2100M / K1100M.
-BREAKING NEWS END-
Anyway, I came here to ask if it would still be wise to invest in a DyingLight mod since there is a lot of chatter about closing in on making the brightness control work from the software side?
Just to make sure; I want to thank everyone who even made this remotely possible consider yourself mentioned by this sentence since I do not want to risk stepping on someone's toes by not being listed haha
Cheers!
pm me if you want, I would advise you to run an EFI ASD test,just for checking all the hw compintents in your imac's..
if you need a download link for example..
en volgens mij ben jij ook nederlander.. ?
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i have used 1mm on multiple cards so far just fine, and was the best size if you ask me..
Wow, great response in this thread! So much help offered, couldn't have thought that, I remember struggling with my (now sold) Mac Pro 5,1 and maxing it out back then was a bit more of a self trial and error journey haha.
Ok so a current update; both iMacs are reassembled, swapped the working HD6970 with the broken one and now have one system up again for the time being. Have to find some quadro's to make them more permanent functioning (seem to have a hot lead now 😏), and any help with troubleshooting the second one with the random reboots would help FlorisVN! (PM sent!)
Thanks guys!
Both iMacs will be put to good use btw, I'm not goofing around just to repair sell. I like the hobby, even after some setbacks like yesterday haha.
And since a picture never hurts anybody, the current situation:
The top iMac G4 on the left is actually a external monitor btw, that was my first Apple hardware mod ever undertaken ☺️
Ok so a current update; both iMacs are reassembled, swapped the working HD6970 with the broken one and now have one system up again for the time being. Have to find some quadro's to make them more permanent functioning (seem to have a hot lead now 😏), and any help with troubleshooting the second one with the random reboots would help FlorisVN! (PM sent!)
Thanks guys!
Both iMacs will be put to good use btw, I'm not goofing around just to repair sell. I like the hobby, even after some setbacks like yesterday haha.
And since a picture never hurts anybody, the current situation:
The top iMac G4 on the left is actually a external monitor btw, that was my first Apple hardware mod ever undertaken ☺️
Thanks... 1mm plus thermal pads (0.5mm)? What do you use to "glue" the copper pads?pm me if you want, I would advise you to run an EFI ASD test,just for checking all the hw compintents in your imac's..
if you need a download link for example..
en volgens mij ben jij ook nederlander.. ?
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i have used 1mm on multiple cards so far just fine, and was the best size if you ask me..
I recently bought a used iMac mid 2011, but i bought from eBay a GPU cooler (this way i kept an extra). My idea, for now, is to apply a 780m, and later (a few months) a wx7100 (or better, regarding better and newer vbios). I also have some problema selecting RAM (pc3 10600 1r8 or 2r8?)?
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i used 3m thermal tape.
Works the best !
see older post with pictures from me, from months ago.. 😜
I Saw those photos... I have no info regarding thermal conductivity of these 3M thermal tape, but i'll try it. I also talked to a friend, he has a machine to do solder jobs on aluminium, maybe i try to do it, if possible... If not i'll take your advise...
alphacool eisschicht pads, the best u can get for money... thermal grease for the GPU arctic silver or best would be liquid metal, but its not for beginners...
Liquid Metal is in my opinion a bit overrated, it is better than regular paste but comes with a lot of hurdles staying liquid, eating away on metal cooling plates and electrically conductive if I’m not mistaken.. Would stay at beginner level thermal paste tbh 🙂
I have some 4GB 2Rx8 PC3 12800 running in my iMac 2011. The systems are very handsome when it comes to faster memory. It accepts even different types and low voltage modules. Cannot assure that each and every possible combination is running. The maximum speed the memory is running is determined by the CPU, though. None of these systems will run at 1600Mhz.
Can I buy a cheap k610m instead of k1100m,it seems that k610m is the same type,just runs slower
From what I see, the K610M is a GK107 chip, but with about half the chip disabled. I don’t see any reason it wouldn’t work, assuming the vBIOS was compatible, but we don’t have a custom BIOS for it, so you might be on your own
My HD4850 is broken, so I hope to buy a cheap and low heat video card that is not easy to break again
I don't know the real difference between these video cards except speed.
k1000m VBIOS yes ? k601m VBIOS no? k1100m VBIOS???
Read post #1, there is a „support“ list. Go with the K1100M. Cheapest model known to get backlight control in near future. This discussion becomes more expensive than the acquisition... 😇
I tried 2 Kingston 2rx8 pc3 12800 1.5v (2x4 GB) didn't work. It works on a laptop HP 2307...
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And, if i may ask, how's working the iMac with the 780m (resumed long term review, if you can, please)...
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Tested 2x 4GB kingston 1866 and works fine in the mac(only with 1333 but tight timings(8-8-8-26), think will swap the 2x 8GB g.skill 1866 from my 8570 in the mac(1333 @ 8-8-8-26 too) and the 2x 8GB 1600 in the laptop...
It might be best to research more on these cards and the differences before attempting this swap. There are many things to go wrong.
Yes, keep it simple.
Also, I was mistaken, the K610M is a GK208 part, not GK107, so while it should theoretically work, we don’t deal with it, so it’s a bad choice. I also don’t know if it’s an MXM card.
the k610m is the cheapest MXM 3.0 card on GK208 and Kepler 2.0
it would be cool to make a VBIOS mod for this card
