iM 4,1-14,4 2011 iMac Graphics Card Upgrade

[nekton1]

I have and I still don't understand.

I do need the Option key loop—if I don't use it, I sit looking at a black screen all day.

I have read and studied the documentation. It does not explain or solve the issue I am seeing.

doubly click on the OC/EFI/config.plist to start up the Open Core Configurator

If you have selected the Catalina Loader in the Startup Pref pane you do not need the option key loop at all...

Please read and study the Open Core Documentation delivered onto the image. There are ways to boot directly into a certain disk slice aka installation....

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For example, when I click the config.plist which tab on the left am I supposed to have selected. I'd guess Booter but not sure. But when Booter is selected double clicking config.plist does nothing!
Very confusing.
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And why are Lilu and Whatevergreen enabled in Kernel when we are using a Metal supported K1100M?
I was under impression these kext are not necessary for Metal GPUs!

 

[Ausdauersportler]

I have and I still don't understand.

I do need the Option key loop—if I don't use it, I sit looking at a black screen all day.

I have read and studied the documentation. It does not explain or solve the issue I am seeing.

Sorry, how should anybody help if your only information is this: "It does not work and I sit in front of a dark screen."

Please deliver at least some screenshots about startup disk selection, OC configuration and describe in a more detailed what you have done to come to this unhappy end.
Have you even once opened the Open Core Configurator before?

Today I installed one 2010 and one 2011 iMac both with Nvidia card without any problems. It is not the image or the software provided onto the image.

 

[nekton1]

Could you provide a screen shot/s of how you have the Open Core Configurator configured for each of the tabs on the left.

That would be a start.

Sorry, how should anybody help if your only information is this: "It does not work and I sit in front of a dark screen."

Please deliver at least some screenshots about startup disk selection, OC configuration and describe in a more detailed what you have done to come to this unhappy end.

Today I installed one 2010 and one 2011 iMac both with Nvidia card without any problems. It is not the image or the software provided onto the image.

 

[Ausdauersportler]

There has nothing to be changed from the stock settings if you go with Catalina on the 2009/i7. Just rewrite your SD card, choose it as startup disk and retry. Only owners of mid 2011 models (using a sandy bridge CPU) running Mojave or Catalina (or AMD card users) have to do configurations and local installations of kext and frameworks....

 

[nekton1]

The problem is that you are a reFIND expert and most of us here are not so we are in the dark about this configuration tool.

Here are my screenshots regarding its settings:

And thank you for the help; I DO appreciate it even if I am frustratyed by this tool!

Could you provide a screen shot/s of how you have the Open Core Configurator configured for each of the tabs on the left.

That would be a start.

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Another odd observation. Pressing the Option key at boot will sometimes bring up the efi screen in 6 seconds. On the next boot it can be as long as 45 seconds. The times seem random. Is this a bug in powering up the LED?

 

[nekton1]

But this IS NOT my experience. I have been using a 2009 27" iMac Core i7 with a K1100M with stock settings running Catalina 10.15.4 with a stock Balena-etcher installed core configurator SD card in the side slot and Catalina Loader set as the Startup disk and I have to use the Option key pressed at boot to get a screen.
I have done this install three times using the latest dodsude1 1.4 Patcher again this morning and still the same "problem".
Now I've started looking at the configutation tool but find the explanations are too thin for someone not an reFIND expert.
Obviously something is different with my setup in some way from yours, but what? I cannot spot it despite reading this thread for hours.

There has nothing to be changed from the stock settings if you go with Catalina on the 2009/i7. Just rewrite your SD card, choose it as startup disk and retry. Only owners of mid 2011 models (using a sandy bridge CPU) running Mojave or Catalina (or AMD card users) have to do configurations and local installations of kext and frameworks....

 

[Ausdauersportler]

Rewrite your OpenCore image as I wrote before.
Check if Lilu and Whatevergreen are selected by default yourself.

Open System Preferences, search for Startup Volume, select the "Catalina Loader", enter your admin password, and press "restart",... and wait. The system should do a restart booting into the CL and coming up with a slightly different boot picker. Choose your Mac installation disk and that it is.
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But this IS NOT my experience. I have been using a 2009 27" iMac Core i7 with a K1100M with stock settings running Catalina 10.15.4 with a stock Balena-etcher installed core configurator SD card in the side slot and Catalina Loader set as the Startup disk and I have to use the Option key pressed at boot to get a screen.
I have done this install three times using the latest dodsude1 1.4 Patcher again this morning and still the same "problem".
Now I've started looking at the configutation tool but find the explanations are too thin for someone not an reFIND expert.
Obviously something is different with my setup in some way from yours, but what? I cannot spot it despite reading this thread for hours.

Please show us the "About this Mac" window.

 

[nekton1]

Already done that three times but..... I'll download a new image just in case and see if that is the problem.

Thanks for suggestions and patience.

Yes, the iMac is running the bootrom firmware update (63.0.0.0.0) from when last officially support High Sierra was installed.

The boot SSD is APFS. Only non-stock configutation is that the DVD Superdisk has been pulled and replaced with a Samsung SSD for booting and the original HDD is upgraded to 2 TB for data storage.

It also has an OWC disk temperature sensor kit to stop the fans going nuts.

Rewrite your OpenCore image as I wrote before.
Check if Lilu and Whatevergreen are selected by default yourself.

Open System Preferences, search for Startup Volume, select the "Catalina Loader", enter your admin password, and press "restart",... and wait. The system should do a restart booting into the CL and coming up with a slightly different boot picker. Choose your Mac installation disk and that it is.
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Have you installed the latest firmware on your iMac before doing the Catalina update?

 

[Ausdauersportler]

Already done that three times but..... I'll download a new image just in case and see if that is the problem.

Thanks for suggestions and patience.

Yes, the iMac is running the bootrom firmware update (63.0.0.0.0) from when last officially support High Sierra was installed.

The boot SSD is APFS. Only non-stock configutation is that the DVD Superdisk has been pulled and replaced with a Samsung SSD for booting and the original HDD is upgraded to 2 TB for data storage.

It also has an OWC disk temperature sensor kit to stop the fans going nuts.

Have you ever booted successfully of this particular card? Check another card, use a USB memory stock, 4GB is enough. Bad USB sticks or sometimes SD cards with broken installer images are a problem.

And the last mail probably including the images should have been the first one. Without any information nobody can provide any help. I am sitting here completely in the dark just guessing what would be gone wrong or what you might have done wrong.

Checking hardware is always the first thing, followed by data integrity (@Nick [D]vB could provide a hash value with the image).

Hope this helps, here is 1:13 am. Time to check out...

 

[highvoltage12v]

Could you provide a screen shot/s of how you have the Open Core Configurator configured for each of the tabs on the left.

That would be a start.

What does your boot screen look like after choosing the Open Core SD card? The correct boot screen should be a Black Screen with different boot disks. It SHOULD NOT say rEFInd anywhere! If this is the case then there is a chance your keyboard is being Double pressed and your iMac is actually leaving BootLiquor.EFI (the proper boot EFI that loads the proper OC settings) and is entering rEFInd which doesn't load OC settings. Do you also by chance have an EFI copy of W10 installed? If so please also perform a PRAM reset.



If you are really having issues with rEFInd and can't stop it from loading you can open your config with Open Core and disable the rEFInd in the MISC/Entries, section unclick Auxiliary

 

[jonwatso]

[7] UEFI Windows: Sound fix for HDAudio code 12 driver error,

can also fix some ThunderBolt eGPU resource issues in Windows.

(Enable DSDT in ACPI section of the OpenCore configuration tool)

Is someone able to help me locate the DSDT under APCI section in OpenCore Configurator? Opening the configuration tool brings up nothing? Unless I am looking in the wrong location or using the wrong tool?

 

[highvoltage12v]

Is someone able to help me locate the DSDT under APCI section in OpenCore Configurator? Opening the configuration tool brings up nothing? Unless I am looking in the wrong location or using the wrong tool?

It's currently 1:30am Eastern time for me, but i'll answer this. Right click in Config.plist and "Open with" Open Core Configurator. Then click the enable checkbox for 2011 iMac. click File>Save before closing.

Also make sure you are working from the Actual SD card/flash drive and not the disk image that could still be mounted.

 

[nekton1]

Good news. A new SD card and image download and it has started working as it should.
Thanks for patiently helping me thru this.

I spoke too soon. Now it is back to the black screen if I don't press the Option key at the first boot.
I wanted to run the 1.4 Patcher Post Install again so I removed the Core Configuration SD card rebooted and cleared the NVRAM, rebooted again from the 1.4 Patcher and ran the Post Install. Shut down and replaced the Core Configuration SD. Rebooted and now at black screen.
If I boot with Option key pressed and check the Startup disk and Core Configuration settings, they are the same as posted. What am I doing wrong here?

 

[nekton1]

1. Removed Core Configuration SD and rebooted after clearing NVRAM with no Option key pressed—Black screen
2. Still with no Core Configuration SD and no NVRAM cleared rebooted with Option key pressed—gray efi after 6 seconds showing internal boot SSD, from which iMac boots but no backlight display control from keyboard
3. Shutdown, inserted Core Configuration SD and rebooted with no Option key pressed—black screen for more than a minute and no Finder displayed
4. Shutdown and rebooted still with Core Configuration SD inserted and cleared NVRAM and with Option key NOT pressed—gray screen after 6 seconds and proceeded to boot straight to Finder BUT backlight NOT working so did not boot from inserted Core Configuration SD reFIND
5. Shutdown and rebooted again still with Core Configuration SD inserted but DID NOT clear NVRAM and with Option key pressed—efi screen after 26 seconds showing Catalina Loader icon and Boot SSD. Selected Catalina Loader and got Catalina Loader, Boot and Recovery disk icons. Selected Boot Disk and got to Finder desktop with working keyboard LED backlight functions—so booted from Catalina Loader. At this boot, selected Catalina Loader at Startup disk and pressed Restart at which it booted to black screen.
6. Rebooted with Option key pressed to get to Finder and got a kernel panic screen that it went past after about 10 seconds—now no idea WTF to try next!
7. Try Core Configuration again? BTW, SIP is disabled.
8. Any suggestions?

 

[nekton1]

FOUND IT—it's the bloody SD card reader. Set up Catalina loader on a USB and no problems!
I know Catalina can be flakey with SD cards on supported Macs and I think this maybe a Catalina bug rather a H/W fault.
No, it worked at the first boot (about 6 seconds) but returned to the same issue from second and third boots (maybe I gave up waiting too soon). I am at a loss.
Fourth boot OK
Fifth boot OK after a much longer wait at black screen
Sixth boot OK after a much longer wait at black screen for 33 seconds
Seventh boot OK after a much longer wait at black screen for 32 seconds
Maybe OK with USB.
Could these long black screens be the LED startup bug?

 

[Ausdauersportler]

Good Morning!

Download ASD an check your hardware or go back to 10.15.3.

Do you have by any chance a defective USB Catalina installer?

Your black screen is obviously there even without the SD card inserted (after post install patches) and after PRAM reset.

You made sure not to install the legacy video patch?

Before you start to use the OC you should have a running and smoothly booting system. For problems with Catalina there is another thread with 800+ pages of posts.

 

[nekton1]

First thing I did was run ASD and it passed all checks and this iMac boots quite well and normally without the OCC SD inserted but of course no native backlight display from keyboard. In fact, the OS has been installed three times from different dosdude1 patchers and the problem has been the same every time with the OCC SD.
This struggle has all been to get keyboard backlight functionality.
However using the USB stick and not SD card it seems to be okay although it's a 33 to 35 second wait to the boot selection screen. I can live with that.
Thanks for your help.

 

[Ausdauersportler]

However using the USB stick and not SD card it seems to be okay although it's a 33 to 35 second wait to the boot selection screen. I can live with that.
Thanks for your help.

On my 2009/2010 models booting of a normal HDD it takes approximately 10 seconds until the internal LCD comes up and another 2 to 4 seconds to see the OC boot selector. There is a way to go on and to boot off the apple partition, I have not figured out how this may work. OC is new to me, too.

35 seconds is by far too long for booting of an SSD. You may check your SATA data cables and exchange (if not already done) the ports for SSD and internal HDD. When I am not completely wrong, the SATA 0 port used for the HDD is a 6 gb/s one, the SATA 1 port used for the ODD originally is a 3gb/s one.

But these are guesses only, again.

 

[nekton1]

I think I will change the SSD to the Internal HDD SATA and vice versa as per your advice.
The odd thing about these long times now is that when it was finally working yesterday before I ran the new 1.4 Patcher and messed it up again, it was about 10 seconds to the LED lighting.
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I just checked in the SATA/SATA Express Sys Pref and both SATA link speeds for the two Intel 5 series chipsets are 3 Gbps so no advantage to moving but it was an idea!

 

[inck243]

Hey again everyone. Just curious what's the best price you've all paid for a used 2011 iMac 27 i7? And the condition it was in? =)

 

[ZenSurfeur]

Hi

I paid mine without ram, hdd, keyboard and mouse.... 50€ noticed for parts... I changed the 3.3v battery to repaired it a quite good plan for this config see my signature​

 

[NOTNlCE]

Hey again everyone. Just curious what's the best price you've all paid for a used 2011 iMac 27 i7? And the condition it was in? =)

I have gotten them for around $75 USD with dead GPU, but often pay another $40-50 in shipping.

 

[TIinPA]

No, you won't get a picture on the stock vBIOS without a back-light mod,

AMD users should flash the GOP vBIOS attached, you can do it from windows.

Then use OpenCore to get boot-screen and brightness control with no other mods!

AMDVBFlash / ATI ATIFlash 5.0.567 Download

AMD AMDVBFlash is used to flash the graphics card BIOS. The version released by ATI was called ATIFlash or just WinFlash. It supports all AMD Radeo

www.techpowerup.com

Might be the wrong thread, but do you know what chip I need to add to a WX4170 to flash the vBios? I'm looking at an ebay card without the chip but I don't have any fear soldering one on myself. I'm using a late 2009 iMac.

 

[RRPC]

so, i'm planing to buy a AMD Radeon WX7100.
from Alie, working for Dell. i suspect that is working in the iMac 27"
(somebody have experience with buying form alie those cards ?. )

I think i get what to do. beside's buying, and installing the GPU in my iMac, with heatsink mod's.
and remove the X at the back of the card to fit on the heatsink.


i have to Flash the AMD Firmware. via Windows in remote desktop. Or via a clip Programmer.
From what i understand. after the ROM flash. the iMac should work with current setup
mac OS high sierra and my dual boot windows.

if i want mac os Catalina installed, i have to use OpenCore. instal it to a USB drive.
unpack and replace the "config.plist" from the AMD Zip.
and start the mac from the USB drive.

 

[RRPC]

Might be the wrong thread, but do you know what chip I need to add to a WX4170 to flash the vBios? I'm looking at an ebay card without the chip but I don't have any fear soldering one on myself. I'm using a late 2009 iMac.

MX25L2005 is coming at most of the AMD cards. if i do a search in this thread.