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

[jborko]

i try to search, this thread, but where did you buy that card ? wx7100 i also want to put one in my 27 2011 imac

This is my 3rd attempt on the WX7100 (one ebay, second ali, and this one ali as well). I would really prefer to test it out first before I recommend the seller.

 

[inck243]

& were they expensive ?

 

[Jforte]

Been playing around installing Catalina 10.15.4 over 10.14.3, and after a couple of days had success on a 2011 27”with a GTX765M and 21” with a K2000M, using dosdude 1’s 1.4 patcher app. Found that after first boot the display go’s black, but if you just let it run for 30 mins or so then restart and boot back into the patcher and install Post-Install Patches but plus the APFS Patch, it installed with no black display. Only problem was no WiFi but ran OnyX Maintenance and WiFI came back. Hope this help’s someone.

Does your microphone works on messenger or Skype? And what about the web camera? My wife is home working and on macOS Catalina 10.15.4 (dosdude 1.4 and recommended patches) microphone doesn't work neither the web camera... (Dictaphone works, I can record audio)

 

[Lodge52]

Does your microphone works on messenger or Skype? And what about the web camera? My wife is home working and on macOS Catalina 10.15.4 (dosdude 1.4 and recommended patches) microphone doesn't work neither the web camera... (Dictaphone works, I can record audio)

Hi, I do not use Skype or Messenger, but just setup a Skype account and tried it on the 27" and microphone and web camera do not work, the microphone works OK with Siri and the camera works when I click on FaceTime, sorry I could not help.

 

[kral84]

Have a 860m gtx and have black screen.... I can't boot with stick (black screen).... I have no custom rom for 860m , is the card for the trash ? Have any one for.me.an solution... I try : install.amd card , install over usb, after finish boot go to patcher post install and install the patches.... After that install nvidia and black.screen on boot (permanently) keyboard light is lighting but always black screen... Its a feature or sn bug from latest catalina?

 

[Lodge52]

Have a 860m gtx and have black screen.... I can't boot with stick (black screen).... I have no custom rom for 860m , is the card for the trash ? Have any one for.me.an solution... I try : install.amd card , install over usb, after finish boot go to patcher post install and install the patches.... After that install nvidia and black.screen on boot (permanently) keyboard light is lighting but always black screen... Its a feature or sn bug from latest catalina?

Try installing the APFS Patch from the Post-Install Patches, that work for me with a GTX765M.

 

[kral84]

I will try , but the usb stick say catalina is.broken... and the patcher.won't start....latest patcher 1.4 and new downloaded os...

 

[RRPC]

This is my 3rd attempt on the WX7100 (one ebay, second ali, and this one ali as well). I would really prefer to test it out first before I recommend the seller.

Please, let me know.
I'm looking at DESGlobal Trading Co., Ltd. Store at Alie. they over Free return
Also how you flash the cards.
How much work needs to be done at the heat sink.

I really want this card for my iMac, I want my Mac completely maximum spec.
Have to buy a i7 2600 , and the card.
Already put 32gb of Ram. Also from alie

& were they expensive ?

The price at alie is about
250 ~ 260 euro. For the wx7100

 

[Wania]

Hi,
I have a problem with normal booting. brightness control works normally but after every reboot I have to choose the disk to boot.

 

[popov9]

Use the usb stick method !!!! if you can connect to the imac (owning the the GTX770) with another another imac in the same wired network, you can flash the card even if you are a black screen !
--> created a pre-made USB that can flash the iMac

Hello, I haven't got a mac to create the USB, is there any method to create it using a Windows 10 machine?.
Thanks in advance!!!.

 

[herrdude]

Hi,
I have a problem with normal booting. brightness control works normally but after every reboot I have to choose the disk to boot.

What is your startup disk? (System preferences, startup disk). You need to make sure you choose the Catalina Loader. And then restart your computer.

 

[Wania]

I tried and no matter which disk I have in preferences, booting always starts with a black image, then two disks to choose from on a gray background

 

[snam11]

opencore itself can manage the default boot drive in its config (since 0.5.4):
in the EFI/OC/config.plist, an entry of 'MISC/Security/AllowSetDefault' needs to be added and set to TRUE

<key>Misc</key>
...
        <dict>

     <key>Security</key>



            <dict>

                …



                <key>AllowSetDefault</key>



                <true/>



                …



            </dict>
…
</dict>

it is possible to set the default boot options in the picker using 'Ctrl + Index' or 'Ctrl + Enter' in the selector, to activate the selector you need to press up or down arrow on the kb
dunno if it works but it worth a try

 

[kral84]

Try installing the APFS Patch from the Post-Install Patches, that work for me with a GTX765M.

No chance, black screen.... On the nvflash live usb stick.say no nvidia card installed.... On .3 is installed say ... Hmm have .4 no gpu driver inside for.nvidia..i have an dell 860m

 

[Wania]

opencore itself can manage the default boot drive in its config (since 0.5.4):
in the EFI/OC/config.plist, an entry of 'MISC/Security/AllowSetDefault' needs to be added and set to TRUE

<key>Misc</key>
...
        <dict>

     <key>Security</key>



            <dict>

                …



                <key>AllowSetDefault</key>



                <true/>



                …



            </dict>
…
</dict>

it is possible to set the default boot options in the picker using 'Ctrl + Index' or 'Ctrl + Enter' in the selector, to activate the selector you need to press up or down arrow on the kb
dunno if it works but it worth a try

still the same

 

[Ausdauersportler]

still the same

When I open my vanilla config.plist from the OC image I find the entry further down in the <Misc> section already there. Did you read the entire file before adding your own lines?

To make things worse: I cannot choose currently any auto boot mode, too. Booting ends up in the picker - then you have to choose from the list of entries found there by hand. Had not time to explore this...

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

I had no idea some of the iMacs had replaceable video cards. I have a med-2011 27". Is that upgradeable?

 

[Wania]

When I open my vanilla config.plist from the OC image I find the entry further down in the <Misc> section already there. Did you read the entire file before adding your own lines?

To make things worse: I cannot choose currently any auto boot mode, too. Booting ends up in the picker - then you have to choose from the list of entries found there by hand. Had not time to explore this...

you were right, I added a line of code unnecessarily. The <Misc> section was already there. so I still don't know where the problem is.

 

[Ausdauersportler]

I had no idea some of the iMacs had replaceable video cards. I have a med-2011 27". Is that upgradeable?

Yes, it is!

The very first post of this thread is our little "how to" page. Please read this page!
[automerge]1585936740[/automerge]

you were right, I added a line of code unnecessarily. The <Misc> section was already there. so I still don't know where the problem is.

This is probably a problem to be discussed in an OpenCore thread, I bet these guys there have already a solution or at least somebody will answer your question. Please, please come back with the solution

 

[Pascal Baillargeau]

I had no idea some of the iMacs had replaceable video cards. I have a med-2011 27". Is that upgradeable?

yes, it is.

 

[RRPC]

yes, it is.

where did you bought your wx7100 ?
i want one so bad. but i need to find a good source.

 

[Pascal Baillargeau]

where did you bought your wx7100 ?
i want one so bad. but i need to find a good source.

I bought one in august 2019 at this shop:

Page Not Found - Aliexpress.com

I was wrong to believe the listing visual was a picture of the real card.
It's not a 109-C769A1-00B -xx that i have, but a 109-C95847-00D-02.

Read with attention first post and others major posts to build a strategy, about the graphic card swap, hardware (and)/(or) software requirements.
Regards,

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

So, thanks for the comments that it can be upgraded. Now, since it's so old, how available are the parts? It's 'old'. I assume that it requires a special part. Are they still available in places other than ebay? (I've been burned so many times on ebay. I avoid it like the plague!)

This is what I found for one of the cards mentioned in the beginning.



EDIT: It figures. All I can find are expensive cards, and many don't have heat sinks. I'll keep what I've got. It had some minor issues, but every time I checked with Apple, they said it was 'NBD', and not covered. *shrug*

 

[Pascal Baillargeau]

So, thanks for the comments that it can be upgraded. Now, since it's so old, how available are the parts? It's 'old'. I assume that it requires a special part. Are they still available in places other than ebay? (I've been burned so many times on ebay. I avoid it like the plague!)

This is what I found for one of the cards mentioned in the beginning.

View attachment 903418

EDIT: It figures. All I can find are expensive cards, and many don't have heat sinks. I'll keep what I've got. It had some minor issues, but every time I checked with Apple, they said it was 'NBD', and not covered. *shrug*

You need a MXM 3.0B graphic card.

 

[Jumme_Cph]

So, thanks for the comments that it can be upgraded. Now, since it's so old, how available are the parts? It's 'old'. I assume that it requires a special part. Are they still available in places other than ebay? (I've been burned so many times on ebay. I avoid it like the plague!)

This is what I found for one of the cards mentioned in the beginning.

View attachment 903418

EDIT: It figures. All I can find are expensive cards, and many don't have heat sinks. I'll keep what I've got. It had some minor issues, but every time I checked with Apple, they said it was 'NBD', and not covered. *shrug*

You need to read the front/wiki/first page of this thread. Thoroughly.
10 times seams like a round figure, but most people go with 20 or 30 in the long run. Like, bookmark it in your favorites.

After that, my suggestion would be to ally with an uncle, friend or brother who knows tonnes about how computers work and has nothing to do at daytime.

While the upgrade is certainly possible, its with so many caveats, deathtraps (literally, for your Mac) and blind ends, that you need to make this your primary hobby and prepare to shell out a reasonble amount of money, compared to final result.

I dont mean to discourage you, just to give you a rough figure of whats going on here.
That being said, is definately possible and most of (or a lot of) people in this thread succesfully did the upgrade.

EDIT: Didnt read your post to the end, obviously. My bad.