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iM 4,1-14,4 2011 iMac Graphics Card Upgrade
- Thread starter MichaelDT
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I think this would make a lot of sense, a post in a forum just isn't the best single-source-of-truth for a topic like this - and constantly telling people to go and read the first post, and then them replying that they have done I think is proof of this.
Regarding a place for the specs of each card and bench marks to live I think a Google Sheet makes the most sense. Even better would be a flow chart with a simple explanation of why you might go for each card.
e.g
Just wanting to get Metal support or replace a dead GPU for cheap > get a K1100m
Looking for the best possible performance? get a 780m
I think this is the kind of info that should be available simply for as many people as possible, eventually even for those less tech savvy who want to fix a dead-GPU iMac rather than having it go to waste.
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oooooh could you post how?
A more streamlined chart is incoming. I'd like to apologize for the way the first came out, Numbers butchered the Excel file in the export.
Unfortunately, we cannot attach an .xlsx file to the post, hence the PDF. If it is easier, we could link to a Google Doc or something, as that may help viewing, or host something elsewhere? I would be just fine maintaining it as changes come through.
Unfortunately, we cannot attach an .xlsx file to the post, hence the PDF. If it is easier, we could link to a Google Doc or something, as that may help viewing, or host something elsewhere? I would be just fine maintaining it as changes come through.
.xlsx zipped? to keep formatting.
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Hi,
It would be great if you could share the modifications you've made in windows registry to gain this control over brightness.
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Thank you for zipped pdf chart updated in post #1. Much appreciated.
Hello, I am new to this forum and I have actually just upgraded my 2010 iMac 21.5 inch to a gtx770m. This has been awesome because it is a great card and everything runs smoothly. However, I am trying to download macOS Mojave, but my computer wont go in to Startup Manager mode when I resart (holding the option key). My screen just stays endlessly black. I can hear fans and the hard drive running but nothing appears on the screen, except for the backlight.
Anyone know a way to get into startup Manager another way? or is there a way to do boot from my hardrive?
Anyone know a way to get into startup Manager another way? or is there a way to do boot from my hardrive?
You mean boot screen? Have you flashed a new bios to the card? If not read the very first post of this thread on page 1.
ok gotcha thanks, I see how dumb I am now...sorry new to all this.
I'll see If I can figure out how to flash it. And thanks for the direction man, really appreciate it.
The K610m I posted a few pages back DOES have working brightness control in Windows 10. I wonder if Nick could use that one to fix the others?
Some could add the K610M and your post to the guide, looks like it runs as good as the 860m...
Very nice, somehow I missed the original post. I've added it as a line item in the top list.
All our cards did have brightness control in windows 10. Once the new VBIOS was released to support brightness in OC/MacOS brightness broke in w10. I had brightness control in w10 a long time ago.
I just installed Catalina on my 2011 21.5" iMac with a flashed K2100, but since I'm a noob I don't understand these instructions. I downloaded both the kext along with Hackintool, but I have no clue how to unlock my system partition. Also, when I drag the kext from my downloads folder onto the "Extensions" logo inside of Hackintool, nothing happens. Any help would be appreciated... I really want my boot screen back.
EDIT: Nevermind, I found an older post explaining the process. Thank you!
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I gave it a try on a legacy and an UEFI install. Used Nvidia 426.50 Quadro drivers, standard.
DCH drivers won’t install and ask to download standard.
The reg fix suggested doesn’t work.
Hello,
I see different types of 780’s on Ebay. Green ones, blue ones, Alienware and other.
is there anything else to watch out for aside that it is a MXM type B?
I would buy this one, is that ok?
thanks in advance
I see different types of 780’s on Ebay. Green ones, blue ones, Alienware and other.
is there anything else to watch out for aside that it is a MXM type B?
I would buy this one, is that ok?
DELL Nvidia GeForce GTX 780M 4GB DDR5 MXM 3.0 Type B for Alienware | eBay
DELL Nvidia GeForce GTX 780M 4GB DDR5 MXM 3.0 Type B for Alienware | Computers/Tablets & Networking, Computer Components & Parts, Graphics/Video Cards | eBay!
www.benl.ebay.be
thanks in advance
Have you read this offer?Hello,
I see different types of 780’s on Ebay. Green ones, blue ones, Alienware and other.
is there anything else to watch out for aside that it is a MXM type B?
I would buy this one, is that ok?
DELL Nvidia GeForce GTX 780M 4GB DDR5 MXM 3.0 Type B for Alienware | eBay
DELL Nvidia GeForce GTX 780M 4GB DDR5 MXM 3.0 Type B for Alienware | Computers/Tablets & Networking, Computer Components & Parts, Graphics/Video Cards | eBay!www.benl.ebay.be
thanks in advance
"The images are for reference only. Please take the item you get as the standard"
We cannot really act here as a buyers guide, but you may ask in any case for a return within 30 days. Otherwise you are flying blindly...
P.S.: I got two working cards from private sellers on eBay in Germany. Both are working fine!
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Installing DCH drivers may require completely uninstalling the normal drivers first.
Here my registry entries. You can search for the right path to your active graphics driver manually or use DispRegEdit.exe to open the registry editor in the correct location. Take care to enter hex 0x320 or decimal 800 - at least that is working for me.
Here my registry entries. You can search for the right path to your active graphics driver manually or use DispRegEdit.exe to open the registry editor in the correct location. Take care to enter hex 0x320 or decimal 800 - at least that is working for me.
Hello everyone! I've upgraded my iMac to gtx 780m (blue, n14e-gtx-a2). At the first start, only 2 LEDs lit up on the logic board, so I flashed vBIOS. After a successfully flashing the vBIOS I tried to run iMac again, but got a black screen like the first time. Later I discovered that the boot screen appears only if I clean VRAM (cmd + alt + p + r) every time before turning iMac on. I have El Capitan and Windows 7 via Bootcamp. After rebooting from Windows 7, the boot screen also appears. Has anyone had this? Any thoughts? Thanks.
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Yes normally there is no bootscreen unless requested, this is normal after the card is flashed. Holding ALT will bring up the boot picker and then the bootscreen after.
You iMac can now also do things like Target disk mode by holding T on boot.
Did I understand correctly that if I don't hold the alt, t, and so on then the default system (macos) will not boot? Because when I turn on or restart iMac, I see a black screen and don’t hear the start chime, and then the screen remains black no matter how much I wait.
Have you got an imac 2011?
Read it: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread....1596614/page-236?post=28406927#post-28406927
Read it: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread....1596614/page-236?post=28406927#post-28406927
Thanks for the link and yes I have iMac 2011. I have El Capitan 10.11.6 installed. Do you think it necessary for me to upload this kext?
Hi!
I assume you are running really the 10.11.6 El Capitan version. The only hint I found in this thread is this note made by @Nick [D]vB. Probably you face a problem which may only go away if you migrate to more recent MacOS version.
Normally you can write the startup disk choice to the NVRAM using the system preferences. If you constantly have to zap the NVRAM there is no such choice left over.
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No!