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

[meggle]

@Ausdauersportler @Pascal Baillargeau @meggle I have all the hardware and successfully connected. I am getting a successful read from the WX7100 using homebrew with the CH3421A USB and used the guide:

Before I go ahead and write the new BIOS to it, I'm a just wondering if I am using the correct ROM and where it should be located (if there is a file path that I need to specify to re-write the card's BIOS)? Also, I need to make sure I do a dump before I write if someone could please advise. Screenshot/pic/ROM version follows:

Hi Emilio,

The flashrom command has two modes for reading and writing to the chip. First you should do

sudo flashrom --programmer ch341a_spi -r backup.bin

To read the current BIOS from the chip into a file called backup.bin (it will be created). 'r' stands for read. I am assuming you already did this and wrote to yy.bin, is this correct? After, you can write the AMD_GOP BIOS using:

sudo flashrom --programmer ch341a_spi -w WX7100_GOP.ROM

This file is included in the zip file you linked, it is the correct one. 'w' stands for write.

Also it looks like the second LED only lights up when reading/writing data from/to the chip. Using 109-C95847-00C.

You say you are using the 00C variant, but on the picture you posted it is clearly the 00D - it looks exactly like the one that I received from my vendor by the way. Which one is it? I am curious if you can get it to work. Please update here what happens and if you need any help you can send me a message also, we will then report our findings here.

All the best

 

[Pascal Baillargeau]

@Ausdauersportler @Pascal Baillargeau @meggle I have all the hardware and successfully connected. I am getting a successful read from the WX7100 using homebrew with the CH3421A USB and used the guide:

Before I go ahead and write the new BIOS to it, I'm a just wondering if I am using the correct ROM and where it should be located (if there is a file path that I need to specify to re-write the card's BIOS)? Also, I need to make sure I do a dump before I write if someone could please advise. Screenshot/pic/ROM version follows:

View attachment 914899

View attachment 914904

Also it looks like the second LED only lights up when reading/writing data from/to the chip. Using 109-C95847-00C.

In terminal, go to AMD_GOP folder,

To read:

sudo flashrom --programmer ch341a_spi -r backup_WX7100_orig.rom

To write:

sudo flashrom --programmer ch341a_spi -w WX7100_GOP.ROM
[automerge]1589442380[/automerge]

Hi Emilio,

The flashrom command has two modes for reading and writing to the chip. First you should do

sudo flashrom --programmer ch341a_spi -r backup.bin

To read the current BIOS from the chip into a file called backup.bin (it will be created). 'r' stands for read. I am assuming you already did this and wrote to yy.bin, is this correct? After, you can write the AMD_GOP BIOS using:

sudo flashrom --programmer ch341a_spi -w WX7100_GOP.bin

This file is included in the zip file you linked, it is the correct one. 'w' stands for write.



You say you are using the 00C variant, but on the picture you posted it is clearly the 00D - it looks exactly like the one that I received from my vendor by the way. Which one is it? I am curious if you can get it to work. Please update here what happens and if you need any help you can send me a message also, we will then report our findings here.

All the best

WX7100_GOP.ROM not WX7100_GOP.bin

 

[meggle]

I wanted to add one more finding from my 2011 27" iMac and 00D WX7100 card flashed with AMD_GOP VBIOS. I noticed I was running the 82.0.0.0.0 bootrom so I upgraded it using the Security Update to 87.0.0.0.0. It did not make a difference, the card is still not detected, 2 LEDs light up and the system boots up normally.

Hope it helps!

 

[Ausdauersportler]

@Ausdauersportler @Pascal Baillargeau @meggle I have all the hardware and successfully connected. I am getting a successful read from the WX7100 using homebrew with the CH3421A USB and used the guide:

Before I go ahead and write the new BIOS to it, I'm a just wondering if I am using the correct ROM and where it should be located (if there is a file path that I need to specify to re-write the card's BIOS)? Also, I need to make sure I do a dump before I write if someone could please advise. Screenshot/pic/ROM version follows:

View attachment 914899

View attachment 914904

Also it looks like the second LED only lights up when reading/writing data from/to the chip. Using 109-C95847-00C.

If you start up the Terminal the so called working directory aka folder is your 🏠 home. Drop the files into home and do a

ls -al

This will list all files an folders in your home including the WX7100_GOP.ROM needed here.

Then write and propably create a logfile using this command line...

flashrom --programmer ch341a_spi -w WX7100_GOP.ROM -V >> WX7100.LOG

Using this command no output will be written to screen, everything goes to a textfile WX7100.LOG named with can be read later using TextEdit.

The -V flag (verbose) starts writing more detailed output. The normal flashrom command will be this:

flashrom --programmer ch341a_spi -w WX7100_GOP.ROM

[automerge]1589447505[/automerge]

Hello guys, I'm going to upgrade my 21 inch mid 2011 iMac. I will use the 770m gpu. What do I need to do after I turn on my mac after the upgrade? How do I install the modified bios to have the bootscreen and use the bootcamp normally? Could you help me with this step please. Thank you.

Please go back to page 1 and post 1 of this thread and take your time reading the guide, especially the section about flashing. There are several ways to do it, but we cannot remote control every installation world wide. You have to have some skills installing an OS or using some Terminal commands.
This is like car repairing. The have to know your tools at least a little bit.

 

[NOTNlCE]

I fear all the benchmarks have to be redone, since the anti aliasing level wasn't not specified. I'm quite sure some left it on 2xAA (like me) and others turned it off. Fullscreen might also make a little difference as well, but maybe not.

I think it is OK - the benchmarks were never for hard numbers and were more so for ballpark performance increments. There are enough similarities between tests that I feel confident redoing them all with/without 2xAA will change the hierarchy. A more likely scenario is that we need to use a different suite of tests rather than just Valley to see if performance is different, but that's for a later time.

 

[Ausdauersportler]

Do we know if @Nick [D]vB was/is using mid-2011 with the 00C_02 Card?

Please, do not get me wrong, but this is another assumption backed by what, exactly? I used the search button in the top right corner of this window, limited results to this thread and was looking only for post @Nick [D]vB made. Another search was limited to the keyword WX7100. Doing this you may easily come to your own - hopefully the same - conclusion!

Live does not become more easy if your are doubting without evidence!

We are in the middle of consolidating the numbers and the experiences. We do not make selling advices, nor we know trusted resellers of used cards - this is a game having some risks. But we know by now that the 00D and 00B cards are is different from what we expect to get and even the 00C is not easy to install. I failed already one time but I am still not 100% sure that this particular card was really bad, I called my report "Lost in space" and not "The 00C does not work at all".

P.S.:
Pascal a few minutes ago discovered that his card is a working 00D model. So the remaining threat is a 00B model.
The other two versions 00C and 00D obviously can work! Yes, they can!

 

[RRPC]

good to read that so manny people try to find a good WX7100.
as we have to get the cards from Alie/Ebay via China. and this cards have an unknown history, besides used. "tested 100% working" and perhaps used for bitcoin mining.
its good that as we tying cards that we can pin point what card, and seller.
i see, at least for the dutch version of Aliexpress that sellers are now also offering free return. so if i buy, perhaps a WX7100 card from this seller. i can send it back if its not OK.

today i got my clip Programmer. i have a old Nvida card (thats not fit the Imac slot so i'm not trying that.)
to test my clipper on. and it's working. from the mac terminal with Flashrom. the only thing is that i get a message back that this chip is blocked, and could not be bypassed, what is no problem.

 

[Ausdauersportler]

good to read that so manny people try to find a good WX7100.

If I have finished two of my little private projects I will do the same. Currently asked some resellers on Ebay and Aliexpress, but nobody was able to guarantee the delivery of the 00C so far. We will take that risk and return the card if it does not work.
Currently I am checking some unlimited versions of the WX4170 bios and it now comes close to the 780M while consuming less power and so generating far less heat inside to carry out by fans. The WX7100 will be a beast, do not forget.

 

[stephengrenfell]

The provided VBIOS versions are padded to have the full length of the BIOS chip because the CLIP programmers software expects to have this correct size. The Nvidia flash utility (when used for reading) ignore the trailing empty information (zero bytes).

There is no need for this kind of check. You may read twice and compare or rewrite and reread and compare the read versions?
[automerge]1589406639[/automerge]

Ah ok thanks.

I flashed the GTX780M VBIOS several times with 780M_EG2.rom and each time read several times and compared the files, always there's no difference in the file compares.

So good to go - I thought.

But now the machine won't boot if the lcd screen is connected.

1. With no screen installed and boot devices connected (1x SDD and 1x HDD and Linux USB key removed). Connecting the power cable the 1st led on motherboard lights up, pressing the power on button (needs two presses now ?) chime noise is heard, optical drive noise too, second led and then third lights up. Eventually all the fans then run flat out.

2. With screen installed it won't boot. Lifting away the screen slightly at the top to see the leds on motherboard behind, 1st led lights up when power is connected, pressing power on button ODD fan starts to spin for few seconds then stops, nothing else happens - no other leds on motherboard light up only 1st led still illuminated, no chime sequence etc..

I have removed the screen several times to check the motherboard connections and they are all good. Spent well over 2 hours to check everything was in the correct place etc.. and then trying with the screen installed - always the same result.

I'm stuck, anyone any ideas, please.

Thanks.

 

[Ausdauersportler]

Ah ok thanks.

I flashed the GTX780M VBIOS several times with 780M_EG2.rom and each time read several times and compared the files, always there's no difference in the file compares.

So good to go - I thought.

But now the machine won't boot if the lcd screen is connected.

1. With no screen installed and boot devices connected (1x SDD and 1x HDD and Linux USB key removed). Connecting the power cable the 1st led on motherboard lights up, pressing the power on button (needs two presses now ?) chime noise is heard, optical drive noise too, second led and then third lights up. Eventually all the fans then run flat out.

2. With screen installed it won't boot. Lifting away the screen slightly at the top to see the leds on motherboard behind, 1st led lights up when power is connected, pressing power on button ODD fan starts to spin for few seconds then stops, nothing else happens - no other leds on motherboard light up only 1st led still illuminated, no chime sequence etc..

I have removed the screen several times to check the motherboard connections and they are all good. Spent well over 2 hours to check everything was in the correct place etc.. and then trying with the screen installed - always the same result.

I'm stuck, anyone any ideas, please.

Thanks.

Here I have to guess:
1.
The EG rom version are older and where made to use with a boot rom mod to get boot screen if I am not completely wrong. Why you are using this version? Sorry for guessing here because I came in late into this party, too.
There is a beta3 version out, which can live without this mod. And these versions are on the Linux boot stick by default, too.
2.
Did you prepare your heat sink according to a series of former posts, sometimes load generates spikes or generate heat and that shuts down the card if not properly mounted. It is impossible to run such a card without proper contact to the sink. It will shut down after a few seconds.
3.
Have you checked the system with an external display?

 

[xanderon]

I think yy.bin is just an example or something maybe used in that video. I was hoping it might even be the backup (though I was wondering why there was no .rom extension), I really don't know though. Check the end of that vid to see what I mean. I def didn't write anything new to the eeprom. I just read what was on it using command "sudo flashrom -p ch341a_spi -r yy.bin" and it saved to yy.bin in my user folder. Then went to write using command "sudo flashrom -p ch341a_spi -w yy.bin" to test and it said it was identical. I'm trying to confirm the commands for backing up the firmware and then writing the rom I attached in my last post.

-r is reading, so you read FROM the card to yy.bin (you could also name it yy.rom, or xyz or xzy.bin or you get it)

-w is writing, so you WROTE to the card, but in your case, flashprogram didn't actually write it because it compared it and said: identical

if you have used -w nicksbioswhatever.bin than it most definitely would have wrote to the card the nicksbioswhatever.bin file.

be careful! you were lucky at this point

 

[stephengrenfell]

Here I have to guess:
1.
The EG rom version are older and where made to use with a boot rom mod to get boot screen if I am not completely wrong. Why you are using this version? Sorry for guessing here because I came in late into this party, too.
There is a beta3 version out, which can live without this mod. And these versions are on the Linux boot stick by default, too.

I am using the file on the linux USB key /Kepler_Beta3/780M_EG2.rom

Is this not the latest file for GTX780M ?.

2.
Did you prepare your heat sink according to a series of former posts, sometimes load generates spikes or generate heat and that shuts down the card if not properly mounted. It is impossible to run such a card without proper contact to the sink. It will shut down after a few seconds.

I ground away quite a bit of the heatsink to create space for the big square coils - on final assembly I could see space between the coils and the heatsink. There's a decent amount of K5PRO paste on the memory chips and a correct amount of Arctic Silver on the die of the GPU. I doubt it's that.

3.
Have you checked the system with an external display?

I don't have a thunderbolt video adapter, unless there's another way ?.

 

[Ausdauersportler]

I am using the file on the linux USB key /Kepler_Beta3/780M_EG2.rom

Is this not the latest file for GTX780M ?.

I ground away quite a bit of the heatsink to create space for the big square coils - on final assembly I could see space between the coils and the heatsink. There's a decent amount of K5PRO paste on the memory chips and a correct amount of Arctic Silver on the die of the GPU. I doubt it's that.

I don't have a thunderbolt video adapter, unless there's another way ?.

Sorry, I told you, I guess here. Cannot hold every bit in my head, brain works different. You have the latest, the LCD should come up in this config. Are you sure the card is fine?

I did not really understand what happened without the LCD installed. You wrote fans ran flat out, does this mean they stayed at high rpm and while the three LED were green until you switched the system off? If you had configured remote access one could check if the MacOS boots up fine.

Black screen could also mean a bad inverter board...

 

[Emilio306]

You say you are using the 00C variant, but on the picture you posted it is clearly the 00D - it looks exactly like the one that I received from my vendor by the way. Which one is it? I am curious if you can get it to work. Please update here what happens and if you need any help you can send me a message also, we will then report our findings here.

All the best

Thank you, you're totally right! The vendor sent me the wrong part as their product image and listing shows 00C variant. Good catch! I've requested a return already given that it's likely that it won't work and that I have a lmited window to get the correct part. I'll flash and install it for test purposes before I send it off.

 

[stephengrenfell]

Are you sure the card is fine?

As sure as anyone can be buying off eBay…. it was a UK seller with good feedback and had sold other GPU boards.

Would an external display via thunderbolt - hdmi adapter prove the card is good ?.
If so I'll order an adapter.

I did not really understand what happened without the LCD installed. You wrote fans ran flat out, does this mean they stayed at high rpm and while the three LED were green until you switched the system off? If you had configured remote access one could check if the MacOS boots up fine.

This is what happens without lcd installed.

- connect power cord, 1st led lights up immediately
- press power on once nothing happens
- press power on second time
1. second led lights up and fans run a slow speed
2. few seconds later optical drive noise (usual noise)
3. few seconds later chime noise and third led lights up
4. 30 seconds later fan start to run at full speed, and it stays like that

Is the fan full speed due to lcd thermal sensor not connected ?.

Black screen could also mean a bad inverter board...

It worked few days ago, as in all white background on start up with old GPU. With the old GPU the boot sequence went to 3/4 of the progress bar and then white screen for 5 minutes then reboot. And continued like this.

I have another inverter board and so will try that anyway.

I have a mac mini. If I take out the iMac's SSD (boot drive) I can try to set up remote access by booting the mac mini from it.

 

[Pascal Baillargeau]

Well, end of suspense.
I apply this thermal paste (GC-Extreme by GELID), which by the way works better than attended. And had the opportunity to take photos of my card.
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.

I made a new benchmark too. There is nearly a 15, 20 degrees gain in load, i stay to nearly 72 degrees, and the animation is perfectly fluid.

After i flashed 580X_GOP.rom which is an overclock version of W7100_GOP.rom, benchmark is better but temps go a little bit too high (89,90) and i have choppy animation again. It could be manageable but i reverted back to W7100_GOP.rom.

Sorry for this chaos, but we can discard 109-C769A1-00B -xx, which is based on a Tonga chipset (not the same visual, size), and i can now confirm that there is a WX7100 with PCB serial number 109-C95847-00D-02 working, with W7100_GOP bios.

 

[Antônio Nicola]

Hey all, sorry if I missed your PMs and I've not been around to reply here recently,
I've had some health problems and just quit my job, so it's been a fun month...

On the bright side, I recently made some significant progress on the iMac cards,
I was planning to release this update next week along with the Quadro roms,
but it seems DeeImac has just unknowingly let the cat out of the bag
(no worries Geoff, you weren't to know) so I may as well just tell you now...

I have found a way to get the bootscreen working without needing to do the bootrom mod!
It works for most Kepler cards (but sadly not the new AMD cards, so they'll still need the mod)

These Beta3 roms will enable the bootscreen without the bootrom mod, just flash the vBIOS in the normal way, if you've already done the bootrom mod these roms have no benefit. To be honest I am only releasing these now to avoid any more logic-board casualties - but you can call it an early Christmas preset.

In other news, I finally got native brightness control working on a few of the Kepler cards, but so far I have not been able to replicate this across most of the other cards. At the moment it seems most will still require either a new type of bootrom mod just to enable brightness control, alternatively you can use the OpenCore Boot-loader.

I'm still working on the brightness stuff, but I hope to have the beta Quadro roms ready soon.
After a lot of work I do have some cards working almost perfectly now, so I've decided that
for those who just want to pay for a simple plug & play solution I will be selling these on eBay.
For everyone else, I'm sure saint (?) Nick will make another delivery soon. 🎅

With that in mind, I would politely advise people against posting dumps from my eBay cards.
It's probably best to wait for the goose to finish laying golden eggs, before you eat it for Christmas...

I'm sorry for the ignorance, can you tell me how do I flash vBios? I have no idea how to do it. =(

 

[nikey22]

@stephengrenfell
1. Please confirm first which bootrom version you have on your mainboard

2. Disconnect LCD, disconnect SSD, disconnect HDD. Put in USB key:grml.org
Let it boot up. You should hear chime, ODD noise, and maybe fans will run full speed.
Go to another machine and see if your imac is detected on your DHCP router. If so, SSH into it from another machine (PC/or MAC).

If you are able to SSH in, type:

./nvflash_linux --version

and let me know what Board-Id you have for your GTX780M card.

 

[Emilio306]

Well, end of suspense.
I apply this thermal paste (GC-Extreme by GELID), which by the way works better than attended. And had the opportunity to take photos of my card.
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.

I made a new benchmark too. There is nearly a 15, 20 degrees gain in load, i stay to nearly 72 degrees, and the animation is perfectly fluid.

After i flashed 580X_GOP.rom which is an overclock version of W7100_GOP.rom, benchmark is better but temps go a little bit too high (89,90) and i have choppy animation again. It could be manageable but i reverted back to W7100_GOP.rom.

Sorry for this chaos, but we can discard 109-C769A1-00B -xx, which is based on a Tonga chipset (not the same visual, size), and i can now confirm that there is a WX7100 with PCB serial number 109-C95847-00D-02 working, with W7100_GOP bios.

Worth a shot! I see your benchmark is based on OpenGL and not Metal, did you run it on HS?

 

[Pascal Baillargeau]

Worth a shot! I see your benchmark is based on OpenGL and not Metal, did you run it on HS?

With free version of Unigine Valley i can only access OpenGL test.

 

[tgaillar]

I don't have a thunderbolt video adapter, unless there's another way ?.

Any basic/non-Apple MiniDP<->DVI/HDMI/DP cable (matching the display connector on your external display) will just do fine to connect your iMac (2009->2011, even 2012/2013+ is OK) and test external display!

 

[Ausdauersportler]

I'm sorry for the ignorance, can you tell me how do I flash vBios? I have no idea how to do it. =(

Have you tried to read the first post of this thread in the very first page? You will find there these lines:

Q: Flash VBIOS? How do I do that?
A: VBIOS can be flashed in one of two ways: Either directly with a CH341a clip programmer or with the "NVFLASH" software in Windows or Linux. THIS POST helps describe the flashing process. Others have found THIS POST useful. User @xanderoncreated a pre-made USB that can flash Nvidia cards in the iMac with Linux over SSH. Many have found this the easiest method. There is an add-on to flash AMD cards using this method, too. Additionally, user @jowaju created a simple Installer package that can be run on macOS Sierra (10.12) and higher that creates a 15GB Windows 7 Bootcamp partition with all the needed tools.

 

[kakawak]

Hi can someone tell me where this cable goes? I've upgraded CPU to i7 but I can't see where this one goes.

 

[highvoltage12v]

Hi can someone tell me where this cable goes? I've upgraded CPU to i7 but I can't see where this one goes.

Looks like microphone cable based on it coming from the optical drive side of the iMac. It should go near where the speaker connectors are.

 

[internetzel]

I think it is OK - the benchmarks were never for hard numbers and were more so for ballpark performance increments. There are enough similarities between tests that I feel confident redoing them all with/without 2xAA will change the hierarchy. A more likely scenario is that we need to use a different suite of tests rather than just Valley to see if performance is different, but that's for a later time.

I would have proposed simply setting Unigine Valley to "Extreme HD" for having more comparable benchmark results. I'd also expect the more modern GPUs to make a bigger difference at that setting.