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

[cmantia8141]

Hey guys,
Just wanted to share my SUCCESS story on upgrading my mid-2011 21.5" IMAC. Just a little background, grew up a PC guy and learned young how to get inside and do basic-ish upgrades. My imac has been solid since I traded in the PC for it, but was intrigued to find these forums detailing how to upgrade the GPU. After reading as much as I could, I decided to take the plunge and found a 2GB nvidia 765m from a dell/alienware laptop (which I read are most compatible with our imacs). Got inside the imac, then realized I had to do all 50(!) steps of the ifixit guide to even access the card. Rolled up my sleeves, swapped out cards and jimmy rigged the heatsink to the 765m with some zip ties. Everything seemed to go back together well-enough (lots of things to plug/unplug, but almost everything has only 1 place it can go, use the positioning of the plugs to guide about where they're supposed to be seated). Powered it on; black screen. Checked the backlighting with a flashlight; nothing. Opened it up to check diagnostic LED's; 2 of 4 were lit, the 3rd of course being the GPU communicating to the logic board. I had NOT pre-installed nvidia web drivers prior to opening the imac up, which I would call a mistake. I reinstalled the radeon, got online and installed the web drivers, found on nvidia, specifically for my OS (10.12.5 sierra). I can't say I'm 100% sure that I correctly seated the GPU the first time, and an internet query does not definitively say whether or not the 3rd led could be due to JUST a mechanical connection OR if it could be due to incorrect software drivers. I can say that the 2nd time I installed the new card, I made sure that it was seated the best it could be (click, middle guide fully in slot). The stock heatsink that came with the imac does not seat fully onto the new card, so I ziptied it sluggly in place. After everything was reassembled (for the 4-5th time), I booted her up; chime on bootup, black screen though. I stepped away for a minute, came back to a normal-appearing desktop login. The card is a HUGE performance improvement over the stock radeon, and at $89 on amazon, HARD to beat.

TL;DR - The 765m works on the mid-2011 21.5 IMAC. Make sure card is seated properly on logic board and ensure that you have downloaded the appropriate web drivers from nvidia (the one that correlates to your version of OS), and TAKE YOUR TIME when you're inside your mac; remember, they don't intend on you getting in there too much. You CAN do it though. You need 2 torx head bits and that should do it. NO flashing of the card necessary, also I couldn't find a flash for 765m, anyway.

Finally, THANK YOU dudes of the macrumor forum for giving me the knowledge and willingness to undertake this project. A lot of fun, a good learning experience, and a huge upgrade for my system.

 

[wiruzdk]

those that have succesfully installed a Quadro k3000M.. wich webdriver did you use cause i cant seem to find any for this card ?
[doublepost=1502964858][/doublepost]

Hey guys,
Just wanted to share my SUCCESS story on upgrading my mid-2011 21.5" IMAC. Just a little background, grew up a PC guy and learned young how to get inside and do basic-ish upgrades. My imac has been solid since I traded in the PC for it, but was intrigued to find these forums detailing how to upgrade the GPU. After reading as much as I could, I decided to take the plunge and found a 2GB nvidia 765m from a dell/alienware laptop (which I read are most compatible with our imacs). Got inside the imac, then realized I had to do all 50(!) steps of the ifixit guide to even access the card. Rolled up my sleeves, swapped out cards and jimmy rigged the heatsink to the 765m with some zip ties. Everything seemed to go back together well-enough (lots of things to plug/unplug, but almost everything has only 1 place it can go, use the positioning of the plugs to guide about where they're supposed to be seated). Powered it on; black screen. Checked the backlighting with a flashlight; nothing. Opened it up to check diagnostic LED's; 2 of 4 were lit, the 3rd of course being the GPU communicating to the logic board. I had NOT pre-installed nvidia web drivers prior to opening the imac up, which I would call a mistake. I reinstalled the radeon, got online and installed the web drivers, found on nvidia, specifically for my OS (10.12.5 sierra). I can't say I'm 100% sure that I correctly seated the GPU the first time, and an internet query does not definitively say whether or not the 3rd led could be due to JUST a mechanical connection OR if it could be due to incorrect software drivers. I can say that the 2nd time I installed the new card, I made sure that it was seated the best it could be (click, middle guide fully in slot). The stock heatsink that came with the imac does not seat fully onto the new card, so I ziptied it sluggly in place. After everything was reassembled (for the 4-5th time), I booted her up; chime on bootup, black screen though. I stepped away for a minute, came back to a normal-appearing desktop login. The card is a HUGE performance improvement over the stock radeon, and at $89 on amazon, HARD to beat.

TL;DR - The 765m works on the mid-2011 21.5 IMAC. Make sure card is seated properly on logic board and ensure that you have downloaded the appropriate web drivers from nvidia (the one that correlates to your version of OS), and TAKE YOUR TIME when you're inside your mac; remember, they don't intend on you getting in there too much. You CAN do it though. You need 2 torx head bits and that should do it. NO flashing of the card necessary, also I couldn't find a flash for 765m, anyway.

Finally, THANK YOU dudes of the macrumor forum for giving me the knowledge and willingness to undertake this project. A lot of fun, a good learning experience, and a huge upgrade for my system.

wich web driver did you use cause there are no webdriver for your card on nvidia page ?

http://i.imgur.com/xsaYUMi.png

 

[wiruzdk]

those that have succesfully installed a Quadro k3000M.. wich webdriver did you use cause i cant seem to find any for this card ?
[doublepost=1502964858][/doublepost]


wich web driver did you use cause there are no webdriver for your card on nvidia page ?

http://i.imgur.com/xsaYUMi.png

I got a dead graphic in my imac and installed a new gtx 780m but how do i install it when i cant see anything on the screen and when i dont have imac gpu to actualy do it with ?

 

[igorekogirok]

@Fl0r!an, @Synchro3, @MichaelDT, @MacVidCards, @mhafeez, anybody, guys help. Tell me what i must to do. Where to read what to watch. I re-read all the threads, but I got confused. The native video card died. Put 680 from Dell. The dark screen and in the description wrote: nvidia chip model 256.When my card was dead I took the system disk from my Macbook 2009 (where the 256 nvidia on board???) and put into imac, and imac drive put to my macbook so i can to work with. But I have already updated from El capitan to Sierra on imac and nothing has changed. The web driver is instaled. If I need to turn off the sip, I can put the system disk back on the MacBook and disable sip. When i start cuda-z - imac rebooting. Please help .. a week already digging myself. Sorry for my english, i'm from Ukraine. imac - it's my primary working horse... without i loose my money and i have 3 children...please help...

 

[WaferGuy]

Let me step in here and give you guys some info as a person who fixes dead mac logic boards for a living.

1) DO NOT PAY SOMEBODY TO FIX YOUR DEAD ATI CARD, IT IS ALL COMPLETE ********. yes, there is nothign wrong with the BGA on your GPU, the problem is with the GPU itself. the reball is not the reason the card works again thereafter, it only works again because you have heated the GPU up to rework temperature which literally warps the die back into shape.

2) for this same reason, DO NOT PAY SOMEBODY TO REPLACE YOUR GPU ITSELF. there has not been a source for replacement 216-0811000 chips at all. I have tried various sources, as have all the other people in my industry, and the only thing you can find are USED REBALLED GARBAGE being sold as "brand new". they literally polish off the old markings on the GPU so it looks new, then print/engrave fake date codes onto the things, but if you have a good microscope, you can see the signs of this. so with these new chips, when you install them onto a board, they will work again because THE DIE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO REWORK TEMPERATURE. with laptop chips, you can often get used rebaled chips like this with a bit of life into them, but 100% of these desktop chips have been pulled off of their PCB because THEY DIED. so you will be getting a chip that will work for a few months then take a ****.

3) DO NOT PUT YOUR CHIP IN THE OVEN, OR BLOW IT WITH A HEATGUN AND THINK YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A PERMANENT SOLUTION. yes it will often bring your card back to life because it warps the die back into shape, but it will fail again if you put the card under any load. you can squeeze a few years out of it if you give it the old "reflow" (tip: if you are doing this with a heatgun, you aren't going anywhere close to rework temperature. at reflow temperature, you can gently poke the chip and it will feel like it is attached to teh board by jello. if it's hard as a rock, which it always will be because there is a reason we use 2000watt rework machines on multilayer PCB, it isn't molten, and you sare actually weakening the solder joints.), and don't put the GPU under real load again, but if you want to game, don't even bother

4) DO NOT BUY REPLACEMENT APPLE CARDS ON EBAY FROM CHINA. they are 100% just "reflowed" garbage. they will last a few weeks/months then take a ****. THERE ARE NO PEOPLE PULLING THESE CARDS FROM WORKING SYSTEMS, BESIDE A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE UPGRADING THEIR CARDS LIKE IN THIS THREAD. it is not worth the gamble.

5) ESPECIALLY DO NOT BUY A 6970. seriously, I feel really sorry for you guys that just "upgraded" a 6770 that may have given a few more years of life to a 6970 that will **** out in a matter of weeks/months under any load. even if the card was a legitimate pull (pro tip: it wasn't, I don't care what the seller said or how well you think it's working, *it wasn't*), it will still cook itself to death sooner than later. your best bet if you DID buy one of these cards is to use something like macsfancontrols to keep the optical drive and HDD fan running at 80% constantly, or even better (and yes, I realize this sounds a bit crazy), cut a window in the back of the mac right above where teh GPU heatsink is. if oyu can keep these cards under 70 degrees under load, they are FINE, but at 80-90, ticking time bomb.

anyhow, I hope I saved some of you guys some wasted time and money with that one, though I'm sure the lot of you are, like me, too stubborn to be told why not to do something until you do it yourself and learn first hand why not to bother doing it ($200 in 216-0811000 later, lol). the reason I am in here is because I'm trying to find an inexpensive, RELIABLE solution to bringing these 2009-2011 imacs back to life so I can turn the pile of dead units I have into cash. I'm not there yet, but I'm scoping out the cheap lineup of quattro cards and thinking an apple geforce flash might work. I'll update this thread as I go, regardless if I succeed or throw in the towel.

1st of all, I would like to thank rivermandan to summarize the situation in this subject above!

My mid-2011 27" iMac (A1312) has black screen problem. I've been researching for a solution over a week now. I don't know what is the root cause for HD6970 (die code 216-0811000) to fail. It seems like it is not a good idea to stick with HD6970.

Going the NVIDIA route has its own minor issues (no bootscreen, no brightness control, etc).

As I was about to throw the towel, I bumped into a site where someone tried swapping the 0811000 chip with 0798006 (HD6870). He needed to custom build a ROM to trick the Device ID. He reported a success in early July 2017.

I've found the chip 0798006 for about USD50 a piece. My next challenge is to source a shop which can do BGA soldering for me...!

 

[wiruzdk]

@Fl0r!an, @Synchro3, @MichaelDT, @MacVidCards, @mhafeez, anybody, guys help. Tell me what i must to do. Where to read what to watch. I re-read all the threads, but I got confused. The native video card died. Put 680 from Dell. The dark screen and in the description wrote: nvidia chip model 256.When my card was dead I took the system disk from my Macbook 2009 (where the 256 nvidia on board???) and put into imac, and imac drive put to my macbook so i can to work with. But I have already updated from El capitan to Sierra on imac and nothing has changed. The web driver is instaled. If I need to turn off the sip, I can put the system disk back on the MacBook and disable sip. When i start cuda-z - imac rebooting. Please help .. a week already digging myself. Sorry for my english, i'm from Ukraine. imac - it's my primary working horse... without i loose my money and i have 3 children...please help...

maybe you should try flashing the card with a different bios.

 

[vkd]

I am on the Nvidia.com site now and see they have
QUADRO & GEFORCE MACOS DRIVER RELEASE 378.05.05.05
then they have
NVIDIA CUDA 8.0 FOR MAC OS X RELEASE

Can someone please confirm what is the thing with CUDA? Is it the latest thing from Nvidia, like the direction all their drivers are heading nowadays? If we just download the CUDA software and install it, that'll be enough to make the GPU be detected and run, right?

I am looking at putting a 765m in, like cmantia8141 above confirms will work. I suppose either of these drivers will work but the CUDA has a later release date on it so I'd be inclined to go for that but want to confirm with you experts first.

Edit:
Just install the GeForce driver, more info at tonymacx86.com

 

[wiruzdk]

i just installed a k3000M in my imac 2011 mid and the mac keeps trying to turn on but never starts it shuts off again.

so i can confirm that not all k3000M works with imac.

 

[wiruzdk]

just installed a dell Nvidia gtx880m and i cant seem to get any other then a black screen.

ive installed the nvidia webdriver is there anything i need to do else ?

 

[kar0sh1]

Hey all, if anybody is still following this thread I have a situation for you
I replaced the failed 6970m in my 27" iMac with a 770m and I can get it to boot and connect via Screen Sharing but I cannot get the display to work. The Nvidia Web Driver sends the computer into a boot loop with the screen connected. If i disconnect the display it will boot fine. Also with the display connected and using the OS X driver the 770m VBIOS shows as "preset 1.0.0." but when I disconnect the display it shows the correct VBIOS. I have tried just about everything I know to do and thought I would throw this out to see if I get any help.

Did you ever get this sorted? I've installed a 770M in my iMac 2010 and it's booting but with a black screen. Completely new to this whole process so any guidance is appreciated.

 

[Zeitkind]

If you have a black screen, the card has a wrong internal connection (DP&LVDS etc.). This can sometimes be fixed with a modded BIOS (modify DCB table), but some cards would also need a physical modification or are not suitable at all. MXM cards are not that well defined as normal PCIe cards with obvious physical external connections. If you never played with flashing BIOS or SMD soldering, you can't do anything about this problem. If you then have a signal on your internal display, you need a suitable OS X driver.

 

[wiruzdk]

later today il try a dell alienware gtx765m to see if that works cant seem to get dell 880m to work

 

[kar0sh1]

If you have a black screen, the card has a wrong internal connection (DP&LVDS etc.). This can sometimes be fixed with a modded BIOS (modify DCB table), but some cards would also need a physical modification or are not suitable at all. MXM cards are not that well defined as normal PCIe cards with obvious physical external connections. If you never played with flashing BIOS or SMD soldering, you can't do anything about this problem. If you then have a signal on your internal display, you need a suitable OS X driver.

So what would your workflow be, first step search for a different/modded BIOS then attempt to flash to the GPU? What are the main factors that effect compatibility? I'm an engineer and have a full suite of equipment so if I know the steps I can make modifications to the GPU if necessary, but a link to a tutorial or similar resource would be very helpful.

 

[GoodWheaties]

Did you ever get this sorted? I've installed a 770M in my iMac 2010 and it's booting but with a black screen. Completely new to this whole process so any guidance is appreciated.

No I never did get the 770M to work with the internal screen. I assumed it was the wrong VBIOS or something. I ended up just heating the original card again.

 

[kar0sh1]

No I never did get the 770M to work with the internal screen. I assumed it was the wrong VBIOS or something. I ended up just heating the original card again.

Ah thanks for that, saved me a lot of time - I was going to reattempt booting into Safe Mode, installing NVIDIA Web Driver etc..

There seemed to be a lot of contradictory info on the 770M, with it being mentioned it had a similar chipset to a supported card, but if I'd done my research properly before purchasing I would've picked something else.

I've noticed a lot higher a level of success/mentions of the 780M and the 880M, so my conclusion is they are a much safer bet. Is that a valid assumption?

 

[Zeitkind]

MXM cards are often custom made for laptops etc., so it depends on what laptop it was supposed to work with and what's inside this laptop. Most cards have "just" different setting for the outputs in their BIOS and may be modified to some degree, others may also need soldering. A MXM card for a HP laptop prob. won't work in a Dell etc., though they have the same GPU and even the same model name. Not to mention MXM cards with and without EFI support and all the other problems..
https://download.nvidia.com/open-gpu-doc/DCB/2/DCB-4.x-Specification.html

 

[wiruzdk]

Ah thanks for that, saved me a lot of time - I was going to reattempt booting into Safe Mode, installing NVIDIA Web Driver etc..

There seemed to be a lot of contradictory info on the 770M, with it being mentioned it had a similar chipset to a supported card, but if I'd done my research properly before purchasing I would've picked something else.

I've noticed a lot higher a level of success/mentions of the 780M and the 880M, so my conclusion is they are a much safer bet. Is that a valid assumption?

you cant be sure by anyway at all just tried a dell 880m in my imac 2011 and i is not supported.. black screen after nvidia webdriver installed. i can confirm its a no go only some cards work.

 

[Zeitkind]

i can confirm its a no go only some cards work.

I can confirm almost no cards work without modification. Reason: Apple uses eDP for the display, most laptops use LVDS. So almost all cards that were build for laptops have wrong display routing in their vBIOS.

 

[wiruzdk]

I can confirm almost no cards work without modification. Reason: Apple uses eDP for the display, most laptops use LVDS. So almost all cards that were build for laptops have wrong display routing in their vBIOS.

sure but wich bios should i flash my 880m with ?

 

[mhafeez]

Has anybody tried ATI Radeon M290X MXM card? Theoretically it might works with Sierra.

 

[Zeitkind]

sure but wich bios should i flash my 880m with ?

This depends on your card, there is no this-is-the-only-right-BIOS. You can try to correct the DCB table for your card and use PC-tools to re-sign the vBIOS and flash it (you will need DOS or Windows running..) and see, if you get a picture with the NVidia web drivers installed.
At the moment, there is no foolproof solution, in fact, there is no real solution for all those broken iMacs. The "right" card needs the correct EFI, the correct DCB entries and should be available for a decent price and in decent amounts. There is no such card. Not on eBay, not in China.
So - you can either try to re-vive your broken card with a reflow oven or hack a suitable PC-card with some luck. Reflowing those broken cards may work for some time, but they sure will completely break some time. On eBay, you will only find reflowed cards that may or may not work for some weeks or months, there are NO new cards (or GPU chips) left anywhere. A broken GPU in those 2011 iMacs is - more or less - a dead end until someone manages to hack a card that is still in production or at least available as new spare part (eg. from Dell, HP, Lenovo..).

 

[wiruzdk]

This depends on your card, there is no this-is-the-only-right-BIOS. You can try to correct the DCB table for your card and use PC-tools to re-sign the vBIOS and flash it (you will need DOS or Windows running..) and see, if you get a picture with the NVidia web drivers installed.
At the moment, there is no foolproof solution, in fact, there is no real solution for all those broken iMacs. The "right" card needs the correct EFI, the correct DCB entries and should be available for a decent price and in decent amounts. There is no such card. Not on eBay, not in China.
So - you can either try to re-vive your broken card with a reflow oven or hack a suitable PC-card with some luck. Reflowing those broken cards may work for some time, but they sure will completely break some time. On eBay, you will only find reflowed cards that may or may not work for some weeks or months, there are NO new cards (or GPU chips) left anywhere. A broken GPU in those 2011 iMacs is - more or less - a dead end until someone manages to hack a card that is still in production or at least available as new spare part (eg. from Dell, HP, Lenovo..).

im a professional it guy i have my own buisness and my own rework station but im not gonna rework any card or put any new chip on or buy from ebay.... im not that stupid i just whant to figure out a way to get a new GPU to work in the damn imac its inzane as hard it is to have it wroking have 3 fine working 2011 machines standing wich just need a damn gpu

 

[vkd]

sure but wich bios should i flash my 880m with ?

You'd be better off asking on tonymacx86 or similar

 

[Zeitkind]

i just whant to figure out a way to get a new GPU to work in the damn imac

Best option: Read the NVidia docs and try to puzzle out a working DCB table, resign the vBIOS with the PC tools around and flash it. If there is no EFI - you won't get a picture during boot, but you may be able to get a picture once the NVidia driver kicks in. And yes, it's a pita with those iMacs. If you get the card working - be glad and share what you found. There is some more info in this thread and on netkas forum about the DCB table and how it should look for an iMac.
If there was an easy solution - quite sure folks like MacVidCards would already offer a solution..
Hint: You can try to read the signals on the DP-cable with a decent oscilloscope. I tried to hack a LVDS extension cable to that pins and connect an external display to have at least a picture for installing Windows and flashing, but did not have the time to finish.
The DCB table can be found starting at offset 0x36 of the vBIOS, eg:
0x36: 4C 85 --> table starts at offset 0x854C with normally 40 1B 10 08..
If your vBIOS also has an EFI header, the offset may be different, look for the "real" start of the BIOS and add 0x36 then.
[doublepost=1505755212][/doublepost]

You'd be better off asking on tonymacx86 or similar

Nope. The vBIOS we need is only for iMac hardware (eDP-signal to eDP-panel). Most PC-laptops use LVDS internally and so the vBIOS doesn't have to be modified. On the hackintosh side, you have an already working hardware connection (LVDS-signal to LVDS-panel), but not the right drivers (GPU ID not listed in the kernel GPU drivers etc.).
Not sure about other all-in-one-PCs like those from Lenovo. If they have MXM and also use an eDP-connection, those cards may work out-of-the-box, but the MXM cards on eBay are almost all from normal laptops and have therefor a wrong DCB table.

 

[vkd]

Best option: Read the NVidia docs and try to puzzle out a working DCB table, resign the vBIOS with the PC tools around and flash it. If there is no EFI - you won't get a picture during boot, but you may be able to get a picture once the NVidia driver kicks in. And yes, it's a pita with those iMacs. If you get the card working - be glad and share what you found. There is some more info in this thread and on netkas forum about the DCB table and how it should look for an iMac.
If there was an easy solution - quite sure folks like MacVidCards would already offer a solution..
Hint: You can try to read the signals on the DP-cable with a decent oscilloscope. I tried to hack a LVDS extension cable to that pins and connect an external display to have at least a picture for installing Windows and flashing, but did not have the time to finish.
The DCB table can be found starting at offset 0x36 of the vBIOS, eg:
0x36: 4C 85 --> table starts at offset 0x854C with normally 40 1B 10 08..
If your vBIOS also has an EFI header, the offset may be different, look for the "real" start of the BIOS and add 0x36 then.
[doublepost=1505755212][/doublepost]
Nope. The vBIOS we need is only for iMac hardware (eDP-signal to eDP-panel). Most PC-laptops use LVDS internally and so the vBIOS doesn't have to be modified. On the hackintosh side, you have an already working hardware connection (LVDS-signal to LVDS-panel), but not the right drivers (GPU ID not listed in the kernel GPU drivers etc.).
Not sure about other all-in-one-PCs like those from Lenovo. If they have MXM and also use an eDP-connection, those cards may work out-of-the-box, but the MXM cards on eBay are almost all from normal laptops and have therefor a wrong DCB table.

Yeah, I should have cited netkas.org but couldn't think of the name properly yesterday.