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

[highvoltage12v]

I have booted Mac OS Mojave from my 27" iMac with the GTX 780m installed. As mentioned before for there is no audio natively or Airport without modifying kexts first. I'm hoping @dosdude1 will create a Mojave patcher with software update support when Mojave is released. Everything is otherwise stable right now.

 

[mjsweet]

Got the 765m into the 21.5". Working on mounting a 2.5" drive where the stock drive was. Also removed/modified some of the plastic spacers to get more air flow to the PSU and GPU heatsink from the HDD fan in the middle. Should have the modifications done by Friday.

 

[JessieComputes]

highvoltage12v - that is fantastic that you got both 4k@60Hz and Mojave working. Did you flash your card? Reading this forum: http://forum.netkas.org/index.php/topic,11598.45.html, there is a DCB table that needs to be configured. It would be great to know what is in the DCB table of your card.

 

[highvoltage12v]

highvoltage12v - that is fantastic that you got both 4k@60Hz and Mojave working. Did you flash your card? Reading this forum: http://forum.netkas.org/index.php/topic,11598.45.html, there is a DCB table that needs to be configured. It would be great to know what is in the DCB table of your card.

Hello,
No I did not flash my card I bought it straight from Ebay and installed it. I wish I knew about this sooner. I'm not sure how to dump this cards rom now that it's in the iMac. It's more than likely the same rom thats on this page. https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/147574/alienware-gtx780m-4096-121012

 

[JessieComputes]

highvoltage12v - It is possible by booting from a USB Linux key with the relevant software to extract the firmware image. I have ordered an Alienware GT765m, which was a card option in the same Alienware laptop as your card came from, so hopefully the bios has the same DCB entries. Thanks for replying.

 

[highvoltage12v]

highvoltage12v - It is possible by booting from a USB Linux key with the relevant software to extract the firmware image. I have ordered an Alienware GT765m, which was a card option in the same Alienware laptop as your card came from, so hopefully the bios has the same DCB entries. Thanks for replying.

I can't get this to boot an efi copy of Windows or Linux, I can't even get it into target disk mode. It's like it is ignoring all keyboard commands, and this is with a wired apple keyboard.

 

[JessieComputes]

highvoltage12v - If you have a DisplayPort to vga adapter and a low resolution vga display then there is small chance you could get this to work booting efi. Try using each port of the computer.

 

[SsinLiao]

About the MXM RX560

I just asked a Chinese seller and he said it is not compatible with our iMac 2011

Because it's a "Desktop GPU" but our iMac needs a "Mobile" one

So...yeah...

By the way, do anyone knows if newer NV cards like 970M or 980M will work?

880M is decent but would like to have newer cards with better performance and efficiency

Thanks!

 

[ed str]

I got the famous "green lines over the screen" problem with my 2011 iMac, meaning my Radeon 6970M 2GB was dead. Boo!

I managed to revive the GPU in a way that was published on this post. I installed an additional cooling that turned out to be efficient. All the best!

 

[loollo]

I have booted Mac OS Mojave from my 27" iMac with the GTX 780m installed. As mentioned before for there is no audio natively or Airport without modifying kexts first. I'm hoping @dosdude1 will create a Mojave patcher with software update support when Mojave is released. Everything is otherwise stable right now.
View attachment 765954 View attachment 765955

Hello, I am considering the AMD 6970M graphics card replacement of my iMac mid 2011 (27 "i7), I would like to upgrade to a GTX 780M card (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BBNT4KJ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1SZLGQYCU5TQ3&psc=1) ...
Should everything work?

 

[highvoltage12v]

Hello, I am considering the AMD 6970M graphics card replacement of my iMac mid 2011 (27 "i7), I would like to upgrade to a GTX 780M card (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BBNT4KJ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1SZLGQYCU5TQ3&psc=1) ...
Should everything work?

Yes that's it. Just be prepared to use a dremel to modify the X plate to clear capacitors on the back. You also have to modify the heatsink to allow the card to sit flush, there will be 2 squares at the top of the card AKA coils preventing the card from sitting flush. While you are on Amazon buy Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut paste, but more importantly K5 Pro to cover the GDDR5 memory on the card.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K04D3UK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZJSDB7W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[loollo]

[QUOTE = "highvoltage12v, post: 26174435, membro: 883629"] Sì, è così. Basta essere pronti a usare un dremel per modificare la lastra X per eliminare i condensatori sul retro. Devi anche modificare il dissipatore di calore per permettere alla carta di stare a filo, ci saranno 2 quadrati nella parte superiore della carta delle bobine AKA che impediscono alla carta di stare a filo. Mentre sei su Amazon, acquista la pasta Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut, ma soprattutto K5 Pro per coprire la memoria GDDR5 sulla scheda.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K04D3UK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZJSDB7W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 [/ QUOTE]

Penso di capire che la schermata principale non funziona? Funziona solo con lo schermo secondario?
[doublepost=1529585905][/doublepost]

Yes that's it. Just be prepared to use a dremel to modify the X plate to clear capacitors on the back. You also have to modify the heatsink to allow the card to sit flush, there will be 2 squares at the top of the card AKA coils preventing the card from sitting flush. While you are on Amazon buy Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut paste, but more importantly K5 Pro to cover the GDDR5 memory on the card.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K04D3UK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZJSDB7W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I would like to know if the card is plug and play or I have to change the bios of the card or make changes on my imac?

 

[vkd]

Can someone help me please? Regarding post #835 in this thread, that is for a 21.5" iMac, Johnrak cut the casing of the heatsink piping back to avoid one of the two coils(?) on the 765M. When I installed the same card in my 27" iMac, it did not seem that the two were interfering with each other, although there may have been some contact. I modified the X-bracket that came with the card to allow use of the Apple screws to fix the heatsink to the video card. In short, the coil-heatsink proximity is the only physical anomaly I can see. When I assembled for testing, the machine would not pass POST (Power On Self Test). The 765M card has since been tested in another computer and it is fully functional. The iMac functions perfectly with the factory 6770M card. Any ideas? I can only think of applying thermal paste to the coil where it possibly contacts the heatsink pipe enclosure but have doubts that this is the cause of it failing to POST.

 

[underhgk]

Does anyone have the skinny on the possibility of using Pascal cards in the 2011 iMac? I am eyeballing the GTX 1070. The GTX 1070 Mobile is rated for 120W max draw.

Edit:

It is my understanding that 10xx cards are all UEFI enabled, and according to this --> https://9to5mac.com/2017/09/27/nvidia-pascal-drivers-high-sierra/ there appears to be movement on Pascal drivers for high sierra.

What is stopping this?

 

[yifuhood]

Yes that's it. Just be prepared to use a dremel to modify the X plate to clear capacitors on the back. You also have to modify the heatsink to allow the card to sit flush, there will be 2 squares at the top of the card AKA coils preventing the card from sitting flush. While you are on Amazon buy Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut paste, but more importantly K5 Pro to cover the GDDR5 memory on the card.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K04D3UK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZJSDB7W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I used Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut on the GPU and Kryonaut for the Vram, and all the resistors with K5 pro. running Heaven bench at 70-72 C MAX.

 

[highvoltage12v]

I used Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut on the GPU and Kryonaut for the Vram, and all the resistors with K5 pro. running Heaven bench at 70-72 C MAX.

How are you able to determine that temperature, i'm using HWMonitor which will only tell me the heatsink temperature not the DIE temperature. If you are doing this in Windows, how so?

 

[JessieComputes]

vkd: I have installed a 765m and it is working okay. I am not able to get 4k on an external DisplayPort thou'. Also I needed to drill away some of the metal on the heatsink to clear a couple of electronic components on the card.

 

[jml12286]

vkd: I have installed a 765m and it is working okay. I am not able to get 4k on an external DisplayPort thou'. Also I needed to drill away some of the metal on the heatsink to clear a couple of electronic components on the card.

Do audio or Airport not work though? or is that just with the 780m maybe?

 

[highvoltage12v]

Do audio or Airport not work though? or is that just with the 780m maybe?

That is only with the next version of Mac OS Mojave.

 

[jml12286]

That is only with the next version of Mac OS Mojave.

So am I correct in assuming that these 7xx series cards work out the box in the 2011 iMac using High Sierra?

 

[yifuhood]

How are you able to determine that temperature, i'm using HWMonitor which will only tell me the heatsink temperature not the DIE temperature. If you are doing this in Windows, how so?

I have the original graphic card. Still a fantastic cooling

 

[highvoltage12v]

So am I correct in assuming that these 7xx series cards work out the box in the 2011 iMac using High Sierra?

Software wise yes the will work with High Sierra, it's the same generation of Nvidia card the 2013 iMac used. Hardware wise modifications will be needed to the heatsink as stated earlier. I'd like to post pictures, but the file sizes are too large.
EDIT: I have modified the image quality to fit under the 2mb limit.

 

[jml12286]

Software wise yes the will work with High Sierra, it's the same generation of Nvidia card the 2013 iMac used. Hardware wise modifications will be needed to the heatsink as stated earlier. I'd like to post pictures, but the file sizes are too large

Nice. But there is nothing software, like editing kexts, or not being able to use other manufacturer cards due to different bios junk right?

 

[highvoltage12v]

Nice. But there is nothing software, like editing kexts, or not being able to use other manufacturer cards due to different bios junk right?

The only thing that is concerning with bios of the card is it has to line up with the imacs EDP connector of the internal screen. Which is why we all using an Alienware/Dell version of the 7xx. If you get another brand of the same card it's bios could be programmed to use LVDs and not edp/DP. Also I'm sure you know there is no Boot screen/Brightness control, untill someone like MacVidCards releases a version with a patched bios. In terms of kexts you could install the Nvidia web drivers, but I haven't noticed any difference.

 

[jml12286]

Does Recovery still boot up/work even though you don't see the screen while pressing command+R