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

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

Thanx for your reply
In fact i have no picture and no white screen at all
Like thisView attachment 959887

Same as my situation, but on an iMac early 2009.
Installer: M2 SSD in a USB 3.0 box, created by Dosdude1 patch, formated in APFS.
Booted on my iMac, holding option key, then select EFI (assumed to be this installer)
=> Black screen with back light still visible like the above photo.
I tried to reset the NVRAM a dozen time before quitting.

I guess it already messed up with the EFI on my internal SSD. I had to take it out, plug it in my iMac 2010 and format it in APFS.

Finally, when I made another USB installer, this time with a normal USB stick, formatted in Journal, and now I have just finished installing Catalina to my iMac early 2009.

Hope this give you some idea for trouble shooting.

 

[Swanheart]

hello guys,

some news for my picture problem : i have tested continuity between solders of the display connector and the far side of lvds cable : all good
BUT : Q9001 is brocken ! sad news.
so i don't have power line, i'll try to find one

edit : it's a 2N7002 mosfet, i find some on old macbook motherboard with same 2N7002 code but on schematics, on imac there is a diode symbol between source and drain, and not on 2N7002 that i found in macbook. do you know if they are the same ?
thanx

 

[Swanheart]

hello guys,

some news for my picture problem : i have tested continuity between solders of the display connector and the far side of lvds cable : all good
BUT : Q9001 is brocken ! sad news.
so i don't have power line, i'll try to find one

edit : it's a 2N7002 mosfet, i find some on old macbook motherboard with same 2N7002 code but on schematics, on imac there is a diode symbol between source and drain, and not on 2N7002 that i found in macbook. do you know if they are the same ?
thanx

They are not the same. Ordered some
I'll tell you

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

My HP WX4150 works, with a small issue.
(Maybe I got lucky, maybe you won't be lucky as I am, bear that in mind if you ever buy your own HP WX4150)

Photo is in this post. #76

I used GOP ROM to flash, I used a HP 800G1 USDT, Windows 10, and Atiwinflash.
The link to the ROM is next to WX4170 in the table on #1

After install it to my iMac 2010 (running High Sierra), I powered it on.
Normal chime, normal quiet fans, the machine was cool, nothing went crazy.
But the screen was pit black (no light, at all), however long I waited, reset NVRAM, etc....
Feeling despair, I hooked it to the HP 800 G1 to see if Target Display Mode work, before reporting here for any suggestion.
Target Display Mode did work. Windows recognized the 2k resolution, and display beautifully.
What a relief! I didn't screw up with the installation. (or did I?)
So I turn-off the Windows PC, thinking about putting back the HP5670 to my iMac.
...
What the hell? I saw the log-in screen on my iMac...
And I log-in....

Now I got a Radeon Polaris 4096MB GPU recognized already...

With brightness control, yes.
Sleep mode: Yes.
Just have to kick-start it with Target Display Mode ....

If your HP WX4150 behaved the same, maybe you could try Target Display Mode as I did. (This is for your guys who already bought the HP cards, I do not encourage you to buy HP WX4150, it's risky.)

P/S 1: I edited my post adding (running High Sierra) in case I change my signature later. It may sound inconsistent with internetzel's post below, but he was giving me great advice on the OS version.

P/S2: When I connected my Dell 2407WFP to the miniDisplayport (miniDisplayPort to D-SU adapter), it just worked and displayed on both screens. No need to KickStart anymore. I now have a computer I can write home about.

Thank you all, I admire your works a lot. Greatly appreciate!

Update:
In the attempt not to re-install the old HD5670 to install Catalina from the USB installer, I
1. installed Catalina on my iMac 24" early 2009 with the USB installer created using Dosdude1 patcher.
2. Copied (CCC) the internal SSD to an external USB disk (M.2 Sata in an USB box)
3. Plugged that USB disk to iMac 2010 and rebooted from it.
=> Total black screen. OS seemed to run normally, just no video signal at all.
4. Reseted NVRAM and rebooted from High Sierra HDD, copied (CCC) the external USB disk to the internal SSD.
5. Reboot from the SSD (presumably Catalina)
=> Still black screen.

Now I got the fully worked High Sierra HDD (kickstarted by plugging in a second monitor), and one non-working Catalina disk.

Do you think swapping back the old HD5670 and install Catalina will get it worked with the WX4150?

I am just afraid that I would screwed up something when re-installing the GPUs 2 times in a row.

 

[Ausdauersportler]

Update:
In the attempt not to re-install the old HD5670 to install Catalina from the USB installer, I
1. installed Catalina on my iMac 24" early 2009 with the USB installer created using Dosdude1 patcher.
2. Copied (CCC) the internal SSD to an external USB disk (M.2 Sata in an USB box)
3. Plugged that USB disk to iMac 2010 and rebooted from it.
=> Total black screen. OS seemed to run normally, just no video signal at all.
4. Reseted NVRAM and rebooted from High Sierra HDD, copied (CCC) the external USB disk to the internal SSD.
5. Reboot from the SSD (presumably Catalina)
=> Still black screen.

Now I got the fully worked High Sierra HDD (kickstarted by plugging in a second monitor), and one non-working Catalina disk.

Do you think swapping back the old HD5670 and install Catalina will get it worked with the WX4150?

I am just afraid that I would screwed up something when re-installing the GPUs 2 times in a row.

Boot High Sierra and install the Catalina Loader (CL) on an SD card according to all the docs available. Activate and boot the Catalina Loader and be surprised.
How can you ignore this part? Using the CL you can start the USB installation. Please read the first post, and all the links and docs about the CL first.

 

[iPlasm]

still nothing for k3000m. SAD!

Dude, you're trying to make less hope if you continue like that.... your request has already been answered, and even you've made a history for yourself....
it's sad for Apple....

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

Boot High Sierra and install the Catalina Loader (CL) on an SD card according to all the docs available. Activate and boot the Catalina Loader and be surprised.
How can you ignore this part? Using the CL you can start the USB installation. Please read the first post, and all the links and docs about the CL first.

I plan to do the SD card last, after installing Catalina to the internal SSD first.
So this mean I screwed up with the process.
Thank you for reminding me, Ausdauersportler.

 

[StephN999]

Bonjour,

I came across this reference after ordering my new microprocessor: NVIDIA Quadro M1200 equivalent to a GTX 960M.

Interesting?

 

[elise_s1]

Bonjour,

I came across this reference after ordering my new microprocessor: NVIDIA Quadro M1200 equivalent to a GTX 960M.

Interesting?

that is a Maxwell based GPU.
as written on the first post, there is no positive experience about this Nvidia generation:

Q: Why aren’t you using Maxwell or Pascal cards in the iMac?
A: A lot of people here have tested Maxwell cards with their 2011 iMacs, and have had various issues from no internal display, no backlight on internal display and the card not hitting boost. Additionally, macOS Mojave (10.14) deprecated support for the NVIDIA Web Drivers which allowed the use of Maxwell and Pascal cards. For now, Kepler GPUs and the experimental Radeon cards seem to be our path forward.

 

[Ausdauersportler]

Bonjour,

I came across this reference after ordering my new microprocessor: NVIDIA Quadro M1200 equivalent to a GTX 960M.

Interesting?

Please read the first post Apple decided to have the Nvidia Kepler drivers included in the MacOS system. Later cards using different GPU families are not supported with any MacOS but may run (without boot screen etc) well within an iMac used as a windows only machine. But this is not really the topic of this thread. Search this thread for experiments using such cards made in the past!

 

[StephN999]

Re,

Oops, sorry, I knew I had forgotten some information and yet I am not the last to read this information... too bad anyway.

Sorry for the inconvenience.😉

 

[Ausdauersportler]

I plan to do the SD card last, after installing Catalina to the internal SSD first.
So this mean I screwed up with the process.
Thank you for reminding me, Ausdauersportler.

You get an emulated boot screen with OpenCore - which makes all the installation tasks easy. But you can shoot yourself into your both knees again and again ignoring this feature.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

You get an emulated boot screen with OpenCore - which makes all the installation tasks easy. But you can shoot yourself into your both knees again and again ignoring this feature.

I was over excited that my GOP ROM flashed WX4150 worked at all, considering how risky it was.
Then it was the kickstarting thing, and internetzel told me that Catalina will eliminate the kickstart issue.
Then I simply forgot all about the Opencore SD card...

My bad. Sorry to trouble you guys about that, and caused misleading to others.
Now, after feeling relief that the card is working, I will go back to the right track with the Opencore SD card, then Catalina installation.

Thanks alot, Ausdauersportler, Nick [D]vB, internetzel, and many many other experts who have been so patient with our ignorance and reckless of the rookies and questioners....

 

[Sonny_NS5]

Hello friends!
Some time ago I bought an Imac 27 2011 with a broken graphics card. Yesterday I installed the GTX 780M and it turned on successfully. Of course, no loading screen. But, the previous user did not log out of his account (because Imac was not turned on). When selecting a user, I need to enter a password which I do not know. I have no contacts of the seller. My thoughts on this:
1. Can any of you share a hard disk image from Imac 27 2011 with the OS installed and it will work. Are there kind people?
2. I have a MAC mini 2009. Perhaps if I install this hard drive in Imac it will work. What do you think?
3. I don’t want to disassemble Imac, but it looks like I’ll have to Tell me other solutions to my problem?

Sorry for my English. From Russia with love.

Perhaps the topic has already been raised, show where to look

 

[Ausdauersportler]

Hello friends!
Some time ago I bought an Imac 27 2011 with a broken graphics card. Yesterday I installed the GTX 780M and it turned on successfully. Of course, no loading screen. But, the previous user did not log out of his account (because Imac was not turned on). When selecting a user, I need to enter a password which I do not know. I have no contacts of the seller. My thoughts on this:
1. Can any of you share a hard disk image from Imac 27 2011 with the OS installed and it will work. Are there kind people?
2. I have a MAC mini 2009. Perhaps if I install this hard drive in Imac it will work. What do you think?
3. I don’t want to disassemble Imac, but it looks like I’ll have to Tell me other solutions to my problem?

Sorry for my English. From Russia with love.

Perhaps the topic has already been raised, show where to look

This is really off topic.

You can reinstall the MacOS using internet recovery with High Sierra (pressing CMD+ALR+R on boot). You can use @dosdude1 patchers to load the Apple installer images yourself. Nobody will be able to share an 11GB disk image using this site and it is a ridiculous idea having all the other methods to recover from the scratch.

Use your Mac mini 2009 to get the files and to create the UBS installers you need. You need to flash the BIOS on your 780M using the methods explained on the first post on the first page of this thread. Use the Linux USB method, but you will have to open the iMac to disconnect the internal hard drive, again. There is no way around this!

 

[elise_s1]

a small contribution to this thread: if a moderator finds the attached images clear enough, they could be moved on the first post:

Spoiler: K1100 image

a comparison between the Nvidia K1100 (blue) and the ATI HD 4670 (as found on 2009/2010 models)

the K1100 installed to the heatsink using the HD 4670 bracket that fits perfectly (unfortunately the memory chips at the back will not get a proper cooling)

 

[Schprecher]

Dude, you're trying to make less hope if you continue like that.... your request has already been answered, and even you've made a history for yourself....
it's sad for Apple....

that sounds democraty.


I didn't want to offend anyone. I understand amd bios structure well, but nvidia think something else. could very well solve the problem myself, but there is no nvidia bios structure information.

 

[Lady Titan]

GTX880M

found a new problem(( the gradient borders are distorted when I boot into Windows there are no problems)) periodically turns off the display, but today for some reason it works without problems)) there are problems disabling the display only when I'm in MacOS, on Windows these problems do not happen, I wonder what could be the matter?as well as the issue with the sound in Windows 10 iMac 27 2011 remains open)) if suddenly someone has a solution please help)

 

[Lady Titan]

iMac 2011 21,5'' and WX4150.
I tried to install a WX4150 in an iMac 2011 21,5'' and it works. It was an HP card coming from a ZBook.
No need to say i took extra care, assembling graphic card and heatsink, putting some tape where i thought it could be needed to protect from potential shorts.

Edit (for fools):
I am not saying all WX4150 cards will work in an iMac 2011, beware.
I didn't took photos, i thought it will not work. So please stay calm, stand still and wait for further informations. I will take photos of this card, but not before a week, i'am afraid.
Thanks.

Hi! excellent results! how did you solve the sound problem in Windows 10 ??? on iMac 27 2011 ???

 

[doscore]

I not so sure of this card any more since I have a huge number of similar (not same) issues. But your problem might be solved by the black screen issue patched AGC - search post #1 for it. Each OS version has it’s own...

well theres a few issues relly, i have about three of these cards and the one that actually has 103c.2256 (has bootscreens etc but wont work with win7 drivers or osx) the rom loads and the boot screens work fine but the 1028.15cd (dell) card which is a identical match for the K3100m rom from page one wont even let me backup the existing rom "nvflash64 -b example.rom"

gives me a "source block is out of range" error but works fine under windows 7 and drivers.. and no i cant force bios and yes i have write protection off in nvflash64

so its weird that it works but doesnt.. yes i have seen those applegraphics.kext files i will give them a go when i can get back into osx

 

[gigo920]

I installed a k4100m (it was a hp mxm board, new, flashed with bios from this forum). I have a curious problem. With no internal lcd connected , with a external monitor it is working 100%. With internal monitor, it turns on about 1 second and then stays off. With another mxm card (6970, for instance) it works normal. some of you knows or have the same problem?

Hi
I have a GTX880m from Ali Express with exactly the same problems!
First I think it was the LVDS Cable ( I have cracked the connector but this is since the first baking of the old Radeon und it had worked ). But with a new one the Problem also occurs.

With the baked Radeon the display works as aspected. And when i instert the new flashed GTX and dosn´t connect the display the mac powers on normal so i can work with external display. Led 1-3 are on.
Soon as i connect the display and connect the power plug LED 1 is on, when i press the power button the gpu fan spins about 1 secound. Led 1 is always on. No Chime or other sound.

So have anyone an idia how to solve this phenomen?
I think the card themselve is not the problem i think this is a power source related Problem. I know this is no place for Hardware related topics.
Or is it possible that this is a rom problem?
I have Flashed the card over usb Methode. Does it make sense to order a programmer and flash the card again?

 

[Lady Titan]

Thanx for your reply
In fact i have no picture and no white screen at all
Like thisView attachment 959887

point the flashlight at the matrix and check if there is an image on the matrix

 

[Ausdauersportler]

Hi
I have a GTX880m from Ali Express with exactly the same problems!
First I think it was the LVDS Cable ( I have cracked the connector but this is since the first baking of the old Radeon und it had worked ). But with a new one the Problem also occurs.

With the baked Radeon the display works as aspected. And when i instert the new flashed GTX and dosn´t connect the display the mac powers on normal so i can work with external display. Led 1-3 are on.
Soon as i connect the display and connect the power plug LED 1 is on, when i press the power button the gpu fan spins about 1 secound. Led 1 is always on. No Chime or other sound.

So have anyone an idia how to solve this phenomen?
I think the card themselve is not the problem i think this is a power source related Problem. I know this is no place for Hardware related topics.
Or is it possible that this is a rom problem?
I have Flashed the card over usb Methode. Does it make sense to order a programmer and flash the card again?

Yes, we should probably open another separate thread just covering the installation issues.

I currently have here two more Nvidia cards showing exactly this problem you and I described before. Both cards boot and run fine in my 2009 test system with internal display connected but refuse to boot in the 2011 showing there the "quarter spin ODD fan symptom". I got it running with the weird method to connect the internal display while the system has been booted. Then you can use the card and the internal LCD unless you switch the system off and do a cold restart. Warm reboots are fine.

There is currently no cure known, it may be a POST issue and it may be connected to the BIOS versions. The BIOS developers are aware of this rare issue, but to solve this they must see it on their own systems. We may share also a small broken resistor or different part on our system making it impossible to use the Nvidia cards. It could be a problem with the boot rom (firmware) of the iMac, too.

To make things worse or more confusing: My 2011 system is running perfectly fine with an AMD Polaris card.

Most time I need the patched AGC to get the LCD detected on first boot directly after the card changed and after a PRAM reset. I assume adding the "backlight-level" back to the NVRAM can have the same effect bringing the internal LCD back. One could try using OpenCore. This does not work!

 

[Schprecher]

GTX880M

found a new problem(( the gradient borders are distorted when I boot into Windows there are no problems)) periodically turns off the display, but today for some reason it works without problems)) there are problems disabling the display only when I'm in MacOS, on Windows these problems do not happen, I wonder what could be the matter?as well as the issue with the sound in Windows 10 iMac 27 2011 remains open)) if suddenly someone has a solution please help)

From K3000M to K5100M all GTX same gradient glitch.

when loading default in MACOS, result on login screen and launchpad
if turn off display and next turn on, gradient good!

 

[passatgt]

Slightly off-topic, sorry: i'm running catalina 10.15.7 with a wired ethernet connection. After sleep, theres no internet connection for 15-20 seconds, super annoying. Anyone else with this issue? Wifi is not turned on at all and it is always working after a 10-20 seconds.