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

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The first post of this thread is a WikiPost and can be edited by anyone with the appropiate permissions. Your edits will be public.
herrdude said:
@Ausdauersportler has made an excellent suggestion considering your current needs (2 screens and keeping High Sierra). There is a ton of HD6970M available on Ebay. You can buy one and install it. Then when it dies, you can buy another one and install it, and so on.
Click to expand...
yea, but the 6970's on ebay also (1) suffer the same problems as the one in his original machine so they likely will fail, (2) often aren't out of iMacs so need to be flashed and you need to read the VBIOS from the original non-working card and (3) are just as expensive (or in the case of the 2GB version more expensive) as a GPU that might be more work to install but will certainly not be as much work to do a second or third time.
 
Hi, I'm try to update my iMac with NVIDIA GTX780M 4Gb. I use USB Linux instruction method on https://forums.macrumors.com/thread....1596614/page-175?post=28184981#post-28184981

@The_Croupier @dosdude1 @Nick [D]vB @nikey22 @internetzel can help me please.

I try:
---------------------------

Command: ./nvflash_linux --protectoff

NVIDIA Firmware Update Utility (Version 5.414.0)
Simplified Version For OEM Only
Adapter: GRID K2 (10DE,11BF,1028,05AA) H:--:NRM S:00,B:01,D:00,F:00

Identifying EEPROM...
EEPROM ID (C2,2012) : MX MX25L2005 2.7-3.6V 2048Kx1S, page
Setting EEPROM software protect setting...
Remove EEPROM write protect complete.

The next step:
---------------------------

Command: ./nvflash_linux -6 780M_EG2.ROM

NVIDIA Firmware Update Utility (Version 5.414.0)
Simplified Version For OEM Only
Checking for matches between display adapter(s) and image(s)...

Adapter: GRID K2 (10DE,11BF,1028,05AA) H:--:NRM S:00,B:01,D:00,F:00

WARNING: None of the firmware image compatible PCI Device ID's match the PCI Device ID of the adapter.
Adapter PCI Device ID: 11BF
Firmware image PCI Device ID: 119F

NOTE: Exception caught.
Nothing changed!


I think:
---------------------------

How to change Firmware image PCI Device ID (119F) by my Adapter PCI Device ID (11BF) on 780M_EG2.ROM?

Adicional Info:
---------------------------

Command: ./nvflash_linux --setpci -v

NVIDIA Firmware Update Utility (Version 5.414.0)
Simplified Version For OEM Only
Adapter: GRID K2 (10DE,11BF,1028,05AA) H:--:NRM S:00,B:01,D:00,F:00
Identifying EEPROM...

EEPROM ID (C2,2012) : MX MX25L2005 2.7-3.6V 2048Kx1S, page
Reading adapter firmware image...
IFR Data Size : 1004 bytes
IFR CRC32 : 44BFB4F2
IFR Image Size : 1024 bytes
IFR Image CRC32 : 22288A43
IFR Subsystem ID : 1028-05AA
Image Size : 165376 bytes
Version : 80.04.AF.00.03
~CRC32 : 8DEF8834
Image Hash : 96E5E7B8C025E0BC361DE0CCAB1162C5
OEM String : NVIDIA
Vendor Name : NVIDIA Corporation
Product Name : GK104 Board - 20530001
Product Revision : Chip Rev
Device Name(s) : GeForce GTX 780M
Board ID : E128
PCI ID : 10DE-119F
Subsystem ID : 1028-05AA
Hierarchy ID : Normal Board
Chip SKU : 750
Project : 2053-0001
CDP : N/A
Build Date : 04/16/13
Modification Date : 04/18/13
UEFI Support : Yes
UEFI Version : 0x1001C (Apr 10 2013 @ 15488244 )
UEFI Variant Id : 0x0000000000000104 ( GK1xx MXM )
UEFI Signer(s) : Microsoft Corporation UEFI CA 2011
InfoROM Version : N/A
InfoROM Backup Exist : NO
License Placeholder : Absent
GPU Mode : N/A
Sign-On Message : GK104 P2053 SKU 001 VGA BIOS (HWDIAG).
 
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Mainly give them to friends and family at cost if they want, I'm keeping 2 27's and 1 21.5 all i7's, want to take 2 to my family in Ukraine when the borders reopen. Any that don't go to friends will be sold locally and the ones that are not complete or dysfunction beyond my repair capabilities will get parted out on eBay.

I actually enjoyed tinkering around and fixing them up but I sometimes do damage in the process but have had success in fixing my stuff up's. I have a thread here where I've documented some of my fixes.
 
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LatinGroup said:
Sorry, can you help me with the link to download, I not try BR3 😃
Click to expand...
Your card seems to be an MXM 780M, the output of nvflash suggests is has a BIOS loaded made for the (Kepler) GRID K2 card. This is a different one I doubt you will succeed trying other versions. The flash software will always complain about the different device ID (11BF vs 119F). 119F is the one of all 780M ROMs found here.

Code: 
WARNING: None of the firmware image compatible PCI Device ID's match the PCI Device ID of the adapter.
Adapter PCI Device ID: 11BF
Firmware image PCI Device ID: 119F

You may have success using a clip programmer in the rare case your card has a SOIP BIOS chip compatible with the clip.
 
The_Croupier said:
Post 1 / table of working NVIDIA cards / GTX 780M ++
Click to expand...
I test BR3 Rom and nothing :( the console tell:

Command:
./nvflash_linux -6 780M_BR3.rom

NVIDIA Firmware Update Utility (Version 5.414.0)
Simplified Version For OEM Only
Checking for matches between display adapter(s) and image(s)...

Adapter: GRID K2 (10DE,11BF,1028,05AA) H:--:NRM S:00,B:01,D:00,F:00

WARNING: None of the firmware image compatible PCI Device ID's match the PCI Device ID of the adapter.
Adapter PCI Device ID: 11BF
Firmware image PCI Device ID: 119F

NOTE: Exception caught.
Nothing changed!

ERROR: GPU mismatch
 
Ausdauersportler said:
Your card seems to be an MXM 780M, the output of nvflash suggests is has a BIOS loaded made for the (Kepler) GRID K2 card. This is a different one I doubt you will succeed trying other versions. The flash software will always complain about the different device ID (11BF vs 119F). 119F is the one of all 780M ROMs found here.

Code: 
WARNING: None of the firmware image compatible PCI Device ID's match the PCI Device ID of the adapter.
Adapter PCI Device ID: 11BF
Firmware image PCI Device ID: 119F

You may have success using a clip programmer in the rare case your card has a SOIP BIOS chip compatible with the clip.
Click to expand...
I try 780M_BR3 firmware but not success
 
LatinGroup said:
I test BR3 Rom and nothing :( the console tell:

Command:
./nvflash_linux -6 780M_BR3.rom

NVIDIA Firmware Update Utility (Version 5.414.0)
Simplified Version For OEM Only
Checking for matches between display adapter(s) and image(s)...

Adapter: GRID K2 (10DE,11BF,1028,05AA) H:--:NRM S:00,B:01,D:00,F:00

WARNING: None of the firmware image compatible PCI Device ID's match the PCI Device ID of the adapter.
Adapter PCI Device ID: 11BF
Firmware image PCI Device ID: 119F

NOTE: Exception caught.
Nothing changed!

ERROR: GPU mismatch
Click to expand...
How to force nvflash (if even possible) to flash an BIOS regardless which card it discovers is beyond the scope of this thread. You may search the net for a possible software solution. The root cause is your card and the existing BIOS on the chip, not the tools, nor the BIOS versions, nor software you found here.

The only possible solution is using a CLIP programmer in case you have a SOIC ship or desoldering and changing the BIOS chip to make if usable with a clip.
 
Ausdauersportler said:
How to force nvflash (if even possible) to flash an BIOS regardless which card it discovers is beyond the scope of this thread. You may search the net for a possible software solution. The root cause is your card and the existing BIOS on the chip, not the tools, nor the BIOS versions, nor software you found here.

The only possible solution is using a CLIP programmer in case you have a SOIC ship or desoldering and changing the BIOS chip to make if usable with a clip.
Click to expand...
This is my graphics card
 

Attachments

  • NVIDIA 780M.jpg
    NVIDIA 780M.jpg
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vinnizann said:
Hi guys

Does anybody have bios file or can edit an original bios to work natively in an iMac (27 inch - mid 2011) to the following Graphic card?

I have tried this BIOS file by @nikey22 but didn't work.
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread....1596614/page-436?post=29239859#post-29239859

BIOS Ver: 70.04.42.00.05
BIOS Original

Manufacturer:Nvidia
Model:Quadro 3000M
Device Id:10DE 0E3A
Subsystem Id:1028 04A4
Memory:2048 MB
View attachment 1785240View attachment 1785239
Click to expand...

Check the very first post of this thread about the support of NVIDIA cards within macOS. There is no support for this type of card at all (unless you want to used NVIDIA webdrivers and stick with High Sierra). There is absolutely no gain in developing an Apple compatible EFI BIOS for a card not having driver support with macOS natively.

techpowerup.com provides a limited database of BIOS versions, possibly even for this card. You can run this card with Windows on you iMac.
 
Nick [D]vB said:
... I did find a way to patch & write the bootrom through EFI shell using a tool called Chipsec, but it was complicated and ridiculously slow (about 3 hours to write the full bootrom!) so the much faster / safer option is just to use a hardware programmer instead. ...
Click to expand...
Any of my attempts using chipsec to write to the mmio where failure, machine got freeze with 3 beeps scenario, like there is a memory problem. Mind to elaborate a bit how you did it? Maybe we can do something combined using chipsec to unlock/get pass the error 28 that we get with fpt? Or somebody figured out how we can unlock the rom the hard way then flash it back with programmer and after that point just use fpt for future hacks?
It is very hard to test various hacks on graphics/video when you have take out the display and flash the bootrom, it is very slow and sooner or later the display cable and/or board connector will crack...
 
THeKiNGs said:
Any of my attempts using chipsec to write to the mmio where failure, machine got freeze with 3 beeps scenario, like there is a memory problem. Mind to elaborate a bit how you did it? Maybe we can do something combined using chipsec to unlock/get pass the error 28 that we get with fpt? Or somebody figured out how we can unlock the rom the hard way then flash it back with programmer and after that point just use fpt for future hacks?
It is very hard to test various hacks on graphics/video when you have take out the display and flash the bootrom, it is very slow and sooner or later the display cable and/or board connector will crack...
Click to expand...
Nick left the thread more than a year ago, you will not get an answer. May be some other tried this. Just a heads up...
 
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FlorisVN said:
I was not aware that Nick is gone..
What happend here I am wondering.. ?

I did notice he did not post anything for a long while..
Click to expand...
No more contact and he has not been online here since May 23rd of 2020. And this happens to all other participants of PMs with him in the same way. We have to assume the worst. Although his eBay business is still running and I am still no sure who @Santa's Little Helper really is we got no answers trying on various channels since then.
 
THeKiNGs said:
Any of my attempts using chipsec to write to the mmio where failure, machine got freeze with 3 beeps scenario, like there is a memory problem. Mind to elaborate a bit how you did it? Maybe we can do something combined using chipsec to unlock/get pass the error 28 that we get with fpt? Or somebody figured out how we can unlock the rom the hard way then flash it back with programmer and after that point just use fpt for future hacks?
It is very hard to test various hacks on graphics/video when you have take out the display and flash the bootrom, it is very slow and sooner or later the display cable and/or board connector will crack...
Click to expand...
I have had that problem before (3 beeps). I just pulled the memory and put two bars at a time, boot and then put the last two bars. That seemed to make it happy again.
 
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herrdude said:
I have had that problem before (3 beeps). I just pulled the memory and put two bars at a time, boot and then put the last two bars. That seemed to make it happy again.
Click to expand...
Looks like you did not read carefully my message, there is no problem with the RAM, they works just fine, I got 3 beeps when I try to write to mmio=Memory Mapped IO from shell using chipsec python tool in my attempts to unlock the firmware for flashing, probably best would be to just write a efi driver that would(try to) do the MMIO writes, load it from shell and then flash the firmware.
 
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THeKiNGs said:
Looks like you did not read carefully my message, there is no problem with the RAM, they works just fine, I got 3 beeps when I try to write to mmio=Memory Mapped IO from shell using chipsec python tool in my attempts to unlock the firmware for flashing, probably best would be to just write a efi driver that would(try to) do the MMIO writes, load it from shell and then flash the firmware.
Click to expand...

You are trying to flash the vBIOS from within Mac OS, correct?

What is the purpose?

If you are trying to edit the vBIOS ROM of unlisted card on Post #1, my kudos.

But if you just go all the whole 9 yards just to flash the vBIOS from within Mac OS, then I should not encourage you.
 
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