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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.
Hi guys,

This may be a crazy question but how can i use a time machine image from a supported mac and migrate it to unsupported mac with the same os version.

I have failed thus far and it just occurred to me that maybe its not possible.

Thank you all.
 
Have a second 2011 21 inch iMac with a blank startup screen. I'm using a known working 2100M GPU and I get 4 green LEDs on the board. I know the LCD is working fine because I connected it to another iMac and it worked. The inverter is working fine for the same reason. The screen from the other (working) iMac is also blank on the defective unit.

Any hints? Can I do something else? I do not have a cable to connect to a external monitor but think I'll have to buy one right?
 
Ok, here's the idea i'm having, I'm thinking of something bizarre, crazy and most of all uknown, I've got a late 2006 MacBook Pro 17" (A1212) and I'm tired of using an e-GPU through the ExpressCard34 slot, since last week my Super Drive Failed and I've got that empty space inside the MacBook Pro, I thought that I could mod an MxM-A card there though the ExpressCard34 Slot, since it's running OS X Mavericks 10.9.5 trough ParrotGeek's installer and has some graphics glitches on hardware accelerated animations, maybe it could be possible to use an Original iMac GPU that has OS X Mavericks drivers and could potentially support hardware acceleration to fix those and in the process create the ultimate 2006 MacBook Pro, if the ExpressCard 34 method is not possible/likely I could go for a Wi/Fi card Method, has someone thought of this before? Could it be possible? just curious about it...

The ExpressCard 34 method I thought was, using an ExpressCard34 to mini PCIe Slot and then use a mini PCIe to MXM adapter with an original iMac GPU, as I'm aware it will be like an e-GPU and there will be a 20 to 25% performance penalty but, having them internally (for me at least) would be heaven on earth and could potentially enable the MacBook Pro to go as high as OS X El Capitan which I could use to write and experiment with custom Kexts to make the original GPU work as well.

As for the Wi/Fi card method, I have no idea... but I've seen people do it with other brands, if the Wi/Fi card method is the one to go, I will try it, it doesn't affect me since I've also got an ExpressCard 34 Wi/Fi card.

I don't know, what do y'all think?
 
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NarrowCobra2119 said:
Ok, here's the idea i'm having, I'm thinking of something bizarre, crazy and most of all uknown, I've got a late 2006 MacBook Pro 17" (A1212) and I'm tired of using an e-GPU through the ExpressCard34 slot, since last week my Super Drive Failed and I've got that empty space inside the MacBook Pro, I thought that I could mod an MxM-A card there though the ExpressCard34 Slot, since it's running OS X Mavericks 10.9.5 trough ParrotGeek's installer and has some graphics glitches on hardware accelerated animations, maybe it could be possible to use an Original iMac GPU that has OS X Mavericks drivers and could potentially support hardware acceleration to fix those and in the process create the ultimate 2006 MacBook Pro, if the ExpressCard 34 method is not possible/likely I could go for a Wi/Fi card Method, has someone thought of this before? Could it be possible? just curious about it...

The ExpressCard 34 method I thought was, using an ExpressCard34 to mini PCIe Slot and then use a mini PCIe to MXM adapter with an original iMac GPU, as I'm aware it will be like an e-GPU and there will be a 20 to 25% performance penalty but, having them internally (for me at least) would be heaven on earth and could potentially enable the MacBook Pro to go as high as OS X El Capitan which I could use to write and experiment with custom Kexts to make the original GPU work as well.

As for the Wi/Fi card method, I have no idea... but I've seen people do it with other brands, if the Wi/Fi card method is the one to go, I will try it, it doesn't affect me since I've also got an ExpressCard 34 Wi/Fi card.

I don't know, what do y'all think?
Click to expand...

Hi, I've made the open-source unibody wireless upgrade project earlier this year and have started another project that achieves the goal of fitting MXM-A GPUs in the DVD drive bay of the unibody MacBook Pro. As someone who has a MacBook Pro 2011 15 inch, I've been wanting both a working dGPU and Metal graphics support to improve the experience.

I'm also the creator of the MXM 3.0 to PCIe Riser project, available on GitHub, which has provided me the experience with MXM to be able to create a custom version of the adapter that can fit in the MacBook Pro. I have created a project for this slim-line MXM adapter for the unibody MacBooks on GitHub, with initial measurements made and accommodations for a new wireless card from the 2015 MacBook Pros.

Since I have upgraded to a 2015 MacBook Pro, I haven't had as much time to work on the project since I don't use my 2011 MacBook much anymore, but I am still interested in cramming a whole new GPU in there. I encourage anyone interested to download the files and contribute to the project!

Currently, there are two options. Option one is to use the one PCIe lane from the WiFi card and use a 3 lane PCIe switch IC to route the packets between both the GPU and WiFi card, making it a very easy install. This approach comes at the cost of performance, however. Option 2 uses a small PCB that uses friction-fitting to grasp the capacitors of the dead/disabled dGPU in the newer unibody MacBooks to re-route the high-speed PCIe lanes from the CPU to the new dGPU to bring even better performance and bandwidth. The best candidate for the cable between the two boards is a USB-C flat cable.

Performance won't be great, but it'll be better than no GPU and no metal support. Moreover, the time and money spent after this project will end up encouraging the purchase of a whole new MacBook! After all, that is why I ended up purchasing a MacBook Pro 2015 13-inch for $200 USD and leaving my MacBook Pro 2011 15-inch sitting behind.

Here is the link to the project and good luck with your modding plans!
github.com/KrutavShah/MBP-GPU-Upgrade
 
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Krutav said:
Hi, I've made the open-source unibody wireless upgrade project earlier this year and have started another project that achieves the goal of fitting MXM-A GPUs in the DVD drive bay of the unibody MacBook Pro. As someone who has a MacBook Pro 2011 15 inch, I've been wanting both a working dGPU and Metal graphics support to improve the experience.

I'm also the creator of the MXM 3.0 to PCIe Riser project, available on GitHub, which has provided me the experience with MXM to be able to create a custom version of the adapter that can fit in the MacBook Pro. I have created a project for this slim-line MXM adapter for the unibody MacBooks on GitHub, with initial measurements made and accommodations for a new wireless card from the 2015 MacBook Pros.

Since I have upgraded to a 2015 MacBook Pro, I haven't had as much time to work on the project since I don't use my 2011 MacBook much anymore, but I am still interested in cramming a whole new GPU in there. I encourage anyone interested to download the files and contribute to the project!

Currently, there are two options. Option one is to use the one PCIe lane from the WiFi card and use a 3 lane PCIe switch IC to route the packets between both the GPU and WiFi card, making it a very easy install. This approach comes at the cost of performance, however. Option 2 uses a small PCB that uses friction-fitting to grasp the capacitors of the dead/disabled dGPU in the newer unibody MacBooks to re-route the high-speed PCIe lanes from the CPU to the new dGPU to bring even better performance and bandwidth. The best candidate for the cable between the two boards is a USB-C flat cable.

Performance won't be great, but it'll be better than no GPU and no metal support. Moreover, the time and money spent after this project will end up encouraging the purchase of a whole new MacBook! After all, that is why I ended up purchasing a MacBook Pro 2015 13-inch for $200 USD and leaving my MacBook Pro 2011 15-inch sitting behind.

Here is the link to the project and good luck with your modding plans!
github.com/KrutavShah/MBP-GPU-Upgrade
Click to expand...
Thanks, it's very appreciated, I'll contact you if I hit a breakthrough, this could give old Macs a new life and better support for forcefully installed versions of OS X/macOS.
 
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Well, I finally placed an order for a K3100 card (VBIOS flashed as part of the purchase) for my iMac12,2. It costed me a bit over USD100 and after knowing the Sandy Bridge is not supported in the new Monterey beta 12.1😓
@Ausdauersportler Wish me luck 😅
The next step is to modify the heatsink😰
P.S. The iMac12,2 only costed me USD70, so this graphics card is very expensive in comparison.
 
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TigerA said:
Well, I finally placed an order for a K3100 card (VBIOS flashed as part of the purchase) for my iMac12,2. It costed me a bit over USD100 and after knowing the Sandy Bridge is not supported in the new Monterey beta 12.1😓
@Ausdauersportler Wish me luck 😅
The next step is to modify the heatsink😰
P.S. The iMac12,2 only costed me USD70, so this graphics card is very expensive in comparison.
Click to expand...
The OpenCore GUI patch will help enable the k3100M graphics card.
 
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nikey22 said:
** NVIDIA Quadro K3000M Mac Edition ROM **
Genuine Native Boot Screen & Brightness Control


View attachment 1666544
​

Preamble:
These cards are designed with a PCI legacy 2.3 architecture (2002). This is reflected in their roms which has led to some trouble developing a compatible rom for the iMac. My rom has a modest clock table boost as well. These workstation Quadro cards really boost well.

Pre-installation Requirements:
- iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011) , model: A1312 (EMC 2429) Mac-942B59F58194171B (Test machine)
- BootROM: 87.0.0.0.0. Please use High Sierra to update your BootROM to latest version.
- Nvidia Quadro K3000M, GPU Variant: N14E-Q1-A2 Dell or HP
- Heatsink 3-pipe with appropriate clearance mods for the inductors


Post-installation Requirements:
Brightness Control Stepping Mod:
-Turn computer on, hold down Command(⌘)-R
-Choose Utilities > Terminal
-Enter:csrutil disable
-Reboot
-Download and open 'Kext Utility v2.6.6'
-Navigate to S/L/E (System/Library/Extensions)
-Copy "AppleBacklight.kext" to Desktop
-Edit: AppleBacklight.kext/Contents/Info.plist
-Scroll down to: IOKitPersonalities > AppleIntelPanelA > ApplePanels
-There you find several Apple LCD profiles.
-For the iMac 2011 27" machine locate:
Code: 
<key>F10Ta007</key>
<data>
ABEABgALABQAHAAnADMAPwBOAFwAZwBzAIEAkQClAL8A2wD/
</data>
-Change the <data> section to:
ABEAAgA3AF8AigCzAOsBJAFnAakB1AIJAlQCogL4A00DlgRpBGk=
-Drag your modded kext into Kext Utility, allow it correct permissions
-Applebacklight.kext.bak folder will be created
-Reboot

The above data pattern will allow for a wider span of steppings for the brightness control and utilizes more of the capacity of the HD3000. If you have a different machine, your panel ID can be found by going to System Preferences > Displays > Color > Open Profile > mmod

Caveats post-install/Bugs:
-16bit resolution glitch of UGA_DRAW_PROTOCOL - temporary solution: activate a sleep cycle
- WSON based bios chip. Clip rescue is not possible

Updates:
12-8-2020: detuned card to more reasonable clock speeds for better stability


Insanely Great!
Click to expand...


Hi. Will this card work in Monterey with Metal support?
 
I'd like to know if I still need to follow #8,044 instruction for brightness control if I use the latest OCLP for Catalina / Big Sur / Monterey, provided the K3100M VBIOS has been flashed (on arrival, I hope)?
 
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TigerA said:
I'd like to know if I still need to follow #8,044 instruction for brightness control if I use the latest OCLP for Catalina / Big Sur / Monterey, provided the K3100M VBIOS has been flashed (on arrival, I hope)?
Click to expand...
OCLP will solve all these problems, now. Sure the first post and the macOS update section covers it completely.
 
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Ausdauersportler said:
OCLP will solve all these problems, now. Sure the first post and the macOS update section covers it completely.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for the help. Perhaps the wording for the "issue 6" can be updated to better reflect this new development?
Screen Shot 2021-10-30 at 8.46.08 am.png
 
TigerA said:
Thank you so much for the help. Perhaps the wording for the "issue 6" can be updated to better reflect this new development?
View attachment 1883669
Click to expand...
No, read the complete first post and consider all possible options: Staying on High Sierra and before needs different solutions than OCLP currently provides.
There is no way to create a simple plan which covers all options.
 
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Ausdauersportler said:
Staying on High Sierra and before needs different solutions than OCLP currently provides.
There is no way to create a simple plan which covers all options.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply. That's exactly from what I gathered as well. But it's always more assured to get these words directly from you :)😄
 
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Ausdauersportler said:
Q: Who can share AirPlay experiences with AMD cards and on Big Sur or Monterey?
Click to expand...

I am able to AirPlay music from the AirPlay popup in the Music app only.
I have Nvidia k2100m, Big Sur 11.6.1, and OCLP 0.2.4.

I'm able to see my Denon receiver and play music to it from the Music app.

Clearly AirPlay works on my system. It seems that AirPlay has just been stripped out of the UI. There's no AirPlay option in the volume menu bar, or in any other app that I can find.

I've been using the AirFoil app to replace this function. AirFoil is better anyways, it gives you better control over which app's audio gets routed to which airplay devices.
 
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TigerA said:
Well, I finally placed an order for a K3100 card (VBIOS flashed as part of the purchase) for my iMac12,2. It costed me a bit over USD100 and after knowing the Sandy Bridge is not supported in the new Monterey beta 12.1😓
@Ausdauersportler Wish me luck 😅
The next step is to modify the heatsink😰
P.S. The iMac12,2 only costed me USD70, so this graphics card is very expensive in comparison.
Click to expand...
Wait what? Wdym sandy bright isn't supported in 12.1?!? I haven't seen anything on that?
 
motorm3 said:
It's showing the disk in startup disk in mac os but it's not in boot picker. I would like to get it back because I don't want to reinstall again. If I reset the nvram.
Click to expand...
@motorm3 assuming, that your Windows efi files are still in the EFI partition, get the OpenCore Configurator suitable for your OC version (or edit the config.plist manually), then in the BLessOverride section make sure you have the entry for WIndows.

For more details see here: https://dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Multiboot/oc/win.html
 
Screen Shot 2564-10-31 at 10.26.45.png

I can't use PS and many other software. If I follow the 3.Post-Install Volumn Patch and Patch System Volume in the opencore patcher the boot time freezes. please help me
 
Decha Anun said:
View attachment 1884774
I can't use PS and many other software. If I follow the 3.Post-Install Volumn Patch and Patch System Volume in the opencore patcher the boot time freezes. please help me
Click to expand...
Which OS have you updated from? I'm using the same GPU in a 2011 27" but haven't gone from Big Sur to Monterey. PS (Creative Cloud version) works in Big Sur.
 
luchura said:
Okay, I admit, there was a mistake I made following the guide.
the Kext needs to be placed on System/Library/Extensions. The kext util by default gets you to a different /Extension folder. (for the target)
Once you copy kext, you are supposed to open a terminal window and type sudo reboot (for it to work).

Well, the next time I did a reboot, no need to press Alt, just wait a bit. Also the wifi card started to work.
I hope it help some newbie like me
Click to expand...
The helloworldcodes website does not exist anymore. Do you have it written somewhere? I need detailed step-by-step instructions so that my screen does not go black after booting. Currently, I also have to constantly press the alt key. Regards
 
Nick [D]vB said:
It seems St. Nick is running a few days late this year, 🎅
or maybe a few weeks early, depending on where you live…

Quadro roms attached, for the following cards:

K1000M, K1100M, K2000M, & K2100M

They all have CoreEG2 integrated so no boot-rom mod required.
The clocks should also be unlocked in windows (not P5 limited)
and they have a moderate over-clock which should be stable.

Thanks to @highvoltage12v for running the K2X stability tests,
so if your iMac crashes, for any reason, it’s totally his fault ! ;)

I have native brightness control & Target Display Mode working
so far only on the two newer cards (K1100M & K2100M)

At the moment this will require using the OpenCore boot-loader
to do some ACPI injection, and maybe load some additional Kexts.

I’m working on a plug-n-play version that runs from a USB stick,
but there are still some things to fix so that may be a few weeks out.


Not forgetting the red team…

I worked out what was limiting the boost clocks in MacOS,
these Beta3 roms should now be completely un-limited.

I’ve also included an over-clocked version - but be careful,
it will produce a lot more heat so make sure you crank the fans up!

I’m still working on a fix for that code 43 driver issue in Windows,
and hoping we can use OpenCore to work-around the problem,
as it can also be used to enable “iMacPro” HEVC encoding for FCPX etc.

The boot-rom mod is still required for AMD, probably always will be,
It’s included here but there are no changes so no need to re-apply it.



UPDATE for K1100M !

Well this is embarrassing... turns out I'm an idiot! :rolleyes:
I accidentally uploaded the wrong file for the K1100M
If you downloaded the previous version do not flash it.
No other cards effected, I have updated the download.


🎅
Click to expand...
Hi Nick!
The new graphics (Quadro K2100M) is a life-saver! Thanks! I downloaded the *.rom file, just not sure how to flash it. I only have this Mac to play with (no additional linux or raspberries around). Are there any instructions how to do it?
Any suggestions or links are much appreciated.
 
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