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

[Painkiller]

You can try to remove card, and with card removed do three PRAM resets in a row (keep cmd + alt + P + R pressed till you hear the chime 3 times).

Also, to discard any heatsink installation problem, you can try booting with the card installed without heatsink and see if you get second light and chime (after the 3 pram resets), but don't keep the iMac powered on more that 30 secs without gpu heatsink, this is just short test intended to discard heatsink problems.

I read this here in the forum without heat sink and had it in mind too. But thought it’s to risky , but no risk no fun. I’ll try the pram reset three times in a row without card tonight. When it chimes I plug the naked card in again.
Perhaps I turn the screws around so that I don’t have to pull the logic board again and again .

 

[Ausdauersportler]

I read this here in the forum without heat sink and had it in mind too. But thought it’s to risky , but no risk no fun. I’ll try the pram reset three times in a row without card tonight. When it chimes I plug the naked card in again.
Perhaps I turn the screws around so that I don’t have to pull the logic board again and again .

You can dismount the metal card holder in front - this way you can change cards in the 2011 in the same way like in former models.

 

[Painkiller]

So, I did the PRAM reset three times and did boot with sinkless card and it chimes. The second led is on. Now I need to look at the heatsink to find the spots.

 

[m0bil]

So, I did the PRAM reset three times and did boot with sinkless card and it chimes. The second led is on. Now I need to look at the heatsink to find the spots.

Great. Also check x-bracket isolation from card and don't over tighten the x-bracket screws, just a bit of tension if more than enough and I've seen cards fail when screws are too tight.

 

[Pacific1972]

Great. Also check x-bracket isolation from card and don't over tighten the x-bracket screws, just a bit of tension if more than enough and I've seen cards fail when screws are too tight.

👍 Essential 👍 ...X-Bracket ? What's this ? 😉

 

[Pacific1972]

I read this here in the forum without heat sink and had it in mind too. But thought it’s to risky , but no risk no fun. I’ll try the pram reset three times in a row without card tonight. When it chimes I plug the naked card in again.
Perhaps I turn the screws around so that I don’t have to pull the logic board again and again .

Hi, you can do it with small cable ties also to connect Logicboard with video card...

 

[roscho]

Power Supply sensors

Apple Technician Guide iMac12,2 P26

View attachment 1927967

Check (and replace) the fat connector cable to the logic board and to the power supply.
May be I have a spare part...

Have a good night!

Thanks again for the hints,

Swapping the power cable might be the first option to rule out its the cable (unlikely, but anyway).

I studied the technician guide, and the schematics which were also helpful.

As far as I understand, SMC reads those values via the fat connector cable and a chip called EMC 1403 on the PSU. Luckily I didn't need my microscope, as USB3foriMac was so kind to share photo with the chips labelled in another thread of this invaluable forum. The chip costs approx. 2€, according to the docs it should be SOIC-14 variant

EDIT: as all 3 PSU Temp readings are high in my case it can't be just the 2 external diodes connected to EMC1403 but ieither EMC1403 is affected or the defect is proximal (power cable)


Cheers,

r.

 

[MrZupp]

Hi guys, any idea what could cause this on a 21,5 2011 imac?

 

[edwardgeo]

Hi guys, any idea what could cause this on a 21,5 2011 imac?

Wrong signaling, wrong edid injected, gpu is dead

 

[MrZupp]

Wrong signaling, wrong edid injected, gpu is dead

So only a new gpu is needed, thanks!

 

[temaathletic]

Hey guys, i from Russia, and i need all ur help, i already die tired reinstall macOS Big Sur om my iMac 27 Mid 2011, i5-2500s, 16 Gb Ram, and Video: Nvidia Quadro K2100m, SSD: Kingston 240 gb, Big Sur working very smooth, not lagging absolutly, all app working how should, but i can't did only one, Brightness Fix - of that i already theerd times reinstall macOS, im try, oc, oclp, nothing work, idk what need do(( and one more on previous OS High Sierra and old HD 6770m i connect to mini DP to DP, seconde display and him working perfect, now after 1-3 min connect, start show artefact and recconect


Thank ur of all, i will wait help, With love from russia

 

[edwardgeo]

So only a new gpu is needed, thanks!

It could be also a dead lcd controller or cable damage.

Test with different gpu. Or test eDP wire to conclude that there is no short

 

[edwardgeo]

Hey guys, i from Russia, and i need all ur help, i already die tired reinstall macOS Big Sur om my iMac 27 Mid 2011, i5-2500s, 16 Gb Ram, and Video: Nvidia Quadro K2100m, SSD: Kingston 240 gb, Big Sur working very smooth, not lagging absolutly, all app working how should, but i can't did only one, Brightness Fix - of that i already theerd times reinstall macOS, im try, oc, oclp, nothing work, idk what need do(( and one more on previous OS High Sierra and old HD 6770m i connect to mini DP to DP, seconde display and him working perfect, now after 1-3 min connect, start show artefact and recconect


Thank ur of all, i will wait help, With love from russia

Did you tried different mini dp cable?

 

[temaathletic]

Did you tried different mini dp cable?

No, i have MP13 Late 2013, i connect him to seconde display flight normal) He can show 165 HZ

 

[temaathletic]

I already download new macOS Big Sur, yeah i think about Mojave and Catalina, but i so love new icon and smooth animation Big Sur, and yeah i think about Monterey(but i already find answer on my ask, what GPU working incorrect)

I start think, what problem with seconde display and of so, my decided sound like, it's all of that MacOS see gemeral display like Usually Cinmea Display(short, need fix brightness control, so macos will see normal gen display and will normal send image on seconde disp)

 

[Painkiller]

Ok, I guess I got it working now. Just had a quick test in high Sierra natively. Sleep and even the Unigine Vally benchmark are working without issues. Looks like the gpu is ok (hopefully for a long time) . I will go through it point by point soon and write it down here. For now I am glad that the card is working and not dead. Need to plug in the internal screen again. Just used a 24 inch external screen. Thank you all for the help so far. Its fun and important to keep older hardware alive!

 

[BadBiscuit]

I already download new macOS Big Sur, yeah i think about Mojave and Catalina, but i so love new icon and smooth animation Big Sur, and yeah i think about Monterey(but i already find answer on my ask, what GPU working incorrect)

I start think, what problem with seconde display and of so, my decided sound like, it's all of that MacOS see gemeral display like Usually Cinmea Display(short, need fix brightness control, so macos will see normal gen display and will normal send image on seconde disp)

Can you create a signature that describes your system? I think we are discussing a Mid 2011, with a K2100M and Big Sur. If you follow post #1 and flash the vBIOS and use OCLP it should run Big Sur with brightness control, without lag, nor any artifacting. Either you have not done one of those, or your card or install is defective. Other possibility is your existing Big Sur was previously patched; perform a clean install of Big Sur to a new partition if you are sure vBIOS is flashed and OCLP is installed on the internal drive.

 

[temaathletic]

Можете ли вы создать подпись, описывающую вашу систему? Думаю, мы обсуждаем середину 2011 года с K2100M и Big Sur. Если вы следуете посту №1, прошиваете vBIOS и используете OCLP, он должен запускать Big Sur с регулировкой яркости, без задержек и каких-либо артефактов. Либо вы не выполняли одно из этих действий, либо ваша карта или установка неисправны. Другая возможность заключается в том, что ваш существующий Биг-Сур был ранее исправлен; выполните чистую установку Big Sur в новый раздел, если вы уверены, что vBIOS прошит и OCLP установлен на внутреннем диске.

I can't normal install OCLP because every time how i try this, next step sound like, reload ur system and start with OCLP, but when i reload system and try start with OCLP i get black screen load and broken system after this i always need reinstall MacOS

 

[temaathletic]

Can you create a signature that describes your system? I think we are discussing a Mid 2011, with a K2100M and Big Sur. If you follow post #1 and flash the vBIOS and use OCLP it should run Big Sur with brightness control, without lag, nor any artifacting. Either you have not done one of those, or your card or install is defective. Other possibility is your existing Big Sur was previously patched; perform a clean install of Big Sur to a new partition if you are sure vBIOS is flashed and OCLP is installed on the internal drive.

And yeah, i do clean install macOS

 

[doscore]

just a big thanks to the community for all this work I have saved quite a few iMacs and all running Big Sur the last few months. these machines are getting old and compared to my m1 they're starting to get pretty sluggish in performance but still really well worth the mod!

 

[Adonnan]

Well, my Mid 2011 iMac is still humming along, but I'd like to get it past High Sierra so I can use the 27" display as a second monitor for my M1 Macbook pro. Is there any hope in restoring that functionality either wired or wireless? It looks like my graphics card has the copper pipe mentioned in the first post, along with an SSD and HDD internally.

• iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011)
• 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7
• 20 GB 1333 MHz DDR3
• AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2048 MB
• 256 GB SSD
• 1TB GB HDD

What else is worth updating internally if I go down this road? If it had the ability to run Windows 10 either via Parallels or Bootcamp that would be cool too, but not a must-have.

 

[Ausdauersportler]

Well, my Mid 2011 iMac is still humming along, but I'd like to get it past High Sierra so I can use the 27" display as a second monitor for my M1 Macbook pro. Is there any hope in restoring that functionality either wired or wireless? It looks like my graphics card has the copper pipe mentioned in the first post, along with an SSD and HDD internally.

• iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011)
• 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7
• 20 GB 1333 MHz DDR3
• AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2048 MB
• 256 GB SSD
• 1TB GB HDD

What else is worth updating internally if I go down this road? If it had the ability to run Windows 10 either via Parallels or Bootcamp that would be cool too, but not a must-have.

There are two (known to me) options:

1. gut your iMac and get a display converter board and mod the iMac into an external display (off topic here, but the net will reveal those guides with some searching)

2. try to get a WX4130/W4150/WX4170/WX7100) AMD GPU, install Monterey and use AirPlay to Mac - works at least for me.

The normal Target Display Mode did not work with the M1 MacBook Air last year, but search the net, possibly there is an unknown new solution (off topic here, too).

 

[rcmn]

Hello again.

The seller accepted my return of the previous gpu, and now I really need your help

I have attached pictures of my system info.

I need to upgrade my 2010 iMac 27" to run at least Catalina, because I need to run Fusion360 again.
primary use is Adobe fusion 360.
wich gpu would be the "Best Buy" for this ?
it need to be as simply and most plug n play as possibly. I both have the 2 and 3 pibe radiator.

Thanks.

 

[kitroughtrash]

I have an iMac mid 2011 21.5” with an Nvidia K1100m running Big Sur.

Lately I installed the graphics intensive Radiohead Kid A Mnesia virtual exhibition which runs through the Epic games app. In a very specific point of the exhibition there is a momenatary graphics flicker/glitch and then the app crashes. It seems that it is somehow GPU related to me, is there any way to check what is causing the crash and possibly find a fix?

 

[KennyW]

Hello again.

The seller accepted my return of the previous gpu, and now I really need your help

I have attached pictures of my system info.

I need to upgrade my 2010 iMac 27" to run at least Catalina, because I need to run Fusion360 again.
primary use is Adobe fusion 360.
wich gpu would be the "Best Buy" for this ?
it need to be as simply and most plug n play as possibly. I both have the 2 and 3 pibe radiator.

Thanks.

From your attached images, your stock 27" iMac 2010 can fully run Catalina with DOSDude1's Catalina Patcher without additional hardware changes.

The 1st post has already stated clearly that there is no plug-&-play solution.
For recent macOS, just get one of the listed GPUs in the 1st post with supported vBIOS. The best buy is the one available in your local market and affordable to you for your application usage (see their metal score, not OpenGL).
Of course as stated in 1st post again, those newer AMD GPUs are more metal compatible and future proof, but some may not work in particular iMacs. But overall, the iMac 2010 seems to be most tolerant to AMD GPUs.