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

[decat]

Hi all,

After a successful upgrade with a K4100M some time agoI'm looking out for another card.
Someone showed interest in the iMac with K4100m and I sold it.

At the moment I'm running a 27 mid 2011 with GTX765m which runs fine.
Some weeks ago I was able to buy another 27 mid 2011 with failed GPU, only 60 EUR.

So for this machine the search started began, also reading and searching this thread to know the pro's and cons for the more 'high end' cards.

The first card that came to mind was again the K4100M, would like to have at least 4GB. Or a 780mAlso took a peak at the AMD section, where the WX7100 looks interesting. Overkill, I know, but overkill is my middle name.

As most of you already know, scoring them is not as easy as a Quadro of GTX.
There's a seller on Ebay, China of course, selling preflashed GTX cards.

He also has a couple of WX7100's available, unflashed.
The soldering of the BIOS (?) chip and the one beneath seem like they're not done in factory. Could be wrong in this though. See attached picture. Link to card also added below.

Sent the seller a some question:

(shortened)
Was the card repaired? Soldering looks odd.
Since you're selling flashed GTX's, why not a flashed WX7100? Not that I can't do it myself.
Or did you try to flash them and these cards weren't successful in the iMac? If so, just tell me and we're saving us some time with shipping to EU and back to China. In this case, I'll take a GTX.

The answer I got was :

HI, its version is 1.1, this product is disassembled, no maintenance, there are many Internet saying that WX7100 can be upgraded to IMAC, I have other customers who have successfully upgraded, because we do not have IMAC BIOS, so it cannot flash.​

I don't know what to think about the honesty in his answer. In other ebay ads where he sells preflashed GTX'es they mention this topic, so they know where to get the BIOS'es.

Other users here probably bumped on the seller too, anyone here already got experiences with buying from him ? I do understand buying preowned cards is a hit or miss, and that while other users had positive experiences, mine can be negative.

Dell Precision 7720 AMD Radeon Wx7100 8gb Video Graphics Card GPU 308VY for sale online | eBay

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Thanks for your return.

 

[dfranetic]

Was the card repaired? Soldering looks odd.

We do not comment on offers, but there's nothing odd about that soldering.

 

[decat]

While searching the thread, it's noticeable these questions come back once in a while.
A comment on offers wasn't asked, just if someone already had experience with them.

As for the soldering, none of the mxm GPU here have that kind of soldering.
I'm not saying it's bad, but it didn't leave the production line in its actual state.

 

[Surf2bikes]

OCLP 0.4.5 is latest…and no, my similar equipped iMac11,3 does not have this problem.

Unfortunately I am observing crashes with OCLP 0.4.3, 0.4.4 and 0.4.5. So it looks to me that it is related to MACOS 12.4...... my system was super stable up to release MACOS 12.3.

 

[Ausdauersportler]

Unfortunately I am observing crashes with OCLP 0.4.3, 0.4.4 and 0.4.5. So it looks to me that it is related to MACOS 12.4...... my system was super stable up to release MACOS 12.3.

You should keep and read the panic reports. And post your observation (reports attached) on the Monterey thread. The MacPro5,1 users report there problems in numbers with 12.4 (it is like Big Sur 11.3 last year). Possibly there is a new (CPU instruction) general problem coming up.

 

[Pablito1]

Hi,
can somebody help me with flashing Nvidia GTX 770 card. I was replaced faulty original GPU and new card work great. I have working internal screen and one external with mdp cable. I was made linux bootable USB stick, disconnect SSD but iMac won't boot into linux and I can't find iMac on network. I was use LAN cable.When I tested same USB linux on another iMac booting was fine. Does anyone have any suggestion? Thank you.

 

[Marche90]

1. change the OpenCore and add the CAIL lines or just add the boot-args as described in the very same M5100 post
2. enable the OpenCore boot picker (if disabled)
3. revert root patches for you old GPU!!!
4. power down the system
5. replace the GPU, leave SSD/HDD disconnected
6. power up and flash the AMD card using the GRML Linux utility, you can use ssh from a iPad/iPhone/PC whatever to access the iMac (the card will not enable an internal or external display before you flashed it). So you need this remote access solution!
7. reconnect the SSD and install the LCD panel, fix it with one screw
8. cross all fingers, do not press alt/option, it will not work with AMD cards. Just wait until system starts
9. download OCLP latest and run to generate a new OpenCore config and write it to disk
10. reboot and test
11. power down (and pull the wall plug!!) and fix all screws and the glas

Pull the wall plug before opening and simply to not touch the power supply! And pull the wall plug, and pull it again! Put the cable into another room so you cannot connect it accidentally.

Do not make us the service organization of your seller, if the GPU is dead or malfunctioning discuss it please with the guy who got your money.

P.S. You could have got the same plan just by reading the docs in the first post. I cannot understand why this is so difficult?

P.P.S: The M5100 will likely break sleep/wake but will not cause NVRAM corruption. The M4000 has no such limitations and may be the cheapest option as long as you get a card with a BIOS chip.

Thanks for the detailed write-up. I understand 100% the part about the GPU, and in that sense I understand that I'm on my own regarding if it arrives in working order or not.

As for the first PS, I prefer to make sure everything's working before jumping in. Better to ask before breaking something on my own, even if it's a bit tiring for the ones answering (I totally missed the part about uninstalling the root patches, for example). Again, sorry and thanks.

I'll update my findings later, when the card arrives sometime in the next month. Dang with those Aliexpress shipping times...

 

[Lady Titan]

For Nvidia Users booting with OpenCore(k1100M/k2100M/ETC)/ native booting K3100M/K4100M & 780M

I have Updated the ApplebacklightFixup.kext to include the proper Backlight stepping-levels for the 2009-2011 27" iMac. You can replace the one in your OpenCore loader with this or install it Natively to System/Library/Extensions. This actually makes my Previous guide irrelevant unless you really like the Native Kext feeling.

Lilu.kext will be needed for the kext to be listed as 'loaded' but it's still working for me without it.
Usual Verbiage below....
If installing to System/Library/Extensions. Catalina users need to Unlock their System Partition using Hackintool first. Then install with Kext Utility. Finally Open Terminal and enter "sudo reboot" as sometimes Catalina will hang on the Desktop.

help solve the problem, the screen brightness is half... big sur system, gtx 880m, opencor... there used to be a Catalina system, everything worked the old way! now it is not working updated hackintool access denied.. is there a step-by-step instruction on how to make the whole process simple for dummies)))???

 

[Ausdauersportler]

help solve the problem, the screen brightness is half... big sur system, gtx 880m, opencor... there used to be a Catalina system, everything worked the old way! now it is not working updated hackintool access denied.. is there a step-by-step instruction on how to make the whole process simple for dummies)))???

If you want to run and use Big Sur (or Monterey) you have to use the OCLP tool. There is a really good and complete documentation available and one only needs to read it.

There is absolutely no need to install any packages or extensions manually using Big Sur or Monterey. This would only break the installation.

Catalina will loose support in a few days and I will not waste any time into supporting it.

Edit:
If you have an unknown display type please figure it out using the method described on the 880m post by @nikey22 and post results.

 

[The_Croupier]

Hi,
can somebody help me with flashing Nvidia GTX 770 card. I was replaced faulty original GPU and new card work great. I have working internal screen and one external with mdp cable. I was made linux bootable USB stick, disconnect SSD but iMac won't boot into linux and I can't find iMac on network. I was use LAN cable.When I tested same USB linux on another iMac booting was fine. Does anyone have any suggestion? Thank you.

Put the ssd back in and boot up then test your ethernet port on the Mac to make sure its working also test the linux usb stick in all you USB ports, I have had Macs with faulty ethernet port (use and adapter to get around this) I also have Macs with dead USB ports or ports that have power but not data. Once you verify that the Ethernet port and USB port is working you should be good to go.

 

[duselette]

Hello, i just recently got an 2009 iMac 11,1 27'' i5 for a very low price, former owner stated that the graphics card was got defective in the process of replacing the harddrive. it came with a working magic keyboard and mice and was in overall good condition - all for 20€... to my surprise, the mac worked at boot, and the replacement drive was a 1 TB Crucial SSD in new condition. Except for the graphics card, which had the known defects like kernel panic, crashes on boot etc.

Yesterday i decided to "bake" the card, and to my surprise, it worked. I could install Big Sur withe Open Core Legacy Patcher. Aside from th non working 3D / Metal Acceleration and some graphical glitches the iMac rns very good.

(the SSD is not the SSD the iMac came with, i use them in another PC... this is a spare one from me)

Now i know, baked cards can work a week, a month or a year, but this is not a permanent fix for the Card.

so i decided to keep this machine and to upgrade / replace the card. After reading and looking for cards on Ebay i decided i would buy a Radeon S71000X like this https://www.ebay.de/itm/304500990248?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649 according to the post here: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2011-imac-graphics-card-upgrade.1596614/post-31006554

as i said, open Core is working and installed in this machine, i have a USB with OPCL, etc.

So my question: Is this Card posted in the Ebay Link the right one? Will it work as described in the forum post here? I don't want to spend too much for an newer card, i looked they usually are more than 100€ this is a amount i dont want to invest.

Thank you very much for your opinions and tips.

 

[Techtype]

So last time my K4100M in my 27" 2011 iMac stopped displaying and a Display Driver Board replacement made no difference.

Now I got a new GPU but it still has the same issue after a flash, could this be the Nvidia Black Screen issue?

 

[Ausdauersportler]

So last time my K4100M in my 27" 2011 iMac stopped displaying and a Display Driver Board replacement made no difference.

Now I got a new GPU but it still has the same issue after a flash, could this be the Nvidia Black Screen issue?

You can easily figure this out yourself by carefully reading the entry on the first post.

 

[Techtype]

You can easily figure this out yourself by carefully reading the entry on the first post.

I know but the difference is that everything worked at first but the issue only started happening after a week or so, then I did all the replacing but it still wouldn't work. That does indicate the software issue but the fact that it worked at first also indicates a hardware issue. The workarounds (like pressing alt on boot) don't work either and I'm currently getting no external display output.

It just doesn't really match the issue description.

 

[Techtype]

With a 10.11 Hard Drive I can use the iMac but the internal screen is straight up not being recognized. I'll put in a 10.13 HDD and try that package installer that supposedly fixes the issue.

 

[Techtype]

@Ausdauersportler I put in a 10.13 HDD and installed the software Fix. Still Black Screen and not recognized Panel.

 

[Ausdauersportler]

I know but the difference is that everything worked at first but the issue only started happening after a week or so, then I did all the replacing but it still wouldn't work. That does indicate the software issue but the fact that it worked at first also indicates a hardware issue. The workarounds (like pressing alt on boot) don't work either and I'm currently getting no external display output.

It just doesn't really match the issue description.

It is definitely not the black screen issue. You might have have a hardware defect on the system board, from the older 2009/2010 system boards we know knocking of a small component near the display plug causes such a problem.

Can you access the iMac remotely from another Mac through screen sharing and can you post what the System Profiler tells you about the connected displays, i.e. is the internal one recognized or not.

 

[Techtype]

It is definitely not the black screen issue. You might have have a hardware defect on the system board, from the older 2009/2010 system boards we know knocking of a small component near the display plug causes such a problem.

Can you access the iMac remotely from another Mac through screen sharing and can you post what the System Profiler tells you about the connected displays, i.e. is the internal one recognized or not.

I do get video through an external display now. The internal display is nonexistent in system profiler.

I checked if I knocked any components but everything looks fine.

The issue started when the iMac was closed so I don’t think the issue is any knocked components.

 

[justgu.us]

thank u

Hey People,

I’m here for some first-timer tips that I discovered with my 27” imac 2011 with the upgraded GPU to an AMD 4130 (Dell) that I bought from someone who couldn’t get it working on their iMac 21,5”

You need to do a special install, meaning adding some copper topping to have the gpu-die touch the heatsink. See pictures attached.

I used 0,5mm copper, and just added two layers on top of each other held together with cooling-paste. Also, don’t forget to patch the ram-parts with heatpads that are thick enough!!

I used 1,5mm thick pads that get squashed to 0.5mm.

I have NOT flashed the card yet, but I hooked up a 2nd minotor to the 1st TB-port, and tada!! It does work out of the box.

This is very usefull as you can now access your Mac, create a bootable usb or like I will do; detach all drives (dvd too) and slip in a 2nd HDD with linux on it.

Now you should be able to boot into Linux and flash the card but I am on High Sierra and need to work out the “strategy” there; OpenCore or not

Any help or advice from that point onwards is appreciated for those who come across this point; getting your GPU to boot!

Once you know you did the hardware right, the rest of the nerdrage is taking your time to make a boot-plan so that you get back to normal operations on one screen. Take your time, it’s been going strong since 2011

 

[godardfan]

Welp.... received the display replacement today and still no 4th LED after plugging it in. I really thought it would work because I'm booting with Opencore.

Honestly? **** it I give up. Just gonna sell the 2011. Piece of junk anyways.

 

[Ausdauersportler]

Welp.... received the display replacement today and still no 4th LED after plugging it in. I really thought it would work because I'm booting with Opencore.

Honestly? **** it I give up. Just gonna sell the 2011. Piece of junk anyways.

Black Screen: After complete installation of the iMac the internal LCD can stay black, only three status LED light up. This is the black screen software issue. Normally you can get around it (temporarily) by pressing alt/option on boot.

If this does not fix your problem sell everything you have.

 

[Techtype]

Black Screen: After complete installation of the iMac the internal LCD can stay black, only three status LED light up. This is the black screen software issue. Normally you can get around it (temporarily) by pressing alt/option on boot.

If this does not fix your problem sell everything you have.

So I should too? I have the same issue..

 

[burbino]

hello I have a Nvidia k1000 with 2 GB of Samsung brand ram I programmed the BIOS with the two versions on the forum but my 27 inch 2011 iMac does not start when I turn it on it does only one diagnostic led. how can i solve?

 

[Ausdauersportler]

hello I have a Nvidia k1000 with 2 GB of Samsung brand ram I programmed the BIOS with the two versions on the forum but my 27 inch 2011 iMac does not start when I turn it on it does only one diagnostic led. how can i solve?

By changing the GPU, it is likely dead or badly installed. Please check the installation instructions!

 

[burbino]

it was installed well following all the instructions with other cards of these with vram of different brand type hinix work well only those with Samsung vram make me this defect