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Can I upgrade my 24inch iMac graphics card to Ati?

P

Pur3 Macs

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 28, 2009
44
0
Melbourne, Australia
Hey guys I recently read somewhere that I can actually change the graphics card on my mac. If so where can I buy the ATI Radeon 4850 graphics card? and how much will that set me back?

And could I get this upgrade done by my local nextbyte retail store?
http://www.nextbyte.com.au
If it is possible to have nextbyte upgrade my card would they send it off to apple?
I really just need this card so I can play aoe3 on all settings high and be able to handle games like cod4, quake and all those graphic hungry games.
The nvidia 9400m can play on low-medium on most games but I want a bit more.
 
No the graphics card is soldered onto the logic board. New graphics cars = new logic board.
 
In theory yes, but in real life no. Dedicated GPUs in 09 iMacs aren't soldered likely but you have 9400M which is soldered and cannot be replaced.
 
Well I just want to give a apple a piece of my mind!, and tell them what they do is stupid they use crumby laptop parts in a desktop computer it can't be a desktop if it has bad laptop parts in it. I WOULD ALMOST RATHER TO GET A PC THAN LIVE WITH HAVING TO BUY A NEW $3000 MAC EVERY YEAR JUST FOR THE NEXT EDITION OF A GRAPHICS CARD! why apple??? why?.......:mad:
 
Pur3 Macs said:
Well I just want to give a apple a piece of my mind!, and tell them what they do is stupid they use crumby laptop parts in a desktop computer it can't be a desktop if it has bad laptop parts in it. I WOULD ALMOST RATHER TO GET A PC THAN LIVE WITH HAVING TO BUY A NEW $3000 MAC EVERY YEAR JUST FOR THE NEXT EDITION OF A GRAPHICS CARD! why apple??? why?.......:mad:
Click to expand...
You bought it. It's no one's fault but your own.
 
OP How old are you? It's your fault you bought it, no one made you. Theres loads of material on here about how it uses laptop components. If you new you were going to be playing games then surely your pretty dence not to realise you need a dedicated card?
 
seriously... how can you even think a graphics 'card' can fit into an all in one desktop computer.

the graphics is a mobile chip just like inside MacBooks. the iMac is a notebook on a stand without a keyboard. if you want a tower Mac get a Mac Pro. if you want less than a Mac Pro a better price point (rightly so) buy or build your own tower PC
 
Pur3 Macs said:
Well I just want to give a apple a piece of my mind!, and tell them what they do is stupid they use crumby laptop parts in a desktop computer it can't be a desktop if it has bad laptop parts in it. I WOULD ALMOST RATHER TO GET A PC THAN LIVE WITH HAVING TO BUY A NEW $3000 MAC EVERY YEAR JUST FOR THE NEXT EDITION OF A GRAPHICS CARD! why apple??? why?.......:mad:
Click to expand...

tool alert.
 
Pur3 Macs said:
Well I just want to give a apple a piece of my mind!, and tell them what they do is stupid they use crumby laptop parts in a desktop computer it can't be a desktop if it has bad laptop parts in it. I WOULD ALMOST RATHER TO GET A PC THAN LIVE WITH HAVING TO BUY A NEW $3000 MAC EVERY YEAR JUST FOR THE NEXT EDITION OF A GRAPHICS CARD! why apple??? why?.......:mad:
Click to expand...

why aren't I rich? why doesn't the world work the way I want it to? why do I have to pay to play? why? why? why?

hey clueless, get a 360/ps3 and it'll solve your problems. actually, try growing up and it'll solve an even bigger problem. :rolleyes:
 
The only iMac that can be upgraded is the 2007/2008 model, and it has an MXM slot. The current model with the ATI card, is SOLDERED! Its a mobile version of the 4850. You can get a new logic board and replace the entire logic board, but theres not really a point is there?
 
Outrigger said:
why aren't I rich? why doesn't the world work the way I want it to? why do I have to pay to play? why? why? why?

hey clueless, get a 360/ps3 and it'll solve your problems. actually, try growing up and it'll solve an even bigger problem. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Hahaha hilarious, do you feel like a man saying that?

Outrigger said:
hey clueless, get a 360/ps3 and it'll solve your problems.
Click to expand...
I already have an xbox 360 but it cannot deliver the graphics of what a computer can even on 1080p settings, a computer can produce far greater graphics.

richthomas said:
seriously... how can you even think a graphics 'card' can fit into an all in one desktop computer.
the graphics is a mobile chip just like inside MacBooks. the iMac is a notebook on a stand without a keyboard. if you want a tower Mac get a Mac Pro. if you want less than a Mac Pro a better price point (rightly so) buy or build your own tower PC
Click to expand...
Firstly I'm not dumb because I know they use laptop components.
And secondly A mac pro is far out of my price range they start at about $4500 which is a lot. Believe me I would get one if I could.


Ok everyone this is just what I think and you don't have to criticise me about every sentence I speak of, just because you think otherwise.
There are good and bad things about macs and apple in general I like some you like some get use to it.
 
fhall1 said:
Go to Lifehacker and search on "Snow Leopard Hackintosh", then build one....that's the only way you'll get affordable high end desktop graphics and OS X
Click to expand...
Thats what I'm hoping I can do but I'll have to save up for a few months before I can get a pc tower and screen:( (roughly $1500-1900)

nullx86 said:
If so then why are you even asking if you can upgrade it? Tool Alert!
Click to expand...
Because I wasn't quite sure whether or not I could actually remove it and replace, but now it is all clear.
 
You can't upgrade it (but you already know that) and Apple uses laptop components to keep the computer profile thing. Pretty much the only Mac with non-notebook components is the Mac Pro which uses server/workstation components.
 
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