Imac 2011 reached its end?

[Shenden]

So last week my Imac of 2011 started to act up, the screen got freezed up and all pixelrated. I managed to reboot it and it all worked fine, but then it happened again a day after and the screen turned black. Now I can't boot it up, I can hear that the Imac turns on, but there's no startup sound and screen is all black. I tried to get into safemode, but to no avail, so now I'm worried it's broken.

Few questions:
1 - What's frustrating is that I don't know what's broken. Could it be the display or the harddrive(this feels most likely)?
2 - Is there anything I can do to fix this?
3 - If I go with the route of buying a new Imac, is it good time to to that now or are there any revisions on its way?

 

[Fishrrman]

I'm guessing a failed GPU inside.
Sometimes they can be replaced, but I wouldn't do it on an 8-year-old (soon to be 9 years) iMac.
Probably more $$$ than it's worth.

So... time to start looking for a replacement.

I would not expect to see "new" iMacs until mid-2020.
Are you willing to wait that long?

As the saying goes, "if you NEED now, BUY now".
And it sounds like you "need one now".

The 2019 iMacs are as nice as any that have been made.
You might also consider a 2019 from the Apple-refurbished online store, or a 2017 (some are still available).

 

[retta283]

Probably GPU failure, the 2011 iMacs (and MBPs for that matter) have infamous GPU failure issues. Sadly it's not worth replacing the GPU in that old of a model. I'd recommend the 2019, mature design and you will see a drastic increase in speed. Make sure to get an SSD.

Just for note, which screen size is your iMac?

 

[Shenden]

Probably GPU failure, the 2011 iMacs (and MBPs for that matter) have infamous GPU failure issues. Sadly it's not worth replacing the GPU in that old of a model. I'd recommend the 2019, mature design and you will see a drastic increase in speed. Make sure to get an SSD.

Just for note, which screen size is your iMac?

Thanks for the reply!

Yeah I assume it's GPU failure as well. Can I still salvage the hard drive and its content in some way?
And can I use that hard drive as external one if I buy a new Imac?
Can't say I look forward paying for a new Imac just before Christmas, but I might go with the base model again, just don't know if I'm going with the FHD or 4k/Retina display.

The screen size is 21,5" base-model.

 

[retta283]

Thanks for the reply!

Yeah I assume it's GPU failure as well. Can I still salvage the hard drive and its content in some way?
Can't say I look forward paying for a new Imac just before Christmas, but I might go with the base model again, just don't know if I'm going with the FHD or 4k/Retina display.

The screen size is 21,5" base-model.

It's possible to remove the HDD, and you can use an external enclosure to transfer the data to your new machine. If you look up "2011 iMac hard drive replacement" it should come up with some guides. It's a pretty hands-on project, the screen and other components must be removed first to gain access to the HDD. You may consider taking it to a computer shop and having them do it for you. Some of these companies will also allow you to transfer the contents of the drive to a USB flash drive, so you do not need to buy an external bay.

Base model is okay, but if you can afford it go for the SSD storage. The default 5400rpm HDD in the newer iMacs is actually slower than the ones in the 2011. SSD will see massive gains in speed. Less chance of failing, too.