Mid-2010 iMac - Worth Upgrading?

[Juicy Box]

Well this is a fine kettle of fish! I'm noticing artifacts on the screen now.

Before you go shopping for new GPUs, there are a few things that might help the artifact issue that I would try:

1. Replacing the HDD with a SSD - The HDDs run really hot in those models, and I suspect that when the HDD starts to go, it might be running hotter than usual. If you replace your HDD with a SDD, this might help the GPU issues.

2. Clean the Dust - If you never had your iMac opened before, that is 10 years of dust that is being stored in there. I use my air compressor with a blowgun attachment to clean out my electronics. A compressed gas duster would work too.

3. New Thermal Paste and Pads - That is 10 year old paste you are using, replacing this could cool things down a lot.

4. Bake your GPU in the Oven - Many people breath new life an old GPUs from the Late 2009 - Mid 2011 iMacs by baking the GPU in an oven. This worked for me.

5. Do them all - A combination of a few things from above might be able to fix your GPU issues. Personally, if I was taking the GPU out to put new paste on, I would just do the oven bake as it would only add a little bit of time and effort. While I had my iMac open, I would clean up the dust and replace the HDD with a SSD.

 

[EugW]

I guess I shouldn't complain too much.

My original purchase was a 2009, and I had 4 x 2 GB = 8 GB in it, with two of the RAM sticks aftermarket. It broke, and I brought the whole thing to the Apple Store, and they lost my aftermarket RAM. And then after several sessions of them trying to repair it, they couldn't do that either, so finally they replaced it with a brand new iMac and replaced not only the RAM it came with, but my third party RAM too. It was truly brand new, not refurbished, complete with new box and included mouse and keyboard, and they also gave me 2 x 4 GB = 8 GB leaving me two empty RAM slots. Plus they took out the old hard drive from the 2009 and gave that to me too, complete with the hard drive bracket for that iMac model.

So, basically for the price of a 2009 Core i7 iMac I got a 2010 Core i7 iMac with two sets of Apple mice and keyboards, a RAM configuration upgrade, and an extra free hard drive. And now it's still going on strong working as a matching display for my 2017 iMac. The only drawback is that the power utilization is significantly higher than a normal display, but that's OK.

 

[herrdude]

Before you go shopping for new GPUs, there are a few things that might help the artifact issue that I would try:

1. Replacing the HDD with a SSD - The HDDs run really hot in those models, and I suspect that when the HDD starts to go, it might be running hotter than usual. If you replace your HDD with a SDD, this might help the GPU issues.

2. Clean the Dust - If you never had your iMac opened before, that is 10 years of dust that is being stored in there. I use my air compressor with a blowgun attachment to clean out my electronics. A compressed gas duster would work too.

3. New Thermal Paste and Pads - That is 10 year old paste you are using, replacing this could cool things down a lot.

4. Bake your GPU in the Oven - Many people breath new life an old GPUs from the Late 2009 - Mid 2011 iMacs by baking the GPU in an oven. This worked for me.

5. Do them all - A combination of a few things from above might be able to fix your GPU issues. Personally, if I was taking the GPU out to put new paste on, I would just do the oven bake as it would only add a little bit of time and effort. While I had my iMac open, I would clean up the dust and replace the HDD with a SSD.

These cards are known to die sooner or later. When you bake the card, it is only kicking the can down the road. They will die again later. I had this experience and there are many stories of the cards dying again. Also, it is the same amount of work to install another GPU, which will give you more memory and access to Catalina.

 

[EugW]

These cards are known to die sooner or later. When you bake the card, it is only kicking the can down the road. They will die again later. I had this experience and there are many stories of the cards dying again. Also, it is the same amount of work to install another GPU, which will give you more memory and access to Catalina.

A neighbour tried the bake trick, just last month. It worked! ...for less than hour. Then he gave up and got a new refurb Mac I believe.

Maybe if this happens to mine, I'll give a GPU upgrade a shot (along with an SSD upgrade). The GPU upgrades like the K1100+ are usually CAD$100+ here though, and I don't like the idea that most of them don't give a completely native Mac experience unless you get one that requires a modified heatsink. K1100+ would be OK though if all it takes is OpenCore. I don't feel like doing any heatsink mods.

Do these GPU-upgraded ones work with Target Display Mode?

 

[Juicy Box]

These cards are known to die sooner or later. When you bake the card, it is only kicking the can down the road.

A neighbour tried the bake trick, just last month. It worked! ...for less than hour.

The bake may not work at all, or may only last a short while. It is a temporary fix, but that temporary fix could last for years.

The GPU bake that I did has lasted over a year now. There have been posts on the forum saying that their baked GPU was still working after a few years.

I am not suggesting the OP to not get a new GPU, but if the OP was already concerned about investing too much money on an old computer, then the price of a GPU might just be too much.

I was just saying there are low cost options if the GPU was having issues.

Also, it is the same amount of work to install another GPU,

But the bake is basically free.

If someone was on the fence between keeping their current Mac with potential problems, and buying a new Mac, the cost of a GPU might be the deciding factor.

Again, I am not saying not to get a new GPU, but if the OP was happy with their current GPU other than the artifacts, a bake might get some extra life out of their current setup.

 

[herrdude]

The bake may not work at all, or may only last a short while. It is a temporary fix, but that temporary fix could last for years.

The GPU bake that I did has lasted over a year now. There have been posts on the forum saying that their baked GPU was still working after a few years.

I am not suggesting the OP to not get a new GPU, but if the OP was already concerned about investing too much money on an old computer, then the price of a GPU might just be too much.

I was just saying there are low cost options if the GPU was having issues.



But the bake is basically free.

If someone was on the fence between keeping their current Mac with potential problems, and buying a new Mac, the cost of a GPU might be the deciding factor.

Again, I am not saying not to get a new GPU, but if the OP was happy with their current GPU other than the artifacts, a bake might get some extra life out of their current setup.

I agree with everything you say. But the cards that are working are not that expensive $50-$80US. Cheers!

 

[jazzer15]

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I have been posting about something similar in a related thread. My wife is using a late 2009 iMac i7 for light use. I've been going back and forth between passing on my Late 2015 w/512GB SSD and 4GB graphics and buying a 2020 or just upgrading the 2009 w/Catalina and an SSD and kicking the can down the road a couple or so years (assuming the 2009 otherwise has no issues). The 2009 doesn't have one of the problematic GPU's for the Catalina patch.

Tough call. The 2009 doesn't owe us anything, but in a way my 2015, while a nice upgrade, is overkill for my wife's use and it is still fine for what I am doing. The switch to AS and my desire to not have to replace 2 computers at once down the road adds an additional layer of complexity.

 

[jmilan0302]

DO NOT BUY AN SSD FROM OWC. And DO NOT buy a temp sensor from iFixit or OWC. It's a HUGE ripoff. OWC SSDs are prices are utterly ridiculous and the temp sensor is overpriced as well. Instead, buy any 2.5" SATA SSD, prefferably one with a DRAM cache (though I have the lowest end 27" 2010 iMac with the cheapest SSD I could find, Kingston A400 120GB and it's very snappy for light usage) and buy a DVD temp sensor. The DVD temp sensor for 21.5"/27" Late 2009-Mid 2010 iMacs plugs right into the HDD temp sensor connector on the logic board and works just fine. They cost $3-$5 on Aliexpress, literally a tenth of the iFixit sensor.

 

[herrdude]

DO NOT BUY AN SSD FROM OWC. And DO NOT buy a temp sensor from iFixit or OWC. It's a HUGE ripoff. OWC SSDs are prices are utterly ridiculous and the temp sensor is overpriced as well. Instead, buy any 2.5" SATA SSD, prefferably one with a DRAM cache (though I have the lowest end 27" 2010 iMac with the cheapest SSD I could find, Kingston A400 120GB and it's very snappy for light usage) and buy a DVD temp sensor. The DVD temp sensor for 21.5"/27" Late 2009-Mid 2010 iMacs plugs right into the HDD temp sensor connector on the logic board and works just fine. They cost $3-$5 on Aliexpress, literally a tenth of the iFixit sensor.

The thing is on the 2011 models, the motherboard is getting the temps from firmware on the hard-drive (through the SATA cable). Once you remove the hard-drive, the new one doesn't communicate that information. However, there is a cheap solution which is to run a Y adapter off of the power. I can dig out the post if someone is interested. But you are bang on about the prices, ouch! I paid $100 for 1TB SSD and $8 for the Y adapter.

 

[EugW]

DO NOT BUY AN SSD FROM OWC. And DO NOT buy a temp sensor from iFixit or OWC. It's a HUGE ripoff. OWC SSDs are prices are utterly ridiculous and the temp sensor is overpriced as well. Instead, buy any 2.5" SATA SSD, prefferably one with a DRAM cache (though I have the lowest end 27" 2010 iMac with the cheapest SSD I could find, Kingston A400 120GB and it's very snappy for light usage) and buy a DVD temp sensor. The DVD temp sensor for 21.5"/27" Late 2009-Mid 2010 iMacs plugs right into the HDD temp sensor connector on the logic board and works just fine. They cost $3-$5 on Aliexpress, literally a tenth of the iFixit sensor.

Can you provide a link to the temp sensor?

Something like this?

Optical Drive DVD ODD Temperature Temp Sensor Cable 593-1149 For iMac 27

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

 

[herrdude]

Can you provide a link to the temp sensor?

Something like this?

Optical Drive DVD ODD Temperature Temp Sensor Cable 593-1149 For iMac 27

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

What year?

 

[Loyola]

It would be nice if these systems were easier to upgrade. At one point I looked at upgrading the CPU and GPU but determined it was too complex for me.

 

[EugW]

What year?

Mid-2010 like the OP.

Mine is the 2.93 GHz iMac Core i7-870 iMac11,3 with Radeon HD 5750 1 GB.

If I upgraded to SSD, I'd get the aluminum 2.5" to 3.5" converter bracket (CAD$15 on Amazon) and one of these optical drive temp sensor cables.

 

[herrdude]

Mid-2010 like the OP.

Mine is the 2.93 GHz iMac Core i7-870 iMac11,3 with Radeon HD 5750 1 GB.

If I upgraded to SSD, I'd get the aluminum 2.5" to 3.5" converter bracket (CAD$15 on Amazon) and one of these optical drive temp sensor cables.

Then JMilan's suggestion should work. If you had the 2011 model, it wouldn't work.

PS I am also in Canada ;-)

 

[Hexley]

The $1,799 2020 iMac 27" is $100 off and is magnitudes faster than any 2010 iMac.

 

[rambo47]

The $1,799 2020 iMac 27" is $100 off and is magnitudes faster than any 2010 iMac.

I'm going to try just the SSD upgrade first. If that sorts it out, great. Maybe a bit of a scrub inside to remove the dirt/dust. If not, then perhaps it's time to move up to a refurb 2020.

I've found some graphics cards, used, but they're all around $180 or more.

 

[herrdude]

The $1,799 2020 iMac 27" is $100 off and is magnitudes faster than any 2010 iMac.

The $1,799 2020 iMac 27" is $100 off and is magnitudes faster than any 2010 iMac.

I can imagine for some these days that is a bit steep. But if you can do it, it is money well spent. Probably in ten years, we will be talking about how to upgrade that iMac

 

[herrdude]

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I have been posting about something similar in a related thread. My wife is using a late 2009 iMac i7 for light use. I've been going back and forth between passing on my Late 2015 w/512GB SSD and 4GB graphics and buying a 2020 or just upgrading the 2009 w/Catalina and an SSD and kicking the can down the road a couple or so years (assuming the 2009 otherwise has no issues). The 2009 doesn't have one of the problematic GPU's for the Catalina patch.

Tough call. The 2009 doesn't owe us anything, but in a way my 2015, while a nice upgrade, is overkill for my wife's use and it is still fine for what I am doing. The switch to AS and my desire to not have to replace 2 computers at once down the road adds an additional layer of complexity.

What do you have to lose by putting a 256GB SSD ($40-50US)? That will make such a huge difference. Bump up the RAM while you are at it. She will think she has a new computer.
[automerge]1597614184[/automerge]

I'm going to try just the SSD upgrade first. If that sorts it out, great. Maybe a bit of a scrub inside to remove the dirt/dust. If not, then perhaps it's time to move up to a refurb 2020.

I've found some graphics cards, used, but they're all around $180 or more.

Which model?

 

[rambo47]

For the SSD I've ordered a Crucial 1TB SSD. Comes with suction cups for the screen, Torx screwdrivers, etc.

 

[Hexley]

I can imagine for some these days that is a bit steep. But if you can do it, it is money well spent. Probably in ten years, we will be talking about how to upgrade that iMac

$1,799 base price point for a largest screen iMac has not changed since August 2007. That was the price of the 24" back then and the current price of the 27" now.

 

[Hexley]

I'm going to try just the SSD upgrade first. If that sorts it out, great. Maybe a bit of a scrub inside to remove the dirt/dust. If not, then perhaps it's time to move up to a refurb 2020.

I've found some graphics cards, used, but they're all around $180 or more.

The SSD may cost at par with the 2010 iMac

 

[jmilan0302]

Can you provide a link to the temp sensor?

Something like this?

Optical Drive DVD ODD Temperature Temp Sensor Cable 593-1149 For iMac 27

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

Exactly.

Then JMilan's suggestion should work. If you had the 2011 model, it wouldn't work.

PS I am also in Canada ;-)

There is another solution for the 2011 models but I can't confirm that one works.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

I've just bought a 2nd iMac 27" mid 2010 on Monday. (300$)
Origin specs:
Core i3-550
2x2GB DDR3 RAM
HD5750m
500GB HDD

My intention for upgrade:
- 120GB SSD to replace the optical drive (have a spare lying around), re-use the temp sensor of the optical drive.
- core i7-870 (30$ incl shipping)
- 2x8GB DDR3 (55$)
- K2100m (65$) or K3100m (80$)
- Having a service shop do all of the above upgrades (30$) and cleaning.

Or I might skip the GPU upgrade and have the original GPU rehabilitated, i.e. removing all the aged solder on the GPU chip and re-balling, resoldered it back to the MXM card. Almost all laptop repair shops here have a special machine to rebake just the GPU chip on the card, thus the service is very cheap.

What do you think? Am I very stupid to purchase such old hardware and upgrade it?

 

[herrdude]

I've just bought a 2nd iMac 27" mid 2010 on Monday. (300$)
Origin specs:
Core i3-550
2x2GB DDR3 RAM
HD5750m
500GB HDD

My intention for upgrade:
- 120GB SSD to replace the optical drive (have a spare lying around), re-use the temp sensor of the optical drive.
- core i7-870 (30$ incl shipping)
- 2x8GB DDR3 (55$)
- K2100m (65$) or K3100m (80$)
- Having a service shop do all of the above upgrades (30$) and cleaning.

Or I might skip the GPU upgrade and have the original GPU rehabilitated, i.e. removing all the aged solder on the GPU chip and re-balling, resoldered it back to the MXM card. Almost all laptop repair shops here have a special machine to rebake just the GPU chip on the card, thus the service is very cheap.

What do you think? Am I very stupid to purchase such old hardware and upgrade it?

Do not reball the GPU, just don't do it. It will fail again. These cards are nothing but problems. Go with the K3100m: it will be cheaper than reballing the old one, it has native boot screen and brightness control, you will have more video RAM (4GB), and you can install Catalina and Big Sur.

It depends on your needs but you will see a HUGE difference for only $200!

 

[rambo47]

Do not reball the GPU, just don't do it. It will fail again. These cards are nothing but problems. Go with the K3100m: it will be cheaper than reballing the old one, it has native boot screen and brightness control, you will have more video RAM (4GB), and you can install Catalina and Big Sur.

It depends on your needs but you will see a HUGE difference for only $200!

Is the K3100m compatible with the 2010 iMac? Like plug-n-play compatible?