Mid-2011 iMac: Graphics issue... again.

[mikehalloran]

I thank you for your reply. So I understand you are saying that on a 2011 27" iMac if I remove the current HDD, do not fit another but install an SSD, the fans will default to run at high speed without futher intervention. If so, obviously not a situation I want, and in that case have no problem whatsoever with purchasing the specific 2011 OWC Temp Sensor. I wasn't aware that their 2009/10 and 2011 sensors were different, that is indeed worth knowing.

That is precisely what I am saying.

As for any replacement HDD, it would have to have the Apple temp sensor built in. A few aftermarket units from WD did but I'd be surprised if any do nowadays—oh, and those were incompatible with the sensors built into those with Seagate HDDs. Ahhh... the bad old days—don't miss 'em.

 

[Adv34]

That is precisely what I am saying.

As for any replacement HDD, it would have to have the Apple temp sensor built in. A few aftermarket units from WD did but I'd be surprised if any do nowadays—oh, and those were incompatible with the sensors built into those with Seagate HDDs. Ahhh... the bad old days—don't miss 'em.

Dear friend, I ask you to give me advice. I work in the office 12-15 hours every day. It is very hot in my city in summer (40 degrees Celsius). ssd 480gb will be installed
I'm afraid the video card 6750 (512) mc 309 will not withstand high temperatures. However, there are a lot of words on the Internet that the 6970 card is burning. Where is the truth? 2011 is all bad and the video card is defective or only 27 inches. Thank you

 

[mikehalloran]

Dear friend, I ask you to give me advice. I work in the office 12-15 hours every day. It is very hot in my city in summer (40 degrees Celsius). ssd 480gb will be installed
I'm afraid the video card 6750 (512) mc 309 will not withstand high temperatures. However, there are a lot of words on the Internet that the 6970 card is burning. Where is the truth? 2011 is all bad and the video card is defective or only 27 inches. Thank you

Neither is true. The GPUs were not defective—it was an internal design flaw.

The 2011 (2012, 2010 and late 2009) had WD Black or Seagate HDDs that ran extremely hot—we're talking hell hot in there. This caused the GPU to get extremely hot and when the machine was off, it would cool down. After enough hot/cool cycles, solder joints in the GPUs would fail and crack— this is why baking the GPU normally worked as it re-flowed the solder. The HDDs often failed well before the three years were up, too. Apple then offered an extended warranty — but you had to know about it.

A few of us figured out that heat was the real culprit—so did Apple and the replacement HDDs they used ran a lot cooler (those also had built in sensors). When SSDs became affordable and the OWC Temp sensors hit the market, many of us started replacing those WD and Seagate heat pumps with 128GB SSDs & adapter brackets* to increase the air flow, the OWC sensors—and the batteries with CR2032. Student Macs that got wiped clean every year never needed anything bigger.

There's nothing wrong with the BR2032 other than cost but you don't need the heat cladding if you are cooling down the insides. Electrically, the BR and CR are the same battery.

As I've mentioned, I upgraded well over 300. I can do a 27" 2009–11 in 15 minutes one-handed (not a boast, my left arm became crippled in 2009). How many of those suffered GPU failure? Not one. Many teachers bought those after the district retired those machines and I hear from them now and then—usually to put decent sized SSD in or to tell them that High Sierra is the last MacOS for those except the 2012.

*Any adapter bracket that looks like this works fine. Do you really need one? Well, no—double-stick foam tape works—but you do increase the air circulation and if you have to go back in, it's even faster to change out the drive inside. I do not recommend leaving the old HDD in there, even disconnected. Do the job right.

 

[Adv34]

Neither is true. The GPUs were not defective—it was an internal design flaw.

The 2011 (2012, 2010 and late 2009) had WD Black or Seagate HDDs that ran extremely hot—we're talking hell hot in there. This caused the GPU to get extremely hot and when the machine was off, it would cool down. After enough hot/cool cycles, solder joints in the GPUs would fail and crack— this is why baking the GPU normally worked as it re-flowed the solder. The HDDs often failed well before the three years were up, too. Apple then offered an extended warranty — but you had to know about it.

A few of us figured out that heat was the real culprit—so did Apple and the replacement HDDs they used ran a lot cooler (those also had built in sensors). When SSDs became affordable and the OWC Temp sensors hit the market, many of us started replacing those WD and Seagate heat pumps with 128GB SSDs & adapter brackets* to increase the air flow, the OWC sensors—and the batteries with CR2032. Student Macs that got wiped clean every year never needed anything bigger.

There's nothing wrong with the BR2032 other than cost but you don't need the heat cladding if you are cooling down the insides. Electrically, the BR and CR are the same battery.

As I've mentioned, I upgraded well over 300. I can do a 27" 2009–11 in 15 minutes one-handed (not a boast, my left arm became crippled in 2009). How many of those suffered GPU failure? Not one. Many teachers bought those after the district retired those machines and I hear from them now and then—usually to put decent sized SSD in or to tell them that High Sierra is the last MacOS for those except the 2012.

*Any adapter bracket that looks like this works fine. Do you really need one? Well, no—double-stick foam tape works—but you do increase the air circulation and if you have to go back in, it's even faster to change out the drive inside. I do not recommend leaving the old HDD in there, even disconnected. Do the job right.

View attachment 1956111

I'm from Russia. Machine translate. If you throw out the mechanical disk and replace it with an ssd when working with text, browsing the Internet, watching movies, will the 6750 / 4670 card live well for many years?

 

[mikehalloran]

It should

Success 300+
Fail 0

 

[Garenorfeed]

Neither is true. The GPUs were not defective—it was an internal design flaw.

The 2011 (2012, 2010 and late 2009) had WD Black or Seagate HDDs that ran extremely hot—we're talking hell hot in there. This caused the GPU to get extremely hot and when the machine was off, it would cool down. After enough hot/cool cycles, solder joints in the GPUs would fail and crack— this is why baking the GPU normally worked as it re-flowed the solder. The HDDs often failed well before the three years were up, too. Apple then offered an extended warranty — but you had to know about it.

A few of us figured out that heat was the real culprit—so did Apple and the replacement HDDs they used ran a lot cooler (those also had built in sensors). When SSDs became affordable and the OWC Temp sensors hit the market, many of us started replacing those WD and Seagate heat pumps with 128GB SSDs & adapter brackets* to increase the air flow, the OWC sensors—and the batteries with CR2032. Student Macs that got wiped clean every year never needed anything bigger.

There's nothing wrong with the BR2032 other than cost but you don't need the heat cladding if you are cooling down the insides. Electrically, the BR and CR are the same battery.

As I've mentioned, I upgraded well over 300. I can do a 27" 2009–11 in 15 minutes one-handed (not a boast, my left arm became crippled in 2009). How many of those suffered GPU failure? Not one. Many teachers bought those after the district retired those machines and I hear from them now and then—usually to put decent sized SSD in or to tell them that High Sierra is the last MacOS for those except the 2012.

*Any adapter bracket that looks like this works fine. Do you really need one? Well, no—double-stick foam tape works—but you do increase the air circulation and if you have to go back in, it's even faster to change out the drive inside. I do not recommend leaving the old HDD in there, even disconnected. Do the job right.

View attachment 1956111

Mike,

As the owner of a 2011 27" iMac with a preinstalled 1TB SSD (which I bought from an IT Director from the University of Utah for $150), this thread has been a fantastic read. I have often worried about the "GPU failing" in this rig, and I am sleeping a little more soundly due to the information you blessed us with in this thread.

 

[wazgilbert]

3rd Time lucky, have just completed the oven-baked GPU process again. Little over 14months and tbh, I've just done it this time to get photos of all the connections and serials off the display panel so I can get a controller off ebay, ready for a total failure in future where maybe only the display is functional in future.
Was considering looking for a new GPU for it, as I do intend it to be my 3DP slicer and downloading models machine running Linux as a dual boot. (the other two spare iMacs are a 20" & 24", I have left over from 2007. Both can run it but lag when slicing and manipulating the models.)