Here's why this $400 iMac is one of the best ever!

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
  • This iMac costs $400, and for Apple enthusiasts who like to tinker with their tech, it's pretty cool... Thanks to Skillshare for sponsoring today's video, check them out: skl.sh/LukeMia.... The first 500 people who sign up with this link will get 2 free months of Skillshare Premium!
    If you want to upgrade your RAM, check out this kit: amzn.to/2E5CvRT
    This 2011 27" iMac can be had for as around $400 or less, and offer pretty good performance for the money, as well as a lot of upgradeability for those who like to work on and upgrade their tech, all in a nice form factor! Let me know down below if you have one of these screamers, and what upgrades you've done!
    Follow me on Twitter: / lukemiani
    Join my Subreddit! www.reddit.com/r/lukemianiyoutube
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    #Screamer #iMacenstein

ความคิดเห็น • 1.1K

  • @amberredfield
    @amberredfield 4 ปีที่แล้ว +23

    Wow, I’ve had my mid-2011 27” since 2012 and only knew about the RAM (which I did a few years back). My iMac still runs like a champ. But I cans it believe I JUST found out it has a magnetic glass screen! Time to boost it up even more. Great video!!

  • @Ausknutz
    @Ausknutz 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    You said they were great back in 2018. Here I am in 2022 watching your video on a late 2009 iMac 21.5". I only upgraded the RAM, the rest is stock (mine came with a 7200rpm HDD)

  • @TechWithSean
    @TechWithSean 5 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    It’s always 30 or 60fps because of vsync being enabled in the graphics options. If the GPU can’t display 60fps, vsync drops to 30 instead of displaying torn frames. 👍

  • @LuisJavierOcampoAraoz
    @LuisJavierOcampoAraoz 5 ปีที่แล้ว +22

    Luke, If you can, please do a step by step videos for the upgrade process.

  • @ic3778
    @ic3778 5 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    I actually used this video to find my mid-2011 imac 21.5", which so happened to be from the same company that you bought yours from and they did a great job on the packing but I didn't get that card that you got. But I did actually get a ripped up garbage bag in my box, lol. No lie. I laughed cause it looks exactly like the one that you got. Also the cord smells brand new and it works great. So thanks for the advice and this is the first time that I actually took someone's advice on buying anything from the internet and not ever seeing what I was buying before I did and it worked out great. So I'll keep watching what you post (great info by the way) and thanks for your insight on the computer. Truly helpful.

    • @imok6613
      @imok6613 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Hi, what’s the website?

  • @stewartseidel9165
    @stewartseidel9165 5 ปีที่แล้ว +189

    Here's a long story about how I got a 2011 iMac to work after the video card had failed.
    I bought a 2010 27 inch iMac with an i3 CPU about a year and a half ago at a reasonably good price on Craigslist, intending to add an SSD and upgrade the CPU to an i7. I went to a local place that has all sorts of used computer parts for sale, looking for an i7 CPU. Purely by coincidence, while I was standing there in line someone brought out from the back a 27 inch iMac, presumably in for repairs, and handed it over the counter to the iMac owner, telling him that the iMac couldn't be fixed. The guy was, understandably, pretty sad about the situation. I asked the iMac owner what the problem was with the computer. He said that the video card had failed. [Note that the computer store had already removed the internal hard drive when he first brought the computer in to the store a few days previously, so his data--he was a video developer--was safe and secure in his hands.]
    I told the iMac owner I was in the store right now looking for a used i7 for a 2010 iMac, and asked him if his iMac was a 2010, and if it had an i7. He said yes, and I asked him if he wanted to sell it. He said sure, since it was of no use to him now. Neither of us knew what it was worth, so I said, Look, I only need the CPU, and offered him $20 (Canadian). He said OK, and asked me if I wanted to buy the RAM also, 4x4GB=16GB. I asked him how much, he didn't know, but the computer store employee said $80 for the RAM was reasonable, and added that $20 for the CPU was an OK price. I didn't have the cash on me, so we both walked a few blocks to my bank and I paid him $100.
    I got home, the 2010 iMac was already apart, waiting for me to install the SSD. I disassembled the new iMac I had just bought, intending to take out the i7. After I got it apart, I realized that the new iMac was not a 2010 Mac at all, but rather a 2011. "Damn" I thought, now I have an iMac with a fried video card. But at least I bought the 16GB RAM at a reasonable price for used RAM.
    Then I got to thinking, wondering how much it would cost to replace the fried video card. I checked eBay, and WOW!!! it was $900 Canadian for a new video card for a 2010 iMac. Unfortunately that was at least ten times more than I wanted to pay. I started scrolling through eBay, looking at prices for video cards and came upon an ad claiming to fix a video card for a 2010 iMac for $119, 3-5 days turnaround, 90 day guarantee. (You had to remove the video card yourself, and mail it to the vendor). That seemed like a pretty good deal, so I emailed the eBay vendor to see if this also applied to a 2011 iMac. "Sure, no problem with a 2011 iMac", the vendor said.
    A little while later I started thinking again, how could someone "fix" a fried video card, guaranteed, with a turnaround of less than a week? How can you "fix" a video card, with ten zillion connections?
    All of a sudden, some neglected, long forgotten sectors in the back of my brain fired, and then it struck me; I googled "iMac 27 inch video card oven".
    The following TH-cam video turned up:
    th-cam.com/video/9vPM41ZmLos/w-d-xo.html
    It's a long video, but essentially a really nice, believable guy named Evan, from Greece I think, explains in some detail how he fixed a failed video card on his 2011 iMac by putting it in the oven for 8 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius (405 degrees F.). It seemed ridiculous, but since I had both iMacs apart, I thought WTF, I've got nothing to lose, why not give it a try?
    So I got started. I must admit though, after a lot of painstaking work disassembling the logic board, and then extracting the video card, I felt pretty stupid for a few minutes when I got to the point of actually putting the video card in the oven.
    After installing an SSD I had lying around and completely re-assembling the 2011 iMac (nearly a full and very grueling day!), and starting it up, I waited for twenty or thirty seconds...
    And then, I couldn't believe it. The friggin' iMac started right up and the video card was, magically, no longer fried!!!
    That was nearly a year and a half ago, and it's still going, and I haven't seen any issues whatsoever with the video card or anything else. In fact, I'm writing this on my salvaged 2011 iMac right now. I have since installed a 250GB SSD with velcro tape under the optical drive, replaced the original internal hard drive with a 2TB drive, attached a second monitor, a 30 inch Cinema Display, upgraded the RAM to 24GB, and installed macOS High Sierra 10.13. I have a bunch of Mac Pros, MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs, iMacs, etc., of various vintages, plus more than a couple of older PCs, and according to Geekbench 4, this is the fastest computer I currently own, even beating both of my 8 core Mac Pros with dual Xeon processors.
    Except that the GPU diode runs quite hot (according to Macs Fan Control nearly 80 degrees Ceisius, yikes!!!), my new $20 2011 27 inch iMac seems to be performing admirably.
    Oh yeah, and I eventually found and upgraded the i3 to a compatible i7 ($119 from a local used computer dealer) in my first 2010 iMac, installed an SSD and a 2TB internal drive. The 2010 iMac was also successfully tested with 24GB of RAM.
    I'm kind of delighted with all this. As you can probably tell.

    • @saira2326
      @saira2326 5 ปีที่แล้ว +51

      I hate myself for clicking read more 💀

    • @averymortimer
      @averymortimer 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Same story here! Same youtube video and everything, figured what's the worst that could happen, since my mac was unusable, so I followed Evan's instructions, and to my amazement, it worked! I have actually done it three times over the course of several years, and it still works! That being said, I'd still love to replace it with something more reliable like Luke mentioned in this video.

    • @Twigzmusic
      @Twigzmusic 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @Stewart Seidel you have a lot of spare time

    • @tigerchillyable
      @tigerchillyable 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Can't believe I read all that... Good read though

    • @calgarycowboy2
      @calgarycowboy2 4 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      The cooking process melts the solder on the chip legs and remakes all the leg joints. I have done a couple of video cards and take your time applying fresh chip paste. Works a charm, heat from the old HD is the cause, installing SSD eliminates that issue.

  • @GetJesse
    @GetJesse 5 ปีที่แล้ว +103

    The 60/30 FPS is because you have VSync on.

    • @SEVENTEENPOINT1
      @SEVENTEENPOINT1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Specifically double buffered. One buffer at 30 and another at 60.

  • @fangtooth4471
    @fangtooth4471 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Had these in college library. I’m an artist so I ran through plenty of programs. It was as smooth as a dolphin. I miss it :(

  • @lukemiani
    @lukemiani  5 ปีที่แล้ว +387

    If you make it all the way to the bit at the end, you are a true screamer

    • @stephensonmatthew7
      @stephensonmatthew7 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Luke Miani hey Luke, can you do a demo of how to use VoiceOver on MacOS and iOS?

    • @allansh828
      @allansh828 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      4:40 Does the game have forced double buffer vsync? If frame rate bounces between 30-60, that's usually the case.

    • @ryanswatson
      @ryanswatson 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Your girlfriend was a screamer

    • @natthan7
      @natthan7 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I just got one of this for free! I bought it for $250 and the seller did a shitty packaging as well so fedex shattered the glass aaaand I got a full refund. I'll wait until your next video before getting my hands inside.

    • @cody3026
      @cody3026 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Luke Miani I watched the whole vid because I have the same iMac!

  • @sugnasugna
    @sugnasugna 5 ปีที่แล้ว +30

    I still use this model iMac every day.

    • @mortalitey
      @mortalitey 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      whats the model? 😭

  • @terrywarnold
    @terrywarnold 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Found this video doing some research for this model of iMac. I was able to get one for $50 and the only issue was the fact that the previous owner had accidentally erased the partitions off the hard drive and didn't know how to fix it. Rebooted into recovery mode, reinstalled the macOS, and i was fixed.

  • @dorianvoka5591
    @dorianvoka5591 4 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    Watching this on my 2011 21 inch iMac, in usage since 2011. 24/7 - a beast

    • @toastedtarts4044
      @toastedtarts4044 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Were there ever any problems?

    • @dorianvoka5591
      @dorianvoka5591 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@toastedtarts4044 No, just the hard disk made some high frequency noices, which is totally fine for a hdd that runs for 10 years almost every day

    • @toastedtarts4044
      @toastedtarts4044 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@dorianvoka5591 oh okay that’s good. It sounds like a durable machine

    • @AWildBard
      @AWildBard 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      me too
      well, I don't use it 24/7
      but have a 21.5 inch mid 2011 imac

    • @midge4571
      @midge4571 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@AWildBard does it still work? I’m about to buy one ☝️

  • @micahgriffiths
    @micahgriffiths 5 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    Firewatch background and synthwave music. Wise choices

  • @monsieuresse
    @monsieuresse 5 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    I'm really looking forward to see how you upgrade the graphics to something metal compatible without losing the boot screen, brightness control and target display mode. Also, very interested in a fully functional Bluetooth 4 upgrade along with apple watch unlock and without the need to hack the system after every upadate. Psyched!

  • @bencrandall5514
    @bencrandall5514 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Watching this on my mid 2011 iMac I just got FO FREE! I can't believe how well these computers hold up

  • @Megabean
    @Megabean 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I had the 2011 21.1 inch as a teenager and it was so amazing. I never loved a computer as much as that iMac.

    • @skip741x3
      @skip741x3 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      2011 21.1 inch here as well...upgraded myself to i7, 16gb and ssd... also love it, its just so freakin nice to use.. doesnt feel dated and doesnt feel slow..

  • @RockyColaFizz
    @RockyColaFizz 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I agree. I have this exact iMac with the i7 BTO and I upgraded it to 16GB ram. Also I had the original BTO 256GB SSD, but it was slow as it was only SATA 2. I upgraded it with a 1TB SSD Sata 3 drive, and this thing just continues to be rock solid. It's going on being almost 8 years old.

  • @ARKIUM
    @ARKIUM 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I have this model and its my first one a good a friend gifted me for teaching him how to created in CS6. It set in the corner for a long time because i really dig PC. Then i plugged it up and turned it on and saw it had 16 gigs of ram i smiled and now the pc is in the corner since a long time. :)) Great machine.....

  • @harrybautista473
    @harrybautista473 5 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Do you remember to turn offo V-Sync in settings when benchmarking? Usually the reason why framerates get capped at 60 or 30fps. Great video! Considering one for a budget setup

    • @christopherpaluch7216
      @christopherpaluch7216 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Nothing like a Mac user to not know what triple buffer v-sync is

  • @XAE_A_Xii
    @XAE_A_Xii 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    i have 2009 Mac that my mum bought me and my wife as a present more than 10 years ago, and still works magic. a bit slow if i try to use microsoft apps like excel but for basic browsing, netflix and youtube, and tv replacement is perfect. may be because it's from mum, that's why it never fails you

  • @NoahRubinCoding
    @NoahRubinCoding 5 ปีที่แล้ว +30

    I’m excited to work on this iMac!

  • @ianwlouw
    @ianwlouw 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I only got rid of mine yesterday, it was a great machine and served me so well. I did change a few things i had 20GB ram and also an SSD drive, which made the machine screaming fast.

  • @ridwanmaulana6480
    @ridwanmaulana6480 5 ปีที่แล้ว +67

    That iMac is pretty much worth the price. Nice

    • @retr0nus
      @retr0nus 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Noice.

    • @stuartyeh5477
      @stuartyeh5477 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      I’ll Zxx da

    • @stuartyeh5477
      @stuartyeh5477 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      We feel the Ste was s sass

    • @stuartyeh5477
      @stuartyeh5477 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Retr0 Games uyzdg

    • @stuartyeh5477
      @stuartyeh5477 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Xgycyh Rx make t m l cry xx v no xuo

  • @Xxagger
    @Xxagger ปีที่แล้ว

    I have a mid 2011 21.5 inch imac, and I’m loving it. It may have outdated software, being capped at High Sierra, but it runs without an issue

  • @lstan444
    @lstan444 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Your the man, I don't know why other people haven't figured out that the 2011 iMac is great for price.

  • @mikegord
    @mikegord 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    My nephew gave me a later 2009 21" iMac a couple of years ago. 10 years later still working - a bit slow booting. Adding 8GB of ram (12Gb total) and booting from SSD HD in a USB enclosure has revived the machine. Not as slow booting (still slower than my Lenovo T420 - 20 to 30 seconds) but much better than before. A beautiful machine even today. Great screen.

  • @WarriorsPhoto
    @WarriorsPhoto 5 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Luke, I would like to donate that DVD to hard drive caddy to you and your channel. I had one in an iMac like yours several months ago. That iMac is gone and I have some parts left over. Let me know, of a P.O. Box address that you accept mail at. I will gladly send it out later this week.
    Thank you for all the great videos on old Apple products. Hopefully, you decide to make all the changes you are discussing in this video. Those era of iMacs have so many upgrade possibilities. I hope to see you complete them. Including replace that 6970M with a modern GTX 8/9xx series GPU for it.

  • @jillleturgey1001
    @jillleturgey1001 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Sometimes when the tape rips and stuff falls out a parcel company will put everything back in the box and just throw it in. I worked for a company outsourced to move packages and I watch a few time where stuff would fall out and guys would just throw whatever back in and send it on its way. Its very possible it had much more packing and the screen was wrapped with that plastic.

  • @SaGruenwdt
    @SaGruenwdt 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    When you upgrade the graphic card you will loose the ability to change screen brightness und the boot menu will be gone! you need to flash 3rd party graphic cards.

  • @markielinhart
    @markielinhart 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Glad I watched this vid. I just bought a 2013 27”er that’s been maxxed out with 32gB ram and a 3tB SSD for $A500. Waiting for it right now…✌️🌻

  • @matthewfennell5466
    @matthewfennell5466 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Can you do a video on how to shop “for parts” Mac mini’s?

  • @matteialexxandru
    @matteialexxandru 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I have an 27 inch mid 2011 iMac, after a commonly GPU fail at this model, i upgraded at Radeon HD 2GB version. Reaply the thermal paste, on GPU and CPU, clean the inside and display. I am runing Maveriks, with all the last supported apps.
    (I don't like the flat interface). I want to upgrade to an ssd owc aura pro, and 32 gb o ram. It will be a beast ! Great iMac, great year

  • @brycejames2127
    @brycejames2127 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    We sell these for 699. CAD. Great longevity and upgradable. 👍

  • @Titanic19127
    @Titanic19127 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Got one of these new in 2011 and still have it.

  • @keyhoodie6586
    @keyhoodie6586 5 ปีที่แล้ว +50

    I just bought one for $20. It was missing a hard drive, memory, and the glass that sits in from of the screen. I’m about to upgrade the HD with a SSD and the memory. Thanks for the video.

    • @Ror55555
      @Ror55555 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Sounds like a good deal if you get some replacement glass

    • @jaxcyl1-t4b
      @jaxcyl1-t4b ปีที่แล้ว

      sounds likes a super good deal, hell, i'd pay 50$ for that. 20$ SSD, 38$ Ram, 50$ glass. Not too bad man!

  • @carsandzombies7606
    @carsandzombies7606 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    I have a mid 2011 27” as well. I got it in my shop, TV Media in highschool. The school owned it but me and my TV Media teachers were buddies so he let me take it home and when it came time to graduate, he let me keep it. It still sits with a cracked screen, in my room. Upgraded the ram and added an SSD. It’s been my main Mac ever since because I havent been able to afford one.

  • @Redbulpro
    @Redbulpro 5 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Again a great video man! Keep the great work up!!

  • @Tessou
    @Tessou 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I bought this same build earlier this year and it really is a tremendous value for the money. All I did was put in 16GB RAM and a 1TB SSD, with a dual boot of Windows 8.1 to run a few games that complain about metal in High Sierra.

  • @OrangePony75
    @OrangePony75 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Watching this on my mid-2011 21.5" iMac, about to getting a SDD.

    • @truthwinseverytime8805
      @truthwinseverytime8805 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I have the same model. I added 2 - 4GB RAM sticks for a total of 16GB. An SSD would be nice and I will probably do it later this year.

    • @luxembourger
      @luxembourger 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I put 32GB of RAM in it works great.

  • @holton345
    @holton345 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I have a mid-2011 27" iMac and have yet to upgrade anything. It is currently running High Sierra. It takes a long time to fully boot. I look forward to watching your series on this computer. Thanks for posting. Liked, subbed and commented. Happy 2020!

  • @JoeyLovesTrains
    @JoeyLovesTrains 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    There's an Apple software limit of the fps of the screen, when I run Cinebench, OpenGL test I get exactly 60fps everytime

  • @peterbreis5407
    @peterbreis5407 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I agree.
    I am still using the 2011 iMac as my main workstation with maxed out RAM, external boot up drive via the Firewire port and a large ASUS palette monitor, giving me two screens. It has definitely been my favorite Mac of all time.

    • @faithfultrader6340
      @faithfultrader6340 ปีที่แล้ว

      Is still working? I am wondering if I should get the 2011 model now

  • @TechWithSean
    @TechWithSean 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    I use a late 2013 iMac daily for graphic design and video too. Works great. HDD was slow but I now run the OS from a 1TB usb 3.0 external SSD. I also added 16gb ram so it has 24gb.

  • @DanEvansn
    @DanEvansn 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    wow even the thumbnail looks like those from Dave2D.. good job Lu

  • @mugget
    @mugget 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Nice! I have a 2010 27" iMac, already upgraded to 16GB RAM and SSD boot drive years ago - great upgrades. Never knew that CPU and graphics upgrades were possible... might keep this old machine for a bit longer!

    • @kahschmidt
      @kahschmidt 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Runs photoshop?

  • @austinemerick191
    @austinemerick191 5 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Wow, an iMac with upgradable graphics 😳?! So, what is the newest graphics card you can upgrade this too, and will MacOS even support it? Also, I'm really excited for this series btw! Keep up the good work!

    • @lukemiani
      @lukemiani  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      You can put a 1080 in this thing if you really wanted to, as long as its MXM type B with no external power required Nvidia web drivers will work just like on a Mac Pro

    • @austinemerick191
      @austinemerick191 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@lukemiani That's awesome! I can't wait to see what you guys will do with this!

  • @mateuszszalkowski6625
    @mateuszszalkowski6625 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    Picked up mine recently at 120 euros!!!There was no hard drive and graphic card had common fault. Opened it up, cleaned, changed the paste and reflow the GPU. Installed 240SSD drive and it's been working great so far. I am imressed with screen and sound quality. I know the graphic will die again in few weeks/monts but it was well worth it!

  • @DylanChng
    @DylanChng 5 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    2012's Apple products are the best.
    - last of the non-retina unibody macbook pro
    - USB 3.0 introduction
    - MacBook retina introduction
    - Quad core Mac Mini

    • @lukemiani
      @lukemiani  5 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      2012 was a great year for Apple

    • @casillasmichael
      @casillasmichael 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      From what i can tell the one in the video has USB 2.0, not 3.0 but you can get a thunderbolt dock with a 3.0 port that will circumvent that limitation.

    • @bobtheelectrician6692
      @bobtheelectrician6692 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@casillasmichael That $400 is quickly being accessorized by $$$ stuff that will only have a very limited useful life. I sold my 2009 iMac and bought a MacMini 2012 i7 with SSD and a new 27" HP QHD screen for about $400 net. I think I got the better deal since I won't have to delicately pop an iMac screen in a clean room to do any internal upgrades other than RAM. USB 3, which is the more universal modern standard, is built in. Don't miss the DVD drive and the possibility of inserting an SD card into that slot by mistake at all. No longer have to worry about replacing the whole shebang at once, since chassis and screen are separete and upgradable on their own.

    • @bobtheelectrician6692
      @bobtheelectrician6692 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@SteveCanon453 In fact, my set-up is quite cozy. The mini sits on an inverted plastic storage basket, so there's lots of ventilation all around including underneath. This is capped, Russian doll style, with another bigger upside down basket that supports my 5 year old i7 Dell laptop that is used as a Plex server and Handbrake video processor. That one could really fry your thigh when working all out, but the fan rarely kicks in due to the design of my "rack".

    • @bobtheelectrician6692
      @bobtheelectrician6692 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@SteveCanon453 The mini/laptop stack was probably the last of the line for Apple and me. Thus the bet hedging and migration to the independent screen & USB 3.0 peripherals for the time being. Have some apps that only ran on Mac OS 10.6 or Win 7 32 bit (older versions of Adobe that I can run in my sleep, automobile open-source diagnostics for some older cars) but those are being phased out.
      Apple and Microsoft have always seemed to me to embody the left brain/right brain dichotomy, and I was more firmly planted in the Apple camp since the 1980's Lisa, so it's not just a question of $$$. Many folks spend $$$ for iPhone while I am happy with a refurb android with 90% of the features for less than a quarter the price.
      Now that Apple is taking a harder line (everything soldered, seamless install the new OS on only what could be ordered directly from the factory), yes, time to rethink. Even if they flopped with Windows phone and the brazen fact that way over 50% of their corporate clients still run Windows 7 rather than 10, eventually Microsoft will get it right(er) so that we don't needlessly have to relearn where all the easter eggs have been lost.

  • @fatcammal
    @fatcammal 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I have a mid 2011 27inch and I play counter strike global offensive on it almost everyday! Plays as well as a PC, but of course with graphics on minimum settings.

  • @actorgenie
    @actorgenie 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    My 2011 iMac 27 inch just stopped! It won’t turn on in my “[macdaddy]“ says if the hard drive is or was pretty close to being finished. Is there anything I can do to resurrect this machine? I really like it. Thanks

    • @jojoherrmann7800
      @jojoherrmann7800 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Have you analized what could be the problem? Do you have the chime or anything on the screen? You could open your iMac up and there should be 4 LED Indikators. The one who doesn't light up is the hardware you have to replace. Like a example the 4th LED indikates if the Mac is communicating with the Display. If not light up. You have to replace the display or the ribbon cable. All depends on your technical knowledge

    • @ianblakemore4681
      @ianblakemore4681 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Sounds just like mine has gone won't switch on at all, checked it out and found the power supply unit has gone and the motherboard. When I looked over the wiring I found exposed wiring on the temp sensor shorting to the metal surround of the screen and various screws missing (Thanks Charlie Brown). So I will be looking at Lukes upgrades with interest.
      If you are lucky Eugenia it will be the power supply only which you can purchase on e-bay refurbished with a warranty, and then find someone reliable to install it but get it checked over first by someone like Luke who knows what he/she is doing.

  • @dreamscapetv2794
    @dreamscapetv2794 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I had the same iMac and boy did it treat me well. was a beast, I bought it for 250 and 2 years later I sold it for 800 to buy my retina mbp. I would highly recommend this iMac. "S C R E A M E R"

  • @aironwhite6533
    @aironwhite6533 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I have a 2011 imac 21.5 in with 32 gb memory

  • @MrSlick145
    @MrSlick145 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I fitted that i7 in my 21.5 inch iMac when I did a ssd conversion. I’m currently fitting a x3740 Xeon in my 27inch 2010 iMac with a ssd and a new 2tb Seagate barracuda as I purchased it cheap because the had was about dead.

  • @allansh828
    @allansh828 5 ปีที่แล้ว +104

    Why do I never find those deals?

    • @ScottBresnahan
      @ScottBresnahan 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@murb19787 I got my mid-2010 iMac speced out with 12gb of ram for $200 and my brother got his mid-2011 for $250 with practically the same specs from our local college. These deals do exist it's just a matter of finding them. You won't typically find deals like this on eBay but look locally!

    • @tifreakhachey
      @tifreakhachey 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Also got that mid 2010 for 200$ a few weeks ago! Super happy with it even if it's 8 years old! Works like a charm! Only has 4gb ram on mine!

    • @lukemiani
      @lukemiani  5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@murb19787 Nice try: www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-iMac-MD063LL-A-i7-3-4ghz-27-4GB-1TB-Free-Shipping-Mid-2011-GD8780/302952261021?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

    • @tifreakhachey
      @tifreakhachey 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      At 200$ I'll take my chances,
      @Goroei Noble

    • @travisp11
      @travisp11 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      eBay?

  • @Crixxtachi868
    @Crixxtachi868 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    this kinda content is definitely why i follow you.
    Looking forward to the upgrades. will probably buy one once first upgrade video comes out

  • @brianbuckley7193
    @brianbuckley7193 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Hey man great video. There are a few great years for certain models. 2012 Mac Mini w/SSD is the best mac ive ever had. Who is the artist that does the song in the beginning?

  • @BlessedForever888
    @BlessedForever888 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This is my computer! I absolutely love it! The only problem is that for the past year the screen keeps turning black at random times. :( I think it is a problem with the inverter. Otherwise I am still so happy with the computer - the newer ones are not as impressive to me.

    • @williamjames9211
      @williamjames9211 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      That is a GPU socket issue. If you look it up online you will find many guides in regard to it.

    • @BlessedForever888
      @BlessedForever888 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@williamjames9211 thank you

    • @williamjames9211
      @williamjames9211 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@BlessedForever888 you got it. I’ve had my iMac 2011 since release amd it hasn’t shown any issues yet, but I wait for the day it starts acting up. Usually it develops with Time and long exposure to heat.

  • @MattHalpain
    @MattHalpain 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    11:58 as you open the packaging I bust out laughing and the ripped in half white plastic bag used for packaging is hilarious !

  • @babyboy1971
    @babyboy1971 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I have this computer and it’s great. 20gb. Fast, dependable and solid.

  • @JedGeorge
    @JedGeorge 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I have the same machine (but the 21.5inch). I changed the hard drive to a SSD and it runs so much faster than when I first bought it... Only thing now is I can't put the latest OS on it. But still happy with what I've got.

  • @moritzclauss4497
    @moritzclauss4497 5 ปีที่แล้ว +76

    Noice
    Noice
    Noice
    Noice
    Video

    • @SadBoiM
      @SadBoiM 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Noice comment

  • @CarloFerraro
    @CarloFerraro 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    The only thing I miss from my late 2012 is 4K output for FCPX. 3.4 GHz Quad I7, 32GB Ram 1600 DDR3, 500GB ssd, NVIDIA GTX 680 2GB, Catalina, FCP 10.4.8, can run FCPX, LightRoom, LRTL and half a dozen more programs and even more open windows, value on the market.....500 AUD, ridiculous!

  • @JSRMedia
    @JSRMedia 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    0:50 I used to have a dual iMac setup

  • @encinobalboa
    @encinobalboa 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Just bought another M2011 27 off Craigslist for $40. Had GPU problem and no HD. GPU can be fixed by baking. Bake re-flow works every time for me, I am 7 for 7 so far. Worth looking for the 2GB version of the AMD 6970M GPU, the extra VRAM gives overhead and gives a slight boost in speed. 1GB VRAM is perfectly acceptable but I want it all.
    Granted M2011 is limited to High Sierra but HS is still supported. It would be nice to have Mojave's Dark Theme but HS still works great. When Apple discontinues support for HS, M2011 will run Linux so it will continue to be usable for a long time. I am running Linux Mint on one of my M2011's and it works as well as MacOS.

  • @CubanRider
    @CubanRider 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    I just bought a 27" 2011 for $100 due to bad GPU. There is a hack to heat up the GPU to get it back to work with a high success rate, but I've opted for a GTX 770M with 3GB. I also ordered a 512GB SSD and 16GB of RAM, so fingers crossed everything goes according to plan with the installation; it should be a really cool project for less than $450.

    • @EA-ys6vu
      @EA-ys6vu 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Cuban Rider PLS HELP ME. My Gpu is bad

  • @gordonsumner2085
    @gordonsumner2085 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Getting ready to rock my 2010 in similar fashion

  • @artist9356
    @artist9356 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    Lovely video! Ive been using this mac for the past 7 years no complaints! Upgraded my ram and graphics card, and storage to ssd!

  • @Raj-ul9my
    @Raj-ul9my 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I have this one, i love it, its still fast and was the final one with a cd/dvd drive

    • @Rudenbehr
      @Rudenbehr 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      You don’t need an optical drive anymore. You only need it bc you refuse to update

    • @thematey3592
      @thematey3592 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      I agree with you. I have 100's of movie DVD and is so easy to pop one in the Mac

  • @UnkyjoesPlayhouse
    @UnkyjoesPlayhouse 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    had a customer with this model, the board "video chip" had an issue and needed to be re-balled, repair shop told us this was common on these units, so I wish you good luck. You could have built a Hackintosh for this amount of money with better specs though..

  • @mabeast502
    @mabeast502 5 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Time to stalk eBay for a 2011 “rig”

    • @melyu7736
      @melyu7736 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Noice
      Noice
      Noice
      Noice
      Video

  • @antonclaeys
    @antonclaeys 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I have the 2011 27" imac but with a i3 processor. I've upgraded this to the i7 beast and installed an SSD and it's screaming now.

    • @lukemiani
      @lukemiani  5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH" -your iMac, 2019. Congrats, its a screamer

  • @Strato13
    @Strato13 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I paid 200$ for my 2011 iMac27, and just recently upgraded the ram to its max 16GB.
    It's a lot faster now, does everything I need it to do and more, and is quicker than all the PC's at work.
    I love my iMac27 because for 200$ it was a gem, and still works perfectly.
    I recently upgraded my internet to 500MBPS and I'm happy!
    I COULD spend 3K on a newer iMac, but why? I don't need it, especially when I already have an iPad Pro 12.4.

  • @martinezlopez4699
    @martinezlopez4699 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    hey screamer, where do I find the 2nd Part. Kinda got me …;-))

    • @AzizIzgin
      @AzizIzgin 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      exactly:)

    • @martinezlopez4699
      @martinezlopez4699 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Are we there, yet? - Still waiting for reply …;-))

  • @Maxfli82
    @Maxfli82 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I had one of those for 3 years. Full loaded. It had the optional SSD and i7 processor and that thing was very fast. Sold it because I wanted retina and usb 3.0

  • @transitengineer
    @transitengineer 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This was a cool video! Since, I am 100 percent old school (my most modern system is a 2010 mac mini running OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard with its Front Row and Rosetta software). Was hooked when, I saw this imac model still had a built-in apple super-drive.

    • @STARDRIVE
      @STARDRIVE 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      SL is their best OS ever: The first OS with time machine, the last to thoroughly scrub your HDD. Recenly bought a 27¨ 2011 and a copy of SL. It´ll become my offline music server: The drive and big screen (visual effects) will come in handy.
      (I´m not a clouder or a streamer. I´m a gatherer :)
      With internet getting ever more censored, more pop-ups, more regulations, and payed subscriptions to media outlets & software, the online experience gets reduced to a parasitic drain of our bankaccounts & privacy.
      A disposable chromebook is more than enough for dedicated online duty. What´s the use of hooking my personal files to a telephone line anyway?
      Question: How do you watch YT running Snowy? What browser still supports it?

    • @transitengineer
      @transitengineer 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Thank you for replying to my post. Using OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, I watch Your Tube media content using either Firefox or Chrome. While, know that I am using older versions of each browser still they get the job done and support playing videos in HD at 1080p.

  • @FullFlavorRetro
    @FullFlavorRetro 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Luke, thank you so much for your awesome and informative videos!! i actually scored this exact iMac today for $300 best offer deal on ebay...mines comes with 8GB ram & 1TB HDD, no mouse, and a usb keyboard - but no worries im gonna upgrade to 32GB memory and slap a 1tb SSD in there as well... i'll be following your videos to see what you guys do with your $400 imac... cheers f

    • @faithfultrader6340
      @faithfultrader6340 ปีที่แล้ว

      Is still working? I am wondering if I should get the 2011 model now

  • @ffggddss
    @ffggddss 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    "Behind me is a mid-2011, 27" iMac..."
    What a coincidence! In *front* of me is a mid-2011, 27" iMac!"
    I got it from an Apple Store, as a re-furbished floor display model, when it was no longer being shipped (new) by Apple, but before the next models of iMacs were arriving.
    [I think that next model was the first round of retina iMacs; not certain, though.]
    So it was a bit cheaper than a new one, but nowhere near as cheap as they (apparently) are now ($400?!).
    One of my reasons for getting it, was that it was the last iMac with a built-in optical drive, which I *do* use for ripping music CDs and watching the occasioinal DVD movie. So with the newer models I'd need to buy an external CD/DVD drive, adding to the cost.
    It was also the last iMac with Firewire ports, and I have some Firewire drives. (It was also the first iMac with Thunderbolt ports, though I haven't used those. Yet.)
    I'm not that much of a tinkerer, but you've got me really intrigued about possibly upgrading this (now aged) machine. As you mention, its MacOS update-ability tops out at 10.13 (High Sierra), with 10.14 (Mojave) already out, and 10.15 (Catalina) on the way. But if I can upgrade the CPU, will that push my OS-level up? Or would that require more changes in the chipset?
    And if I should dive into this, I'd surely want to go from the 1 TB HDD to a SSD, by either replacing or adding that; this thing can be horribly slow at times, the way it's configured.
    Thanks for awakening some possibilities for me!
    Fred

  • @Harrysound
    @Harrysound 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    I have the late 2012 and it’s still fantastic. Just as good as the day I bought it. Surely they will redesign it in 2019. Here’s hoping for a super wide

  • @j.lietka9406
    @j.lietka9406 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Found one in a dumpster yesterday. Did a short test on it, but didn't have a keyboard/ mouse connected, so couldn't do much. Thank you 🤓 got some response on the screen, but a couple of icons appeared, not sure what they mean. Possibly about not having a keyboard/ mouse connected.

  • @robertavery152
    @robertavery152 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    So much for the money, the argument is similar to buying an older prestige car over a newer more pedestrian model. I recently bought a similar aged MacBook Pro for just £200. Experience shares a lot of the points you make in your vid.

  • @iambobbyray
    @iambobbyray 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I still have/use my 2008 iMac. Works great still.

    • @iOSAndroidRebelForever
      @iOSAndroidRebelForever 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Wow! Do you think it is time for an upgrade? There are pretty good options of Macs out there (2013 Mac) for only $500.

  • @wesleycurrier13
    @wesleycurrier13 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    Only current problem with my 2011 27’ iMac is the lack of “Metal” support on newer applications. I had replaced the hard drive, and RAM a long time ago.

  • @joshualemons7496
    @joshualemons7496 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    I've got a mid 2010 2.93 quad core i7 refurb from the Apple store back in early 2011. Put 12 gigs of RAM in it and an SSD for the boot drive and its been fantastic. (In that model there was a way to add an SSD in addition to the HDD and the DVDRom). Had to replace the HDD in it once, (1TB WD Black drive died) and the original SSD was a small 64 gig drive, (back then they were $$$$), so I upgraded it to a Samsung evo. It's not my daily driver anymore BUT it's still running awesome, I use it as a Plex/Sonarr/SabNZB server mostly. I paid something like 1800 for it then, but it's by far the best computer purchase I've ever made. Still boots in seconds. (I never turn it off though; it's been on almost the entire time, save for updates, power failures and moving.)

  • @markelgomez6453
    @markelgomez6453 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    wallpaper?

  • @Riccardo_Mori
    @Riccardo_Mori 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    I strongly agree: that was truly a lousy way to package an iMac. It could have arrived with a shattered display or a broken stand, like it happened to a friend of mine with an iMac that was shipped internationally and reached him after SIX weeks of wait.

  • @albertzappa1994
    @albertzappa1994 ปีที่แล้ว

    I have a 27" 2020 and a 2011 iMac and it still works good.💚🖥

  • @faithfultrader6340
    @faithfultrader6340 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    How long can I expect it to last if I buy the 2011 model now?
    From the scale excellent, good and fair, it's condition is fair

    • @jaxcyl1-t4b
      @jaxcyl1-t4b ปีที่แล้ว +1

      If it's good condition, and you keep it that way. 4 years left on MacOS, Probably 10 on linux. Really tough, good, and powerful machines

  • @joelscott1278
    @joelscott1278 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    The main issue with these iMacs with those ATI cards is the GPU will delaminate from the board. You have to take the video card out, remove the heat-sinks, and bake it in the oven. This happens to nearly all of them after 4 - 5 years of heavy use. Happened to mine and countless others. But still, with about an hour of work, like mine, its good to go for another 5 years!

  • @brawnerbandwidthpartdeux643
    @brawnerbandwidthpartdeux643 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Hey wow. I just got a used 27" mid 2011 A grade imac. It's awesome

  • @Zebra_Paw
    @Zebra_Paw 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    30 or 60 FPS? This is because of Vsync. That display has a 60Hz refresh rate. When Vsync is on and the game is too far from reaching 60 FPS, it will lock at half.
    Otherwise, it locks at 60.

  • @connorjfinucan
    @connorjfinucan 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I love this I have the same iMac but 21 inch that we got in 2012 and upgrading it is definitely going to be an option for me

  • @exceldonkey
    @exceldonkey 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Where do you get your minimalist landscape wallpapers for your Macs?

  • @ToxicallyMasculinelol
    @ToxicallyMasculinelol 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    those big chunky imacs would make solid hackintosh cases in general

  • @noumenon3020
    @noumenon3020 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I have a mid-2010 iMac and it actually runs 32gb of RAM with no issue. Not apples to apples (pun intended) but that’s twice the RAM on my M1 Mac Mini and twice the official max memory on Apple’s site

  • @pierrezee
    @pierrezee 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    I have this exact same model I bought circa 2012 used for $1000 (with maxed out RAM already). I originally wanted that model because it still had the optical drive and kids can watch DVDs on it. Following a recent failure, I changed the 1TB mechanical hard drive for a 1TB SSD. The upgrade process went very well; there are a lot of helpful videos out there. Man, I should have done that a long time ago, it's like getting a new computer! Oh, and also, it has a SD card reader built in, very convenient to get pictures and videos on it, my main use for this computer.
    I'm curious about CPU and graphics upgrade. I did not know this was possible. Keep us posted and please show details on how it's done.
    Thank you.

  • @WPman911
    @WPman911 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    I have the exact iMac right now that I have been using for the last seven years with upgraded RAM and 250GB SSD. I will be watching closely on the upgrading of the CPU and GPU.

  • @alx3550
    @alx3550 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I have 2 of these since 8 years and still pleased by the reliability of these products... and I wouldn't change them for the new ones...

    • @faithfultrader6340
      @faithfultrader6340 ปีที่แล้ว

      Is still working? I am wondering if I should get the 2011 model now

    • @alx3550
      @alx3550 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@faithfultrader6340 still working... but you need an ssd and ram upgrade.. be sure about the graphic card and the display.
      In one of my iMacs the graphiccard died and in the other the LEDs of the display had to be changed.
      Getting spare parts is becoming a challenge but they are family 😉 and i will take care of them... still great to use and reapair, but be careful with the powersupply!

  • @SkynetCyb
    @SkynetCyb 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The mid 2010 is better because you can also use it as a display for a PC or other, after that one only other macs can use them

  • @billedwardson2562
    @billedwardson2562 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I know this is old but I recently bought this imac with an i5 and I am struggling with getting any decent modern Mac OS to work on it. I gave up and put Ubuntu 20.05 on it. I’d rather have actual Mac on it but nothing worked. Safari, chrome. Do you have any recent thoughts on this? Thanks for the video.

  • @tylerbenton4089
    @tylerbenton4089 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I need a full apple collection 2018 before the end of the year pls