Thank you very much, the upgrade is not extremely difficult so with proper guides I think anyone with any knowledge of computers and good with their hands can do this.
Thank you! Different GPU’s work in the same way, the hardware modification etc is the same. The only difference would be flashing the right vbios for every GPU. If you check the macrumors forum linked in the video description you’ll see that all procedures are roughly the same and only differ software-wise.
Better snag up those cards before all the evil scalpers get ahold of them! I already saw a k1100m going for $300. It’s sad that people have to be like this! It’s a $60 card tops
Who is watching this on a Mid 2011 27? I am. In fact, I have four of 27's throughout the house for streaming cable TV through wireless network. Always wanted to do the GTX mod and here it is. I have re-flowed all my AMD GPU's so not concerned with failure. Despite the supposed problem, AMD GPU is still a good performer for what I do. Nice job on your upgrade!
Thank you for the positive comment! I agree with you that the original AMD GPU performs good! Although in a benchmark program like Unigine Valley I went from a score of ±800 to ±1300 with the new GPU so quite a significant difference. I also reflowed the AMD chip in the beginning and it came to life again, sadly a few months later it failed again so I wanted to solve it for real. Maybe in the future you will actually use this video to upgrade the AMD GPU nevertheless :-).
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Yeah, that is a very nice bump in performance. Are you able to run Mojave or Catalina without DosDude patcher? If so, does it downlaod and install security updates and patches normally? In other words, does it behave like it should??
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Maybe there is one more upgrade possibility. MacBooks recognize faster DDR3 RAM than is published. I know this from experience. It is possible M2011 iMac will recognize faster 1600MHz RAM. Published spec is 1333MHz.
@@encinobalboa Yeah I run Catalina with the dosdude1 patcher and it works like it should. You need to do a few kext patches (all explained on macrumors forum) in order to get rid of a black screen when booted, but I found it easy to do. After that it can install all the official apple updates and works like it should. Of course no sidecar and airdrop, but that is a hardware problem instead of software.
@@encinobalboa The ram upgrade sounds interesting. Although I use 12GB which is enough for me and never find that it runs slow when multitasking so I’m leaving that as it is.
Well since I have a SSD in my iMac, I must use MacsFanControl to correctly manage my temperatures. And brightness control is lost when using the 770M so it always runs on maximum brightness. There is an app called ‘brightness slider’ in the App Store that slightly fixes the problem.
@@123Croupier Thanks for the heads up. However I don't have the iMac with the 770M anymore, only my own iMac with a 780M which has native brightness control with certain VBIOS.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Is it possible to just plug and play the 770m/780m if you are willing to lose the brightness control/boot screen, and not have to the flash? or is the flash always required
@@samkoch2459 I think it is possible, but the performance will be further from native-feeling. I highly suggest flashing the VBIOS, it is really not that tricky if you follow the forum precisely.
I have an iMac 2011 with a MXM Nvidia K2000 Quadro running with OpenCore Legacy Patcher in Big Sur but such Mac doesn't have hardware acceleration working.
So with a 780M, it is possible to get the GPU acceleration in Big Sur or above versions, right? Wanted to double-check before spending money on that GPU... Love my iMac mid-2011 27," and this is a fascinating possibility...
Yes that is correct, if you install Big Sur with the correct patches. My 2011 iMac runs Monterey with a 880M and I love that computer. Check out the forum in the description, especially the “Mac OS patcher” segment.
Once that is done, you can go ahead and patch to macOS Catalina, or even Big Sur or Monterey, as I believe this card supports Metal. Anyway, don't stick to High Sierra, it'd be stupid, it'd hold the performance back!
@@chowandrew2458 That must feel good then! Hope you have an SSD, too! Apple has put horrible slow HDDs in iMacs for way too long! In one way, it's not too bad. The biggest Apple scam is their RAM and storage prices!
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 I mean mac target display mode these iMac can be used as a monitor... I want to connect it to my MBP m1 and have a M1 iMac when at home. I have another of these 27" and I want to just add a mac mini M1 to it ... For the stuff i do it will be great to have 2 macs in one and switch between the new M1 and the old Intel i7.... As of right now I have nvidia 770 on them but haven't be able to flash them and mac target display mode or video out doesn't work ...
@@daycareman2374 Ah I understand. If you look at the first page of macrumors forum (link in description), you'll see the seven common issues with using a non-apple GPU. Both the loss of video output through miniDP (one port) and target display mode are mentioned there when using the 770M and not working. So the only option is to use a Apple GPU such as the AMD 6970M series. Good luck!
Hello, thanks for the video. I wanted to ask you a question...currently I have a 2011 Imac with High Sierra and gtx 770M by Nick graphics and I would like to know what you think if I upgrade to Monterrey. I saw that it is possible to make this update through "Open Core" but I have doubts about the behavior with that graphics card. What do you think?
Hello, I installed an NVIDIA780m on my imac 12.2 2011 27" and when I try to install win10 it freezes. Do you know if it could be because of the video card?
I don’t think it is the videocard. You probably need OpenCore, please check the forum mentioned in the description since your problem is exactly mentioned there.
GPU vervangen samen met mijn zoon van 10 🎉 en ook gelijk het aan uit schakelaartje gerepareerd. Daar bleek een ringetje verzakt te zijn. Nu 1 nieuw probleem, de ventilator blijft hard blazen
Dat klopt! Na het vervangen is de ventilator eigenlijk de kluts kwijt. Je zult met MacsFanControl (te downloaden) de ventilatoren handmatig opnieuw moeten instellen. Het is vrij eenvoudig, als je wilt geef ik mijn instellingen door.
@@robert-janversluis Je hebt 3 fans: ODD, HDD en CPU, vervolgens kun je bij de kolom ‘beheer’ een sensor kiezen (dus niet op automatisch). ODD: GPU heatsink sensor, 50C en 70C HDD: GPU heatsink sensor, 50C en 60C CPU: CPU heatsink sensor, 50C en 70C Als het niet lukt, laat maar weten.
@@robert-janversluis Gebruik jij een HDD of heb je een SSD? Een SSD wordt namelijk amper warm, dus heb ik de GPU prioriteit gegeven aangezien die net geüpgraded is
I disagree it’s better to remove power supply, so that’s your feet the logic board better without any fuss. Without any chance Damaging your logic board in the process of putting it back to the chassis. I did the same process six months ago but I have flash it With my bootcamp Partition In Windows 7 (Much easier flashing than Linux). Anyway great job!!!
Hi, how did you manage to boot via USB because, i have a 2011 imac and an k610M GPU installed on but, i am not able to make a working linux bootable usb. I almost tried more than 5 usb drive and none of them works i could not find my imac on my network. Please please, help me, i need your help
You have to create the bootable USB via another computer. Check the link in the description which should direct you to macrumors forum where the complete guide to the bootable usb is written. Good luck!
@@kiyeb8 Make sure the ethernet cable works properly. Does the iMac even start up, like the chime and fans spinning up? Did you disconnect ALL other drives except the USB?
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 before switching on the imac, I disconnected all wires except the usb drive and the ethernet cable. I heard the chime sound and the fan spinning and I let it boot up for 4 minutes but nothing happened. The ethernet cable works perfectly I tested it on my laptop and on my airport time capsule. I don't what to do now?
Good. But you don't need to remove ODD, PSU and fan to remove the board) When I did it first time I also removed ODD and right fan. On 9 other iMacs I understood this is not needed.
Good video. Great job. Yeah, I'd agree that you can save a step by not removing the PSU. Just reach for the power cable that connects the PSU and unclip the latch - a bit fiddly but doable. That would save a step. Then use some cardboard or thick paper to cover the PSU in case you make contact with it with a metal screwdriver. I tried to keep the ODD and fan in place but found I had a hard time aligning the rear ports when it comes time to re-install the logic board. So, I removed the ODD and the ODD fan to make it easier.
Safest way I have found to handle the power supply is to use microfibre cloths when picking it up. One on each hand stops you making contact with the exposed components
You don’t have to take out the power supply to get motherboard out, it just takes a bit of wiggling and patience. When i baked my amd 6970 because it failed i took everything out and put back in without touching power supply.
After watched this video, I think its good time to start searching where/when to buy that card and do some GPU upgrade for my 27'' iMac! Good video. Will come here again and tell if I made it hehe :).
Shame on apple for not creating metal drivers for the radeon 6970. I have to swap the gpu just to make possible the installation of post high sierra osx versions. It is still a capable machine (i7 3.4ghz 8 threads and lots of ram..) but sadly apple nowadazs tries to shorten device lifecycles to get more profit. My other imac a late 2015 retina 27” cto (shitload of money back then) can’t be upgraded above big sur. Reasons unknown… probably the money…
I have the same 2011 iMac & the AMD had given me problems twice (got the white screen). Using this card (NVIDIA) is there a chance of having the same issue?
Is it necessary to update the VBIOS? my 2011 21.5 imac's gpu is shorted (heatsink black from under), so planning on upgrading. Also, What is a VBIOS chip (found one on ebay) and does it need to be soldered somewhere?
I highly recommend reading though the fist page of the macrumors forum (link in description) to learn about the procedure of upgrading the GPU. VBIOS is only the "software" on the GPU itself to communicate well with the computer it is in, so you do not have to solder anything (also since it is way too small to solder by hand). You can get away without updating the VBIOS to a Mac-capable one, but it could result in a bad working GPU or even not working. So I would recommend to update it's VBIOS to communicate well with the iMac.
Thanks for the useful video. I have a question. i have a broken imac that doesn't show anything, if i put a generic 770m it will start normally? So then i can work to change the vbios?. Thanks and have a good day
I actually have another iMac with a 780M, so yes it is possible to put more powerful cards in this iMac. For a list of all the working cards, check the macrumors forum 👍🏻
fév 2023 > imac A1311 ready to Ventura 13.2.1 + nvidia GTX675m new wifi AC > and transformation layout of power supply boards + holes and fan for heat extraction TOP !
I noticed you said you got a 780M installed. Do you have any updated links for the VBIOS instructions? Also did you have to do anything different than you did in the video for the 780M? Thank you so much for this... you rock.
All the links are stil well provided at the macrumors thread as stated in the video description, so I can only advise you to take a look there. And the procedure is totally the same as for the 770M, just a different VBIOS. Good luck!
Yes, that is possible. But this video is not an instruction how to do it. If you want to know about upgrading macOS on these (old) iMac's, please visit the macrumors forum: forums.macrumors.com/threads/macos-11-big-sur-on-unsupported-macs-thread.2242172/
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Thank I'm looking at this model Quadro K3100M I'm not sure when I finished installing the GPU in I mac, what do I do next? Can the device boot immediately and then flash?
@@asd657262 I know nothing about the K3100M, but the forum says it only has a bootscreen when it is flashed. So before booting the iMac you should flash is using the Linux method as shown in this video.
@@giorgos7six I don’t know! Also this feature is only working in macOS High Sierra I believe. My iMac was upgraded to newer OS so I cannot check it for you, I’m sorry.
Hello, I have 20-inch, Early 2009 imac Intel Core 2 Duo - Ram 8Gb - NVIDIA 256 MB Without ssd I can't upgraded to ssd. What's the best MacOS for my iMac? Thanks.
Hello, yes I think it is possible as the computers are quite the same. Please check the forum I mentioned in the description to read if anyone else has done this modification to a 2009 iMac. Good luck!
Hi TD, why is there a need to grind off some parts of the original X bracket to hold down the new GPU card? Can you not just used the original X bracket and not screw down too tightly? Thanks in advance.
i have same pc with amd radeon 6750m 512, after installing monteray it was wroking fine but when i installed premire pro and photoshop the my imac has started lagging alot, can you suggest what to do. processor is i5,
Will you be able to tell me Can I change and where to find graphics for my imac. I have this one--- AMD Radeon HD 6770M 512 MB,this is 2011 High sierra
Abit confused why u took the whole thing apart and took the ram out as well abit unnecessary u can do this with just taking the graphics card out easier
Yes I use OpenCore to switch between macOS and Windows. Though if I did not use windows, I wouldn’t have to work with a boot switcher. Brightness is not supported with the VBIOS that we can gratefully use for free from the macrumors forum (at least when I made this video). If you really need brightness support, look for some other graphics cards which do support it.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 "EEPROM ID (20,0000) : Unknown , supported EEPROM not found" , weird error as the adapter is identified as a GeForce 780M (10DE,119F,000,000) . Using NVFlash util 5.414.0 , trying to flash it with VBIOS Kepler_Beta3 (latest found on Macrumours) , card works though, 1st time I installed it it booted right up. 2nd and 3rd time I installed it didn't get it past the 2nd LED on the mainboard. Probably a bad UEFI header. Maybe a bad BIOS altogether after the first time NVflash tried to access the BIOS. It's a 780M from Alienware / Dell.
@@coolvidz1763 Weird. I have read on the forum somewhere that some 780M's just don't work, however you say that you booted correctly the first time so it should work.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 This russian th-cam.com/video/dkzobqDyAGY/w-d-xo.html got it to work also. and Manfred here macintoshmen.is-great.net/2019/09/08/imac-2009-to-2011-upgrade-guide/ copied a resume from macrumours. Having seen it booted once, and I could connect to it with the SSH linux flasher, I have to assume the card is still working. The fact that I can't get it to display anything after the first time I installed it, tells me something changed. From what I gathered on info that is usually a missing UEFI boot instruction in the VBIOS , which can be fixed by the specially written VBIOS (your VBIOS is actually exactly the same as mine) , however I haven't found a version NVFlash that supports this card. (tried the linux variant on SSH as well as on a VM using the windows version) , I also have a USB device to flash the VBIOS (this util: th-cam.com/video/2Y06x1f22B0/w-d-xo.html) but unfortunately the clip has these metal grips cut in a 45 deg angle, an on my 780M the BIOS is a SMC with very short pins , so the clip contacts are unable to touch the pins. I know a guy in the UK who could send me a readily flashed bios but I'm neither equipped neither capable of soldering these tiny SMC's.
@@coolvidz1763 I am not a computer technician so I don’t understand all of it, but indeed a 780M should work. I have one iMac with a 780M flashed via nvflash with the VBIOS on page 1 of the macrumors thread and it works perfectly
And also, there are not a lot of cards with the correct VBIOS for an iMac. Your best bet is the macrumors forum and ask if someone has a flashed card for you
@@UnderGroove If you have the 27” iMac, you can use the i7-2600. The 21.5” iMac however cannot supply enough power and therefor needs the i7-2600s which draws less power I believe.
@ugdenhil1490 another question is how do i do all this since my iMac is out with a faulty stock GPU and without an SSD with OSX in. You think this is gonna be doable?
The card performs better in the iMac once flashed. On other cards flashing can result in useful features such as a bootscreen and good brightness control.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Ikzelf heb de Mac mini 2012 uit elkaar gehaald en 2 SSD’s erin gestoken. Met Dosdude installatieprocedure draai ik nu Catalina in Raid0 met 16Gb RAM. Draait nog steeds zeer soepel …
Baking the GPU is at best a temporary fix, the old AMD GPU will 100% fail again. By replacing the AMD GPU with a different one, you eliminate the possibility of a failure.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 hi tom i'm getting a mid 2011 27" imac tomorrow with a failing GPU. I'm planning to do this mod and upgrade but do not feel so sure i'll manage to do it right so I wouldn't want to spend a lot on a new gpu. Which one would you recommend ? I'm happy you say the oven trick is not working, I was definitely not feeling like doing it anyway.
@@christophejanvier3679 I think a K2100M or something. Check the forum in the description to compare GPU scores and choose whichever GPU is easy to install and is available nearby you
Hi I upgraded my iMac fan spin, boots noise all as it should, but I get no picture I've been suspicious that the SSD might not been plugged into the right port but I'm only guessing, since no os no boot screen I can't tell whats going on any advice what should I do? Without putting back the old card and starting everything from zero.
If you boot the iMac and tilt the screen slightly out of the casing, you should see green LED’s down on the motherboard, those are called the diagnostic LED’s. With a little bit of googling you can find out what they mean to help troubleshoot your iMac. My guess is that the iMac is working but the GPU is not flashed yet and that (could) result in the typical black screen problem. Please read the first page of the macrumors forum (the 7 common problems) in the description where you will probably find the answer to your problem. My guess is that you need to do a few pram resets, but I am not sure. Good luck troubleshooting!
Hi Tom, great video!! I was looking for the NVIDIA K2100m or at least one that meets the power specs of my 21,5” 2,8Ghz i7, SSD, 16GB RAM Mid 2011 iMac. How do I recognize the correct card and it’s chipset for instance when to by on eBay or AliExpress? The MacRumors forum has become a complete bookstore on this topic of GPU upgrades for iMacs. At the end I would like to move from High Sierra to Big Sur on this machine. Many thanks!
I myself have little experience on buying compatible graphics cards. The only thing I can recommend is checking the first page of the macrumors thread, it shows the (non)working cards and you can filter out which one you like. I always bought my graphics cards if they came from a Dell computer, most of the time that works fine in an iMac. Goodluck with the upgrade process!
I was changing the cpu on a 2010 27 inch and the Ifixit guide didn’t mention the ram. The mb came out ok, but getting it back in was impossible. I finally realized it was the ram contacting the back of the case and took it out. After that it was no problem even with the PSU still in place.
Your best choice is to find an original Apple gpu, but that is not an upgrade but a repair. If you DO want to upgrade, then the card shown in the video does not need flashing in order to boot up the iMac. However by flashing it you can gain useful features such as better suited clockspeeds for the iMac and brightness control on some cards. If you were to buy a gpu on eBay, sometimes you can get them pre-flashed so you don’t have to do it.
I’m considering buying this for $425, is this a rip off or a good price? Apple iMac 21.5" 2011 > 2.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 > 256GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD > 24GB DDR3 RAM > New Installation of macOS High Sierra > Features include built-in webcam, bluetooth, SD card slot, USB ports, thunderbolt, and SuperDrive. > Has been disinfected, had the harddrive wiped, received a genuine installation of Apple macOS, and passed Apple Hardware Test. > Includes Apple Keyboard, Magic Mouse, power cable, and VicTsing mouse pad.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 thank you. I thought it was overpriced too, but I’m glad you responded cause I can be certain now. I was gonna meet someone today about it, so you have remarkable timing. Thank you!
Will this upgrade allow me to run macos 10.14 or newer? I recently picked up a imac mid2011 with OS 10.13.6. I'd like to install a newer os, but am struggling to find a solution. Thoughts? Thanks!
Yes that is true! If you upgrade to a metal-supported GPU, then you can upgrade to newer macOS versions using various software patchers. My own iMac now runs the newest version of Big Sur without any problems.
I installed the Nvidia K1000m and now no picture on the screen??? I'm attempting to boot from usb to flash gpu. I'm only getting 2 led lights to come on on the motherboard. Help plz??
Please keep in mind that this video applies to a GTX770M and not a K1000M. But if you take a look at the macrumors forum (link in description) you'll find all the information regarding your black screen problem. Also, the flashing process using the USB-tool is done blindly (without a working screen) and you need another computer to SSH to the iMac to do it.
You will need to flash the Vbios using a CH341a bios flasher and clip (ebay). I ended up doing that with a k2000m I purchased, once I did that, the third led came up. SSH never worked for me. Check the macrumors forum. NOTE: In my case, I also ended up having to desolder the bios chip and manually 'clipping' it to the test clip in order to flash it, because the chip was too small for the clip to grab while on the card. Then I soldered it back on.
Hi Tom; Please show me how to create a Linux bootable USB and how to find iMac’s ip (@ 10:44 -. ). I am a newbie and this is my very first time doing this steps. Thanks a million. You are the best *****
If you want more information about the linux bootable usb, see the macrumors forum: forums.macrumors.com/threads/2011-imac-graphics-card-upgrade.1596614/page-175?post=28184981#post-28184981 It is well explained there. The iMac's IP can be found (when connected to ethernet and booted from the linux USB) using a network check program to see which IP adresses are connected to your internet network, just as shown in the video. I hope this helps you.
why wasn't the clamp right ? It seems you bought exactly the same gpu model. That part when you file the clamp is probably the one that's really out of reach for ordinary people.
The clamp was hitting some very small resistors on the PCB, if I would place it like that in the iMac it could cause bending of the PCB which is not good. Also I think filing down is not that difficult of a task, but I recommend doing it.
This video is exactly why I hate apple macs and will never buy one again. I own a 27" imac from 2009.... Upgraded from Core 2 duo and 7200rpm HDD to new motherboard with core i7 3770 processor and SSD.... Upgraded from 256mb graphics card to AMD Radeon 1gb card.... i hated everything about it all....
Would have been cheaper to buy a second hand iMac 2011 complete with dead gpu. I just got a 27" iMac i7, 16gb ram in A condition for 100 aud, $40 for SSD and $75 for GTX 770 and its blazing like a mofo
I just changed the graphics card for the 770m but now my screen goes black, I hear the start-up sound and nothing else, it is still not patched, how can I start with the integrated one in the cpu or another way? Thanks in advance
I believe that you experience the "black screen problem" as written about on the first page of the MacRumors forum (link in description). There you can find the procedure on how to fix it, I believe you must do (3) PRAM reset(s) (but I'm not sure). I don't know how to boot with the integrated GPU, maybe via safe boot?
Please read the forum I posted in the description, it contains a list of (working) GPU’s for in this iMac. I believe the Nvidia GTX 780M is the best Nvidia GPU you can use, but there are some high-end AMD GPU’s that could work, but are very very hard to find and install. Above that, the AMD GPU’s are more recent and quite expensive.
Hi Tom, ik heb mijn 27" 2011 iMac geupgradet met een NVidia K610M GPU en een xeon 1275 CPU. Alles werkt, maar ik moet wel vanaf een USB stick met open core opstarten voor werkende beeldscherm controls. Ook hangt de iMac als hij 'in slaap valt'. Herken je deze issues en zo ja, hoe heb jij die aangepakt? Groet, Maxim
Hoi Maxim, mooi om te horen dat de upgrade gelukt is. Ik heb inderdaad ook zelf problemen met de sluimerstand, dan herstart de iMac met een piepende toon. Ik weet niet hoe dit opgelost kan worden en ik leef dus zonder sluimerstand, maar met “vergrendel scherm” zodat het scherm wel volledig uitgaat en dus weinig stroom verbruikt. Over je vraag van open core, ik heb een 1GB partitie gemaakt vanaf de SSD waar ik opencore op heb staan en ik laat de iMac standaard naar die partitie opstarten waarna ik de opstart partitie (Windows/macOS) kan kiezen. Ik raad je aan om hetzelfde te doen, dus een kleine partitie van je interne schijf afhalen om opencore op te draaien. Succes en ik hoor wel of het lukt!
You can use the GPU without flashing the vBIOS, but since it is a simple procedure and you get back features such as brightness control and better performance I strongly recommend doing it.
Very helpful vid bro, I’m a little overwhelmed and in doubt if I dare to dinghies myself. 1 question, why do I need tondo the last step, flashing the thing?
Flashing the VBIOS will make sure the new GPU communicates as good as possible with the iMac. It will work without flashing, but then you might not have features as a normal boot screen with Apple logo or brightness control of your display.
@@robert-janversluis Ik zou marktplaats afstruinen. Maar vooral niet die originele AMD kaart gebruiken! De hele reden dat ik deze iMac heb geüpgraded is omdat de AMD kaarten gegarandeerd gaan falen na bepaalde tijd. En aangezien die kaarten uit 2011 komen is de kans 100% dat ze ondertussen ooit hebben gefaald (en prutserig weer aan de praat zijn gemaakt) en het dus niet lang zullen volhouden in je iMac.
Hi, I have a iMac 27” screen with a problem . When I turn on I get the boot up sound but the screen stays black is the graphics unit the problem.. Not sure how old computer is I have had for almost nine years , cover screen is held on with magnets. Thank you great video.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 It looks like I may have to do this. Because I have a little bit of choppy video now and then. And I am using the regular hard drive. The choppy video may go away with adding a SD drive, but if you open these things up. You might as well do the video card.
If you take a closer look at the video at 10:00 you can see that the iMac does work without flashing the VBIOS. It is however strongly recommended to flash it for performance gains and maybe even brightness control of the display.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 just saying that because I bought one gpu that didn’t came nothing no image nothing maybe was not supported I don’t know. And for the small cards each one is a good option?
You will lose brightness control, boot screen and some more features. Please check the macrumors forum (link in description) for all the detailed information.
Te hablo dede Monterrey, Mexico tengo un problema con esta tarjeta la compre igual que la que tu tienes 770m y el cambio fue por la AMD de 2 GB... todo igual, segui tus pasos pero la pc, no prende para nada, se queda en negro y veo que no pasa del primer led y veo que solo hace un movimiento los ventiladores y ya. Quisiera tu ayuda por que en realidad me gustaria usar mi imac que desde hace mucho tiempo no la he usado :(
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 That is the problem if I put the GPU that I already had before (6970M) if I turn on the iMac but if I put the new one (770M) it does not turn on :( HEEEEEELP!
@@adrianhumbertoguzmanmartin3418 Estas seguro de que cuando pones la tarjeta 770m no estás creando un corto con el disipador de calor de GPU? No será que le estás apretando los tornillos demasiado a la tarjeta haciendo que alguna resistencia o componente de la tarjeta esté haciendo contacto con el metal?
Very professional. I wish I had your skill set to recondition some of my older mac computers
Thank you very much, the upgrade is not extremely difficult so with proper guides I think anyone with any knowledge of computers and good with their hands can do this.
Very nice video! There needs to be more like it featuring different gpu types.
Thank you! Different GPU’s work in the same way, the hardware modification etc is the same. The only difference would be flashing the right vbios for every GPU. If you check the macrumors forum linked in the video description you’ll see that all procedures are roughly the same and only differ software-wise.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 thank you very much!
Better snag up those cards before all the evil scalpers get ahold of them! I already saw a k1100m going for $300. It’s sad that people have to be like this! It’s a $60 card tops
Who is watching this on a Mid 2011 27? I am. In fact, I have four of 27's throughout the house for streaming cable TV through wireless network. Always wanted to do the GTX mod and here it is. I have re-flowed all my AMD GPU's so not concerned with failure. Despite the supposed problem, AMD GPU is still a good performer for what I do. Nice job on your upgrade!
Thank you for the positive comment! I agree with you that the original AMD GPU performs good! Although in a benchmark program like Unigine Valley I went from a score of ±800 to ±1300 with the new GPU so quite a significant difference. I also reflowed the AMD chip in the beginning and it came to life again, sadly a few months later it failed again so I wanted to solve it for real. Maybe in the future you will actually use this video to upgrade the AMD GPU nevertheless :-).
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Yeah, that is a very nice bump in performance. Are you able to run Mojave or Catalina without DosDude patcher? If so, does it downlaod and install security updates and patches normally? In other words, does it behave like it should??
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Maybe there is one more upgrade possibility. MacBooks recognize faster DDR3 RAM than is published. I know this from experience. It is possible M2011 iMac will recognize faster 1600MHz RAM. Published spec is 1333MHz.
@@encinobalboa Yeah I run Catalina with the dosdude1 patcher and it works like it should. You need to do a few kext patches (all explained on macrumors forum) in order to get rid of a black screen when booted, but I found it easy to do. After that it can install all the official apple updates and works like it should. Of course no sidecar and airdrop, but that is a hardware problem instead of software.
@@encinobalboa The ram upgrade sounds interesting. Although I use 12GB which is enough for me and never find that it runs slow when multitasking so I’m leaving that as it is.
Great job ! Purchased the 770m card. After flashing the card,did you notice any problems with fan speed and brightness control ?
Well since I have a SSD in my iMac, I must use MacsFanControl to correctly manage my temperatures. And brightness control is lost when using the 770M so it always runs on maximum brightness. There is an app called ‘brightness slider’ in the App Store that slightly fixes the problem.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Looks like there is a modified vBios that bring backs native brightness control for the 770 via OC search macrumors thread
@@123Croupier Thanks for the heads up. However I don't have the iMac with the 770M anymore, only my own iMac with a 780M which has native brightness control with certain VBIOS.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Is it possible to just plug and play the 770m/780m if you are willing to lose the brightness control/boot screen, and not have to the flash? or is the flash always required
@@samkoch2459 I think it is possible, but the performance will be further from native-feeling. I highly suggest flashing the VBIOS, it is really not that tricky if you follow the forum precisely.
I have an iMac 2011 with a MXM Nvidia K2000 Quadro running with OpenCore Legacy Patcher in Big Sur but such Mac doesn't have hardware acceleration working.
So with a 780M, it is possible to get the GPU acceleration in Big Sur or above versions, right? Wanted to double-check before spending money on that GPU...
Love my iMac mid-2011 27," and this is a fascinating possibility...
Yes that is correct, if you install Big Sur with the correct patches. My 2011 iMac runs Monterey with a 880M and I love that computer. Check out the forum in the description, especially the “Mac OS patcher” segment.
Hi ! Very nice and still up to date ! Just done with a S7100x firepro . Do you know is there is a way ton get the apple logo startup back ?
Great Video, Thanks
Nvidia MXM GTX770 ?
Once that is done, you can go ahead and patch to macOS Catalina, or even Big Sur or Monterey, as I believe this card supports Metal.
Anyway, don't stick to High Sierra, it'd be stupid, it'd hold the performance back!
been using this with opencore legacy patcher on Monterey. works like a charm:)
@@chowandrew2458 UHM... doesn't it boot a little slowly, and don't you get graphical glitching about everywhere?
Or do you have a Metal GPU?
@@Zebra_Paw gtx 765m
so yeah
Metal compatible
@@chowandrew2458 That must feel good then!
Hope you have an SSD, too!
Apple has put horrible slow HDDs in iMacs for way too long!
In one way, it's not too bad. The biggest Apple scam is their RAM and storage prices!
@@Zebra_Paw of course I’ve put in an ssd inside🙈
It literally breaths new life to old computers😂
vbios update, is need? or not need?
It is not mandatory since macOS works without it. But I highly recommend it since performance increases
You dont need to remove the ram dims if you need to open the imac
You are correct. But when putting back the logic board it is beneficial to remove the ram sticks for easier placement and little risk of damage.
do you have video in after flash ? man I can't get it to flash!!!!
What do you mean with video in? After flashing it should work, just like in the video.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 I mean mac target display mode these iMac can be used as a monitor... I want to connect it to my MBP m1 and have a M1 iMac when at home. I have another of these 27" and I want to just add a mac mini M1 to it ... For the stuff i do it will be great to have 2 macs in one and switch between the new M1 and the old Intel i7.... As of right now I have nvidia 770 on them but haven't be able to flash them and mac target display mode or video out doesn't work ...
@@daycareman2374 Ah I understand. If you look at the first page of macrumors forum (link in description), you'll see the seven common issues with using a non-apple GPU. Both the loss of video output through miniDP (one port) and target display mode are mentioned there when using the 770M and not working. So the only option is to use a Apple GPU such as the AMD 6970M series. Good luck!
Hello, thanks for the video. I wanted to ask you a question...currently I have a 2011 Imac with High Sierra and gtx 770M by Nick graphics and I would like to know what you think if I upgrade to Monterrey. I saw that it is possible to make this update through "Open Core" but I have doubts about the behavior with that graphics card. What do you think?
Hi Andres, Opencore does not change GPU behavior. I myself run Monterey on my 2011 iMac with a 880M using opencore. It works absolutely perfect!
What’s the Gpu required for2011 21 inch iMac to run Monterey?
Hello, I installed an NVIDIA780m on my imac 12.2 2011 27" and when I try to install win10 it freezes. Do you know if it could be because of the video card?
I don’t think it is the videocard. You probably need OpenCore, please check the forum mentioned in the description since your problem is exactly mentioned there.
GPU vervangen samen met mijn zoon van 10 🎉 en ook gelijk het aan uit schakelaartje gerepareerd. Daar bleek een ringetje verzakt te zijn. Nu 1 nieuw probleem, de ventilator blijft hard blazen
Dat klopt! Na het vervangen is de ventilator eigenlijk de kluts kwijt. Je zult met MacsFanControl (te downloaden) de ventilatoren handmatig opnieuw moeten instellen. Het is vrij eenvoudig, als je wilt geef ik mijn instellingen door.
Ah Tom super dat je zo snel met een tip komt. Ik zie graag je instellingen
@@robert-janversluis Je hebt 3 fans: ODD, HDD en CPU, vervolgens kun je bij de kolom ‘beheer’ een sensor kiezen (dus niet op automatisch).
ODD: GPU heatsink sensor, 50C en 70C
HDD: GPU heatsink sensor, 50C en 60C
CPU: CPU heatsink sensor, 50C en 70C
Als het niet lukt, laat maar weten.
Dank je wel. Ik heb het van jou overgenomen. Wat ik wel apart vind, is dat je ook bij HDD de gpu heat sink sensor kiest
@@robert-janversluis Gebruik jij een HDD of heb je een SSD? Een SSD wordt namelijk amper warm, dus heb ik de GPU prioriteit gegeven aangezien die net geüpgraded is
Does anyone know if this flash tool works also with AMD cards? I want to upgrade from an HD4850 to an HD5750 on a 2009 27" iMac. Thanks!
The flash tool should also work for AMD cards! If you check the forum, there are multiple users using the Linux flash tool with AMD cards. Good luck.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Thanks Tom!
You dont have to remove the logic board the gpu can come out on its own
Yes that is a possibility. However it is rather tricky, and removing the boards allows for multiple types of upgrades and repairs.
Can you please detail this how to do so? I would like to do this upgrade and every step less is a great win.
Is it necessary to update the vbios?
No not absolutely necessary, but highly advised.
I disagree it’s better to remove power supply, so that’s your feet the logic board better without any fuss. Without any chance Damaging your logic board in the process of putting it back to the chassis. I did the same process six months ago but I have flash it With my bootcamp Partition In Windows 7 (Much easier flashing than Linux). Anyway great job!!!
tell me in detail. how did you flash through bootcamp? how to get to the windows section, I broke my whole head already
where do u get the gpu
@@Epiceditz735 USA, found it new back then!
where like amazon ebay?@@thomasdimou6780
Hi, how did you manage to boot via USB because, i have a 2011 imac and an k610M GPU installed on but, i am not able to make a working linux bootable usb. I almost tried more than 5 usb drive and none of them works i could not find my imac on my network. Please please, help me, i need your help
You have to create the bootable USB via another computer. Check the link in the description which should direct you to macrumors forum where the complete guide to the bootable usb is written. Good luck!
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 i made an usb bootable disk and i tested it on my MacBook Pro but it doesn't work on my imac. I don't no what to do
It worked great on my MacBook pro but not on my Imac. the Imac can't be seen on my network
@@kiyeb8 Make sure the ethernet cable works properly. Does the iMac even start up, like the chime and fans spinning up? Did you disconnect ALL other drives except the USB?
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 before switching on the imac, I disconnected all wires except the usb drive and the ethernet cable. I heard the chime sound and the fan spinning and I let it boot up for 4 minutes but nothing happened. The ethernet cable works perfectly I tested it on my laptop and on my airport time capsule. I don't what to do now?
Good. But you don't need to remove ODD, PSU and fan to remove the board)
When I did it first time I also removed ODD and right fan. On 9 other iMacs I understood this is not needed.
Oh well, I followed the iFixit guide, but now that you mention it I agree with you
Good video. Great job. Yeah, I'd agree that you can save a step by not removing the PSU. Just reach for the power cable that connects the PSU and unclip the latch - a bit fiddly but doable. That would save a step. Then use some cardboard or thick paper to cover the PSU in case you make contact with it with a metal screwdriver. I tried to keep the ODD and fan in place but found I had a hard time aligning the rear ports when it comes time to re-install the logic board. So, I removed the ODD and the ODD fan to make it easier.
Safest way I have found to handle the power supply is to use microfibre cloths when picking it up. One on each hand stops you making contact with the exposed components
Thanks for letting us know, this seems like a safer method!
You don’t have to take out the power supply to get motherboard out, it just takes a bit of wiggling and patience. When i baked my amd 6970 because it failed i took everything out and put back in without touching power supply.
After watched this video, I think its good time to start searching where/when to buy that card and do some GPU upgrade for my 27'' iMac! Good video. Will come here again and tell if I made it hehe :).
Thank you! I bought the GPU at a local second hand computer hardware reseller.
Could I use same mod for a imac mid-2010?
Shame on apple for not creating metal drivers for the radeon 6970. I have to swap the gpu just to make possible the installation of post high sierra osx versions. It is still a capable machine (i7 3.4ghz 8 threads and lots of ram..) but sadly apple nowadazs tries to shorten device lifecycles to get more profit. My other imac a late 2015 retina 27” cto (shitload of money back then) can’t be upgraded above big sur. Reasons unknown… probably the money…
I have the same 2011 iMac & the AMD had given me problems twice (got the white screen). Using this card (NVIDIA) is there a chance of having the same issue?
I want to upgrade my iMac 2011 27" with a processor Intel Xeon E3-1290 and with a GPU NVIDIA 770M. Has Anyone upgraded an iMac with this hardware?
Is it necessary to update the VBIOS?
my 2011 21.5 imac's gpu is shorted (heatsink black from under), so planning on upgrading.
Also, What is a VBIOS chip (found one on ebay) and does it need to be soldered somewhere?
I highly recommend reading though the fist page of the macrumors forum (link in description) to learn about the procedure of upgrading the GPU.
VBIOS is only the "software" on the GPU itself to communicate well with the computer it is in, so you do not have to solder anything (also since it is way too small to solder by hand).
You can get away without updating the VBIOS to a Mac-capable one, but it could result in a bad working GPU or even not working. So I would recommend to update it's VBIOS to communicate well with the iMac.
Thanks for the useful video. I have a question. i have a broken imac that doesn't show anything, if i put a generic 770m it will start normally? So then i can work to change the vbios?. Thanks and have a good day
This is what’s great about the internet. I wonder if you can use a more powerful nvidia mxm card even if only on windows 10?
I actually have another iMac with a 780M, so yes it is possible to put more powerful cards in this iMac. For a list of all the working cards, check the macrumors forum 👍🏻
I want to completely gut mine, and use the chassis, screen and drive for a AMD 5700g build...might even change the drive into a bd drive.
Easy. lol
Doing this mod soon; very excited. I hope it goes as smoothly for me, man. Thanks for the overview video!
how did it go
How'd it go
I install on Imac2011 a quadro k1100m from zbook but i have a Black screen...help
Try a PRAM reset
fév 2023 > imac A1311 ready to Ventura 13.2.1 + nvidia GTX675m new wifi AC > and transformation layout of power supply boards + holes and fan for heat extraction TOP !
Good afternoon. do i need to remove power from the ssd before the firmware procedure?
Yes that is recommended! Removing the SSD forces the iMac to boot from the Linux USB.
I noticed you said you got a 780M installed. Do you have any updated links for the VBIOS instructions? Also did you have to do anything different than you did in the video for the 780M? Thank you so much for this... you rock.
All the links are stil well provided at the macrumors thread as stated in the video description, so I can only advise you to take a look there. And the procedure is totally the same as for the 770M, just a different VBIOS. Good luck!
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Thanks!
can upgard To big Sur ?
Yes, that is possible. But this video is not an instruction how to do it. If you want to know about upgrading macOS on these (old) iMac's, please visit the macrumors forum: forums.macrumors.com/threads/macos-11-big-sur-on-unsupported-macs-thread.2242172/
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Thank I'm looking at this model Quadro K3100M I'm not sure when I finished installing the GPU in I mac, what do I do next? Can the device boot immediately and then flash?
@@asd657262 I know nothing about the K3100M, but the forum says it only has a bootscreen when it is flashed. So before booting the iMac you should flash is using the Linux method as shown in this video.
Hi Tom, please let me know... is TDM working?
@@giorgos7six I don’t know! Also this feature is only working in macOS High Sierra I believe. My iMac was upgraded to newer OS so I cannot check it for you, I’m sorry.
Great video love all this older Mac content
I just reflowed my gpu it did the job
Hi what brand of 770m you have running? Did you have to mod any chips on it to flash it?
I believe it is from a Dell. I haven’t modded any chips! Only flashing the VBIOS.
I have the iMac at the end of 2009 10.1 core 2 Duo, 27''
what type of processor do you recommend that I finally buy to boost my iMac.
Hello, I have 20-inch, Early 2009 imac Intel Core 2 Duo - Ram 8Gb - NVIDIA 256 MB
Without ssd I can't upgraded to ssd. What's the best MacOS for my iMac?
Thanks.
HI, do you think this is possibile on a 2009 model? thank you in advance.
Hello, yes I think it is possible as the computers are quite the same. Please check the forum I mentioned in the description to read if anyone else has done this modification to a 2009 iMac. Good luck!
So u can play Fortnite with that?👉👈
I have not tested any games. But with this new GPU the iMac should be able to run games better than the original GPU.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 oh ok
Hi TD, why is there a need to grind off some parts of the original X bracket to hold down the new GPU card? Can you not just used the original X bracket and not screw down too tightly? Thanks in advance.
Looks like there were components on the new GPU that were in the way, which were not present on the older GPU
i have same pc with amd radeon 6750m 512, after installing monteray it was wroking fine but when i installed premire pro and photoshop the my imac has started lagging alot, can you suggest what to do. processor is i5,
Apart from the music, very good video.
Will you be able to tell me Can I change and where to find graphics for my imac. I have this one--- AMD Radeon HD 6770M 512 MB,this is 2011 High sierra
Do I need to trimm or do anything to the card if its an gtx 860m?
I don’t think so, but I have no experience with the 860M. You probably have to do the same trimming of the heatsink though..
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Thanks for the answer! What is the best tool to trimm these? If I just let them as they are would that make a big problem?
@@jojoherrmann7800 I used an angle grinder, but a Dremel works too. If you do not trim the heatsink, the card does NOT fit.
I did the upgrade to my iMac 11,2 with the k610m video card I’m getting a bong on startup but black screen any help will be truly appreciate it
Good job bro! 👍 Which Imac models can not be add or upgrade GPU card? Like a Imac 21.5 2014 i5/ Iris pro graphics --> Can I add GPU in this model?
am i trippin or did mans use a bath towel as a static matt lmao my anxiety thru the roof stg
Your eyes work properly ;). I did not use it as a anti-static layer, just a scratch proof surface to not damage the iMac itself.
Should have mentioned when you have the fans, mobo, other components, check for dust and clean them! Place new thermal paste on the CPU!
Hi, i have one iMac 7.1 and i would like to upgrade the gpu to a metal, for support the new macos, how do i do with the gpu bios?
Abit confused why u took the whole thing apart and took the ram out as well abit unnecessary u can do this with just taking the graphics card out easier
With the upgrade you did do you have a boot switcher and brightness adjusting from the keyboard?
Yes I use OpenCore to switch between macOS and Windows. Though if I did not use windows, I wouldn’t have to work with a boot switcher. Brightness is not supported with the VBIOS that we can gratefully use for free from the macrumors forum (at least when I made this video). If you really need brightness support, look for some other graphics cards which do support it.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 ok i get it, thanks!
I have a 780 but unable to flash using the linux way , the card isn't supported in nvflash, any one with a workaround?
What is the error you get and which rom are you trying to flash? Also, are you sure the 780M you have is actually working and not malfunctioning?
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 "EEPROM ID (20,0000) : Unknown , supported EEPROM not found" , weird error as the adapter is identified as a GeForce 780M (10DE,119F,000,000) . Using NVFlash util 5.414.0 , trying to flash it with VBIOS Kepler_Beta3 (latest found on Macrumours) , card works though, 1st time I installed it it booted right up. 2nd and 3rd time I installed it didn't get it past the 2nd LED on the mainboard. Probably a bad UEFI header. Maybe a bad BIOS altogether after the first time NVflash tried to access the BIOS. It's a 780M from Alienware / Dell.
@@coolvidz1763 Weird. I have read on the forum somewhere that some 780M's just don't work, however you say that you booted correctly the first time so it should work.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 This russian th-cam.com/video/dkzobqDyAGY/w-d-xo.html got it to work also. and Manfred here macintoshmen.is-great.net/2019/09/08/imac-2009-to-2011-upgrade-guide/ copied a resume from macrumours. Having seen it booted once, and I could connect to it with the SSH linux flasher, I have to assume the card is still working. The fact that I can't get it to display anything after the first time I installed it, tells me something changed. From what I gathered on info that is usually a missing UEFI boot instruction in the VBIOS , which can be fixed by the specially written VBIOS (your VBIOS is actually exactly the same as mine) , however I haven't found a version NVFlash that supports this card. (tried the linux variant on SSH as well as on a VM using the windows version) , I also have a USB device to flash the VBIOS (this util: th-cam.com/video/2Y06x1f22B0/w-d-xo.html) but unfortunately the clip has these metal grips cut in a 45 deg angle, an on my 780M the BIOS is a SMC with very short pins , so the clip contacts are unable to touch the pins. I know a guy in the UK who could send me a readily flashed bios but I'm neither equipped neither capable of soldering these tiny SMC's.
@@coolvidz1763 I am not a computer technician so I don’t understand all of it, but indeed a 780M should work. I have one iMac with a 780M flashed via nvflash with the VBIOS on page 1 of the macrumors thread and it works perfectly
Hi Tom; please show me the website to purchase the correct GPU card ( NVIDIA 770M with new VBIOS). Thanks a lot!
I bought it a local computer hardware reseller, so I don’t have a link for you sorry.
And also, there are not a lot of cards with the correct VBIOS for an iMac. Your best bet is the macrumors forum and ask if someone has a flashed card for you
many thanks for your
Got an 880m off AliExpress
You can get the 770m there also
What CPU do you have?? i am looking for an I7 2600s, Is it the best option? same mac same year, Thanks
I believe I have the i7-2600 without the 's'. It is the highest option that was once available at Apple.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 I read that I must have the S because it was low consumption, otherwise it would not work. Thank you
@@UnderGroove If you have the 27” iMac, you can use the i7-2600. The 21.5” iMac however cannot supply enough power and therefor needs the i7-2600s which draws less power I believe.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 thanks master!!
Great video... will this GPU work for a mid 2010 27" iMac?
I think so yes, the 2009-2011 models I think are all supported. Check the macrumors forum (link in description) to be sure.
@ugdenhil1490 another question is how do i do all this since my iMac is out with a faulty stock GPU and without an SSD with OSX in. You think this is gonna be doable?
bagaimana cara menampilkan run the check on differen.... pleaseeeeee
tolong bantu aku.....
Hi, catalina??
does this work for other gpu like mxm nvidia quattro 3000m?
Dumb question, if it works with Nvidia 770m why flash vbios what’s the benefit thank you 😊
The card performs better in the iMac once flashed. On other cards flashing can result in useful features such as a bootscreen and good brightness control.
Too fast......but good.
Mooi gedaan! Je moet het ook durf hebben!
Dankjewel! Met zo’n “oudere” computer durfde ik het wel aan en het is niet zo heel ingewikkeld.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Ikzelf heb de Mac mini 2012 uit elkaar gehaald en 2 SSD’s erin gestoken. Met Dosdude installatieprocedure draai ik nu Catalina in Raid0 met 16Gb RAM. Draait nog steeds zeer soepel …
@@IAmZen_007 Gaaf! Gelukkig kunnen wij de wat oudere Macs gewoon nog gebruiken. Ik gebruik mijn 2011 iMac nog dagelijks en hij draait op Big Sur.
you didn't do the oven thing. Isn't that part of the steps?
Baking the GPU is at best a temporary fix, the old AMD GPU will 100% fail again. By replacing the AMD GPU with a different one, you eliminate the possibility of a failure.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 hi tom i'm getting a mid 2011 27" imac tomorrow with a failing GPU. I'm planning to do this mod and upgrade but do not feel so sure i'll manage to do it right so I wouldn't want to spend a lot on a new gpu. Which one would you recommend ? I'm happy you say the oven trick is not working, I was definitely not feeling like doing it anyway.
@@christophejanvier3679 I think a K2100M or something. Check the forum in the description to compare GPU scores and choose whichever GPU is easy to install and is available nearby you
I might get a HD 6750m for 30 bucks. Would that work ?
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 thé HD 6750m IS the default card on thé 2011 21,5" model
Would that work?
Hi I upgraded my iMac fan spin, boots noise all as it should, but I get no picture I've been suspicious that the SSD might not been plugged into the right port but I'm only guessing, since no os no boot screen I can't tell whats going on any advice what should I do? Without putting back the old card and starting everything from zero.
If you boot the iMac and tilt the screen slightly out of the casing, you should see green LED’s down on the motherboard, those are called the diagnostic LED’s. With a little bit of googling you can find out what they mean to help troubleshoot your iMac. My guess is that the iMac is working but the GPU is not flashed yet and that (could) result in the typical black screen problem. Please read the first page of the macrumors forum (the 7 common problems) in the description where you will probably find the answer to your problem. My guess is that you need to do a few pram resets, but I am not sure. Good luck troubleshooting!
thanks
Hi Tom, great video!! I was looking for the NVIDIA K2100m or at least one that meets the power specs of my 21,5” 2,8Ghz i7, SSD, 16GB RAM Mid 2011 iMac. How do I recognize the correct card and it’s chipset for instance when to by on eBay or AliExpress? The MacRumors forum has become a complete bookstore on this topic of GPU upgrades for iMacs. At the end I would like to move from High Sierra to Big Sur on this machine.
Many thanks!
I myself have little experience on buying compatible graphics cards. The only thing I can recommend is checking the first page of the macrumors thread, it shows the (non)working cards and you can filter out which one you like. I always bought my graphics cards if they came from a Dell computer, most of the time that works fine in an iMac. Goodluck with the upgrade process!
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Thanks and following your advise.
I removed the ram door and left the ram in. No issue with removal!
I was changing the cpu on a 2010 27 inch and the Ifixit guide didn’t mention the ram. The mb came out ok, but getting it back in was impossible. I finally realized it was the ram contacting the back of the case and took it out. After that it was no problem even with the PSU still in place.
HI I have imac 27 inch gpu failed , want to upgrade , is there any card for upgrade that does not need a flash to work?
Your best choice is to find an original Apple gpu, but that is not an upgrade but a repair. If you DO want to upgrade, then the card shown in the video does not need flashing in order to boot up the iMac. However by flashing it you can gain useful features such as better suited clockspeeds for the iMac and brightness control on some cards. If you were to buy a gpu on eBay, sometimes you can get them pre-flashed so you don’t have to do it.
can i flash a 1080mxm card and or just boot straight to windows with the 1080mxm
I cannot tell you if it works (properly) under mac as I follow the macrumors forum, windows should accept it I think.
I’m considering buying this for $425, is this a rip off or a good price?
Apple iMac 21.5" 2011
> 2.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
> 256GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD
> 24GB DDR3 RAM
> New Installation of macOS High Sierra
> Features include built-in webcam, bluetooth, SD card slot, USB ports, thunderbolt, and SuperDrive.
> Has been disinfected, had the harddrive wiped, received a genuine installation of Apple macOS, and passed Apple Hardware Test.
> Includes Apple Keyboard, Magic Mouse, power cable, and VicTsing mouse pad.
I think it is way too expensive. It is a mid-tier 21.5” iMac, that should not be more dan 250 I think.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 thank you. I thought it was overpriced too, but I’m glad you responded cause I can be certain now. I was gonna meet someone today about it, so you have remarkable timing. Thank you!
Lekker bezig kerel!
any links to the cards you mention in the video and comments?
Will this upgrade allow me to run macos 10.14 or newer? I recently picked up a imac mid2011 with OS 10.13.6. I'd like to install a newer os, but am struggling to find a solution. Thoughts? Thanks!
Yes that is true! If you upgrade to a metal-supported GPU, then you can upgrade to newer macOS versions using various software patchers. My own iMac now runs the newest version of Big Sur without any problems.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Thanks!
I installed the Nvidia K1000m and now no picture on the screen??? I'm attempting to boot from usb to flash gpu. I'm only getting 2 led lights to come on on the motherboard. Help plz??
Please keep in mind that this video applies to a GTX770M and not a K1000M. But if you take a look at the macrumors forum (link in description) you'll find all the information regarding your black screen problem. Also, the flashing process using the USB-tool is done blindly (without a working screen) and you need another computer to SSH to the iMac to do it.
You will need to flash the Vbios using a CH341a bios flasher and clip (ebay). I ended up doing that with a k2000m I purchased, once I did that, the third led came up. SSH never worked for me. Check the macrumors forum. NOTE: In my case, I also ended up having to desolder the bios chip and manually 'clipping' it to the test clip in order to flash it, because the chip was too small for the clip to grab while on the card. Then I soldered it back on.
Hi Tom; Please show me how to create a Linux bootable USB and how to find iMac’s ip (@ 10:44 -. ). I am a newbie and this is my very first time doing this steps. Thanks a million. You are the best *****
If you want more information about the linux bootable usb, see the macrumors forum:
forums.macrumors.com/threads/2011-imac-graphics-card-upgrade.1596614/page-175?post=28184981#post-28184981
It is well explained there.
The iMac's IP can be found (when connected to ethernet and booted from the linux USB) using a network check program to see which IP adresses are connected to your internet network, just as shown in the video. I hope this helps you.
Thanks a lot
why wasn't the clamp right ? It seems you bought exactly the same gpu model. That part when you file the clamp is probably the one that's really out of reach for ordinary people.
The clamp was hitting some very small resistors on the PCB, if I would place it like that in the iMac it could cause bending of the PCB which is not good. Also I think filing down is not that difficult of a task, but I recommend doing it.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 yeah we don't have the same manual skills level i guess... which gpu do you recommend for mid 2011 as of todays' market ?
This video is exactly why I hate apple macs and will never buy one again. I own a 27" imac from 2009.... Upgraded from Core 2 duo and 7200rpm HDD to new motherboard with core i7 3770 processor and SSD.... Upgraded from 256mb graphics card to AMD Radeon 1gb card.... i hated everything about it all....
Sorry but what is so bad about upgrading an old (bad spec) computer to better specs? I think that that is a good thing! :-)
Would have been cheaper to buy a second hand iMac 2011 complete with dead gpu. I just got a 27" iMac i7, 16gb ram in A condition for 100 aud, $40 for SSD and $75 for GTX 770 and its blazing like a mofo
@@123Croupier That is a really good deal! The iMac with a 770M works like a charm.
I just changed the graphics card for the 770m but now my screen goes black, I hear the start-up sound and nothing else, it is still not patched, how can I start with the integrated one in the cpu or another way?
Thanks in advance
I believe that you experience the "black screen problem" as written about on the first page of the MacRumors forum (link in description). There you can find the procedure on how to fix it, I believe you must do (3) PRAM reset(s) (but I'm not sure).
I don't know how to boot with the integrated GPU, maybe via safe boot?
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 i will try today, its complicated to me read in english but try with translator. Thanks!
I have the exact same iMac 27 inches. What is the best graphics card I could buy for this? And where from?
Please read the forum I posted in the description, it contains a list of (working) GPU’s for in this iMac. I believe the Nvidia GTX 780M is the best Nvidia GPU you can use, but there are some high-end AMD GPU’s that could work, but are very very hard to find and install. Above that, the AMD GPU’s are more recent and quite expensive.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Thank you :-), just subscribed!
One question - did you use a gpu for apple? or did you use just a MXM gpu?
I used a gpu which was not suited for this Apple iMac, it is however supported by macOS with drivers. It is not a plug and play solution though.
Hi Tom, ik heb mijn 27" 2011 iMac geupgradet met een NVidia K610M GPU en een xeon 1275 CPU. Alles werkt, maar ik moet wel vanaf een USB stick met open core opstarten voor werkende beeldscherm controls. Ook hangt de iMac als hij 'in slaap valt'. Herken je deze issues en zo ja, hoe heb jij die aangepakt? Groet, Maxim
Hoi Maxim, mooi om te horen dat de upgrade gelukt is. Ik heb inderdaad ook zelf problemen met de sluimerstand, dan herstart de iMac met een piepende toon. Ik weet niet hoe dit opgelost kan worden en ik leef dus zonder sluimerstand, maar met “vergrendel scherm” zodat het scherm wel volledig uitgaat en dus weinig stroom verbruikt.
Over je vraag van open core, ik heb een 1GB partitie gemaakt vanaf de SSD waar ik opencore op heb staan en ik laat de iMac standaard naar die partitie opstarten waarna ik de opstart partitie (Windows/macOS) kan kiezen. Ik raad je aan om hetzelfde te doen, dus een kleine partitie van je interne schijf afhalen om opencore op te draaien. Succes en ik hoor wel of het lukt!
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Dank, ga ik proberen (excuses voor late reactie, heb notificaties uitstaan denk ik ;). Groet, Maxim.
De originele 2tb hdd
Dan kun je die fan ook op HDD sensor zetten. In mijn video heb ik geen HDD meer en daarom ook de sensor niet meer.
A question, is it important to flash the vBIOS or it'll work good without it?
You can use the GPU without flashing the vBIOS, but since it is a simple procedure and you get back features such as brightness control and better performance I strongly recommend doing it.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 ok, thank you!
Very helpful vid bro, I’m a little overwhelmed and in doubt if I dare to dinghies myself. 1 question, why do I need tondo the last step, flashing the thing?
Flashing the VBIOS will make sure the new GPU communicates as good as possible with the iMac. It will work without flashing, but then you might not have features as a normal boot screen with Apple logo or brightness control of your display.
thanks man@@tomvreugdenhil1490
heb je een goed adresje voor me waar ik deze kan kopen? AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2GB
@@robert-janversluis Ik zou marktplaats afstruinen. Maar vooral niet die originele AMD kaart gebruiken! De hele reden dat ik deze iMac heb geüpgraded is omdat de AMD kaarten gegarandeerd gaan falen na bepaalde tijd. En aangezien die kaarten uit 2011 komen is de kans 100% dat ze ondertussen ooit hebben gefaald (en prutserig weer aan de praat zijn gemaakt) en het dus niet lang zullen volhouden in je iMac.
Hi, I have a iMac 27” screen with a problem . When I turn on I get the boot up sound but the screen stays black is the graphics unit the problem.. Not sure how old computer is I have had for almost nine years , cover screen is held on with magnets. Thank you great video.
Man, that looks like an awful pain in the neck for such an upgrade.
It’s really not that bad! And it makes your old iMac really capable again. I even run the most recent macOS Ventura on mine :)
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 It looks like I may have to do this. Because I have a little bit of choppy video now and then. And I am using the regular hard drive. The choppy video may go away with adding a SD drive, but if you open these things up. You might as well do the video card.
grazie mille per questa guida
Does that Gpu works out of box without the flashing the bios?
If you take a closer look at the video at 10:00 you can see that the iMac does work without flashing the VBIOS. It is however strongly recommended to flash it for performance gains and maybe even brightness control of the display.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 just saying that because I bought one gpu that didn’t came nothing no image nothing maybe was not supported I don’t know. And for the small cards each one is a good option?
Great Video Thanks!!
Can this be done to the 21” model?
Yes, some upgrades are possible for the 21.5" iMac. But for a list of compatible cards, check the macrumors forum (link in the video description)
what will happen if we dont flash bios?
You will lose brightness control, boot screen and some more features. Please check the macrumors forum (link in description) for all the detailed information.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 good to know apprecite it, i am planning to upgrade mine.. Thank you
Te hablo dede Monterrey, Mexico tengo un problema con esta tarjeta la compre igual que la que tu tienes 770m y el cambio fue por la AMD de 2 GB... todo igual, segui tus pasos pero la pc, no prende para nada, se queda en negro y veo que no pasa del primer led y veo que solo hace un movimiento los ventiladores y ya. Quisiera tu ayuda por que en realidad me gustaria usar mi imac que desde hace mucho tiempo no la he usado :(
I don’t speak your language, but I translated it via google. I think you have a short circuit somewhere. Make sure the GPU is mounted correctly.
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 That is the problem if I put the GPU that I already had before if I turn on the iMac
That is the problem if I put the GPU that I already had before (6970M) if I turn on the iMac but if I put the new one (770M) it does not turn on :(
@@tomvreugdenhil1490 That is the problem if I put the GPU that I already had before (6970M) if I turn on the iMac but if I put the new one (770M) it does not turn on :(
HEEEEEELP!
@@adrianhumbertoguzmanmartin3418 Estas seguro de que cuando pones la tarjeta 770m no estás creando un corto con el disipador de calor de GPU? No será que le estás apretando los tornillos demasiado a la tarjeta haciendo que alguna resistencia o componente de la tarjeta esté haciendo contacto con el metal?
Man you deserve more subs you now have 19
Haha thank you. I don't really do TH-cam for the amount of subscribers, I just like to help people out.