iMac 2011 GPU upgrade to NVIDIA 770M with new VBIOS

Do this upgrade at your own risk! You CAN damage your iMac or cause harm while dealing with exposed electronics.
Link to iFixit teardown guide, the 27" variant is nearly identical:
nl.ifixit.com/...
Link to Macrumors forum:
forums.macrumo...
Link to Linux flash tool:
forums.macrumo...
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[@encinobalboa]

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!

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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 :-).

[@encinobalboa]

@@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??

[@encinobalboa]

@@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.

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

@@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.

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

@@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.

[@johnblake9748]

Very professional. I wish I had your skill set to recondition some of my older mac computers

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@mattevans7884]

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

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

Thanks for letting us know, this seems like a safer method!

[@goldensunset4210]

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.

[@justcooking8876]

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 :).

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

Thank you! I bought the GPU at a local second hand computer hardware reseller.

[@holton345]

Doing this mod soon; very excited. I hope it goes as smoothly for me, man. Thanks for the overview video!

[@bondo532]

how did it go

[@dungeonlord1]

How'd it go

[@bhg00]

Great video love all this older Mac content I just reflowed my gpu it did the job

[@xxxxxDUSTYxxxxx]

Very nice video! There needs to be more like it featuring different gpu types.

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@xxxxxDUSTYxxxxx]

@@tomvreugdenhil1490 thank you very much!

[@ceboz]

Apart from the music, very good video.

[@thomasdimou6780]

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!!!

[@Mr_Beats777]

tell me in detail. how did you flash through bootcamp? how to get to the windows section, I broke my whole head already

[@Epiceditz735]

where do u get the gpu

[@thomasdimou6780]

@@Epiceditz735 USA, found it new back then!

[@Epiceditz735]

where like amazon ebay?@@thomasdimou6780

[@IAmZen_007]

Mooi gedaan! Je moet het ook durf hebben!

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

Dankjewel! Met zo’n “oudere” computer durfde ik het wel aan en het is niet zo heel ingewikkeld.

[@IAmZen_007]

@@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 …

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

@@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.

[@gnommak]

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.

[@mrclaws9]

Oh well, I followed the iFixit guide, but now that you mention it I agree with you

[@kuoshenchoong3906]

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.

[@JacobGeleyn]

Lekker bezig kerel!

[@stephaner-peintre7453]

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 !

[@xxxxxDUSTYxxxxx]

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

[@j.lietka9406]

Should have mentioned when you have the fans, mobo, other components, check for dust and clean them! Place new thermal paste on the CPU!

[@johnshaw252]

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.

[@davidebr90]

grazie mille per questa guida

[@VoodooooChild]

Great Video Thanks!!

[@tripleh9985]

Great job ! Purchased the 770m card. After flashing the card,did you notice any problems with fan speed and brightness control ?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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]

@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Looks like there is a modified vBios that bring backs native brightness control for the 770 via OC search macrumors thread

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

@@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.

[@samkoch2459]

@@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

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

@@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.

[@giorgos7six]

Hi Tom, please let me know... is TDM working?

[@Blasazo]

Could I use same mod for a imac mid-2010?

[@NoName-tx7og]

Nvidia MXM GTX770 ?

[@loopster40]

Man, that looks like an awful pain in the neck for such an upgrade.

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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 :)

[@loopster40]

@@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.

[@MrLove100x]

thanks

[@paparaphatv]

vbios update, is need? or not need?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

It is not mandatory since macOS works without it. But I highly recommend it since performance increases

[@Up_North_907]

Man you deserve more subs you now have 19

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

Haha thank you. I don't really do KZbin for the amount of subscribers, I just like to help people out.

[@lemarioss]

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?

[@ni7suj]

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.

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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!

[@ni7suj]

@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Thanks!

[@koushik..]

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...

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@RacingPCs]

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.

[@Oliver-us3bx]

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 ?

[@federicoguess5872]

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

[@islamibrokhimov3413]

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?

[@Zebra_Paw]

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]

been using this with opencore legacy patcher on Monterey. works like a charm:)

[@Zebra_Paw]

@@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?

[@chowandrew2458]

@@Zebra_Paw gtx 765m so yeah Metal compatible

[@Zebra_Paw]

@@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!

[@chowandrew2458]

@@Zebra_Paw of course I’ve put in an ssd inside🙈 It literally breaths new life to old computers😂

[@adityokristianto751]

You dont need to remove the ram dims if you need to open the imac

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@HaciendoCosas]

Hi, catalina??

[@syafiurrokhman7475]

bagaimana cara menampilkan run the check on differen.... pleaseeeeee

[@syafiurrokhman7475]

tolong bantu aku.....

[@asd657262]

can upgard To big Sur ?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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/

[@asd657262]

@@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?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

@@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.

[@bereal1251]

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

[@TheDjFrama]

I install on Imac2011 a quadro k1100m from zbook but i have a Black screen...help

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

Try a PRAM reset

[@Mr_Beats777]

Good afternoon. do i need to remove power from the ssd before the firmware procedure?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

Yes that is recommended! Removing the SSD forces the iMac to boot from the Linux USB.

[@christians.3976]

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?

[@Raafat]

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.

[@makaveli559m]

Hi what brand of 770m you have running? Did you have to mod any chips on it to flash it?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

I believe it is from a Dell. I haven’t modded any chips! Only flashing the VBIOS.

[@cccaroccio]

I removed the ram door and left the ram in. No issue with removal!

[@midotron]

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.

[@sttm1283]

any links to the cards you mention in the video and comments?

[@gordonbartholomew2370]

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.

[@giorgos7six]

With the upgrade you did do you have a boot switcher and brightness adjusting from the keyboard?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@giorgos7six]

@@tomvreugdenhil1490 ok i get it, thanks!

[@BTWTechGaming]

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?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@daycareman2374]

do you have video in after flash ? man I can't get it to flash!!!!

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

What do you mean with video in? After flashing it should work, just like in the video.

[@daycareman2374]

@@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 ...

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

@@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!

[@BurninVinyl]

HI, do you think this is possibile on a 2009 model? thank you in advance.

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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!

[@dannydyer2879]

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

[@christophejanvier3679]

you didn't do the oven thing. Isn't that part of the steps?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@christophejanvier3679]

@@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.

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

@@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

[@christophejanvier3679]

I might get a HD 6750m for 30 bucks. Would that work ?

[@christophejanvier3679]

@@tomvreugdenhil1490 thé HD 6750m IS the default card on thé 2011 21,5" model Would that work?

[@jojoherrmann7800]

Do I need to trimm or do anything to the card if its an gtx 860m?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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..

[@jojoherrmann7800]

@@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?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

@@jojoherrmann7800 I used an angle grinder, but a Dremel works too. If you do not trim the heatsink, the card does NOT fit.

[@MaverickM1]

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…

[@hengyhk88]

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.

[@mattevans7884]

Looks like there were components on the new GPU that were in the way, which were not present on the older GPU

[@AshishYadav-nk6oq]

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,

[@carserser]

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?

[@alufelgaa]

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

[@robert-janversluis]

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?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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]

thanks man@@tomvreugdenhil1490

[@robert-janversluis]

heb je een goed adresje voor me waar ik deze kan kopen? AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2GB

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

@@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.

[@giorgos7six]

Great video... will this GPU work for a mid 2010 27" iMac?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

I think so yes, the 2009-2011 models I think are all supported. Check the macrumors forum (link in description) to be sure.

[@giorgos7six]

@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?

[@_SZNN]

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]

I think it is way too expensive. It is a mid-tier 21.5” iMac, that should not be more dan 250 I think.

[@_SZNN]

@@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!

[@Game1Experts]

does this work for other gpu like mxm nvidia quattro 3000m?

[@christophernguyen3807]

Hi Tom; please show me the website to purchase the correct GPU card ( NVIDIA 770M with new VBIOS). Thanks a lot!

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

I bought it a local computer hardware reseller, so I don’t have a link for you sorry.

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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

[@christophernguyen3807]

many thanks for your

[@yournemesis192]

Got an 880m off AliExpress You can get the 770m there also

[@martini.g.5877]

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?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@RobbertvanGomNeumann]

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!

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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!

[@RobbertvanGomNeumann]

@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Thanks and following your advise.

[@austinsec]

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?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@christophejanvier3679]

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.

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@christophejanvier3679]

@@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 ?

[@chrissoba5104]

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.

[@ryananderson8576]

can i flash a 1080mxm card and or just boot straight to windows with the 1080mxm

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

I cannot tell you if it works (properly) under mac as I follow the macrumors forum, windows should accept it I think.

[@robert-janversluis]

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

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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]

Ah Tom super dat je zo snel met een tip komt. Ik zie graag je instellingen

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

@@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]

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

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

@@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

[@UnderGroove]

What CPU do you have?? i am looking for an I7 2600s, Is it the best option? same mac same year, Thanks

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

I believe I have the i7-2600 without the 's'. It is the highest option that was once available at Apple.

[@UnderGroove]

@@tomvreugdenhil1490 I read that I must have the S because it was low consumption, otherwise it would not work. Thank you

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

@@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.

[@UnderGroove]

@@tomvreugdenhil1490 thanks master!!

[@MaximvanWijk]

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

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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!

[@MaximvanWijk]

@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Dank, ga ik proberen (excuses voor late reactie, heb notificaties uitstaan denk ik ;). Groet, Maxim.

[@kornweed]

I would be satisfied to have the stock GPU ya have, I've got the same everything besides my GPU which is a horrid 512MB in dedicated memory (I have the exact same computer model and specs besides the GPU), but at least I can say I spent 9 months making a massive mod for an obsolete game from 2010 on a 512MB Dedicated Memory GPU on an iMac with Gimp, text editor, and blender lol

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

I can highly recommend upgrading the GPU in your case. All of the old AMD cards in this iMac are doomed to fail one day. The 770M in this video increased the graphics performance by a lot! My daily 2011 iMac now even has a 780M which absolutely screams in graphics performance.

[@kornweed]

@@tomvreugdenhil1490 I would love that, but I could never afford that, and my iMac is basically my only Apple product and my only computer, because my 3 other windows computers are all having OS problems and Hard drive problems in general, it's getting to a point where I'm starting to use PS3's and Xbox 360 hard drives to make them work (ofc I have erased them) but even those are starting to fail on me too and none of them are nowhere near 5 years old while my iMac is 10 years old without any problems besides the temperature but I'm using manual fan control to retain it's life (and no I'm not doing full blast 24/7 I don't wanna destroy my fans 😅) but even so, since this iMac has been lasting so long, it's got me taken over (and I'm not gonna buy a newer iMac, I'ma Steve Jobs era guy lol) although I am seeing if I can do anything with the Thunderbolt ports I have, I've been seeing that I can get an eGPU for it, but Idk the compatibility and what's available and what's not available, I kinda wanna go as stock as I possibly can without using other OS's or anything like that (mostly because I can't, and I can't afford them) my 2011, 27 inch iMac was an early graduation gift, the previous owner didn't want it anymore since they got a new iMac and they handed it down to me instead since I was desperate to learn things that are tech related in all ways and I was kinda without a computer at all and that iMac has been probably the best gift I've ever gotten in my entire life (enough with my personal life thou lol) I do wanna see if I can do something with the GPU situation I'm stuck in, like I've been constantly pushing the limits of my GPU (mostly because I have no other choice with having said 512MB in Dedicated memory) oh and I uhh, I'm still kinda new with computers, I've only had my iMac for a year now 😅

[@williiambjones5918]

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??

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@brojoe787]

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.

[@freeagent6282]

One question - did you use a gpu for apple? or did you use just a MXM gpu?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@RussianPinoy]

Dumb question, if it works with Nvidia 770m why flash vbios what’s the benefit thank you 😊

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@denverwheeler1760]

am i trippin or did mans use a bath towel as a static matt lmao my anxiety thru the roof stg

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@christophernguyen3807]

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 *****

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@christophernguyen3807]

Thanks a lot

[@leonfuhrmann8579]

You can remove the logic board fairly easily without having to remove the backlight board, power supply, hard drive, optical drive, or any of the fans. Saves a lot of time...

[@RobbertvanGomNeumann]

Can you please tell how and if this also works with an iMac 21.5 inch 2011 ?

[@leonfuhrmann8579]

@@RobbertvanGomNeumann 2009-2011 27" models. The 21" is slightly different in that you must remove the optical drive and right side fan before the board can be pulled out.

[@Andres-mi8vc]

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?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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!

[@navinkv007]

What’s the Gpu required for2011 21 inch iMac to run Monterey?

[@UnderGroove]

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

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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?

[@UnderGroove]

@@tomvreugdenhil1490 i will try today, its complicated to me read in english but try with translator. Thanks!

[@KK-ff9cg]

I have the exact same iMac 27 inches. What is the best graphics card I could buy for this? And where from?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@KK-ff9cg]

@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Thank you :-), just subscribed!

[@carlosleonch]

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!

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@carlosleonch]

@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Thanks Tom!

[@bhg00]

You dont have to remove the logic board the gpu can come out on its own

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

Yes that is a possibility. However it is rather tricky, and removing the boards allows for multiple types of upgrades and repairs.

[@RobbertvanGomNeumann]

Can you please detail this how to do so? I would like to do this upgrade and every step less is a great win.

[@bradleygasawski2657]

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!

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@bradleygasawski2657]

@@tomvreugdenhil1490 Thanks!

[@walkinggod]

Does that Gpu works out of box without the flashing the bios?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@walkinggod]

@@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?

[@rk.7]

what will happen if we dont flash bios?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

You will lose brightness control, boot screen and some more features. Please check the macrumors forum (link in description) for all the detailed information.

[@rk.7]

@@tomvreugdenhil1490 good to know apprecite it, i am planning to upgrade mine.. Thank you

[@jaythelonelydriver]

Can this be done to the 21” model?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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)

[@AlexisMartinez-nl5py]

Is it necessary to update the vbios?

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

No not absolutely necessary, but highly advised.

[@Joshu4-O.D]

Too fast......but good.

[@adrianhumbertoguzmanmartin3418]

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]

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.

[@adrianhumbertoguzmanmartin3418]

@@tomvreugdenhil1490 That is the problem if I put the GPU that I already had before if I turn on the iMac

[@adrianhumbertoguzmanmartin3418]

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 :(

[@adrianhumbertoguzmanmartin3418]

@@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!

[@brojoe787]

@@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?

[@FelixBruin]

Removing the complete logic board isnt needed at all, can upgrade gpu's all day long with the logic board still installed ;-)

[@robert-janversluis]

De originele 2tb hdd

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

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.

[@somalicinema4171]

bro are there better CPU of that kind and how does it perfome game wise!

[@vibezcleez6544]

So u can play Fortnite with that?👉👈

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

I have not tested any games. But with this new GPU the iMac should be able to run games better than the original GPU.

[@vibezcleez6544]

@@tomvreugdenhil1490 oh ok

[@ZackCrain]

I'm looking to do the 770m upgrade from 6770, can I install without having to do anything with the bios and still have everything work good? What exactly is the bios upgrade do

[@tomvreugdenhil1490]

No not really. You will 100% lose brightness control and the boot screen does not appear. By flashing the bios some of these features COULD return. For all information, please check the macrumors forum (link in description) for detailed information. This video is just to describe to procedure.

[@guyp3599]

Easy. lol

[@wildcheekymonkey]

Thnx i just order a card.

[@lorandterebesi5632]

Great Video, Thanks