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iM 4,1-14,4 2011 iMac Graphics Card Upgrade
- Thread starter MichaelDT
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Bought two RX5500XT from China, one came in DOA (dead on arrival) and the sender never answered on my request! The other card died after less than 12 months without being used! Casual software development, no video processing and no gaming. So there is no one working on this project any longer and honestly since even M$ announced to rely on AVX2 CPUs there is no desktop OS left other than all these Linux versions for an 2011 SandyBridge system. Looks like we hit a dead end, it is 2025!
On paper this card looks great, in reality your mileage may vary. Like the WX7100 those cards are heavily overpriced. You can get nearly a M4 mini, for sure an older Apple silicon Mac. My M4 consumes 40W including the 27” display while the iMac pulls 120-200W doing the same things. The energy bill alone will pay for the new M4.
Well that’s depressing
my 6970 is working fine on Monterey but I bought this 5500 for the potential of more vram. Shame since the 27” are such powerful machines still. Maybe I’ll run windows then - thanks for all your hard work.
but I haven't been able to test it yet to really know since on my imac the lcd screen is broken so i always just connect to an ext monitor and recently my orginal gpu for my 2010 21.5 inch hd4670 or sum it broke and I was using ubuntu so im quite stumped.... do I boot ubuntu wihtout flashing on my ssd orrrr???
I've looked through the forums and haven;t seen folks with the same issue.. But when i installed my w5170M on my 11,2 imac the boot chime loops. So it won't allow me to go to the GRML usb. (My USB flashes when it's getting read) so idk if its the lack copper shim (Idk how to measure or find the correct copper shim and I don't wanna waste money) or a short.. @piwikiwi you have one of these cards in ur imac. maybe u could help?.
Hi to all!!
I'm facing a problem with my setup I have an iMac 11.1 late 2009 with 860 Intel CPU.
I try install a WX4150 v1.1, with EG bios, this one without dufc temperature sensor and related resistor close.
I have install OCLP and Ventura in dual boot with W11 all work perfectly, except for CPU frequency, throttling at 1.2ghz and the CPU and ODD fan run at full speed.
I've che all temperature sensor and are good I have correct readings in Mac fan control but when I run powermetrics the GPU die temp is -127° and cpuplimits 15 gpuplimits 3.
Anyone can help me?
🙏
I'm facing a problem with my setup I have an iMac 11.1 late 2009 with 860 Intel CPU.
I try install a WX4150 v1.1, with EG bios, this one without dufc temperature sensor and related resistor close.
I have install OCLP and Ventura in dual boot with W11 all work perfectly, except for CPU frequency, throttling at 1.2ghz and the CPU and ODD fan run at full speed.
I've che all temperature sensor and are good I have correct readings in Mac fan control but when I run powermetrics the GPU die temp is -127° and cpuplimits 15 gpuplimits 3.
Anyone can help me?
🙏
Have you tried going into OpenCore settings and selecting 'Disable Throttling'? This can help in some situations, disabling CPUFriend could also help but do this one at your own risk
Hey, folks…
I am going to jump into the middle of this long-a$$ super-thread with a question that has likely been asked and answered many times over now, but I cannot fish through 900+ pages to find what I need. If this is the wrong place to post this, I hope the mods will move it to the appropriate place (and let me know, as otherwise I will never find the answers you guys take the time to type up for me).
Today, I modified my GPU heat sink for my new-to-me GPU install.
mid-2011 iMac 27"
Core i7 2600 (SR00B) @ 3.4 GHz
NVIDIA K4100M
I used my Dremel with a sanding barrel to grind down the pads of the heat sink as per the several photos I have seen for the K4100M, and based on what I can see with my actual IRL components.
I had to stop after I had both heat sinks installed and torqued down to "barely finger tight". The CPU seemed to go well, though I had an issue with getting the heat sink to lie flat on the CPU and the "radiator" portion to contact the flat mounting bracket. (I figured it out, though.)
So I think I may have ruined my three-pipe heat sink by removing too much material. I am hoping someone here can allay my fears, pat me on the head, and send me on my way.
I marked the pads and ground them down as all the various videos and "build threads" show, but this left gaps that were quite large with the smaller, metal-looking chips at the top of the card. I have good quality thermal pad material, but ended up not using it due to this large gap. For the CPU, I used Arctic MX-4. I used that on the GPU chip, too. But once I got a load of the big gap where I ground away the heat sink material, I decided to use enough of the Arctic MX-4 to completely fill the gaps between the chips and the metal sink.
WAS THIS INCORRECT? And, more importantly, is this specific thermal paste okay for use with these smaller chips? I stopped for the evening once I had screwed the heat sinks back onto the logic board, so I can easily take down the GPU section, wipe it all clean, and do this over again if I have screwed up.
I have OwlTree thermal pads, Arctic Silver, and some Kryonaut stuff, and I could apply any of them if need be. However, if I need to do this, I need a brief hand-holding session since the pads do not come with any instructions. For instance, does the shiny material peel off both sides? Like, are the pads self-adhesive or something like that?
Further, two of the chips are shiny metal, like the main chip, and they are the two for which I had to clearance the sink. I imagine these must have different temps than the plastic (ceramic?) black chips, but again, I have no idea.
Help?
Anyone?
Bueller?
THANKS!
-- Wade
My cat Mary Ann remains unimpressed…
I am going to jump into the middle of this long-a$$ super-thread with a question that has likely been asked and answered many times over now, but I cannot fish through 900+ pages to find what I need. If this is the wrong place to post this, I hope the mods will move it to the appropriate place (and let me know, as otherwise I will never find the answers you guys take the time to type up for me).
Today, I modified my GPU heat sink for my new-to-me GPU install.
mid-2011 iMac 27"
Core i7 2600 (SR00B) @ 3.4 GHz
NVIDIA K4100M
I used my Dremel with a sanding barrel to grind down the pads of the heat sink as per the several photos I have seen for the K4100M, and based on what I can see with my actual IRL components.
I had to stop after I had both heat sinks installed and torqued down to "barely finger tight". The CPU seemed to go well, though I had an issue with getting the heat sink to lie flat on the CPU and the "radiator" portion to contact the flat mounting bracket. (I figured it out, though.)
So I think I may have ruined my three-pipe heat sink by removing too much material. I am hoping someone here can allay my fears, pat me on the head, and send me on my way.
I marked the pads and ground them down as all the various videos and "build threads" show, but this left gaps that were quite large with the smaller, metal-looking chips at the top of the card. I have good quality thermal pad material, but ended up not using it due to this large gap. For the CPU, I used Arctic MX-4. I used that on the GPU chip, too. But once I got a load of the big gap where I ground away the heat sink material, I decided to use enough of the Arctic MX-4 to completely fill the gaps between the chips and the metal sink.
WAS THIS INCORRECT? And, more importantly, is this specific thermal paste okay for use with these smaller chips? I stopped for the evening once I had screwed the heat sinks back onto the logic board, so I can easily take down the GPU section, wipe it all clean, and do this over again if I have screwed up.
I have OwlTree thermal pads, Arctic Silver, and some Kryonaut stuff, and I could apply any of them if need be. However, if I need to do this, I need a brief hand-holding session since the pads do not come with any instructions. For instance, does the shiny material peel off both sides? Like, are the pads self-adhesive or something like that?
Further, two of the chips are shiny metal, like the main chip, and they are the two for which I had to clearance the sink. I imagine these must have different temps than the plastic (ceramic?) black chips, but again, I have no idea.
Help?
Anyone?
Bueller?
THANKS!
-- Wade
My cat Mary Ann remains unimpressed…
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Hi,
I have an iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011) iMac12,2 too, and I'm using a NVIDIA Quadro K3100M perfectly running Monterey updated.
Okay, I am back. I have some ideas about this now, and hope sincerely that *someone* with an answer finds this soon and can help set me straight.
I now understand that I cannot fill the gap between the two VRMs and the aluminum heatsink plate that I created with my Dremel by using the Arctic MX-4 paste.
I believe the heatsink is usable if I fill that space with either copper shims cut to fit the space just so. I own a brass instrument repair shop, so I have copper sheets of various thicknesses. So that will not be an issue.
Alternatively, I have the OwlTree thermal pad kit. I have one sheet that is thick enough to fit with a tiny bit of compression to the pad. I have read that this will also work, not as well as copper, but well enough, and much easier to work with.
Again, I ask the question I posted above (since there are no instructions included): These pads have shiny faces that are harder than the pad material. Are these like peel-and-stick backing sheets? Do I have to peel off the shiny facing sheets from both sides to apply them, or do I just trim them and place them on the VRMs as they come out of the package? I do not understand how to install these pads because I have never seen them in use on anything before. Until I found a link to them in this super-long thread, I had no idea that such a product existed.
Anyone?
Thank you!
I now understand that I cannot fill the gap between the two VRMs and the aluminum heatsink plate that I created with my Dremel by using the Arctic MX-4 paste.
I believe the heatsink is usable if I fill that space with either copper shims cut to fit the space just so. I own a brass instrument repair shop, so I have copper sheets of various thicknesses. So that will not be an issue.
Alternatively, I have the OwlTree thermal pad kit. I have one sheet that is thick enough to fit with a tiny bit of compression to the pad. I have read that this will also work, not as well as copper, but well enough, and much easier to work with.
Again, I ask the question I posted above (since there are no instructions included): These pads have shiny faces that are harder than the pad material. Are these like peel-and-stick backing sheets? Do I have to peel off the shiny facing sheets from both sides to apply them, or do I just trim them and place them on the VRMs as they come out of the package? I do not understand how to install these pads because I have never seen them in use on anything before. Until I found a link to them in this super-long thread, I had no idea that such a product existed.
Anyone?
Thank you!
hi , i use this thermal paste to fill gap like apple do,i don t know if it s working but better than nothing....
K5 PRO 10g Viscous Thermal Paste for Thermal Pad Replacement Liquid Thermal Pad Putty Compatible with Apple iMac, Asus ROG, Acer Nitro, MSI laptops, RTX 3080, 2080TI, 3090, PS4, Nintendo Switch, XBOX
**K5 PRO dans son nouveau packaging** Ce nouveau packaging offre une application plus facile et plus rapide puisque vous pourrez appliquer K5-PRO, sur les puces mémoires et les GPUs, directement depuis son contenant sans utiliser de grattoir épandeur. La pâte thermique visqueuse K5-PRO est conçue...
www.amazon.fr
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Hi everyone! First time here, i'm kinda new in this upgrade mod on the older iMac, so i'm a little bit confused on which card i can upgrade, because i got confused from what i've searched.
So i got the A1312 iMac 2011 27" inch with the following specs:
Quad-core i5
AMD 6770M 512mb
20GB RAM
1TB SSD
So, what GPUs can i use instead of the OEM one? My iMac is currently having the screen random "blackout" that shuts off the display but the computer keeps running. So, since I got this GPU problem, I would like to know If there is a GPU model that would work and If It is worth upgrading.
Thanks everyone!
So i got the A1312 iMac 2011 27" inch with the following specs:
Quad-core i5
AMD 6770M 512mb
20GB RAM
1TB SSD
So, what GPUs can i use instead of the OEM one? My iMac is currently having the screen random "blackout" that shuts off the display but the computer keeps running. So, since I got this GPU problem, I would like to know If there is a GPU model that would work and If It is worth upgrading.
Thanks everyone!
hi everyone.
what is the best os for imac12,2 3.4ghz k4100m, uprgaded bluetooth and wifi card ?
now using sonoma and feels like it's getting slower eachday.
thanks guys
what is the best os for imac12,2 3.4ghz k4100m, uprgaded bluetooth and wifi card ?
now using sonoma and feels like it's getting slower eachday.
thanks guys
You need to read the first post of this thread. All the basic questions and the majority of any specific technical questions are covered. It condenses and summarizes the knowledge and experiences contained in this massive thread!
2011 iMac Graphics Card Upgrade
iMac 2009 to 2011 MXM3 graphics card upgrade (Lastest update 10/13/2023 - this is the official documentation page - you found it finally!) This is the single and only documentation post. During the last years we constantly updated this post to reflect the lastet development of vBIOS and OCLP...
forums.macrumors.com
You need to read the first post of this thread. All the basic questions and the majority of any specific technical questions are covered. It condenses and summarizes the knowledge and experiences contained in this massive thread!
2011 iMac Graphics Card Upgrade
iMac 2009 to 2011 MXM3 graphics card upgrade (Lastest update 10/13/2023 - this is the official documentation page - you found it finally!) This is the single and only documentation post. During the last years we constantly updated this post to reflect the lastet development of vBIOS and OCLP...
forums.macrumors.com