Apple Begins Selling Refurbished iMac Pro Models at 15% Discount

[evangw]

I am pissed that my iMac Mid-2011 27" (3.4 GHz i7, 16 GB RAM) just had a graphic card failure, but because the model just a few weeks ago got classified as "vintage", authorized Apple service partners are not allowed to service it, and there are few or virtually no spare parts.

Hey Winterflags,

I had a similar problem about two years ago on my 2009 iMac. So you can still start the computer in safe mode (i.e. holding shift)? If so, there was a somewhat common graphics card issue for 2009-2011 iMacs (before the thin-backed ones) where eventually the solder inside the graphics card comes undone. You can actually fix it yourself in a couple hours of your time and $10 in heatsink gel and heat transfer pads. (+$15 in screwdrivers if you don't already have them.)

shows exactly how to do it on a 2009 iMac, which is the model I had and fixed.

I had the same issue since 2 years ago when my computer broke, it was also just vintage and no one would service it. And I had a quote for $650 even if they were willing to service it at a third party place here, whereas I did it myself for $10.

This of course depends on your personality and tinkering abilities.

 

[Horselover Fat]

It's almost as if the iMac Pro is targeted at pros or something...

Yeah, almost. If only it was upgradeable with 3rd party internals and had a more efficient thermal design.

 

[MistrSynistr]

How many people actually bought these enough for there to be a refurbished stock? lol.

I found it strange they released these without a chassis design also. It immediately forced them to KEEP the 'regular' iMac design this way because their $8,000 models had the same body as well.

 

[Elian_Gonzalez]

But this is a niche market machine that most of us have no justification for.

Bitter through and through.
[doublepost=1527258525][/doublepost]

...sorry for the rant, but this is a sore point like a blistered foot.

But unlike someone with a blistered foot, you've taken no action to remedy your situation and prefer to keep complaining loudly about how much you're suffering.

 

[Detektiv-Pinky]

Hey Winterflags,

I had a similar problem about two years ago on my 2009 iMac. So you can still start the computer in safe mode (i.e. holding shift)? If so, there was a somewhat common graphics card issue for 2009-2011 iMacs (before the thin-backed ones) where eventually the solder inside the graphics card comes undone. You can actually fix it yourself in a couple hours of your time and $10 in heatsink gel and heat transfer pads. (+$15 in screwdrivers if you don't already have them.)

shows exactly how to do it on a 2009 iMac, which is the model I had and fixed.

I had the same issue since 2 years ago when my computer broke, it was also just vintage and no one would service it. And I had a quote for $650 even if they were willing to service it at a third party place here, whereas I did it myself for $10.

This of course depends on your personality and tinkering abilities.

Hey evangw, is your iMac still chugging along? I went through the same procedure on a 2011 iMac just this week and so far the machine is working again. I am just somewhat concerned about the long term stability of this fix.

I think in my case a faulty ODD fan seemed to be the root cause of the problem, causing the graphics card to overheat. I found this, running the Apple HW-diagnostics test after the GPU-fix.

 

[roland.g]

Bitter through and through.

Actually not in the least.

 

[ackmondual]

It's almost as if the iMac Pro is targeted at pros or something...

That still seems to be a common misconception to this day... Apple seems to be fine that OSX only has around 6% marketshare. Others seem to believe it's actually a problem.

 

[fairuz]

It's almost as if the iMac Pro is targeted at pros or something...

Is it? Is anything Apple makes target at creative pros anymore? They make the best machines of all time for office work and programming, but they've been giving the middle finger to creative pros for the past 9 years.

 

[Royksöpp]

It's almost as if the iMac Pro is targeted at pros or something...

You'd be surprised at how many people believe that they're "Pros". I'm looking at you YouTubers. It doesn't take a $5000 computer to edit crappy reviews that mostly focus on them taking about Geekbench scores.

 

[kalex]

Microcenter had base model on sale for $4k brand new.

 

[Mr. Dee]

You'd be surprised at how many people believe that they're "Pros". I'm looking at you YouTubers. It doesn't take a $5000 computer to edit crappy reviews that mostly focus on them taking about Geekbench scores.

Or taking the product out of the box and gushing over it. iJustine comes to mind. She really should be using a Canon PowerShot point and shoot with a iBook G3 and iMovie 2.01.

 

[lec0rsaire]

The machine (CPU/HD/Display) will not be obsolete, but the GPU sure will be. In fact IMO the GPU already is obsolete.

Thunderbolt 3 + eGPU. This is a desktop not a notebook. It still takes up less real estate than a full ATX tower.

 

[Petetastic]

While I knew that iMacs are pretty much non-upgradeable, I didn't know that they would also be non-repairable.

I didn’t even think of that. I’ve been hemming and hawing on spending ~$2400 on a new MBP (without ports I need but with a touch bar I don’t need). This gives me greater hesitation...

 

[CobraPA]

Microcenter had base model on sale for $4k brand new.

They seem to have matched the refurb price now. Oddly, they had them at only $500 off last week.

 

[BryanJ]

still not worth the price