Does this mean my iMac is DYING?

[Meandmunch]

My screen got all pixelated on reboot (which takes a very long time suddenly). The items on the dock are invisible but there. When I pull down menus it's all garbled so I can't navigate to a disc repair. All I can do is describe it on my iPad and hope someone can either suggest a fix or even tell me if this is repairable. Either by myself or I have to take it to the apple store.

Please advise good people of the macrumors forums.

Not sure why the attachment rotated, the image did not my screen.

 

[MagicBoy]

What model and year of iMac?

We're not psychic.

 

[Meandmunch]

Image of the dock with invisible icons.

 

[Meandmunch]

What model and year of iMac?

We're not psychic.

Wish I could tell you exactly, but I can't get the info.

What I know: 27 inch iMac, I wanna say late 2010, running latest OS (mavericks, I keep it up to date). Was hoping my description and images would help.

 

[oldhifi]

Graphic card failing?

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4785863?tstart=0


try reinstall Mavericks..

 

[Meandmunch]

Graphic card failing?

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4785863?tstart=0


try reinstall Mavericks..

How can get ahold of a mavericks startup disc?

 

[oldhifi]

How can get ahold of a mavericks startup disc?

http://support.apple.com/kb/ph13871

 

[Larry-K]

Looks like a GPU.

 

[Meandmunch]

Looks like a GPU.

Larry,

What course of action do/can I take?

Is this repairable?

Are the contents (data) of my machine recoverable?

 

[p3ntyne]

Larry,

What course of action do/can I take?

Is this repairable?

Are the contents (data) of my machine recoverable?

Yes. In the worst case scenario, if you did not wish to repair the GPU, you could pull the HDD out (or get help) and connect it externally to another mac.

 

[MagicBoy]

Wish I could tell you exactly, but I can't get the info.

What I know: 27 inch iMac, I wanna say late 2010, running latest OS (mavericks, I keep it up to date). Was hoping my description and images would help.

Images don't really help identification - all iMacs look pretty much identical but have different internals for a period of about 3 years.

Put the serial number in here and it will tell you.

Some 2011 iMacs are subject to a replacement program for a bad GPU : http://support.apple.com/kb/TS5167

 

[Larry-K]

Larry,

What course of action do/can I take?

Is this repairable?

Are the contents (data) of my machine recoverable?

If it is a GPU, your data is all safe, you can always remove the hard drive, or on older models you can set the iMac to target mode and transfer the data to another machine.

Typically the GPU will have to be replaced, but it can also be a motherboard, still under Applecare?