iMac 2011 - graphics card or RAM issue?

[batman75]

I'm having an issue with my iMac (2011, 3.4Ghz i7, 24Gb RAM, 1TB HDD). Every so often screen goes gray and it crashes. Then when I try to reboot, it gets stuck in a cycle of trying to reboot, failing and then trying again. If I then switch off, disconnect, and give it a few hours, it will usually boot up fine.

I also ran the boot up diagnostic and I get the error shown.

Here are some screenshots.

 

[JohnS0007]

I'm having an issue with my iMac (2011, 3.4Ghz i7, 24Gb RAM, 1TB HDD). Every so often screen goes gray and it crashes. Then when I try to reboot, it gets stuck in a cycle of trying to reboot, failing and then trying again. If I then switch off, disconnect, and give it a few hours, it will usually boot up fine.

I also ran the boot up diagnostic and I get the error shown.

Here are some screenshots.

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I suspect the video card. My 2011 imac just did the about the same; all grey or grey with pink freezing. I decided to buy a new 2017 iMac instead of costly repair on a old computer.

Now I wonder if this issue is a planned obsolescence from Apple.

 

[madman555]

I think it's the video card. My 2009 iMac will freeze up when it gets too hot. If I shut down and blow a fan at it, I can get it to boot back up. I can almost always get mine to crash by playing a 720p for about 15 minutes

 

[batman75]

I suspect the video card. My 2011 imac just did the about the same; all grey or grey with pink freezing. I decided to buy a new 2017 iMac instead of costly repair on a old computer.

Now I wonder if this issue is a planned obsolescence from Apple.

I ordered a new 2017 too. However I was hoping to keep this one and use it on another floor of the house. They are quoting $500-520 to fix it.

 

[TallManNY]

I ordered a new 2017 too. However I was hoping to keep this one and use it on another floor of the house. They are quoting $500-520 to fix it.

I had that on my 2011 iMac. Looked exactly like your screen. It was the graphics card going kaput. There was a known issue the AMD Radeon 6970M that caused them to fail somewhat prematurely and more often than they should. So Apple allowed a free replacement (you just paid for labor). But this became known only a few years in and then Apple "only" covered this for the first five years. You are way past that point. I think my issue happened a few months past that five year period, but Apple still gave me a new GPU and only made me pay about $160 for labor to replace it. The quote you are getting it buying the GPU and the labor. Maybe best to sell it. A savvy person will probably buy it, get the GPU wholesale price and do the labor themselves.
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I suspect the video card. My 2011 imac just did the about the same; all grey or grey with pink freezing. I decided to buy a new 2017 iMac instead of costly repair on a old computer.

Now I wonder if this issue is a planned obsolescence from Apple.

It is not planned obsolescence. It is just a GPU failing. Things happen to computers that are six years old.