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Mid 2011 27" iMac K1100m Graphics card

quartersaw

quartersaw

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 14, 2022
12
1
My Nvida K1100M is running at around 110ºF/43.4ºC. (GPU Heatsink) (up to 120F., if I am watching a video) in Macs Fan Control. I was wondering if this is a good operating temp? I roached a previous installation, with the same brand of card. I cannot get the Backlight Fixup .Kext to load either. I get an error message, in Kext Utility, and I can't figure out how to do it, in Hackintool, or Open Core. I'm new around here, so go easy on me.
Thanks!!!
Screen Shot 2022-03-15 at 2.01.06 PM.png
 
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What? Only 43,4 with a 'high' of 49°C (120°F)! Now that's what I call a relatively cool system. Those are certainly not temperatures to be concerned about imho. My mid 2011 27" iMac with original Radeon HD6970M frequently sees 51°C with a video running, and that's fine with me.
Sorry can't advise with your other queries.
 
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CooperBox said:
What? Only 43,4 with a 'high' of 49°C (120°F)! Now that's what I call a relatively cool system. Those are certainly not temperatures to be concerned about imho. My mid 2011 27" iMac with original Radeon HD6970M frequently sees 51°C with a video running, and that's fine with me.
Sorry can't advise with your other queries.
Click to expand...
Thanks! I appreciate the feedback! :)
 
I hope that someone, can chime in on my inop < > Screen Brightness buttons. I'm likely missing something that is right in front of my face. :(
 
quartersaw said:
I should mention, that I pulled the DVD Drive out of the computer, to allow for more cooling air to hit the GPU Radiator. I don't want a repeat, of a toasted Video card.
Click to expand...
Yes I permanently removed the optical drive too to improve internal cooling airflow, but I especially ensured that prior to refitting the GPU to the motherboard I used some high-grade thermal compound, namely K4-Pro and K5-Pro.
Also whilst the motherboard was on the bench, I removed the CPU heatsink to clean off old, flakey thermal paste and apply new K4-Pro to the CPU. A 2009 and a 2011 27" iMac with similar changes have been peforming perfectly for well over a year, and 3 months+ respectively.
 
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My Radeon HD6970M died on me. The iMac had a HDD at the time, and the machine used to get REALLY hot. I was going to give it to Apple, after it sat in the original box for 4-5 years, but relented, once I realized there were options to bring it back to life.
 
Good for you.
There are several problems when one attempts to revive a Radeon HD6970M. Assuming that's just been accomplished, often no attention is made to the fans. A quick blast of air from an air duster canister can imho only be partially effective, and in my experience it doesn't dislodge possible heavy accumulation of debris from the exit guide grill directly behind the fans, as this cannot be observed unless the fans are removed - a simple task once the screen is removed for internal access.
The use of higher pressure air from a compressor may be sufficient to dislodge debris accumulation from the exit guide grill in-situ although I've never tried this, always preferring to remove the 3 fans to ensure absolute cleanliness.
The other MUST as already mentioned is to permanently remove the optical drive, and also replace the very hot running HDD by an SSD.
With an SSD, no HDD or optical drive, clean fans and fresh re-application of good quality thermal paste on the CPU and GPU, one can be assured of a far cooler running iMac.
One final thought. The Pram battery should also be changed whilst the iMac is open. I've found it difficult/impossibe to obtain the recommended BR2032 cell battery, even Amazon here nationally don't stock it. The readily available CR2032 'alternative' may be fitted, although the last time I checked the specs gave the BR2032 a 200mA rating opposed to 220mA, and a slightly higher max operating temp (80°C v + 70°C) which presumably should give the BR2032 a lifespan benefit.
 
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I checked the voltage on the battery, and it was very close to 3 volts, which surprised me. I figured it would be on its last legs.
 
quartersaw said:
My Nvida K1100M is running at around 110ºF/43.4ºC. (GPU Heatsink) (up to 120F., if I am watching a video) in Macs Fan Control. I was wondering if this is a good operating temp? I roached a previous installation, with the same brand of card. I cannot get the Backlight Fixup .Kext to load either. I get an error message, in Kext Utility, and I can't figure out how to do it, in Hackintool, or Open Core. I'm new around here, so go easy on me.
Thanks!!!
Click to expand...

Google for "OpenCore Legacy Patcher".
Read the guidance a little bit.
And run it correctly. Things have been automated these days.
 
I'm seeing threads for a number of different configurations, but nothing for my 27" i7 3.4 mid 2011 iMac, with a K1100m Video card. I don't want to screw this up..
 
quartersaw said:
I'm seeing threads for a number of different configurations, but nothing for my 27" i7 3.4 mid 2011 iMac, with a K1100m Video card. I don't want to screw this up..
Click to expand...

I installed a K1100m to an 27" iMac 2011 core i5 last month. (High Sierra)
It was scary at first, black screen, no back light control and all.
But after installing OCLP, everything was back to normal.
 
I'm running Catalina, and I cannot find any direct information, about Open Core Legacy Patcher, for my particular setup
 
I'm running Catalina, in a 27" Mid 2011 iMac. The Nvidia K1100m Graphics card, does not respond, to the brightness controls. After many attempts, (I keep getting errors in Kext Utility) I managed to load the backlight fixup.Kext, and Lilu.kext. The computer would then, endlessly restart, to a black screen. I removed these 'Kext files, along with AppleAHCIPortHotplug.Kext, and normal operation was restored. Open Core appears to be inop, with Catalina.
 
quartersaw said:
Anybody? :-(
Click to expand...
Hmm, hope soo that you - if using the Catalina Patcher from dosdude -
make a second boot for patching and disabling Legacy Graphics Support
BEFORE using any KEXTs - but perhaps I misunderstood your question...

Make a second boot from Catalina Patcher Boot Stick, use recommended
values but disable Legacy Graphics Support (only a kind of Metal emulation
for original stock AMD cards).

If you want to install a K1100m / K2100M perhaps you have an old ROM
on it. Without OC or OCLP there is no native Brightness Control.

USE High Sierra + BIG SUR with OCLP for Nvidia Quadro and put
Mojave & Catalina into trash - don't use Monterey without updated
WIFI / Bluetooth modules if you don't want to pain yourself...
 
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Catalina is installed, and I am fully set up. No brightness control happiness, though. I bought the card off of E Bay, as a Mac flashed unit, and I get the boot screen for about 2 seconds, after 7 seconds of blackness. Then, I am at my Desktop screen. It's an impressively fast boot
up!
I don't want to overwrite what I already have installed, so do you think that I can get away with what you suggest???
 
quartersaw said:
Catalina is installed, and I am fully set up. No brightness control happiness, though. I bought the card off of E Bay, as a Mac flashed unit, and I get the boot screen for about 2 seconds, after 7 seconds of blackness. Then, I am at my Desktop screen. It's an impressively fast boot
up!
I don't want to overwrite what I already have installed, so do you think that I can get away with what you suggest???
Click to expand...

If you are happy with the current setting (low brightness and uncontrollable) then there is nothing to worry about.
If you want to change that, you can install OCLP anytime later, OCLP will change only the hidden EFI partition on your SSD.
 
Has anybody with experience or knowledge tell me if using the K1100M on the 2011 iMac 27-inch (i5) requires a (1mm thick?) copper shim or not?

I could not find the answer by searching (wrong keyword?) Macrumors... sorry if a silly question. I (home-)made a "shim" of folded aluminum foil, but from the the lights on the Logic board, it seems the LB does not see the GPU.
I do have control of the software part of the upgrade/repair, and I am just unsure about yher hardware mods.
Thanks in advance!
 
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SomeRumors said:
Has anybody with experience or knowledge tell me if using the K1100M on the 2011 iMac 27-inch (i5) requires a (1mm thick?) copper shim or not?

I could not find the answer by searching (wrong keyword?) Macrumors... sorry if a silly question. I (home-)made a "shim" of folded aluminum foil, but from the the lights on the Logic board, it seems the LB does not see the GPU.
I do have control of the software part of the upgrade/repair, and I am just unsure about yher hardware mods.
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

1. Copper shim can not be replaced by home made aluminum sim.
2. If you don't use copper shim, you only need to check whether the GPU chip has good contact with the heatsink. Disassemble the card from the heatsink and observe the leftover thermal paste on the GPU chip. If there is almost no thermal paste left on the chip, then you don't need any copper shim. If there is a somehow thick layer of thermal paste left, then you will need copper shim. I used 0.5mm copper shim for my K1100m.
3. And check other components to prevent contacting with the heatsink and causing short circuit. Use Kapton tape to cover the part in doubt.
 
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