Think my 2011 iMac is toast, but want to make sure

[kepardue]

I have an older 27" iMac that I primarily use as an iTunes library server for my Apple TV. I don't use it for much these days, but I noticed that it froze up today with some graphical corruption on the screen. When I rebooted it, I saw 5 vertical pink stripes over the Apple logo, then the screen went white, and the system rebooted. Wash, rince, repeat; same thing over and over. I tried to boot into the recovery disk, and it just stopped on the white screen. Left it unplugged for an hour, same thing.

Is there anything else I can try with this system, or is it pretty much toast? If the latter, is there any way that I can securely wipe the hard drive to sell the remnants of it to Gazelle or somebody?

 

[macthefork]

Well, your graphics card may be toast. But in the 2011, it can be replaced. There's a thread on this here.

You maybe could check the marketplace to see if anyone who upgraded their 2011 GPU has an old OEM graphics card they wish to sell.

To be sure it's the GPU, you can try booting from an external drive. But, since you already tried from the Recovery partition and got the same results, it's likely a GPU issue.

 

[Lankyman]

Toast? It's barely run in at that age. Come back in another 5 years and I might accept your assertion.

 

[joudbren]

Call Apple. Pretty sure they had a warranty extension for one of the video cards in that model due to premature failures. Not 100% certain but can't hurt to ask.

https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT203787

 

[yjchua95]

Toast? It's barely run in at that age. Come back in another 5 years and I might accept your assertion.

Then you haven't seem to have heard about Radeongate (Sandy Bridge cMBPs and 27" iMacs), where the GPUs failed within 3 years or around that.

NVIDIAgates in 2008, 2010 and 2012 rMBPs also happened within around 3 years of initial purchase of such machines.

 

[Lankyman]

Then you haven't seem to have heard about Radeongate (Sandy Bridge cMBPs and 27" iMacs), where the GPUs failed within 3 years or around that.

NVIDIAgates in 2008, 2010 and 2012 rMBPs also happened within around 3 years of initial purchase of such machines.

Hardly toast then, more a repair job. Screen off and get to work.

If companies read these forums they must rub their hands in glee as they see their profit line increase. It can be a bit daunting going into an iMac but if you stay calm and do things carefully all things are possible.

I know as I have put an SSD in my daughters only last week. My nerves have just about recovered.

 

[yjchua95]

Hardly toast then, more a repair job. Screen off and get to work.

If companies read these forums they must rub their hands in glee as they see their profit line increase. It can be a bit daunting going into an iMac but if you stay calm and do things carefully all things are possible.

I know as I have put an SSD in my daughters only last week. My nerves have just about recovered.

Knowing Apple, it's more of a replacement with a just as shoddy part than a repair job.

 

[inboxer]

Sites like gazelle and buybackworld will wipe the imac for you after you sell it.