Thread '2011 iMac Graphics Card Upgrade' - Content history

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• General Questions
  
  Q: What new issues will I have after swapping my card with a PC MXM card?
  A: The biggest issues we have are:
  

  1. The loss of EFI boot screen*
  2. The loss of Backlight control**
  3. You can only connect one external monitor to 27" iMacs
  4. The loss of Target Disk Mode
  5. The loss of Target Display Mode
  6. The loss of running the built-in Apple hardware or ASD test
  7. The loss of temperature sensors on the new GPU

  * This means that when you start your iMac, you will have a blank screen until macOS boots up. So you cannot see the boot menu and the Apple logo during boot. The boot menu still works, so you can navigate it blindly if you are lucky. VBIOS and EEPROM modifications are now possible with select video cards thanks to @Nick [D]vB but are still a work in progress. Further investigation is underway.
  
  Update 11/24/19 - With the new Kepler beta 3 VBIOS, the GTX 765M, 770M, and 780M GPUs can now display boot screens with nothing more than a VBIOS flash thanks to @Nick [D]vB using his custom VBIOS available here. Boot screens are also available on Quadro cards using custom VBIOS available here.
  
  ** An attempt is being made throughout this thread to fix Backlight. A "Dying Light" module created by @dosdude1, originally intended for the 2011 15” MacBook Pro has been found to work with controlling the backlight PWM signal on the iMac. This involves removing your SD card board, splicing wires and soldering to the SD card adapter. Currently no official guide is made for this mod, so it is briefly mentioned here. You can also try a software based method, which can simulate the brightness change(it will just change the colors appearing on your screen, not the actual backlight). The best app for this is Brightness Slider, which is available on the App Store for free.
  
  Q: Does swapping the video card allow me to run newer OS's on my iMac?
  A: Yes! See the list below:
  
  Installing macOS Sierra
  Some users might see a black screen on macOS 10.12 "Sierra" after swapping to an NVIDIA card.
  Link to information on getting macOS Sierra running with non-apple Nvidia graphics cards:
  https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2011-imac-graphics-card-upgrade.1596614/page-25#post-24105622
  
  Installing macOS Mojave
  Since you will have a Mojave compatible GPU, you could run the newest macOS without any serious issues. The recommended method is to have High Sierra as your primary OS and install Mojave alongside on a separate partition. So if anything goes wrong, you can still boot back into High Sierra to fix issues. You could preinstall Mojave before changing your GPU. Use dosdude1's Mojave patcher to do the install: http://dosdude1.com/mojave/
  Important: while running the Post Install tool, make sure you deselect the Legacy Video Card patch option (since you will using a new, compatible metal graphics card).
  
  Installing macOS Catalina
  The process for Catalina is similar to Mojave, above. Similarly to Mojave, you could preinstall Mojave before changing your GPU. Use dosdude1's Catalina patcher to do the install: http://dosdude1.com/catalina/
  Important: Post-install patching has changed since Mojave. Patching is now automated if your SMBIOS is detected to be an unsupported machine. Currently, only the 2011 iMacs have the "Legacy Video Card Patch" disabled by default. You will want to avoid this patch (since you will using a new, compatible metal graphics card) and will need to modify a plist file if you are using a 2009/2010 iMac with a Metal compatible video card. Inside the patcher, you can go to the "Options" menu and de-select "Auto-Apply Post-Install Patches" to avoid this. See next question to manually fix this issue.
  
  
  Q: After installing Catalina on my 2009/2010 iMac my animations are broken/choppy, the Dock is grey and the menu bar isn't translucent, How Do I fix this?
  A: The Dosude1 installer unfortunately automatically patches the "Legacy Video Card Patch" leaving Late 09/2010 MXM swapped users with broken/choppy animations. A guide has been written by @highvoltage12v here to manually overwrite the patched files with stock files.
  
  If you did install Catalina and would like to manually reinstall the stock Kexts and Frameworks,
  Q: What paste is recommended to cover the VRAM/Components on the MXM card like Apple’s design?
  A: For the GPU Die any thermal Paste like Thermal Grizzly’s Kryonaut paste is good for the Die. For onboard components I recommend using K5 Pro Viscous paste instead of thermal pads, due to the unevenness of the heatsink, it’s also similar to Apple’s original Design: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K04D3UK/
  https://www.computer-systems.gr/en/product-category/consumables
  
  Q: Why aren’t you using Maxwell or Pascal cards in the iMac?
  A: A lot of people here have tested Maxwell cards with their 2011 iMacs, and have had various issues from no internal display, no backlight on internal display and the card not hitting boost. It is best not to attempt using Maxwell cards until we know of a VBIOS that will play nice with the iMac and the “Dying light” brightness control module is perfected.
  
  2009-2011 27” iMac MXM card upgrade Q/A
  Q: What MXM cards are known working?
  A: Currently the Dell/Alienware 765m, 770m, 780m and 860M are confirmed working. You could also use the smaller form-factor(MXM 3.0A) Quadro cards, K1000M, K2000M, K1100M, or K2100M. See below for info.
  
  Q: What mods are needed for the 27” iMac to make the cards fit into the iMac?
  A: There are 2 mods needed to make the MXM B card fit. First you must grind down your heatsink in the area where two large coils sit, this way the card will sit flush with the heatsink. Second, you must drill out the rivets on Dell’s X-Clamp or grind away Apple’s X-Clamp so no capacitors or components touch the X-Clamp or sit under it. Skipping this step can fry or damage your card.
  
  2010-2011 iMac 21.5" iMac MXM card upgrade Q/A
  Q: What MXM card(s) are known working?
  A: Currently, the Dell Nvidia Quadro K1000M, K1100M, K2000M, and K2100M are the preferred MXM card's to swap due to space issues and low power draw of these cards. While the GTX series cards recommended above will function in a 21.5" model, they are unstable due to their high power draw. @highvoltage12v tested a 770M here and had frequent Kernel Panics in macOS and BSoD's in Windows.
  
  Q: Are there any internal modifications needed for an MXM-A swap?
  A: For an MXM-A swap (the shorter/less power draw cards) there are no modifications that are needed for the heatsink on both the 21.5" and 27" model iMacs. The X-clamp still needs be removed from the back of the card and have the screw posts drilled out in order to fit the heatsink's screws.
  
  Q: Sleep is broken in Mojave, how do I fix this?
  A: This is caused by the removal of the SandyBridge kexts in Mojave. Although we aren't using the iGPU, these kexts are still needed for proper sleep functionality. A zip file is attached with the proper kexts to restore sleep in Mojave. Inside the unzipped folder contains the App Kext Utility and the necessary SandyBridge kexts that need to be installed. Right click to open Kext Utility, then immediately quit. Select all the files inside the folder and drag them on top of Kext Utility and allow them to install.
  
  Q: Sleep is broken in Catalina, how do I fix this?
  A: Similar to the above issue in Mojave, the SandyBridge kexts are missing in Catalina. Installing them like Mojave fixes sleep, but causes extended boot times. @highvoltage12v has provided a patched IOSurface.kext containing the SandyBridge kexts in THIS POST which can be installed using the same method as above to resolve both issues.
  
  Q: My system boots up, but I don't have a display or my GPU is not recognized correctly. What do I do?
  A: Your MXM card is likely running an incompatible VBIOS and will need to be flashed with the correct one. This can be done from within Windows using NVFlash. Common cards and their VBIOS are:
  

  • Quadro K1100M, K2000M, K2100M - Use Nick [D]vB's ROMs from THIS POST to enable boot screens.
  • GTX 860M - 80.04.E8.00.0D
  • GTX 765M/770M/780M - Use Nick [D]vB's ROMs from THIS POST to enable boot screens.

  Q: Flash VBIOS? How do I do that?
  A: VBIOS can be flashed in one of two ways: Either directly with a CH341a clip programmer or with the "NVFLASH" software in Windows or Linux. THIS POST helps describe the flashing process. Others have found THIS POST useful.
  
  Q: OK, so I need to use the NVIDIA web drivers, right?
  A: No - all cards outlined in this guide use the baked in NVIDIA drivers in macOS. No additional GPU drivers are needed.
  
  Q: I want to help and experiment, what can I do?
  A: First, read the full thread. Staying on top of the progress here is key! Currently, backlight mods in VBIOS are being researched as well as boot screens and alternate video card solutions.
  
  Experimental:
  
  EEPROM Mod + VBIOS Mod for Bootscreens
  Currently, select video cards can have their VBIOS flashed in conjunction with flashing a modified EEPROM into the iMac's firmware to allow boot screens. This results in boot device selection when holding the option key or Recovery. This does NOT allow for Target Display Mode. Currently this causes EEPROM error notifications in macOS and has some consistency issues with boot screen. Requires a CH341a hardware programmer and clip to flash the EEPROM (which is very delicate!) Must use @Nick [D]vB's modded VBIOS which currently support the following cards:
  Quadro K1000M / Quadro K1100M / Quadro K2000M / Quadro K2100M / GTX 765M / GTX 770M / GTX 780M / AMD WX7100 / AMD WX4170
  
  Update 12/7/19 - Yet another VBIOS update has been released, allowing for Quadro K1000M, K1100M, K2000M, and K2100M cards to be flashed with custom VBIOS to enable boot screen.
  
  Update 11/24/19 - With the new Kepler beta 3 VBIOS, the GTX 765M, 770M, and 780M GPUs can now display boot screens with nothing more than a VBIOS flash (no more EEPROM (bootrom) mods needed) thanks to @Nick [D]vB using his custom VBIOS available here.
  
  AMD WX7100
  Recognized by macOS as a Radeon RX 580, can be flashed for boot screens alongside EEPROM. Requires hardware level backlight mod for internal LCD. With custom VBIOS, cannot load driver in Windows due to AMD VBIOS checksum issues resulting in an "Error 43."
  
  AMD WX4170
  Recognized by macOS as a Radeon RX 560, but comes with a blank EEPROM. Must solder on an EEPROM to flash the modded VBIOS. As above, requires a hardware level backlight mod. Untested in Windows, but likely has the same driver issue as above.
  
  ~~~~~~~~~~
  
  Original Post from @MichaelDT June 14th, 2013.
  
  I will be attempting to upgrade the MXM card in my 2011 21.5 iMac from the factory 6770m 512mb to a NVidia 675m 2GB. I choose this card because the chipset already has support from 10.8.3 onwards and affordability for an experiment. I am hoping that it will work without flashing like many of the other non MXM modern graphics cards (UEFI support) do in 64bit EFI Mac Pros ( I may loose the initial boot screen). But if all else fails I will attempt a flash. I will report back my findings when the card arrives (from Hong Kong). Wish me luck hopefully this will give those of us with the last modular iMac a path forward.
• [B][SIZE=6]General Questions[/SIZE] Q[/B]: What new issues will I have after swapping my card with a PC MXM card? [B]A[/B]: The biggest issues we have are: [LIST=1] [*]The loss of EFI boot screen* [*]The loss of Backlight control** [*]You can only connect one external monitor to 27" iMacs [*]The loss of Target Disk Mode [*]The loss of Target Display Mode [*]The loss of running the built-in Apple hardware or ASD test [*]The loss of temperature sensors on the new GPU [/LIST] * This means that when you start your iMac, you will have a blank screen until macOS boots up. So you cannot see the boot menu and the Apple logo during boot. The boot menu still works, so you can navigate it blindly if you are lucky. VBIOS and EEPROM modifications are now possible with select video cards thanks to [USER=1132239]@Nick [D]vB[/USER] but are still a work in progress. Further investigation is underway. Update 11/24/19 - With the new Kepler beta 3 VBIOS, the GTX 765M, 770M, and 780M GPUs can now display boot screens with nothing more than a VBIOS flash thanks to [USER=1132239]@Nick [D]vB[/USER] using his custom VBIOS available [URL='https://forums.macrumors.com/attachments/kepler-beta3-zip.878962/']here.[/URL] Boot screens are also available on Quadro cards using custom VBIOS available [URL='https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2011-imac-graphics-card-upgrade.1596614/post-28046843']here.[/URL] ** An attempt is being made throughout this thread to fix Backlight. A "Dying Light" module created by [USER=669685]@dosdude1[/USER], originally intended for the 2011 15” MacBook Pro has been found to work with controlling the backlight PWM signal on the iMac. This involves removing your SD card board, splicing wires and soldering to the SD card adapter. Currently no official guide is made for this mod, so it is briefly mentioned here. You can also try a software based method, which can simulate the brightness change(it will just change the colors appearing on your screen, not the actual backlight). The best app for this is [URL='https://actproductions.net/free-apps/brightness-slider/']Brightness Slider[/URL], which is available on the App Store for free. [B]Q[/B]: Does swapping the video card allow me to run newer OS's on my iMac? [B]A[/B]: Yes! See the list below: [B]Installing macOS Sierra[/B] Some users might see a black screen on macOS 10.12 "Sierra" after swapping to an NVIDIA card. Link to information on getting macOS Sierra running with non-apple Nvidia graphics cards: [URL]https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2011-imac-graphics-card-upgrade.1596614/page-25#post-24105622[/URL] [B]Installing macOS Mojave[/B] Since you will have a Mojave compatible GPU, you could run the newest macOS without any serious issues. The recommended method is to have High Sierra as your primary OS and install Mojave alongside on a separate partition. So if anything goes wrong, you can still boot back into High Sierra to fix issues. You could preinstall Mojave before changing your GPU. Use dosdude1's Mojave patcher to do the install:[URL='http:// http://dosdude1.com/mojave/'] http://dosdude1.com/mojave/[/URL] [B][COLOR=#ff0000]Important: while running the Post Install tool, make sure you deselect the Legacy Video Card patch option (since you will using a new, compatible metal graphics card)[/COLOR][/B]. [B]Installing macOS Catalina[/B] The process for Catalina is similar to Mojave, above. Similarly to Mojave, you could preinstall Mojave before changing your GPU. Use dosdude1's Catalina patcher to do the install:[URL='http:// http://dosdude1.com/catalina/'] http://dosdude1.com/catalina/[/URL] [COLOR=#ff0000][B]Important[/B][/COLOR][B][COLOR=#ff0000]: Post-install patching has changed since Mojave. Patching is now automated if your SMBIOS is detected to be an unsupported machine. Currently, only the 2011 iMacs have the "Legacy Video Card Patch" disabled by default. You will want to avoid this patch (since you will using a new, compatible metal graphics card) and will need to modify a plist file if you are using a 2009/2010 iMac with a Metal compatible video card. Inside the patcher, you can go to the "Options" menu and de-select "Auto-Apply Post-Install Patches" to avoid this. See next question to manually fix this issue.[/COLOR] Q: [/B]After installing Catalina on my 2009/2010 iMac my animations are broken/choppy, the Dock is grey and the menu bar isn't translucent, How Do I fix this? [B]A: [/B]The Dosude1 installer unfortunately automatically patches the "Legacy Video Card Patch" leaving Late 09/2010 MXM swapped users with broken/choppy animations. A guide has been written by [USER=883629]@highvoltage12v[/USER] [URL='https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2011-imac-graphics-card-upgrade.1596614/post-28109056']here[/URL] to manually overwrite the patched files with stock files. If you did install Catalina and would like to manually reinstall the stock Kexts and Frameworks, [B]Q[/B]: What paste is recommended to cover the VRAM/Components on the MXM card like Apple’s design? [B]A[/B]: For the GPU Die any thermal Paste like Thermal Grizzly’s Kryonaut paste is good for the Die. For onboard components I recommend using K5 Pro Viscous paste instead of thermal pads, due to the unevenness of the heatsink, it’s also similar to Apple’s original Design: [URL]https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K04D3UK/[/URL] [URL]https://www.computer-systems.gr/en/product-category/consumables[/URL] [B]Q[/B]: Why aren’t you using Maxwell or Pascal cards in the iMac? [B]A[/B]: A lot of people here have tested Maxwell cards with their 2011 iMacs, and have had various issues from no internal display, no backlight on internal display and the card not hitting boost. It is best not to attempt using Maxwell cards until we know of a VBIOS that will play nice with the iMac and the “Dying light” brightness control module is perfected. [B]2009-2011 27” iMac MXM card upgrade Q/A Q[/B]: What MXM cards are known working? [B]A[/B]: Currently the Dell/Alienware 765m, 770m, 780m and 860M are confirmed working. You could also use the smaller form-factor(MXM 3.0A) Quadro cards, K1000M, K2000M, K1100M, or K2100M. See below for info. [B]Q[/B]: What mods are needed for the 27” iMac to make the cards fit into the iMac? [B]A[/B]: There are 2 mods needed to make the MXM B card fit. First you must grind down your heatsink in the area where two large coils sit, this way the card will sit flush with the heatsink. Second, you must drill out the rivets on Dell’s X-Clamp or grind away Apple’s X-Clamp so no capacitors or components touch the X-Clamp or sit under it. Skipping this step can fry or damage your card. [B]2010-2011 iMac 21.5" iMac MXM card upgrade Q/A Q[/B]: What MXM card(s) are known working? [B]A[/B]: Currently, the Dell Nvidia Quadro K1000M, K1100M, K2000M, and K2100M are the preferred MXM card's to swap due to space issues and low power draw of these cards. While the GTX series cards recommended above will function in a 21.5" model, they are unstable due to their high power draw. [USER=883629]@highvoltage12v[/USER] tested a 770M [URL='https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2011-imac-graphics-card-upgrade.1596614/page-127?post=27861323#post-27861323']here[/URL] and had frequent Kernel Panics in macOS and BSoD's in Windows. [B]Q[/B]: Are there any internal modifications needed for an MXM-A swap? [B]A[/B]: For an MXM-A swap (the shorter/less power draw cards) there are no modifications that are needed for the heatsink on both the 21.5" and 27" model iMacs. The X-clamp still needs be removed from the back of the card and have the screw posts drilled out in order to fit the heatsink's screws. [B]Q[/B]: Sleep is broken in Mojave, how do I fix this? [B]A[/B]: This is caused by the removal of the SandyBridge kexts in Mojave. Although we aren't using the iGPU, these kexts are still needed for proper sleep functionality. A zip file is attached with the proper kexts to restore sleep in Mojave. Inside the unzipped folder contains the App Kext Utility and the necessary SandyBridge kexts that need to be installed. Right click to open Kext Utility, then immediately quit. Select all the files inside the folder and drag them on top of Kext Utility and allow them to install. [B]Q[/B]: Sleep is broken in Catalina, how do I fix this? [B]A[/B]: Similar to the above issue in Mojave, the SandyBridge kexts are missing in Catalina. Installing them like Mojave fixes sleep, but causes extended boot times. [USER=883629]@highvoltage12v[/USER] has provided a patched IOSurface.kext containing the SandyBridge kexts in [URL='https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2011-imac-graphics-card-upgrade.1596614/page-131?post=27899047#post-27899047']THIS POST[/URL] which can be installed using the same method as above to resolve both issues. [B]Q[/B]: My system boots up, but I don't have a display or my GPU is not recognized correctly. What do I do? [B]A[/B]: Your MXM card is likely running an incompatible VBIOS and will need to be flashed with the correct one. This can be done from within Windows using NVFlash. Common cards and their VBIOS are: [LIST] [*]Quadro K1100M, K2000M, K2100M - Use [USER=1132239]Nick [D]vB[/USER]'s ROMs from [URL='https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2011-imac-graphics-card-upgrade.1596614/post-28046843']THIS POST[/URL] to enable boot screens. [*]GTX 860M - [URL='https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/205992/205992']80.04.E8.00.0D[/URL] [*]GTX 765M/770M/780M - Use [USER=1132239]Nick [D]vB[/USER]'s ROMs from [URL='https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2011-imac-graphics-card-upgrade.1596614/page-144?post=28011314#post-28011314']THIS POST[/URL] to enable boot screens. [/LIST] [B]Q[/B]: Flash VBIOS? How do I do that? [B]A[/B]: VBIOS can be flashed in one of two ways: Either directly with a CH341a clip programmer or with the "NVFLASH" software in Windows or Linux. [URL='https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2011-imac-graphics-card-upgrade.1596614/page-115?post=27787298#post-27787298']THIS POST[/URL] helps describe the flashing process. Others have found [URL='https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/296157/What+GPU's+are+compatible+with+iMac+27%22+2011#answer420333']THIS POST[/URL] useful. [B]Q[/B]: OK, so I need to use the NVIDIA web drivers, right? [B]A[/B]: No - all cards outlined in this guide use the baked in NVIDIA drivers in macOS. No additional GPU drivers are needed. [B]Q[/B]: I want to help and experiment, what can I do? [B]A[/B]: First, read the full thread. Staying on top of the progress here is key! Currently, backlight mods in VBIOS are being researched as well as boot screens and alternate video card solutions. [B][SIZE=6]Experimental:[/SIZE] EEPROM Mod + VBIOS Mod for Bootscreens[/B] Currently, select video cards can have their VBIOS flashed in conjunction with flashing a modified EEPROM into the iMac's firmware to allow boot screens. This results in boot device selection when holding the option key or Recovery. This does NOT allow for Target Display Mode. Currently this causes EEPROM error notifications in macOS and has some consistency issues with boot screen. Requires a CH341a hardware programmer and clip to flash the EEPROM (which is very delicate!) Must use [USER=1132239]@Nick [D]vB[/USER]'s modded VBIOS which currently support the following cards: Quadro K1000M / Quadro K1100M / Quadro K2000M / Quadro K2100M / GTX 765M / GTX 770M / GTX 780M / AMD WX7100 / AMD WX4170 [B][SIZE=6]Update 12/7/19[/SIZE] [/B]- Yet another VBIOS update has been released, allowing for Quadro K1000M, K1100M, K2000M, and K2100M cards to be flashed with custom VBIOS to enable boot screen. [SIZE=6][B]Update 11/24/19 [/B][/SIZE]- With the new Kepler beta 3 VBIOS, the GTX 765M, 770M, and 780M GPUs can now display boot screens with nothing more than a VBIOS flash (no more EEPROM (bootrom) mods needed) thanks to [USER=1132239]@Nick [D]vB[/USER] using his custom VBIOS available [URL='https://forums.macrumors.com/attachments/kepler-beta3-zip.878962/']here.[/URL] [B]AMD WX7100[/B] Recognized by macOS as a Radeon RX 580, can be flashed for boot screens alongside EEPROM. Requires hardware level backlight mod for internal LCD. With custom VBIOS, cannot load driver in Windows due to AMD VBIOS checksum issues resulting in an "Error 43." [B]AMD WX4170[/B] Recognized by macOS as a Radeon RX 560, but comes with a blank EEPROM. Must solder on an EEPROM to flash the modded VBIOS. As above, requires a hardware level backlight mod. Untested in Windows, but likely has the same driver issue as above. ~~~~~~~~~~ [B][I]Original Post from [USER=728987]@MichaelDT[/USER] June 14th, 2013.[/I][/B] I will be attempting to upgrade the MXM card in my 2011 21.5 iMac from the factory 6770m 512mb to a NVidia 675m 2GB. I choose this card because the chipset already has support from 10.8.3 onwards and affordability for an experiment. I am hoping that it will work without flashing like many of the other non MXM modern graphics cards (UEFI support) do in 64bit EFI Mac Pros ( I may loose the initial boot screen). But if all else fails I will attempt a flash. I will report back my findings when the card arrives (from Hong Kong). Wish me luck hopefully this will give those of us with the last modular iMac a path forward.