Replace/Upgrade Logic Board on a mid 2011 iMac 27"

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Level 1

4 points

Replace/Upgrade Logic Board on a mid 2011 iMac 27"

Recently, a client's mid 2011 27" iMac died on him. His repair guy said it was beyond repair & worthless.

He was gonna throw it out if I didn't want it. It seemed like such a waste so I said thank you & took it home.

Physically, it looks to be in mint condition. No scratches anywhere. It powers up, the screen flickers but the iOS never launches. I have a newer 24" iMac but would love the bigger screen to do my design work on.

*** Please keep in mind I'm an old school graphic artist. I know how to use computers, not how to fix them or all the intricacies of how they work inside. Feel free to talk to me like I'm technically illiterate so I don't miss anything. I won't be offended. I just want to know if I should get rid of this machine or if there's some value left in the old thing. ***

Their repair guy told him "Your motherboard is shot. It's just fancy trash now." Was he right or might there be some other problem with it?

If he's right about the motherboard/logic board, is it worth replacing?

If so, can it be upgraded somehow & where is the best place to purchase a replacement/upgrade?

If not, is there any use for the machine as it is? Perhaps as a 2nd monitor to my existing iMac or another computer- like a Mac Mini?

Posted on May 9, 2022 1:26 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

D.I. Johnson

Level 8

38,475 points

May 9, 2022 2:01 PM in response to dingerbill

I agree with Mal-S and the repair guy. In its day that big screen Mac was very nice.

However, if you are looking at replacing the mobo and you don't have the skills to do it yourself, then the cost of labor alone (a couple hours, at least) is more than the computer is worth.

Replacement logic boards are available only on the second hand market, and will come with no promise of longevity. There is no upgrade path that will allow the iMac to run any OS newer than 10.13.6 High Sierra, and that is well outdated and unsupported.

The iMac cannot be used as a monitor for any Mac newer than 2019 models, even in good working order.

Might be fun to tinker with as a hobby/learning machine only, but there is no good practical economic use for it.

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Answer 2

KiltedTim

Level 10

231,932 points

May 9, 2022 1:54 PM in response to dingerbill

It's not worth it.

It can't run anything higher than macOS 10.13.6, High Sierra. It's no longer supported and most software vendors no longer sell applications that will run on it.

It can't be used as a display for any current Macs. If you do happen to have one it would work with, it would probably be less expensive, and much less of a hassle, to just buy a monitor you could use with your existing Mac that would actually be usable on a relatively current Mac as well.

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Answer 3

May 19, 2022 3:59 PM in response to dingerbill

Apple has a very generous recycling program. That iMac would not be "thrown out" per se. The new Macs are made with recycled aluminum.

That being said, I've repaired 2011 iMacs. I can completely disassemble and reassemble that iMac in about 45 minutes. As it is not worth repairing, then you can simply make the attempt but it's a dark path for those that have never done it before. If it's a barebones MB with no CPU, heatsink, etc... then it will be extremely difficult to swap the CPU from your old MB to the replacement one. It is incredibly easy to bend the CPU pins on the motherboard, and trying to re-attached the heat sink for both the CPU and GPU. It's hard and messy with thermal paste.

But again, if it's not worth fixing it, then you'll be out the few hundred dollars for getting a replacement logic board. Or, accept that it provided a long life and get it properly recycled.

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Answer 4

dingerbill Author

Level 1

4 points

May 17, 2022 12:14 PM in response to KiltedTim

Thanks. I already have a nice monitor for my Mac Mini but figured it seemed like such a waste to throw it out.

On another forum, someone gave me something she did that worked to update the whole machine & make it able to run Monterrey & all the current app versions I use now. I'm not sure if it'll work but if it does, I'll be sure to share with everyone.

Worst case scenario, I'll get it running on the most recent software it can handle & donate it to someone/somewhere who can use it.

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Answer 5

KiltedTim

Level 10

231,932 points

May 17, 2022 12:27 PM in response to dingerbill

dingerbill wrote:

On another forum, someone gave me something she did that worked to update the whole machine & make it able to run Monterrey & all the current app versions I use now. I'm not sure if it'll work but if it does, I'll be sure to share with everyone.

Don't do that here. If you do, the post will be deleted.

Hacking the machine and modifying macOS to run on unsupported hardware is a no-no.

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Answer 6

dingerbill Author

Level 1

4 points

May 19, 2022 3:56 PM in response to KiltedTim

Thanks for the advice.

I'm still gonna give it a go though. It'll be fun to see if it works. If not, I'll just replace the logic board with a good one & donate it to a local school or art program. The basics of Adobe programs haven't changed much over the years so it's good practice for younger students. Kids can still create some amazing stuff with the outdated versions of Adobe software. It'll be just like the old heads donating paint brushes, mechanical pens & pastels to my school when we couldn't afford them.

[Edited by Moderator]

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Answer 7

Mal-S

Level 5

5,072 points

May 9, 2022 1:48 PM in response to dingerbill

In my opinion the iMac is too old to waste time and effort on replacing the motherboard, even if you could find one.

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Replace/Upgrade Logic Board on a mid 2011 iMac 27"

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