2008 iMac Graphics Card Issue?

Question

2008 iMac Graphics Card Issue?

Hi people.

I have recently noticed some lines on the screen of my iMac. It's a early 2008 20" Alu IC2D iMac, 2.4Ghz with a standard ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT 128 MB graphics card. The lines are very faint, but my concern is that they may become worse. The seem to be around the left hand side of the screen-they aren't dead pixels either: they are more like a 'hue' running from top to bottom. I haven't been able to capture a picture myself, but have seen this online, and the ends of the arrow heads show these lines, which are nigh-on identical to mine:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v520/DanThe440Man/Apple%20Stuff/file-11.jpg

Can anybody shed any light on this issue? Was there ever a recall or known issue? I have seen plenty of posts dotted around the internet regarding graphics card failures, and plenty of people complaining that when problems were posted on these Apple discussion boards that they posts were removed/deleted. What concerns me is that the problem may get worse, and I'll end up with a dead or un-functional iMac with no way to repair it.

A lot of the problem iMacs seemed to be from the 17" '07 to 20" '08 iMacs, with serial numbers starting 'W8xxxx', which mine does. If this is the beginning of the end, I'm disappointed as the iMac itself has only ever had light use as a home computer.

Any help appreciated,

Daniel

Posted on Jan 4, 2013 1:25 PM

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Answer 1

Jan 6, 2013 10:36 AM in response to Dan the 480 Man

Anybody suffered this?

I called Apple about this and they said that there had been an issue which they were aware of, but the cut-off for the repair program was 2011. I knew nothing of this repair program-surely, as the computer was registered with them then I should have received some sort of notification. How is this even fair?

I feel really let down by Apple, I've certainly no money for a repair, and won't be able to afford a new iMac for a very long time. Surely there must be something I can do about this, to force a repair? If they knew about the problem and a repair program was instigated, they have my serial number and details, surely there is a responsibility on their behalf to make sure people know about this problem?

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Answer 2

Allan Jones

Level 9

68,708 points

Jan 6, 2013 10:48 AM in response to Dan the 480 Man

This is a higher level of support where such matters are usually better handled:

Apple Customer Relations 1-800-767-2775

Worth a try in you are in North America

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Answer 3

Jan 6, 2013 10:52 AM in response to Allan Jones

Hello Allan. Thanks for the reply: unfortunately not, I'm UK based. The only UK number I can find is the Applecare number, but to be honest, I think I'm fighting a losing battle.

It's a shame, because my brother only last year took his '08 MacBook (polycarb) to Apple because the case had cracks, and they couldn't stop replacing parts!

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Answer 4

Jan 6, 2013 1:30 PM in response to Dan the 480 Man

Sounds like the graphics card maybe on its way out in which case there is nothing you can do about it as it is part of the logic board. I had an early 2008 24" iMac whose graphic card went up in smoke last year. I would be interested in more detail re Apple saying that there had been an issue which they were aware of, but the cut-off for the repair program was 2011?

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Answer 5

Jan 7, 2013 10:05 AM in response to Peter Stubbs

Hi Peter. This is what I'm now trying to get to the bottom of...

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Answer 6

Jan 7, 2013 10:11 AM in response to Dan the 480 Man

Ok let me know if you find out anymore info. Mine was a Nvidia card which Nvidia admitted had an inherent overheating issue and Apple admitted it for their laptops but not for the iMac.

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Answer 7

Jan 15, 2013 11:04 AM in response to Peter Stubbs

Hi Peter. No such luck. Apparently the Tech guy I spoke to got the info all wrong, no program for my '08 iMac...

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Answer 8

Jan 15, 2013 12:05 PM in response to Dan the 480 Man

Hi Dan not surprised really. Thanks for letting me know.

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Answer 9

yoyomarv

Level 1

4 points

Feb 4, 2013 3:17 AM in response to Peter Stubbs

Just to clarify... Radeon 2400XT is a separate graphics part. It's not soldered to the logic board. A quick search of your favorite auction site will confirm it.

The only soldered graphics in post-2006 iMacs are 9400M & likely the latest releases.

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Answer 10

yoyomarv

Level 1

4 points

Feb 4, 2013 3:35 AM in response to Dan the 480 Man

If you're unable to duplicate it in a screen cap, then it's likely your LCD panel which is cheaper & much easier to replace than the graphics part, when repairing outside of warranty.

The left side of your particular unit is where the CPU & GPU heatsinks are situated. When dust clogs up the cooling fins that services those parts, you'll likely see the effects on your LCD as heat builds up.

Hopefully, the damage isn't permanent.

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