I have seen posts on this -- green and purple dots appearing on screen for iMac 27 -- -solution was to upgrade firmware but the upgrades suggested were for different graphics cards than i have -- -
Graphics ATI Radeon HD 5750 1024 MB
Is there a firmware update for this graphics card to address this issue?
Thanks - rberger25
iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9)
No there aren't - are the issues still there after SMC and NVRAM reset?
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1379
If so, you should bring the device to an Authorized service provider in order to get it checked.
Unfortunately, the problem still remains. Looks like I will have to take it in - -Do you have a sense as to what the problem is? Will i need a new graphics card? Is that replaceable on iMac ?
It sounds like the graphic card but could also be caused by the power supply, motherboard and a bunch of other modules. The graphic card and the powersupply are parts on there own and can be replaced sperately.
My 27" Mid-2010 the same problem (maybe you've seen my post) and I've had RAM, video card, and logic noard all replaced without a fix. If you find a solution, PLEASE post it for the "rest of us."
Thanks
Well, after some time I continued to have the problem, with the only "solution" being never let the computer go to sleep. I could induce the problem by putting the Mac to sleep, wakening it, and then opening Facetime or Photo Booth. It seems stressing the video system puts it over the edge, and the pixels appear!
Happy ending, though...Apple extended my AppleCare for 90 days, since it was about to expire when the logic board was replaced. Took it back to my Apple store today and showed them the problem was still present, and they, without any prodding, told me I'd been through enough, and gave me a new 27" iMac AND AppleCare, GRATIS. Gotta love these folks, at least at this store!!!
Good luck to all on this. Maybe someday coorporate will recognize the problem and make good, AppleCare or not.
Wish-to-God - as an avid Mac aficionade since 1984 - that they'd do the same with MY 27" mid-2010 i5, too - or at least SOLVE THIS COMMON PROBLEM??!!
Mine, too, seems precipitated by going to sleep: I let mine run continally ('cept the display), and each morning now (for weeks, it seems) I'm greeted by an alert stating my OS X encountered a problem, and needed to restart.
Today - for the first time - I faced a dark blue screen, with only my cursor appearing .. outlined in white.
As nothing would allow me to access the computer, I had to manually restart from this "freeze" - twice.
Same ATI Radeon HD 5750 1024 MB as rberger25 noted above.
MY AppleCare has been expired for probably six months now - and the nearest Apple store is 200 miles from me...
Despite three iPhone 4S's, two iPad 4 Retina's, a MacBookPro Retina 15", a couple of Apple TV's, a new Airport Extreme, and another two iMac 24's in my present "stable", I seriously doubt Apple will give me the time of day with regard to this specific malady... although support has always been superb and responsive to queries regarding those items still under active AppleCare warranties (unfailingly purchased with each new device).
Just seems a shame to be so easily "forgotten" when it comes to a significant, widespread, common problem with such an expensive device....
Citiboy,
I did a ton of searching re this problem, and from what I found, I believe the problem is caused by the firmware in the video card. If my computer had not been replaced, I might have tried to change that firmware. There are instructions to be found, although I believe it can only be done in a windows environment (virtual machine, boot camp, etc.) Don't know if you're the type to get into things that deeply, but thought I'd let you know. The other thing would to get someone to install a DIFFERENT model video card. Pricier, I'm sure.
Good Luck
Thanks for the tip!
From what I've been reading here, there IS no firmware upgrade for that specific video card, and if I"m not mistaken the problem persists despite replacing the video card, power supply, logic board, and other components.
Read today there's a 10.9.3 Beta that's been released to the developer community, stressing Apple's request that particular heed be paid to (among other things) video card performance....
Perhaps the experience of so many encountering this problem with the advent of Mavericks has led Apple to delve a little further into that possibility?
My bad if I misunderstood what I had read. But definitely look outside of the apple.com discussions. And FYI, my iMac had this problem long before Mavericks. Did you ever report the problem to Apple before the expiration of your AppleCare? If so, I'd go up the proverbial food chain and try to make a case for extended coverage.
green and purple dots iMac 27
