jgilly26

Q: 2011 iMac 27 graphics card problem?

After updating to Mavericks I have had some sporatic, multicolored, blocks appearing and flashing on my display.

Does anyone have any idea what could be causing it?

Screen Shot 2013-11-23 at 7.56.03 PM.png

 

<Edited by Host>

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Nov 23, 2013 7:37 PM

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Q: 2011 iMac 27 graphics card problem?

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  • by jasonyohon,

    jasonyohon jasonyohon Apr 14, 2014 10:02 AM in response to jasonyohon
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 14, 2014 10:02 AM in response to jasonyohon

    So no I was wrong. I ended up replacing the GPU before this was fixed. Super weird that the repaste job temporarily fixed the problem. Replacing the GPU yourself is pretty easy BTW. New GPU ran me $539 shipped on eBay. Ouch!

  • by equals 42,

    equals 42 equals 42 Apr 27, 2014 3:32 PM in response to Satoru Murata
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 27, 2014 3:32 PM in response to Satoru Murata

    Satoru,

    Was it covered under a warranty or recall?  If you had to pay for it, what was the cost?

  • by ksmithri,

    ksmithri ksmithri Jun 10, 2014 1:53 PM in response to jgilly26
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 10, 2014 1:53 PM in response to jgilly26

    Ok so I have been having this issue for maybe a month plus now. It didnt start that bad, just randomly then it would go away. Lately it has been so bad that I thought it was the thinderbolt display that is also attached that was causing it. I removed display same issues but again worse. I called Apple and we attempted to do a screen shot of the issue, and every time I tried this it went away. I noticed it then only started when I launched a new tab in safari (I will not allow firefox onto any of my machines anymore). We did a hard drive check and noticed that there was a corrupt setup, 34 registering out of 35. It did a repair and so far no issues with heavy internet usage. I suggest trying the screen shot to figure out if its hardware of software.

  • by MCW55,

    MCW55 MCW55 Jun 10, 2014 2:51 PM in response to jgilly26
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 10, 2014 2:51 PM in response to jgilly26

    A replacement GPU solved this problem on my Mac. I was able to capture QuickTime movies of the pixel flicker, but it required a lot of waiting since any screen refresh or new window activity would stop the flicker for a while. Basic diags at the shop showed no problems. The repair was done by Apple under extended Apple Care warranty.

     

    BTW, I was very happy with this support program. The quality of help was up to the tasks at hand. I'll buy it for my next Mac, which may not be any time soon now that mine is back from the brink.

  • by MHunt,

    MHunt MHunt Jun 30, 2014 1:14 PM in response to jgilly26
    Level 1 (35 points)
    Jun 30, 2014 1:14 PM in response to jgilly26

    I have a mid-2011 27" iMac i5 with the Radeon HD 6770M. I suffered from blocky artifacts for the last year-plus. I had them under 10.8 and now under 10.9. The solution to this problem in my case I haven't seen mentioned in these threads- I replaced the RAM. At some point a couple years back, I took RAM from an older 2009 or 2010 iMac and upgraded my 2011 machine. It was 4x2GB modules- Samsung M471B5673FH0-CH9. With those gone and double the memory, the problem disappeared and everything has been fine for over a week. I had the issue constantly to that point. For those that have tried everything, try swapping out your memory and make sure they are to the 2011 spec. The old sticks were 10600MHz DDR3 and the new ones are 1333MHz.

  • by Old Toad,

    Old Toad Old Toad Jun 30, 2014 2:28 PM in response to jgilly26
    Level 10 (141,316 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 30, 2014 2:28 PM in response to jgilly26

    It's a graphic card issue. The mid 2011 27" iMacs, 2,1, had a recall that was good up to 3 years from the purchase. 

    iMac (27-inch): AMD Radeon 6970M Video Card Replacement Program

     

    Although the 3 year limitation has long passed I'd contact Apple and see what can be done.  I just got under the 3 year limit with my iMac.

    OTsig.png

  • by MHunt,

    MHunt MHunt Jun 30, 2014 2:38 PM in response to Old Toad
    Level 1 (35 points)
    Jun 30, 2014 2:38 PM in response to Old Toad

    This is true for 6970M cards, but I have the Radeon HD 6770M which had problems so far solved by new RAM.

  • by Climberfx,

    Climberfx Climberfx Jul 7, 2014 7:20 PM in response to jgilly26
    Level 1 (0 points)
    iPod
    Jul 7, 2014 7:20 PM in response to jgilly26

    We wanna a recall!!!

    Some time ago, they call recall for the i7 models from 2011, mine is a i5 from mid 2011.

    After 3 years of normal use, My machine start to get worst every day. But isn't only the squares pipocating on screen, it lock and freezes, and the only way to use again, is with physical restart.

    I call for phone support on Brasil, and the operator checked my serial and told me that mine isn't on recall.

    Sad, because this is a malfunction, and need to be replaced.

    Apple before Steve jobs, was more serious then now.

    I wanna my money back. Or a new machine without bug.

    3 years is a young machine. In the past, mac works for life. I see a lot of power pc still on function.

    This is not a user caused problem. A lot of people complain about the same defect.

    This is not a cheap machine!

    We need to be heard! Where is that Apple from Steve?

    Where is my recall, APPLE????

    Shame on you!

  • by tanner321,

    tanner321 tanner321 Jul 8, 2014 1:08 PM in response to MHunt
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 8, 2014 1:08 PM in response to MHunt

    I agree Climberfx, I have been through 2 HPs in the past 6 to 7 years. So i recently bought a used mac, late 2011 with the 1gb Radeon 6770M and 8GB of ram, from all the talk about how macs last so much longer and now im in the same boat!

     

    To the point:

    Im having similar problems except my mac will just shut down or when put to sleep and open up the lab top it just a black screen. After i try to boot back up i get a lime green boot up screen w horizontal white lines and after this abnormal apple boot up screen just goes to a grey screen and doesn't ever get to desktop. After several attempted reboots can get luck and will boot to desktop, but seems to be getting worse.

     

    I have noticed that it crashes only when i have Microsoft power point and or word, and a web browser open with a few web pages. I also noticed that more and more ram gets used up. Even when i close out of these programs there is still more ram used then normal. 6gb compared to around 4 at normal desktop boot up.

     

    Went to the Apple store and they want to replace the logic board for $310 at an assembly line. will take a week.

     

    Mhunt, how is your mac holding up? Any problems since the new ram?

  • by MHunt,

    MHunt MHunt Jul 9, 2014 5:05 AM in response to tanner321
    Level 1 (35 points)
    Jul 9, 2014 5:05 AM in response to tanner321

    The problem has not returned for me. I'd love to hear if replacing RAM has helped anyone else or if I'm an outlier.

  • by Climberfx,

    Climberfx Climberfx Jul 23, 2014 9:09 PM in response to jgilly26
    Level 1 (0 points)
    iPod
    Jul 23, 2014 9:09 PM in response to jgilly26

    I was fighting with my iMac until last week, when the only thing i could try was installing Yosemite Developer update (now on number 4)

    The Yosemite could manage better the machine, but the squares and locks on machine wouldn't stop, but minimize.

    Observing the machine, i could see that it freeze more when cool then when in heavy use. Everyday i start to use it, it lock some times, even moving a window on screen, then, after some warm up, it turn into usable.

     

    So, today i try something different and unusual.

    I put a mp4 video (720p one, with around 150mb) into loop playback. so, the GPU never goes unused 100%. (never could down enough)

    And it works. No more square dots, no more lock on, until now.

     

    The thing i think is the problem, is a bad manufacture and a soldering problem, so, when it is cold, the parts retracts and this soldering get with contacts problem. But when it is hot,  the things expand because, and then this bad soldering keep connected.

     

    Until i have a new machine, and then i can put this one to recall/change to another new video board, this will solve my problem.

    I hope that could help you all.

     

    Cheers

  • by MHunt,

    MHunt MHunt Feb 4, 2015 10:55 AM in response to MHunt
    Level 1 (35 points)
    Feb 4, 2015 10:55 AM in response to MHunt

    I just wanted to update my own post. After several weeks, the artifacts returned. They were made even worse by the Yosemite upgrade. This board is filled with people having the same problems, same Radeon model (6770M) yet it seems like the real fix is a hardware one. I will not be spending that kind of money to fix this machine, at least not with Apple. More thermal paste? *****I have no idea.

     

    <Edited by Host>

  • by jconno01,

    jconno01 jconno01 Dec 11, 2014 3:45 PM in response to MHunt
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 11, 2014 3:45 PM in response to MHunt

    Same here. I also have the 6770M Radeon, and have been getting square artifacts every now and then. Was hoping that the Yosemite update would fix it but no luck.

  • by Rake Yohn,

    Rake Yohn Rake Yohn Dec 11, 2014 7:03 PM in response to jconno01
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 11, 2014 7:03 PM in response to jconno01

    I'm convinced now that apple has set the Fan vs Heat relationship in OS X incorrectly, and video cards are being damaged after 3-5 years of use.

     

    I just had to replace mine... $450 worth of work.

     

    I installed the SMCFanControl app and will now watch my GPU/CPU heat like a hawk.

     

    - Rake

  • by 29aperture,

    29aperture 29aperture Jan 16, 2015 11:24 AM in response to MHunt
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 16, 2015 11:24 AM in response to MHunt

    By chance is anyone using Firefox for your internet browser?

     

    I'm having the exact same scenario, but it's also showing up running Windows 7 via Bootcamp. I've been running Mavericks since day 1, and haven't yet upgraded to Yosemite. However, I've recently begun using Firefox as my default browser in Windows and that's when the "color block" issues started. Windows must see the problem developing because it tries to unload the graphics driver then Blue Screen's me. It happened to me twice this morning, so I've been using Chrome ever since, and have had no issues.

     

    It's very bizarre. If it happens with Chrome, I'll update my reply.

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