Getting a GTX 680 Card with Metal Support for Your Old iMac

If you're looking to breathe new life into your old iMac, getting a graphics card with metal support can be a game-changer. However, finding the right card that meets your needs and budget can be challenging.

The good news is that there are a few options available. According to current knowledge as of February 2021, the recommended graphics card for Monterey support is the M5100 Firepro. There's also a size 'B' card available for the 27-inch iMacs and a size 'A' card for the 21.5-inch Macs.

Two cards that offer boot screen and metal support have been found, but unfortunately, they require an up-to-date graphics card to work properly. Special thanks must go out to DosDude, who created the Mojave and Catalina Patcher tools to allow people to run older operating systems on their unsupported Macs.

It's worth noting that as this guide is now over three years old, time has not been kind to our 2009-2011 iMacs. The main issue we're all facing is the lack of metal support with the AMD cards (if they haven't failed already). Fortunately, there are some great developers out there who have devoted a lot of time and effort into keeping our old unsupported Macs running.

So, where can you get a card that works? I found out that Apple uses special firmware for its graphics cards, which means that any MXM 3.0 card pulled from an iMac should be fine. You can also try searching online marketplaces like eBay or Aliexpress for a working card.

However, it's important to note that you'll need an EFI flash with Apple firmware for the card to work properly. A card without Apple firmware will simply result in a black screen. My friend suggested removing the BIOS/EFI chip from the original board and reflowing it onto a cheaper card, but this may be too complicated for many people.

Luckily, cards that already have Apple firmware (pulled from iMacs) are interchangeable, which means you can upgrade your existing graphics card to a higher-end model. I was able to upgrade my 1GB 6970M card to the 2GB version.

If you're considering purchasing a different card, such as a 6970M card for a Dell Alienware laptop or another card with the same chip as one of the iMac 2011 models, it's worth noting that not all MXM 3.0 B cards are compatible. The card needs Apple firmware to work properly.

In conclusion, finding the right graphics card with metal support for your old iMac can be challenging, but it's possible with a little patience and research. With the right card, you can breathe new life into your old Mac and keep using it for years to come.

Gtx 680 metal support