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iMac “Core 2 Duo” 3.06 24-Inch (Early 2008) Will my iMac display anything if I disconnect the NVidia graphics card? Full story: No prior symptoms, screen goes crazy after only 20 mins use. Restart mac, pink horizontal squiggles cover grey/white boot screen. Apple logo appears and wheel spins for awhile before freezing - every time. After some internet searching try hardware test 6+ times, no result. Try booting to safe mode, loading bar shows and makes it to about 30% before freezing. Reset pram, lines are now pink vertical lines but otherwise it is the same. Removed front bezel from case, all 4 LED’s light and stay lit even after it freezes. Internet searching shows removing a graphics file may get this usable so I can save my data but I can’t get it to boot far enough to find the file. I was in best buy today looking at replacements and Apple sells iMacs with and without independent graphics cards. So I’m wondering, can I get mine usable with the NVidia card unplugged? Because I’m looking at it with the LCD removed, and my soidey sense is going off… Thank you in advance!
Just because the newer systems have CPU’s with built-in GPU’s does not equate to your system, Sorry ;-{ No, you can’t run your system without a graphics card. It might be a simple problem were the thermal paste is not working and/or the fans are not cooling the system properly. Are you up to fixing your system? In any case you should be able to migrate your data off of it. If you are thinking of getting a new system. You can try setting up your system in Target Disk Mode, follow this Apple TN: Transfer files between two computers using target disk mode. Or you can remove the disk drive and using a SATA to USB adapter connect your removed HD directly to your new Mac. You may want to consider getting a used system as most of the newer models are much harder to fix. And besides a used unit will be cheaper.
Hello I had a problem with my graphic card nvidia geforce 8800 gs on an imac 24’ 2008, like a lot of people. I removed the graphic card, put it in an oven at 195° C for 8 mn and it works again now. I arlready did the same operation with a mbp 2007 where the chip is soldered on the mother board but then it lasted from 3 to 6 months before I had to do it again, 5 times now in 3 years. I hope that it will last more with the imac, but still it’s a cheap way to solve the problem. On this site you have the long story and the procedure : http://russell.heistuman.com/2010/04/27/… And on ifixit you’ll find the guide to remote the graphic card : iMac Intel 24" EMC 2267 Graphics Card Replacement Good luck
Hi my graphic card cooking lasts since a month now and works perfectly, I’m using istats menus as temperature monitor and the heat stays between 40 and 75° Celsius when I watch movies. I have an imac 20" 2008 which had no problem but I monitor it also and when the temperature of the AC/DC supply goes near 80°C I increase the fan speed to make it work under 70°. Curiously the 24" doesn’t heat as much as the 20". The idea I think is to keep the AC/DC supply and the CPU die under 70° C by increasing the fans speed. I’ll post if the graphic card needs another baking, but in the meantime I cross my fingers !!! André PS : the mbp 2007 doesn’t support temperatures much higher than 82-85°, it shuts down by itself, I imagine that Apple provided the same precaution for the imacs but it never happened to me.
Cooked my graphic card yesterday. Same iMac model. Incredibly WORKED! (a bit less than 10’ at 200 °C, no evident smell but can’t be sure of temperature since I have a gas oven with analog thermostat). Put new thermal paste and made some stress test in the night (http://www.geeks3d.com/gputest/). Temperature during stress test went up to 100-105 °C for few instants, then fan speed increased and temperature stabilized between 80-90 °C. Playing a game does not stress the GPU so much (bit over 70 °C). So, happy for now. I saved the 180€ for a professional replacement of the graphic chip.
