27" iMac graphics card, do I need the upgrade?

I'm intending to purchase my first iMac, which I hope to use for recording and editing video gameplay via a PS3, and in some cases games played on the iMac as well. Most games I'll be playing aren't going to be triple-A games, so I'm not sure if I need to invest in the more powerful graphics card (about 70% of the games will be via PS3 anyway), so is the additional cost really worth it? Same question goes for the processor, I was planning to upgrade to the 3.4 GHz i7, but is this really going to pay off over the course of my computer's lifespan?

I can't quite buy into throwing down the extra $140.
Depends on the App & the future, but how may hours a year doing video editing would it take to amortize $140?
Not the iMac model, but...
http://www.evga.com/about/pressrelease/default.asp?id=149
http://www.evga.com/articles/00730/

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I urgently need to know how I can connect 8 thunderbolt display, I was thinking with the new mac pro will come out, but I wonder if it is possible to connect an iMac to 4GB of graphics card, but suffers from the imac. thanks

I urgently need to know how I can connect 8 thunderbolt display, I was thinking with the new mac pro will come out, but I wonder if it is possible to connect an iMac to 4GB of graphics card, but suffers from the imac. thanks

I tightened all HD screws and it didn't help. With the machine running and side of the case off, I physically stopped both the video card fan and the front case fan with my finger for a couple seconds and the noise continued. I also took all hard drives out one by one and rebooted each time. Again, the noise continued until I took out the Mac HD in Bay 1, rebooted, and I had a very quiet, silent machine. The issue is the hard drive in bay 1 that shipped with the computer, it's without a doubt causing the hum/woosh sound. I still need to know if I can safely swap the Mac HD from bay 1 to bay 4 without any issues to the operating system. I would like to try that to see if it dampens the noise but I also want to make sure this swap won't screw up my machine at all.

My graphic card failed but passes the recall test - surely Apple would replace it? How wrong can you be!

Even though I had read about the product recall on some iMacs, mine had never had an issue, but to be safe, the plan was to take it to an Apple store to have them test and replace it.
A week ago, on occasion, the screen suddenly started going completely gray, everything else seemed to be working fine, and any apps running would continue to do so. Without being able to see the screen, the only options was to power it down, run any diagnostic test and start normally. It passed pro tools tests, with no warnings so I thought it could have been a software issue. After many restarts without anything else plugged in, the iMac appeared to function for maybe a day or so, but gray screen whenever it wanted to.
So I called Apple, they told me to get it into a service centre, and they would do further tests. Whilst on the phone to the engineer, my iMac with the gray screen suddenly refused to power back up. The engineers tell me that the graphic card fails any benchmarking tests with corruption and the same gray screen issue, so it looks promising yes? No. The specific tests that the machine must fail for the recall - passed.
Having spent almost an hour on the phone to a Apple senior advisor today, he tells me that it is not covered by the recall !!
The machine is one of the matching serial numbered machines in the recall, it has suddenly developed a graphic card issue that leaves the machine unusable, it suddenly started having this problem within weeks of the recall being announced - It has the faulty card in it, it has the fault - yet it does not qualify?
Can someone please tell me what I could have done to get this card replaced without the estimated £250 charge to get my machine running again.
I am a die hard Apple enthusiast, I have converted everyone I have been in contact with to purchase from them for their legendary customer services and yet feel perplexed as to what I should do next.
My first reaction is to raise a big fuss about the situation at an Apple store, but I can't blame them too much if my machine does not match the recall criteria - but come on, it can't be a coincident that this card has failed now, can it?
What do I do next. I don't want to take my machine over to proper Apple store and raise a fuss, that would be counter productive. But really Apple
Anyone have a suggestion - would you buy another iMac that could have the same problem and get the same response?
To any Apple engineers out there who can look at a case number my ref number is 500592345, apparently there is a lot of info in there, but nothing that will help me!

Apple engineers do not participate here. The only replies you will normally get are from people who are, like me, just fellow users, and there's nothing any of us can do to intervene in this matter.
If Apple says that your system is not covered by the recall, there's not much you can do. You can try taking your system to an Apple Store and politely - do not "make a fuss"; polite but gently insistent is much more likely to get you useful results - ask for assistance. Or you can call Apple tech support, ask to speak with customer relations, and explain the situation to them and request coverage under the recall program.
If all that fails, though, then you're probably at a dead end and will need to pay for the service if you want it done.
Regards.

IMac graphics card

Is it possible to upgrade the graphics card in any mac? I've had a couple of apple people tell me this isn't possible. But come on!!! How can they possibly not allow you to upgrade a graphics card?
Does anyone know if this is possible if it is taken apart and a new one is put in? Yes I know it would void the warranty if it was still under warranty, I'm just curious. Because when it's not under warranty anymore, I very well may try to upgrade the graphics card. I have a Nividia 256MB graphics cards.
I've had some family tell me I would NEVER need a 512MB graphics card, but then some friends of mine that are gamers tell me they had like a 700MB graphics card and are about to upgrade to a 1GB graphics card.
any ideas on this? WoW looks pretty good on my 256MB graphics card, I just don't know if I'd ever run into any problems.
Message was edited by: Brad87

Brad87 wrote:
ok awesome, thanks for all the info. anyone know why this other guy said I could? haha...oh well not important.
so the mac pro is upgradeable?!? sweet! I've always liked the idea of having no tower and having everything built in. Then again, if the mac pro is as upgradeable as a PC, that would be awesome...would anyone consider it just as upgradeable as a PC? ex. HD, graphics card, processor, etc.
If you wanted a higher-performing graphics, why didn't you buy the iMac with the upgraded graphics option? Have you tried any specific games that don't perform well on the iMac? Or are you just listening to your PC friends that claim you need a 1GB graphics card just so you can sound cool? Most are overkill and not needed. If you are happy with how the game performs, then you don't need a new graphics card.
The Mac Pro is a standard tower computer. One that is quite large and quite heavy. Yes, you can replace or add graphics cards because they have expansion slots. You can replace the HD in both the iMac and Mac Pro. The Mac Pro has room for additional hard drives, the iMac does not. The CPU is socketed in the Mac Pro, but there aren't any processors available that exceed what is already installed. Some people have upgraded the CPU in their 2006 Mac Pros, only because the 2008 Mac Pro offers a newer CPU. Be ready to drop $2,500 for the Mac Pro, without a monitor.
I prefer the iMac since it is very fast with the Intel Core 2 Duo CPU. I don't want a large tower taking up space and adding additional noise to the room.

Just got this error message - The installed graphics card does not meet the minimum requirements for Aperture

Help. I have an iMAC - not even one year old - just got this message - The installed graphics card does not meet the minimum requirements for Aperture.
I have not made any changes to my machine. Help - I can't get to my images

Try restarting your system.
If that does not help, we will need to know your Aperture version and MacOS X version. And do you use an external monitor? Then disconnect it before rebooting.

Updating iMac graphics card.

I've never updated my graphics card and I think its about time I did so. Does anyone know how I can go about this? I tried updating through "about this mac" but that doesnt update anything. If somone can point me in the right direction that would be great. Also if somone could tell me how I can find out what my graphics card is I need to know that.

A graphics card is a piece of hardware. Usually the drivers for that hardware are never updated, not explicitly anyway.
The card type can be found under  About this Mac > More Info > Hardware; Graphics.
MacPros have removable cards that are potentially upgradable but with iMacs they are fixed and cannot be changed.

Error: The installed graphics card does not meet the minimum requirements for Aperture.

I have been using Aperture for nearly 5 years on my MAC Book Pro. I suddenly am getting this message and Aperture will not launch. Any ideas?
This is my graphics
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M:
Chipset Model:    NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
Type:    GPU
Bus:    PCI
VRAM (Total):    256 MB
Vendor:    NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID:    0x0863
Revision ID:    0x00b1
ROM Revision:    3427
Displays:
Color LCD:
Resolution:    1280 x 800
Pixel Depth:    32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
Main Display:    Yes
Mirror:    Off
Online:    Yes
Built-In:    Yes
Display Connector:
Status:    No Display Connected

There are actually two graphic cards in the system, the one you show in your post and one part of the motherboard.
This is done on laptops to help save battery, when the system does need need high performance graphics, when it is doing text it uses the integrated graphics card, when it needs to do high performance graphics like when running Aperture it switches to the other card.
It is possible something is wrong with your system preventing it from switching. What OS version are you running, is it really 10.6.4?
See MacBook Pro: How to determine which graphics processor is in use to determine which GPU is in use. But if it is not switching you most likely have a hardware problem.

Error: The installed graphics card does not meet the minimum system requirements by Aperture

I have a Mac Pro 3.1 10.5.8 and Aperture 2.1.4. My NVida 8800gt with 512 mb was over heating so I brought and install the ATI radeon hd 5770 to replace it. Now when I try to start Aperture I get this message "Error: The installed graphics card does not meet the minimum system requirements by Aperture". All other software works fine, ie photoshop elements and Safari. When I install my old card aperture will open with no problem, but of course the card will overheat within 10 mins and I will have no video. I have search on google with no luck. Will upgrading to Aperture 3 fix this problem?

5770 requires 10.6.5.
The 8800GT - there is the 350* bake in over 10 minutes - 50% or better chance
you can find 8800GT on http://myworld.ebay.com/macvidcards/
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/23049/smcfancontrol
http://www.bresink.com/osx/HardwareMonitor.html
Fan control helps with FBDIMMs which need to be kept under 70C too.

Help - just got message "The installed graphics card does not meet the minimum requirements for Aperture"

Help - just got message "The installed graphics card does not meet the minimum requirements for Aperture"

Please click Profile Update and follow the directions for updating your profile. Your computer may be too old to support Aperture however without knowing anything about your iMac it's impossible to say. Also there is an Aperture forum to use and you can look at Aperture's System Requirements below to see if you have the minimum.
System Requirements
Minimum
One of the following Intel-based Mac computers:
Mac Pro
MacBook Pro
MacBook
MacBook Air
iMac
Mac mini
Operating system:
Mac OS X v10.5.8 or v10.6.2 or later
Memory:
1GB of RAM
2GB of RAM required for Mac Pro
Other requirements:
DVD drive for installation
1GB of disk space for application and documentation
7GB of disk space for Sample Library

Installed graphics card does not meet the minimum requirements for AP...

2006 MP with an HD 2600 and a 7300 GT card installed, 8 GB RAM, OS 10.4.11. Tried to install Aperture v1 from CD and got the error message "The installed graphics card does not meet the minimum requirements for Aperture" which disallowed upgrading to v1.5.6 because v1 would not install. So I downloaded and installed the v2 trial and got the same error message.
The release lever on the 7300 card would not work so I left it in slot 1 for now rather than risk breaking the card. That put the HD 2600 card in slot 2, which is not optimum but I do not think it should cause problems.
23" ACD connected to the HD 2600 card.
Ideas? I perused the threads and found similar reports but no solutions.
TIA
-Allen Wicks

Answering my own question, I moved the ACD connection to the 7300 card and v2 Aperture installed OK.
Now I guess I need to get precise details on how to eject the 7300 card (mainly better directions than Apple's as to exactly what direction to force the release lever toward). I applied way more force than I am accustomed to and the card did not release.
Comments appreciated, TIA.
-Allen Wicks

What would I gain in terms of defying (deferring) obsolescence by purchasing a top end 15" w/the dedicated graphics card as opposed to the top end 13"? thanks!

I have a circa late 2007 all-black 13" MB with 2.2 GHz Intel core 2 duo, and It still works well
thinking of the 13-inch, 2.6GHz dual vs the 15-inch: 2.3GHz quad core.. and I was hoping to repeat the 2007's longevity
What would I gain in terms of defying (deferring) obsolescence by purchasing a top end 15" w/the dedicated graphics card as opposed to the top end 13"?
thanks! also general pros and cons could help

Do not spend today's money for features you will only use tomorrow. Buy the computer you need today, and when your needs change, buy the computer you need then.
A computer has no art value. It is a commodity tool that should help you do the work you want to do right now.
Who could have guessed that PowerMac G3 would be made obsolete by ... YouTube.

IMac graphics cards

I just received my iMac and I love it! With that said, I was curious if there are more advanced graphics cards to which I can upgrade. Yes, yes, I know ... Macs and gaming don't necessarily go hand-in-hand ... but does ATI have a higher-end card that will work with the iMac besides the HD2600 Pro that it comes with?
Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer.

Hello,
The imac graphics card can't be upgraded and HD2600 Pro is best available right now for iMac.
I tryed to play lots of games on my iMac and all seems ok. In World of Warcraft, if i put multisapling at 4x or more the framerate drops down but at 1x an 2x at 1680x1050 the game run at about 60 fps that i think is not so bad...
Well... is all about tunning the settings.
^^

Upgrading your iMac Graphic Card??

Hello,
I have been looking around for an answer with no hope to find one for my question!!
Why I can't update my iMac Graphic Card to something better? Why this option was not given?
A big company like Apple should have a solution to this issue, you have to....
Any thoughts!!

Please tell us the year/specifications of your iMac so we can determine whether it is worth/compatible with an upgrade.
While it is more than possible to upgrade an iMac's GPU, (people say its soldered to the mb, trust me its not as I have taken mine apart for myself).
However most iMac users will never perform an upgrade such as this for 2 reasons:
1: The mere process of scouring the web for a specially flashed Mobile MX A/B sized card suitable for installation.
2: The cost, it is expensive and will most likely be more than half the price of the original cost of the unit.
However if you really want to tinker with it, i would take a look over iFixit teardowns/guides to see if you feel comfortable enough dealing with the insides of your machine.
I personally will be saving money for a better speced computer, rather than forking out a fortune for a minor GPU upgrade, and depending on your budget/age of your machine you should probably too.
Thats just the way it is! Sorry

HP ENVY 700-074 Desktop - what graphics card do I need to install to use a blu ray player?

I purchased an external blu ray player - "LG 14x external blu-ray/dvd writer super multi blue be14". For some reason I thought my system was compatible. However, it's not - apparently the Intel(R) 4600 won't work. What graphics card would I need to install to allow using this blu-ray device? What else do I need to know?

Ah, I should add, the Blu ray player's support site (for Cyberlink) suggested a pile of different drivers - 30 or 40, but didn't offer any specifics regarding my particular system. What I really need to know is what would be the best option for my particular system.

Installed graphics card does not support the opengl features recommended

I've installed FCP6 on my PowerMac (PPC G4 DP 1.25GHz), and when I run it, I get a warning ("...installed graphics card does not support the opengl features recommended...") and the program ends. The graphics card is the ATI Radeon 9000 Pro (64MB)
I'm looking for a definitive answer regarding my hardware compatibility with FCS2 (specifically, FCP6). I'm NOT looking for an answer along the lines of: your system is too old to run this.
I've checked the minimum system requirements from the apple website (http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/specs/
and http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/download/):
* A Macintosh computer with a 1.25GHz or faster PowerPC G4, PowerPC G5, Intel Core Duo, or Intel Xeon processor
* 1GB of RAM
* An AGP or PCI Express Quartz Extreme graphics card (Final Cut Studio is not compatible with integrated Intel graphics processors)
* A display with 1024-by-768 resolution or higher
* Mac OS X v10.4.11 or later
* QuickTime 7.3 or later
* DVD drive for installation
I have all that stuff. What I'd like is to know which component of my system is FCP6 complaining about (vis-a-vis the error message above), alternatively, if someone has had success with a similar configuration, I'd like to know anything they think might help.
Thanks in advance for any helpful advice you may have.

The minimum would probably be an nVidia Fx5200 or an ATI 9600...
Patrick

27" iMac graphics card, do I need the upgrade?

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