lorenzocangiano

I am looking for the same answer regarding my mid-2010 iMac 27”. At this point I’ve successfully upgraded the CPU to an i7-870, added an SSD and lots of Ram, replaced a dead power supply, all using this great site. This machine is snappy and perfectly stable in High Sierra but to keep it going for a few more years (up to sync with all the latest services running in my more recent macs) I’d like to see if it’s possible to upgrade the GPU to a metal-compatible one. There must be someone out there testing this hack…? Cheers, L

Similar but not identical in my experience.

Here’s my experience with this mod:

1. The motherboard disassembly link provided above is for the 2011 iMac. Components and screws layouts are similar between the 2011 and 2010 models but not identical. I thus recommend searching for YouTube videos specific for the mid-2010 iMac.

2. A very helpful reference is the official “Apple Technician Guide” for the 27-inch mid-2010 iMac (pdf, page 206 onwards on motherboard disassembly/reassembly). It can be found easily on the net. You’ll notice several small crucial details, such as the fact that not all screws are of equal length, recommendations to plug USB cables in the back connectors upon reassembly and to remove the memory modules.

3. I recommend labelling all cables, connectors and screws with small numbered stickers before you disconnect them, in addition to taking photos of the cables original routing: when it’s time to reassemble the motherboard you’ll thank yourself for having gone through this tedious process.

The tutorial procedure should be edited once and for all to instruct to detach the adhesive strip from the top of the LCD prior to attempting to lift it. Failure to do so will invariably result in a broken LCD!!!

The simplest way to do that is to first gently remove the foam strip running around the top of the LCD with a pair of tweezers. Only then will the shiny metallic adhesive tape be visible and accessible.

As others have said this step is rather problematic and following the tuturial instructions will most definitely lead to damaging the LCD. One problem is that the two adhesive tapes are not indicated in the photo: they are large and black and they are partly covered by long strips of thicker material that looks like padding. To remove them it helps to heat a little with the opener and then one can slowly peel them away by alternating the sharp and flat tips of the spudger.