Graphics card upgrade for 2011 Macbook pro?
My graphics card has failed and I am looking to upgrade (Apple no longer makes parts for my model because it is considered 'vintage'). Currently, I have an AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 1GB of VRAM. It was working great and I do play games. However, I would like to upgrade to a graphics card that can support better graphics and I'm unsure of what to buy that will be compatible with my mac.
Model number for my mac is A1286 late 2011.
Update:My computer has 2 graphics cards, one that is integrated which is an Intel HD Graphics 3000 and the more intensive graphics card which is the AMD Radeon HD 6750M that has failed. I can not only use the Intel HD Graphics 3000 because it is not allowing me to do that. The Radeon has failed and I just need to either replace it or get a newer version.
Comments
*sigh* I feel your pain. A couple of years ago my iMac's video card failed. Took finding the right place locally to get it properly diagnosed. Long story short, finding a replacement and getting it installed was going to end up costing more than the machine was worth. So I ended up buying another iMac, several years newer than the one that had failed. I think you are actually in the same position. You probably won't be able to find an upgrade that you can put into that Macbook Pro, which is, after all, 7 years old. I would seriously consider looking into either a new Macbook Pro, or a refurbished or used one that's no more than a couple of years old. Check out Apple's website for such machines and also PowerMax.com. They are an authorized reseller of Apple products, really easy to deal with (you can talk to a live person!) and they often have used/refurbished machines.
You cannot upgrade the graphics cards on most laptops, much less on an Apple computer.
Also, even if you somehow manage to find an 'upgraded' video card, it would be a very difficult and tedious task to remove and install it as it is soldered onto the logic board. It will probably cost you a lot more to replace the graphics card than to buy a more modern laptop.
Take a look at this video to see the process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqgZW3fFxbk
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