Chosen Solution

Struggling to find a comprehensive guide on replacing the GPU in this iMac. I’m not ready to say goodbye to mine! What would be the EASIEST card to replace it the original with?

Your options are very limited to what Apple offered as the MXM cards firmware is custom to Apple. So unless you know how to copy and burn EEROM’s its best to stick with the Apple units. Keep in mind the boards drivers are are a factor here so you just can’t use any MXM board it needs to be what the OS driver can communicate with. The last issue is many people burnt out their boards by over stressing them with vey heavy graphics the boards where never expected to support. Mostly this was online gaming or animation work. Here’s one source AMD Radeon HD 6970M - 2GB In any case reference the Apple P/N’s 661-5967, 661-5968, or 661-5969 to look elsewhere. Just becareful you may get one which someone tried to repair by cooking it. These tend to have a short life before failing again! Which is why I strongly recommend to get one for someone who has a strong knowledge and has a B&M store front.