Tips on installing an SSD in an iMac (27-inch, Mid 2010)

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russelljsmith

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# 142880 27-Mar-2014 15:27

Thinking of swapping out my 1TB internal HDD on my mid-2010 27-inch iMac for an SSD.

Does anyone here have experience of doing this, either first hand or using a company or technician here in New Zealand (Auckland)?

Thanks / Russ

Dynamic

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# 1013965 27-Mar-2014 16:28

I've done one hard drive replacement on one of these due to bad sectors.

Note - do your own homework. I don't want any complaints if my notes below cause you to damage something.

The front glass has to be removed. It's held in by magnets. Suction cups were recommended, but I did it with a small screwdriver and a bit of care.

Next the LCD panel is unscrewed. I then had someone hold on an awkward angle this rather than disconnect the cables.

The 3.5" hard drive was relatively simple to disconnect the cables, dismount, and replace. (So ensure the SSD is ready to go into a 3.5" bay.)

"4 wheels move the body. 2 wheels move the soul."

“Don't believe anything you read on the net. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose.” Douglas Adams

russelljsmith

23 posts

Geek

# 1013975 27-Mar-2014 16:44

I've found some good instructions here that show the steps involved: http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+27-Inch+EMC+2390+Hard+Drive+Replacement/8919

Does anyone have any recommendations on good places to source an SSD that's compatible with a Mac, preferably in NZ but I'll order from overseas if the price is a lot better.

Thanks / Russ

Dynamic

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# 1013987 27-Mar-2014 16:50

The Mac just uses standard SATA hard drives. Any hard drives (internal or USB connected) you see advertised for a Mac have just been preformatted with the Mac file system. When you reinstall OSX the installation routine will reformat a PC-formatted SSD to the Mac format.

"4 wheels move the body. 2 wheels move the soul."

“Don't believe anything you read on the net. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose.” Douglas Adams

Buzz Bumble

332 posts

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# 1014096 27-Mar-2014 19:13

Dynamic: The front glass has to be removed. It's held in by magnets.

On the newer iMac models the glass is actually glued in and [BEEP]ingly difficult for a non-expert / non-technician to remove and replace - basically new iMacs are not user upgradable / fixable. :-( I'm not exactly sure which model that started with, but I'm almost certain it was after 2010 and probably started with the models without an optical drive.

russelljsmith

23 posts

Geek

# 1014541 28-Mar-2014 12:37

The mid-2010 iMac I have uses magnets rather than glue fortunately, still looks kinda tricky but I used to build my own PCs so I'm fairly comfortable inside a computer.

Peppery

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# 1014543 28-Mar-2014 12:40

They started gluing them in with the new slim 2012 models.

I have put an SSD in my 27" iMac, however it is the mid 2011 model and has an extra slot for an SSD while keeping the HDD and optical drive. Super fast and super worth it. Took about an hour to install.

CYaBro

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# 1014549 28-Mar-2014 12:57

Use a suction cup of some sort to lift the glass!
Don't try with a screwdriver as you may crack the glass.

The first time I did one I just used the windshield mount suction cup from my GPS unit.
I have since got a decent suction cup just for this job.
As mentioned already, the hardest part is taking the LCD panel out and putting it back in.
Pays to have an extra pair of hands for that.