2013 iMac with a dead fusion drive.

[NathanielHellewell]

I am looking to get my mother a used 2013 iMac for Christmas to start her digital design business, but it has a dead fusion drive. I repair computers and have no problems with replacing parts, but one thing giving me pause is the fusion drive the computer originally came with. Am I able to replace the factory hard drive with a sata ssd and use the Mac? Will that work or will I have to replace anything else? Can I set it to ignore the stock small ssd? I don’t care about retaining any data. I am and always have been a windows person so please excuse me if I am being thickheaded in regards to this Mac. Thanks preemptively,
Nathaniel

 

[The Clark]

Hey,

Yes, you should be able to replace the HDD with a sata ssd and load a new OS via recovery or flash drive. Note, if you plan on loading MacOS via recovery, use "cmd + option + r" to install the latest compatible version of MacOS.

You can ignore the stock small SSD. Do not attempt to refuse anything.

I don't believe the 2013 21.5" iMac's use a thermal sensor, as that model doesn't read temps from HDD/SSD. However, if you're getting her a 27" iMac you'd need to also buy a thermal sensor from OWC to keep the fans from spinning at 100% all of the time.

Also, from someone who repairs Mac's professionally, be sure to work in very clean environment when dealing with iMacs. It's not common, but I have seen instances of dirt getting trapped inside the screen itself after blowing out the machine with compressed air. Be sure to lay the screen on a clean towel and do all of the cleaning with the panel detached.

Happy holidays!

 

[BrianBaughn]

There's a lot of info on drive replacement at ifixit.com.

 

[Pug72]

Or you could do what I've recently done and create an external bootable drive. Saves removing the screen and all that involves.

 

[Fishrrman]

I'd agree with Pug in the post above.
There are many hazards in opening an iMac.
A Mac will boot and run as easily from an external drive as from the internal drive.
This is completely different than Windows.

However...
My advice is... if you're going to gift your mom with a computer with which to start a business... get her one that is "100% working" right off the bat.

Things will go better that way.

 

[Spock]

You can break the SSD half of the Fusion Drive in terminal and then you will have a 120 GB internal SSD that you can install macOS on. And you can do what Pug72 said above and use an external drive for mass storage. The 2013 iMac uses adhesive to hold the screen on and when that adhesive is removed, it has to be completely removed and replaced and it is kind of a pain. They also used an exposed power supply in the iMac so when you do take it apart, you run the risk of shock if you are not comfortable inside the machine.

 

[ignatius345]

You can break the SSD half of the Fusion Drive in terminal and then you will have a 120 GB internal SSD that you can install macOS on.

Before you install the OS on it, I'd check the health of the SSD. I had a Fusion Drive in my last iMac and had to open it up because the SSD was reaching critical wear levels according to a couple utilities I used like DriveDx.

Turns out the SSD part gets absolutely hammered with use because data gets shuttled on and off it constantly in the normal functioning of a Fusion Drive. That's compounded by the criminally tiny SSDs Apple used on these. Mine was 128GB, but I think they went as low as 32GB on some of them. More about all this here: how-long-will-the-ssd-in-my-fusion-drive-last

Anyway, I ended up opening up the Mac and putting in an SATA drive, just as OP is contemplating -- but not because of issues with the HDD, but rather because the SSD was about to fail.

As for the actual procedure, it's a PITA but totally doable for someone with a little technical skill, time and the right tools and materials. I used an iFixit kit which came with everything I needed except my replacement SATA SSD. Took me about 2 hours, but a lot of that was time spent removing the old adhesive so I could apply the new adhesive strips cleanly. Tempting to skimp on that, but you want a clean bond so the screen doesn't drop off later

All of this said, yeah, a new iMac is going to be MUCH faster than a 2013 iMac, even with a new SSD inside it. But if money is a factor and the iMac is usable otherwise, it could at least be a usable starter machine until she can bill some jobs and buy a newer one.

 

[Jwpyle3]

I am looking to get my mother a used 2013 iMac for Christmas to start her digital design business, but it has a dead fusion drive. I repair computers and have no problems with replacing parts, but one thing giving me pause is the fusion drive the computer originally came with. Am I able to replace the factory hard drive with a sata ssd and use the Mac? Will that work or will I have to replace anything else? Can I set it to ignore the stock small ssd? I don’t care about retaining any data. I am and always have been a windows person so please excuse me if I am being thickheaded in regards to this Mac. Thanks preemptively,
Nathaniel

OWC which is macsales.com has the complete kits and step by step videos for drive replacement. Here is the link to the pages for the 2013 iMacs.

21.5 - https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ssd/owc/imac-21.5-inch/2013-2019
27 - https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ssd/owc/imac-27-inch/2013-2019

James

 

[zackkmac]

I've also replaced the SSD in a 2013 27" iMac - it's really not too terrible as long as you take your time. In fact I replaced the whole logic board on it when a power surge killed it, which is when I decided to do a larger SSD (I bumped the factory 128GB blade to a 256GB). Removing the old adhesive and using new is a must.

I will add that I initially bought too small of an SSD for my needs, so I had to do the procedure twice. Therefore I recommend splurging on the storage space if you think she will eventually need it, because having to redo the procedure again later on would be a hassle.

 

[CooperBox]

You've already been given valuable info here.
Could you please state whether your planned purchase is a 21,5" or 27" .
I've completely disassembled, cleaned and refurbished several 27" iMacs for myself and friends, 2009 and 2010 models. I've been longing to do the same just to gain the experience on the thinner models from 2012 onwards, but so far one hasn't come my way.
I'm guessing that you may be tempted by the iMac you've seen due to a low price - probably a reflection of the defective fusion drive.
Perhaps not a bad suggestion by Fishrrman to look around for another which is fully functional, although it would make sense to get a newer model if finances permit and save yourself a lot of time and bother.
In my experience when you get the screen off, say a 2013 iMac, it will really benefit from a little more tender loving care than just an SSD change, as these fans can accumulate a great deal of dust, which clogs up the fan exit area, restricting the cooling flow and ultimately leading to higher cpu and gpu temperatures. The 3 fans on my own 27" 2010 iMac were in a terrible state, and whilst I had them removed I went deeper, removed the logic board and cleaned/repasted the cpu, replaced the PRAM battery (on the inner side of the logic board - for God's sake), and installed a 500GB Crucial SSD with High Sierra. The iMac was transformed and still performs admirably, as does a similarly modded 2009 model that I also use daily. The idea of installing Fusion drives to the later Imac's was imho a definite faux pas.

 

[NathanielHellewell]

You've already been given valuable info here.
Could you please state whether your planned purchase is a 21,5" or 27" .
I've completely disassembled, cleaned and refurbished several 27" iMacs for myself and friends, 2009 and 2010 models. I've been longing to do the same just to gain the experience on the thinner models from 2012 onwards, but so far one hasn't come my way.
I'm guessing that you may be tempted by the iMac you've seen due to a low price - probably a reflection of the defective fusion drive.
Perhaps not a bad suggestion by Fishrrman to look around for another which is fully functional, although it would make sense to get a newer model if finances permit and save yourself a lot of time and bother.
In my experience when you get the screen off, say a 2013 iMac, it will really benefit from a little more tender loving care than just an SSD change, as these fans can accumulate a great deal of dust, which clogs up the fan exit area, restricting the cooling flow and ultimately leading to higher cpu and gpu temperatures. The 3 fans on my own 27" 2010 iMac were in a terrible state, and whilst I had them removed I went deeper, removed the logic board and cleaned/repasted the cpu, replaced the PRAM battery (on the inner side of the logic board - for God's sake), and installed a 500GB Crucial SSD with High Sierra. The iMac was transformed and still performs admirably, as does a similarly modded 2009 model that I also use daily. The idea of installing Fusion drives to the later Imac's was imho a definite faux pas.

It is 21.5 inch that was spec’d to the max when new. I traded it for am old computer monitor, so the price is right.

 

[BrianBaughn]

It is 21.5 inch that was spec’d to the max when new. I traded it for am old computer monitor, so the price is right.

I guess you got the drive info you were seeking here.

OP says he repairs computers. I don't think this is going to be a problem for him. I suppose he has confirmed, somehow, that the computer is OK other than the fusion drive.

Let us know how it goes.

 

[JavaMania5]

The only caution I would offer is that I believe ( correct me if I am wrong) with a 2013 Imac, you are limited by Apple on the OS. Check to see if the original OS is still available to reinstall in the recovery mode and also check to see the limits on the upgrade path to Big Sur. I am pretty certain you cannot advance to Monterey. This may limit your applications and/or your sync with other devices. Am I correct?

 

[NathanielHellewell]

The only caution I would offer is that I believe ( correct me if I am wrong) with a 2013 Imac, you are limited by Apple on the OS. Check to see if the original OS is still available to reinstall in the recovery mode and also check to see the limits on the upgrade path to Big Sur. I am pretty certain you cannot advance to Monterey. This may limit your applications and/or your sync with other devices. Am I correct?

It is already on Big Sur. All I need to run is the adobe suite, will this be a problem?

 

[NathanielHellewell]

I guess you got the drive info you were seeking here.

OP says he repairs computers. I don't think this is going to be a problem for him. I suppose he has confirmed, somehow, that the computer is OK other than the fusion drive.

Let us know how it goes.

I got it running on an external drive, but I would like a more streamlined experience hence my intentions to replace the drive.

 

[JavaMania5]

It is already on Big Sur. All I need to run is the adobe suite, will this be a problem?

What I should have said.....the 2013 Imac shipped with Mountain Lion. When you go into Recovery mode it will try to download Mountain Lion. You may need to check first to see if Apple still supports a Mountain Lion download in recovery mode. If not you will need a different plan. As for Adobe, you should be fine unless you have a old version that Adobe will not support.