Breathing new life into a mid-2009 Edu iMac (project help)

[Milchschokolade]

I got a little project going – I came across an old iMac (mid-2009 edu edition) and I would like to set it up as a simple work station for my grandparents using some spare parts I already have lying around.

I'm running into a couple of concerns:

1. This model seems to be gimped at 4GB RAM, is there any simple trick to overcome this restriction and load it up with 8GB RAM?
2. I am asking because I have Crucial 8GB Kit (4GB x 2) DDR3 1066 MT/s (PC3-8500) lying around, and I am wondering if this RAM would work. Previously used in a Mid-2010 white MacBook.
3. This model has no bluetooth, will any cheap USB bluetooth adapter work, or do I need something specific? I noticed that many listings for cheap adapters mention: "not compatible with Mac." I want to connect a wireless Apple keyboard and trackpad, which I already have lying around. Also should I limit the search to Bluetooth 4.0, or it doesn't matter?
4. I have an SSD: Crucial MX500 2.5inch 500GB, Previously used in a Mid-2012 MBP, will that work in this old edu machine?
5. Lastly, will macOS Catalina Patcher work well on this setup? (assuming SSD and 8GB RAM will take)

Thanks for your help. I know 5 topic areas makes up for a lot of questions, I'm just trying to get my grandparents something nice with a bigger screen for simple web browsing. Right now they have a terrible, old HP laptop.

 

[phoenix42]

Following your link, and scrolling down a bit, you'll find that the max RAM is 8GB. The RAM you have lying around is the same spec - again, from your handy link.
OWC is a great source of info, yes you can put your SATA SSD drive in there, you'll need some tools, and optionally a bracket or some double sided tape to secure it in place. You don't need the $40 sensor cable that the later iMac do. They have videos that will walk you through the process.
Bluetooth dongle - claimes Mac OS 10.7 and up.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

I got a little project going – I came across an old iMac (mid-2009 edu edition) and I would like to set it up as a simple work station for my grandparents using some spare parts I already have lying around.

I'm running into a couple of concerns:

1. This model seems to be gimped at 4GB RAM, is there any simple trick to overcome this restriction and load it up with 8GB RAM?
2. I am asking because I have Crucial 8GB Kit (4GB x 2) DDR3 1066 MT/s (PC3-8500) lying around, and I am wondering if this RAM would work. Previously used in a Mid-2010 white MacBook.
3. This model has no bluetooth, will any cheap USB bluetooth adapter work, or do I need something specific? I noticed that many listings for cheap adapters mention: "not compatible with Mac." I want to connect a wireless Apple keyboard and trackpad, which I already have lying around. Also should I limit the search to Bluetooth 4.0, or it doesn't matter?
4. I have an SSD: Crucial MX500 2.5inch 500GB, Previously used in a Mid-2012 MBP, will that work in this old edu machine?
5. Lastly, will macOS Catalina Patcher work well on this setup? (assuming SSD and 8GB RAM will take)

Thanks for your help. I know 5 topic areas makes up for a lot of questions, I'm just trying to get my grandparents something nice with a bigger screen for simple web browsing. Right now they have a terrible, old HP laptop.

4. Just have the SSD dangling around inside the iMac if you can't find an adapter for it.
5. Catalina worked well on my imac 24" Early 2009 with nearly identical config with yours, so I assume it'll work well with your set-up. I still keep the old bluetooth card and it does not connect with half of other bluetooth devices I have (mostly audio things only)
6. If you can find a more powerful Penryn CPUs, try it as well.