Dual Mount SSD & 2.5" Drive

[kakawak]

Hi Guys,

I bought myself an imac 27" i5 mid 2010 and was wondering if i can replace my existing 3.5" drive with this....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inateck-In....5+dual+mount&qid=1554643859&s=gateway&sr=8-4

and add an SSD & 2.5" drive instead of going down the route of adding SSD behind optical drive?

i would rather just have everything in one place if possible.

cheers

cammy

 

[Fishrrman]

I don't think that's gonna fit, no way, no how.

 

[kakawak]

are there any dual kits that have the same size of the 3.5" drive?

 

[louiebk]

I also have an iMac 27" (2010) but I found swapping out the optical drive for a SSD with a third-party adapter to be easier. Have you tried opening the iMac? There's not much room even with the 3.5" HDD.

But one reviewer said it fits: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AH55RVNYBJQLEGQVDXVNVLBF5OHA/

Another one says screw sizes don't match (but didn't specify what iMac): https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFD6C36AUH7WBWEVEXLXCZIZE3LA/

 

[kakawak]

nice find louiebk i might take the chance and see if it does fit i will be sure to post here

cheers

 

[mikas]

Some years ago I wanted to install three 2,5 inchers inside my 2010 model. I used some cheap Kingston or DeLock metal brackets to put 2x 2,5" in place of that original 3,5", and an ODD adapter for the third one. The one you linked indeed seems a little bit too high to fit the 3,5" spot inside 27" iMac, but I'm not quite sure. If you are installing two SSD's, I would say you can go with some good double sided tape too. You don't necessarily need the brackets. I have tried the tape also, SSD's are really light compared to HD's, and will hold their place nicely in there.

You will need to tear down the iMac pretty thoroughly though, because that one SATA-port is on the other side of the motherboard (see pic). I updated the processor too from i5 to i7 while I was in there. It was not that hard I first thought it would be, but it took quite some time, just to be careful. Didn't want to break anything.

Good Luck!

 

[kakawak]

Hi Mikas,

I guess i'm more intrigued by the CPU upgrade that you've mentioned more than the Hard Drive option lol

Getting back on topic... Do you have any links or anything in mind that is better than what i've posted so far with bracket options? My plan is to use the 1TB hard drive as a backup drive and use an SSD (for OS & boot camp windows) and an additional 2.5 normal hard drive sandwiched together with the adapter mentioned. I've seen the video for stripping down the imac so it doesn't look to bad :/

The only thing that slightly upsets are the software OS updates - meaning no Mojave i've read that this can be done via the mojave patcher, however, it looks like this disables the GPU accelerator.... is there a work around for this or does it mean we are stuck with High Sierra for good?

Also, does the CPU upgrade have a noticeable difference compared to the i5? and would i benefit from it if i'm only using my imac for normal use?

I currently have 8gb ram which consists of 2 x 2gb and 1 stick of 4gb i am going to purchase another 4gb to make it 12gb total. do i have to pair another 4gb with the 4gb installed or can i get a stick of 8gb and pair it with the 4gb? what do you recommend?

I paid £250 for this imac, which i thought was a good buy considering how well it was looked after, the only thing missing was the box!

Upgrades that i've bought so far SSD 240gb £25

cheers

 

[mikas]

Any noname brackets and some working cables with appropriate length will do.

I used a SATA power splitter, and a SATA cable around 50 cm if I remember the lenght right. I shorted the temperature sensor with a stapler nail and taped it safely to secure to not to make any contact inside iMac. I monitored the temps with crystal ideas Macs Fan Control.

Temps there just fine without the temp sensor, a normal 2,5" SSD is not going add tempretaure compared to the old 3,5", it's the opposite. And an WD Red for CCC-backups did not affect the temps either, not too much. It's cooler inside the iMac ofter the change.

I don't think you will benefit the i7 that much, you can skip it. That old i7 is still quite pricy, I just looked to get one to pimp my other iMac, but the prices made me cancel the project. That older i5 is just fine for everyday basic stuff like surfing and mail etc. Memory helps too with some stuff, and you can tuck it in basically in any combinations, but it's better to follow apples rules, you get a little axtra speed if banks are matched with same size and spec modules.

No Mojave for this 2010 iMac I am afraid. It's way too slow to use with a Mojave patch. That's a shame, because for example same 2010 era Mac Mini works quite fine with that same Mojave patch. The reason is an incompatibility between Mojave and Radeon 5xxx/6xxx graphics drivers I believe (DosDudes patch).

 

[mikehalloran]

Take that 3.5" spinning boat anchor and throw it away ... er ... recycle it.

You can put up to 3 2.5" drives, preferably SSDs inside a 2010 or 2011 27" iMac. These are the only two years that can be done. There are three SATA II busses in a 2010 and two SATA III + one SATA II in a 2011.

You don't really need a special bracket but it is easier.

You will need a temp sensor. A used optical drive sensor works fine in a 2010 (but not a 2011). And no, you cannot just use the sensor already present. You have to get another. The $30 OWC sensor works just as well.

Now, as to why anyone would actually want to do this anymore is a mystery to me. A 2TB SSD can be had for $250 or less.
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I monitored the temps with crystal ideas Macs Fan Control.

You don't have to use that crapware with a used optical sensor. It's not that you can manipulate the fan speeds; it's that you have to. At least shorting out the original sensor keeps the fan from going full blast when you boot.

 

[mikas]

You don't have to use that crapware with a used optical sensor. It's not that you can manipulate the fan speeds; it's that you have to. At least shorting out the original sensor keeps the fan from going full blast when you boot.

I agree it's not perfect software, but it's free. I did not have to adjust the fan speeds, the software was were just to make sure nothing would burn inside. There are a lot of other software out there to monitor your computer temps. That's just what I happened to use.

Btw. I have used optical sensor too, it was something like 30€ from Apple service center. One might get one cheaper from aBay/Amazon or from other market places. It's the best solution for this in my opinion too (for 2010 iMac).