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Has anyone tried to ADD SSD to 2011 imac for HDD+SSD?
- Thread starter Crwoo
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Ya, it's frustrating to see post after post when obviously most haven't read the entire thread.
Those who have used a SATA power splitter to install their SSD probably won't have the fan speedup issue either because most SATA power splitters treat pins 10,11&12 as one GND connection. Because Apple uses pin 11 for reporting the HDD temperature, when just replacing the drive with a non-Apple drive, the iMac believes there is an issue with the drive because a normal HDD doesn't send its temperature over pin11 (some send activity information which may confuse it even more). Since it hasn't reported correctly the fans go on full-speed. Grounding this pin has the effect of turning off HDD fan checking and the iMac believes there is no drive in the bay. The reason for this is Apple offers a build option that only contains SSD so they must have a way to disable this check. The official way apple does this, if you have SSD only factory-install, is to place a jumper on the main board HDD SATA power connector which grounds pins 2 and 7. It is the same thing as grounding pin 11 on the other end of the cable which plugs in the drive. A SATA power splitter will have that pin grounded internally. I read many posts here and elsewhere about people who replace their HDD at same time and report how it must be iMac compatible because the fans run at normal speed. In fact they are incorrect and it is the SATA power splitter which inadvertently does this. Just because fan doesn't come on high-speed doesn't mean everything is ok! Those people probably won't have proper fan control for the HDD so they risk overheating if they added an SSD and stole power for SSD from the stock HDD - a software fan control is recommended. In other words, adding a SATA power splitter even if you keep the stock drive disables the iMac's HDD fan control (passing hardware test means nothing).
Those who have used a SATA power splitter to install their SSD probably won't have the fan speedup issue either because most SATA power splitters treat pins 10,11&12 as one GND connection. Because Apple uses pin 11 for reporting the HDD temperature, when just replacing the drive with a non-Apple drive, the iMac believes there is an issue with the drive because a normal HDD doesn't send its temperature over pin11 (some send activity information which may confuse it even more). Since it hasn't reported correctly the fans go on full-speed. Grounding this pin has the effect of turning off HDD fan checking and the iMac believes there is no drive in the bay. The reason for this is Apple offers a build option that only contains SSD so they must have a way to disable this check. The official way apple does this, if you have SSD only factory-install, is to place a jumper on the main board HDD SATA power connector which grounds pins 2 and 7. It is the same thing as grounding pin 11 on the other end of the cable which plugs in the drive. A SATA power splitter will have that pin grounded internally. I read many posts here and elsewhere about people who replace their HDD at same time and report how it must be iMac compatible because the fans run at normal speed. In fact they are incorrect and it is the SATA power splitter which inadvertently does this. Just because fan doesn't come on high-speed doesn't mean everything is ok! Those people probably won't have proper fan control for the HDD so they risk overheating if they added an SSD and stole power for SSD from the stock HDD - a software fan control is recommended. In other words, adding a SATA power splitter even if you keep the stock drive disables the iMac's HDD fan control (passing hardware test means nothing).
You guys all keep going around in circles...
Plain and simple,
You need this cable: http://www.amazon.com/Slimline-pin-S.../dp/B0056OB8GK
And ANY current SSD. You dont need owc drives for this to work without fan issues. Trust me, I used the above cable and an Kingston hyper-x 555MB/s read/write SSD.. Install it yourself, a monkey can do it..
Imserious
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I think I'm going to go ahead with the SSD installation. I'm off work for a few days this week, so would like to do it then, but as I'm in the UK, if I order the cable which is linked on the btobey.com tutorial it's probably going to take at least a week to get here!
Can anyone recommend a cable from a store in Europe?
Edit:
Will this:
http://www.ebuyer.com/184677-startech-slimline-sata-extension-cable-0-5m-slsata20ext
...with this:
http://www.ebuyer.com/184679-startech-female-slimline-sata-to-sata-adapter-with-power-slsataadap
...do the job?
Can anyone recommend a cable from a store in Europe?
Edit:
Will this:
http://www.ebuyer.com/184677-startech-slimline-sata-extension-cable-0-5m-slsata20ext
...with this:
http://www.ebuyer.com/184679-startech-female-slimline-sata-to-sata-adapter-with-power-slsataadap
...do the job?
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Been there, done that
The Vertex 2 worked great in it. When I bought my 27", I put the Vertex 2 into my girlfriend's 24".
I have got to say this thread is a mess of clutter, long paragraphs, some good and some confusing information. My head feels warped.
Two questions I can't see answer (at least clearly) in here is as follows.
First of all there are 3 sata ports on the bottom of the logic board with power and data on each from what I can see...so why are we using Y splitter cables to pull power for a drive from one port?
Secondly from what I've read the iMac only had 3 6GBPS ports and 1 3GBPS port. Which of the ports (Sata, 0, 1 of 2) is the 3GBPS port? I presume all ports run on their own bus?
What I want to do is remove the optical drive, put two Vertex 3 SSD's in as Raid 0, obviously on the 6GBPS channels and mount them where the optical drive is. Then seen as there is a spare Sata connector, I might as well put a 2TB drive where the standard 3.5" drive is on the remaining 3GBS sata channel.
It doesn't appear anyone has done this from what I can see, most leaving the optical drive in, or just installing SSDs.
I had no issues putting 2x Intel X25m G2's in my late 2009 27" iMac, for the temp sensor I just used a terminal block to short the connector out...I guess this is now built into the sata cable on the new iMacs and not as easy to short out...
Two questions I can't see answer (at least clearly) in here is as follows.
First of all there are 3 sata ports on the bottom of the logic board with power and data on each from what I can see...so why are we using Y splitter cables to pull power for a drive from one port?
Secondly from what I've read the iMac only had 3 6GBPS ports and 1 3GBPS port. Which of the ports (Sata, 0, 1 of 2) is the 3GBPS port? I presume all ports run on their own bus?
What I want to do is remove the optical drive, put two Vertex 3 SSD's in as Raid 0, obviously on the 6GBPS channels and mount them where the optical drive is. Then seen as there is a spare Sata connector, I might as well put a 2TB drive where the standard 3.5" drive is on the remaining 3GBS sata channel.
It doesn't appear anyone has done this from what I can see, most leaving the optical drive in, or just installing SSDs.
I had no issues putting 2x Intel X25m G2's in my late 2009 27" iMac, for the temp sensor I just used a terminal block to short the connector out...I guess this is now built into the sata cable on the new iMacs and not as easy to short out...
This thread is a mess you are right..
Now about your questions:
1) people used to use power splitters when they were experimenting. Now they have found the relevant cables, which are different for the 27 and the 21.5 models.
2) the iMac has two 6 GBPS ports and one 3 GBPS port. It is easy to tell them apart. The 3 GBPS is the one the SuperDrive is connected to. The two 6 GBPS ports are the ones the hard disk is connected and the spare one.
If you want to have two SSDs in RAID and one HDD, you have to replace the DVD with the HDD and connect the SSDs to the HDD and spare sata SSD port. You are going to have fan issues though. The only way not to have fan issues is if you don't remove the original hard disk. I don't know if relocating the original hard disk to another sata port creates fan issues though..
Thanks kgian - so no one has found a way around replacing the original drive without this "fan" issue? -
So they've changed the way this works from the 2009 model I modded and built the sensor directly into one of the sata port chips? See in the 2009 there was a separate cable which went on one of the jumpers of the HD and all you had to do was put a terminator block on the end of it shorting it out. Is there no way to just short the cable out on the hard drive?
The guys at OWC have found a way of replacing the original drive with no problems but you have to send your mac to them, not a very good thing for some of us that live in another continent. If you live in US you can contact them though...
Hmmm yeah...
Well what if you were to use the original cables for the HDD drive and move them to the optical drive port (the sata 2 connection) I wouldn't imagine anyone has tried this as I can't find anyone in the thread wanting to do what I want and putting the HDD on the Sata 2 bus.
OR if the fan issue comes because the original HDD drive port isn't getting the signal, what happens if you just use the original cables for the replacement SSD?
As someone said in the thread early and are quite right - simply shorting one of the connectors will stop the fans coming on, as it did on the original iMac. Now either more people are doing this than I was back in 2009 and are thus throwing more confusion on something that shouldn't be confusing or Apple really have made this hard now...
There MUST be a way to change the drives and stop the fans coming on, even if it means doctoring the cables slightly...surely...i'll be mightily annoyed I sold my old iMac if I can't do this.
The optical drive is hooked up to a SATA II port, doesn't matter if you're putting in a SATA II drive but it would be stupid to pay up for a SATA III drive and have a lower negotiated speed because of it while your optical drive is connected via SATA III
Obviously - and thats not what I've written at all is it.
Lets put it simple.
I want to fit two Vertex 3 MAX IOPS 120gb Sata 3 drives to the two Sata 3 connectors on the iMac Motherboard.
I THEN want to put a 2gb standard HDD in and fit it into the remaining Sata 2 port inplace of the optical drive.
Of course i want to make sure the fans don't spin up so I need a way to short the temperature connectors on all the drives the way I could easily with the 2009 iMac. I presume there is no such temperature sensor on the optical drive as there wasn't not he 2009 iMac and the SSD just swapped with it easily. The only temperature sensor was not he main drive...
I presume that is still the case, the only temperature sensor is on the main drive. SURELY if you use the cable which shorts the two pins you can install anything in the main drive slot and it'll operate exactly the same as my 2009 iMac did, is there a temperature sensor as well on the second unused Sata 3 slot which needs shorting as well if you fit something?
Ok, heres a simple set of questions - someone must know the answer to this.
Obviously there is a temperature sensor on the sata port the default hard drive is attached to. This temp sensor technology is now built into the sata connectors correct?
SO, is the spare sata port people are connecting their SSD's to, do that have the same temperature sensor on it too?
IF SO - doesn't that mean that people who are using this cable
http://www.amazon.com/Slimline-pin-S.../dp/B0056OB8GK
and installing the SSD fine without touching anything else and not having fan issues. Doesn't that mean THAT cable has the correct pins shorted out so the fan sensors do not go crazy?
IF so, doesn't that mean I can use that exact cable to replace the main hard drive as well- and not have any fan issues?
Finally does the optical sata 2 connector (sata slot 0) have the same temp sensor on it or not? The 2009 iMac DIDNT but things may have changed. Back then I just swapped the optical drive for an SSD so I can do my raid 0 configuration without any fan issues (after shorting out the temp sensor on the main HDD)
If it doesn't and the above cable fixes the fan issues with anything in Sata ports 1+2, whats to stop you using the stock optical cables to connect a standard 2gb HDD drive to the 3gbps sata port (especially as it won't benefit from 6gbs sata anyway and I don't want an optical drive anywhere near my iMac)
Answers on a post card...we could get some very simple and easy clarity here and stop some of the fear is someone can confirm if there is a temp sensor on each port or not and if there is, then that very cable linked probably shorts them out so we don't have issues...
Obviously there is a temperature sensor on the sata port the default hard drive is attached to. This temp sensor technology is now built into the sata connectors correct?
SO, is the spare sata port people are connecting their SSD's to, do that have the same temperature sensor on it too?
IF SO - doesn't that mean that people who are using this cable
http://www.amazon.com/Slimline-pin-S.../dp/B0056OB8GK
and installing the SSD fine without touching anything else and not having fan issues. Doesn't that mean THAT cable has the correct pins shorted out so the fan sensors do not go crazy?
IF so, doesn't that mean I can use that exact cable to replace the main hard drive as well- and not have any fan issues?
Finally does the optical sata 2 connector (sata slot 0) have the same temp sensor on it or not? The 2009 iMac DIDNT but things may have changed. Back then I just swapped the optical drive for an SSD so I can do my raid 0 configuration without any fan issues (after shorting out the temp sensor on the main HDD)
If it doesn't and the above cable fixes the fan issues with anything in Sata ports 1+2, whats to stop you using the stock optical cables to connect a standard 2gb HDD drive to the 3gbps sata port (especially as it won't benefit from 6gbs sata anyway and I don't want an optical drive anywhere near my iMac)
Answers on a post card...we could get some very simple and easy clarity here and stop some of the fear is someone can confirm if there is a temp sensor on each port or not and if there is, then that very cable linked probably shorts them out so we don't have issues...
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How are you guys updating your OCZ drives' firmware? I'm still stuck on 2.06, no Windows machines nearby and would rather not open up my iMac again.
Is there a clearcut, easy way to update the Firmware to the latest version? I got my first Kernel Panic the other day after my OCZ has been installed for about 2 months now, and really want to update the Firmware.
I would love if someone could let me know how they updated their 2011 iMac...
Is there a clearcut, easy way to update the Firmware to the latest version? I got my first Kernel Panic the other day after my OCZ has been installed for about 2 months now, and really want to update the Firmware.
I would love if someone could let me know how they updated their 2011 iMac...
Holy *****. When taking my iMac apart to add my SSD I had to leave in the middle of the process for a meeting. All I had left was connect the LCD back to the motherboard. Instead of connecting the cables I just set it down gently and put the glass back on. Later when I got home to connect the cables and screw the LCD back in I realized I bent the displayport cable and the lever really bad. I almost had a heart attack because I just got it today. I ended up taking the lever off and bending the cable as best I could to make it straight. Thankfully I got it connected again and the iMac started up...OMG. But after searching apple components I saw I can buy a replacement. Just a story for other to make sure to be careful when doing this.
dannys1 - not toooo sure if this answers your questions, but this is what i have done and get no fan issues.
I have:
1) purchased that amazon cable and plugged it into the SPARE sata III port with a SSD.
2) taken JUST the sata data cable out of the original HDD port (Sata III) and plugged in a sata-esata cable and wired through ram slots.
and
3) removed superdrive and associated cable and used the ORIGINAL HDD sata DATA cable (from step 2) and plugged in to the superdrive data port.
so the HDD still gets its power from its original port, but the data now goes to the sata II port i.e. the superdrive port.
having everything plugged in including an external esata enclosure, i get zero fan issues.
again, dont know if this fully answers your questions, but hopefully shows that you can use the original cables... kinda...
feel free to shout at me if i misread your question!
I have:
1) purchased that amazon cable and plugged it into the SPARE sata III port with a SSD.
2) taken JUST the sata data cable out of the original HDD port (Sata III) and plugged in a sata-esata cable and wired through ram slots.
and
3) removed superdrive and associated cable and used the ORIGINAL HDD sata DATA cable (from step 2) and plugged in to the superdrive data port.
so the HDD still gets its power from its original port, but the data now goes to the sata II port i.e. the superdrive port.
having everything plugged in including an external esata enclosure, i get zero fan issues.
again, dont know if this fully answers your questions, but hopefully shows that you can use the original cables... kinda...
feel free to shout at me if i misread your question!
dannys1 - not toooo sure if this answers your questions, but this is what i have done and get no fan issues.
I have:
1) purchased that amazon cable and plugged it into the SPARE sata III port with a SSD.
2) taken JUST the sata data cable out of the original HDD port (Sata III) and plugged in a sata-esata cable and wired through ram slots.
and
3) removed superdrive and associated cable and used the ORIGINAL HDD sata DATA cable (from step 2) and plugged in to the superdrive data port.
so the HDD still gets its power from its original port, but the data now goes to the sata II port i.e. the superdrive port.
having everything plugged in including an external esata enclosure, i get zero fan issues.
again, dont know if this fully answers your questions, but hopefully shows that you can use the original cables... kinda...
feel free to shout at me if i misread your question!
Gotcha and I know exactly what you've done. When I do mine I'm going to put it on a very trafficked site and SEO the hell out of until it pops up first for anyone researching how to do anything inside a 2011 iMac because the amount of untruths, confusion and bollocks in these threads is unbelievable.
Here is the simple fact. The only fan problems you get are when messing with the power cable on the original HDD. end of.
People buying power splitters and the amazon cable and all this nonsense thinking they've fixed fitting an SSD on the second port - there is no temp sensor or fan problem with the other sata port, nor the optical drive (apart from the ambient one of course) so you can't go wrong..its childs play.
Its only the serious modders that are going to run into the issue. The simple thing to do is short out the temp sensor on the original HDD power cable. This is what OWC will be doing probably with a custom cable they use - this is effectively how I did it on my 2009 iMac as well, its just a bit harder now.
Yongy your setup works perfect because you never touched the original HDD power cable and its very close to what I want to do - however I want to swap out the original drive for a 2tb drive.
what I need to do is fine a sata power cable that shorts pin 11 out to stop the temp so I can put any HD in and the only thing I don't know is 3 things which would make the job a lot easier for me and stop me going through trial and error.
1. If the slimline adapter cable on Amazon shorts the right pin. People are saying its the correct cable and it fixes the fan problem but I think its because they're confused - if you're just using it to fit an SSD on the spare SATA3 port there is no fan problem in the first place. So I'm not sure if the power part of this cable will do it or not.
2. If using the Sata Y Power splitter will short out the correct pin and I instead use this to power the replacement HDD. There is so much confusion about what the Y splitter cable is actually for and does I can't find conclusive evidence for this. What i want to know is i I use it on the original HDD sata port and plug it into a different HDD will it short the temp sensor out as some are suggesting. If so this is going to be close to the method OWC are using (probably without the spare power adapter you'll be left with.
3. If fitting the original power cable direct to an SSD drive shorts the correct pin out anyway. There are some reports (though they may be incorrect again) saying that simple swapping an SSD for the original hard drive doesn't cause the fan problem and problem shorts the correct pin out. This would make the wiring inside the case easier and neater as well if the case - but again no conclusive reports from someone who knows what they're talking about and understands whats going on in side. - Quite simply, does swapping the original hard drive for any SSD short the temp sensor out as opposed to swapping the original HD for another standard HD in which case the temp sensor is looking for the correct firmware.
If someone conclusive understood and new the answer to those three question it would save me a lot of messing about and Id be able to write up a very conclusive, concise and accurate blog post about this situation that anyone could use from vanilla work like putting an SSD in on the correct port the more ambitious system I want of 2x SATA 3 SSDs on a raid 0 and the optical drive swapped out for a 2tb or 3tb disk for backup, media and time machine.
- D
fusion will not work. your only way to do it is via bootcamp. Fusion doesn't have access to ssd itself, windows is encapsulated into a vmdk file that sits your ssd. if you want access to physical hardware u have to do it via bootcamp