iMac 27" SSD Upgrade - Important Tip!

[Sensamic]

Ok, so I guess I'll get the intel x25-m 160gb. What kinds of things do I need to keep up the ssd performance at its best longer?

TRIM and maybe background garbage collector? Anything else? Is there a ssd with these two features? I've only seen ssds with TRIM or the other, but not both at the same time.

 

[Cockroach]

G2 with 02G9 firmware has great background optimisation. The 02HA firmware disables this in favour of TRIM so you want the older firmware. If you end up with new new one, you'll probably have to reformat the drive every couple of months in Boot Camp.

 

[Sensamic]

So then maybe its better to get an ssd without TRIM right now and only with background garbage collection?

 

[Cockroach]

No, because another one may have worse garbage collection than the G2 when not using TRIM, plus it could be starting from a worse position. Sorry, but I'm not up to date to help further. Read some recent reviews, and maybe think about picking up a used G2 with old firmware :/

 

[Sensamic]

After installing the ssd inside the imac, is it completely silent apart from the fan noise? The fan noise doesnt bother me at all, but the hd noise it bothers me a lot.

 

[Cockroach]

I don't hear anything from my sitting position. If you lean in or round the back you can hear the fans and maybe some whining from the transformer.

 

[Sensamic]

Thats great. All I want is to get rid of the horrible hd noise of the Seagate drive. Thats why I want to install an ssd on the imac.

So you have no more seagate drive noise, right? No noise at all from the drive when you open applications and such stuff? This is very important to me. I hate hearing the hd working when I open safari or mail or iphoto. With the ssd, you dont hear anymore the drive while opening these programs, right?

I think Im gonna buy the new macbook air too, if it gets updated tomorrow. That way Ill even use the imac 27 as monitor with the macbook air.

But I wouldnt keep the imac 27 if theres still noise coming from the hd after installing the ssd.

 

[WilliamG]

Thats great. All I want is to get rid of the horrible hd noise of the Seagate drive. Thats why I want to install an ssd on the imac.

So you have no more seagate drive noise, right? No noise at all from the drive when you open applications and such stuff? This is very important to me. I hate hearing the hd working when I open safari or mail or iphoto. With the ssd, you dont hear anymore the drive while opening these programs, right?

I think Im gonna buy the new macbook air too, if it gets updated tomorrow. That way Ill even use the imac 27 as monitor with the macbook air.

But I wouldnt keep the imac 27 if theres still noise coming from the hd after installing the ssd.

lol yes stop worrying. There's NO sound from an SSD at all. I would never go back to an SSD-less iMac. The HD is the most crippling component in the factory setup..

As others have said, you may hear the faintest sound of fans (at their slowest level), and the tiniest sound from the transformer if you're in a REALLY quiet room, but NO sound other than that.

 

[Sensamic]

Ok. Great. Then Ill go through with the update as soon as I can. Ill probably look for a 3.5 ssd and take it to a professional to install it.

 

[Cockroach]

If all you care about is the noise, and not the performance, absolutely any SSD will do the job.

 

[Sensamic]

Yeah. The most thing I want is to get rid of the hd noise that comes with many imacs 27. Thats the most important thing to me right now.

Im looking at OCZ, Intel, Kingston and Imation on eBay. All the SSDs are compatible with Mac OS X, right? I dont want to make a BIG mistake and buy an SSD that wont work with Mac OS X and therefore lose a lot of money...

Looking on the specs of OCZ SSDs on their website it says many of them are only compatible with windows and linux. Just one or two say they are compatible with Mac OS X too...

 

[Cockroach]

In theory they all should be compatible. A quick search for 'model no. + Mac OS X' should give you some indication whether it works. I'm pretty sure people have had success with the brands you mention.

 

[Sensamic]

Ok. Im just scared to buy one and then find out it doesnt work and I cant install Mac OS X on it.

The OCZ Colossus is my favorite choice because its 3.5, so its the easiest to install on the imac.

Maybe the best thing would be to install one of the ones you guys have successfully installed. That way I wouldnt have any problems.

 

[Cockroach]

That will probably be fine. Or you can get a X25-M and hope Apple add TRIM which will give you a speed boost. Don't be put off by a 2.5" with adaptor. I got the retail version of the Intel which comes with a mount and it worked fine. If you put it in upside-down the wire reaches more comfortably, but it's unintuitive. It does work label up too, I just changed it when I re-did mine because I took it back to the Apple Store.

 

[Sensamic]

I think Apple will include TRIM on OS 10.7.

So now all I have to look is good price, 128GB minimum, warranty and Mac OS X compatible.

Maybe this one: KINGSTON SSD V+ 128GB 2.5"

Its got TRIM, Background Garbage Collector and comes with a 2.5 to 3.5 adapter.

 

[Cockroach]

I wouldn't expect anything from Apple. I thought they'd have Blu-ray in 10.4.

I'm sure that will be fine for you. It's really not as big a decision as you're making it.

 

[Sensamic]

Apple uses SSD on their laptops, so I guess they should introduce TRIM on the next 10.7.

Now Im thinking of using the Kingston via usb. It comes with a caddy or something so It can be used via usb. Can I boot Mac OS X from the external ssd drive and would it be this way as silent as I want? I mean, maybe I can disconnect the internal drive or something and only use the external ssd via usb as the main drive for Mac OS X?

This would be really really good, since I wouldnt need to open the imac. If the internal hd will still be making noise then Id have to open the imac and install the ssd inside. The cool thing would be using the ssd via usb and keep the imac quiet by disconnecting the internal hd or something. Is it possible?

 

[Cockroach]

Hi,

Yes, I think you could do that. So long as your caddy doesn't have a fan or noisy transformer (dunno if you can use a bus-powered one), it will be just as quiet.

I'm sure OS X can spin down the drive when not in use, so no need to open it. Un-mounting it might stop it spinning up for system checks etc.

 

[Sensamic]

Ok. So maybe I'll give it a try.

 

[Sensamic]

Is there somewhere on Internet that sells the iMac 24" temp sensor?? Any online shop that ships internationally.

Maybe this one would work? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Apple-iMac-Aluminium-24-Temperature-Sensor-593-0518-D-/230465351255

Is it safe disconnecting the 27 imac temp sensor from the motherboard or whatever its connected to?

 

[WilliamG]

I've been really enjoying my OCZ Vertex 120GB SSD in my iMac since January, with no issues whatsoever since the install was completed (by me). Just make sure to put some wire in the HD temperature sensor to plug it and *short* it out. Then you'll have no trouble.

 

[Sensamic]

Great. I think Ive got it all understood now. Tomorrow arrives my new I5. I will continue looking for the best ssd and then Ill ordered it.

I want to do the procedure myself, but there is only one step that worries me. Its the step when you pull out the display and need to disconnect the cables connected to the display. It scares me that I could break them. Thats the only reason why I would hire a professional to do the job. Everything else seems easy.

This are the steps: http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repair/Installing-iMac-Intel-27-Inch-Hard-Drive-Replacement/1634/2

The page 2. Those cables connected to the display... I dont know where they are, how many, how long the are, etc. And there are no pictures to see it. If I find out more about this step then Ill install the ssd myself.

 

[Cockroach]

Yeah, step 5 there is the hardest bit. You could really do with an appropriate tool, and it will be much easier if you have someone to hold the display while you try to get to the ribbon cable.

 

[Sensamic]

That's no problem. Someone will help me so I can reach for the hd and all that stuff.

So the info I've gathered is that there are 6 cables connected to the display. Am I right? The vertical sync cable, two led cables, two data cables and the temp sensor. Correct?

So I figured out that I only need to disconnect the vertical sync cable. The others can remain connected while I change the hd, right?

 

[Cockroach]

That may be the case, though I don't remember it being that many. I suggest you disconnect all of them and get the screen out the way. Appart from anything else it's very heavy to hold up.