iMac 27" SSD Upgrade - Important Tip!

[C8XY]

Where can I buy a bracket to mount an SSD in the optical bay in the UK?
I don’t want to stick it

Many thanks

 

[Sensamic]

eBay. I think I'll buy two or three different adapter to see which one will fit the best at the moment of the installation.

Maybe I could put a book or something to hold the display while I exchange the hd for the ssd. I dont want to disconnect any more cables than needed, cause maybe afterwards I wont know how to put them back and that would be a big mistake. Also, I dont know exactly how to disconnect those other cables. I dont fully understand the description of those steps in ifixit.

Today I contacted a professional to ask him if he could do the installation. First he told me it was impossible because of the hd temp sensor. I emailed him back and told him about the solution of shorting it. He then emailed me back and told me ok, that he could do it.

Still, I think I'll do it myself. I want to do it my way.

Im worried about the OCZ ssds. On newegg many of them get VERY BAD reviews. They say most of them fail after a few months. I like the OCZ 256GB, but if the brand is that bad I'll go for Intel or Kingston.

 

[Cockroach]

Where can I buy a bracket to mount an SSD in the optical bay in the UK?
I don’t want to stick it

If it was a laptop that you're moving around a lot, I could unterstand. But it's an iMac and is just gonna sit still. I wouldn't waste your money on it. It's very expensive.

Maybe I could put a book or something to hold the display while I exchange the hd for the ssd. I dont want to disconnect any more cables than needed, cause maybe afterwards I wont know how to put them back and that would be a big mistake. Also, I dont know exactly how to disconnect those other cables. I dont fully understand the description of those steps in ifixit...
...Im worried about the OCZ ssds. On newegg many of them get VERY BAD reviews. They say most of them fail after a few months. I like the OCZ 256GB, but if the brand is that bad I'll go for Intel or Kingston.

I'm not sure you could put something to hold the display without it damaging some components inside - better for someone to hold it. Having said that, it's quite obvious where they plug back in. Just count how many you take out and put the same amount back. The vsync cable is the hardest one, so if you can do that - not to worry.

I think Kingston is just a re-branded Intel, hence cheaper. As I said I'm not really up-to-date on SSDs - all I know is the Intel is good

 

[C8XY]

If it was a laptop that you're moving around a lot, I could unterstand. But it's an iMac and is just gonna sit still. I wouldn't waste your money on it. It's very expensive.

I know what your saying but I’m thinking more along the lines of heat, and what heat does to adhesive! Plus my iMac sits in a large bay window, so on a sunny day with a bit of video encoding..... it’s bound to come unstuck!

 

[Sensamic]

Ok, so today I received my new I5 and its perfect. I wanted to ask you guys if by any chance you know if by opening the imac and its display may cause the famous yellow tint issue? My screen is just perfect and I was wondering if that may be possible. You know, maybe when you open the display and put it back on the case its not as it originally came and that may cause the yellow tint or whatever.

 

[sentros]

I've been meaning to upgrade my i7 iMac with an SSD but I've been reluctant to buy one that has speed degredation over time. And since I haven't found a place where I can buy the intel x25-m whatever with the old firmware, I've been kinda left with only bad choises.

But today I ran into this. Now I do realize that the price is absurd, but if what they say is true about the sustainability I'm highly interested. Any thoughts?

 

[Cockroach]

I wanted to ask you guys if by any chance you know if by opening the imac and its display may cause the famous yellow tint issue?

I can't imagine that would cause the issue.

But today I ran into this. Now I do realize that the price is absurd, but if what they say is true about the sustainability I'm highly interested. Any thoughts?

Certainly sounds good. Up to you if you want to take the risk and see what it's like in real life. Not sure how long it would take to get some other feedback and if you can wait that long.

 

[Sensamic]

That ssd looks really good. I'm looking for a ssd that will not break after a few months of use. I've read on forums that OCZ ssds are not that good and they die after a few months. That scares me, so I wont buy a OCZ. I think Intel has the safest ssds, but Im not completely sure. I still need to do some more research.

I dont want to pay a lot of money for a ssd that will break after a year, for example. Any advice of which ssds last the longer?

That to me is more important than performance right now.

 

[Cockroach]

Seeing as how SSDs are relatively new, there's not a lot of data out there on how long they last (in practice). So long as it has a reasonable warranty, there's nothing to worry about

 

[Sensamic]

Yeah, you're right. It worries me a little bit because one day suddenly I could lose all my data. I do a lot of backups, but still... And I wouldnt like to open again the imac to get out the ssd and then again to install it for a second time. Plus I dont know how long it would take for the manufacturer to replace the ssd or fix it and then send it back. I could be without ssd for a month.

Ive been thinking of buying a second ssd just in case, of just 32GB for the SO and apps in case the first one fails sometime. That way I could still use a ssd while the other one is being repaired.

 

[Cockroach]

Just use Time Machine and you'll be more than an hour out of date. If it breaks, restore the Time Machine to the original disk while you wait for the replacement and then either use Time Machine again, or clone the disk back to the SSD with SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cloner.

 

[Sensamic]

Yeah. I thought about the time machine option, but its very expensive.

For the warranty I guess I'll have to buy the ssd on my country, Spain. If I buy the intel x25-m on ebay from the us can I get the warranty from intel spain? I guess not, but that would be ideal.

 

[Cockroach]

Using Time Machine is a very cheap option. If you use the original hard drive it won't cost anything (you may need a caddy, depending on how you use it). Just partition it with one partition the size of your SSD so you can use that to restore to and boot from should your SSD break, and one the rest of the disk to use for Time Machine. Of course, you will hear the disk every hour if you have it close by.

Some companies provide an international warranty that can be claim on from any country, some do not. You may have to send it back to the states if you buy it from there which is not the end of the world. Check their website before ordering to be certain. Otherwise you could get it somewhere closer, like the UK, which probably won't cost as much to ship to. The GBP is weak at the moment, so it could be cheaper.

 

[Sensamic]

Great advice! Thanks again. I will do so.

I have just found the intel 160gb on an online store here on spain, with a good price: 343 euros + taxes (5% here in the Canary Islands) makes it 360 euros. I think is a very good deal, plus it will have 2 year warranty.

I will be ordering it on the following days unless I find a better ssd. Now I have to get the ifixit tools too.

Im not entirely sure of using the original hd with a caddy, because if the imac fails somehow in the next years I'll probably put it back inside so Apple doesnt say anything to me. I'll use another external hd.

 

[pb1300]

I am looking at either the X25-m 160gb from Intel, or the Kingston V+ series 128gb. Anyone have an opinion on the two? I see that there is a big difference in write speed, but I was looking at overall performance more, and opinions of posters who have one of the two.

 

[Cockroach]

Great advice! Thanks again. I will do so.

I have just found the intel 160gb on an online store here on spain, with a good price: 343 euros + taxes (5% here in the Canary Islands) makes it 360 euros. I think is a very good deal, plus it will have 2 year warranty.

I will be ordering it on the following days unless I find a better ssd. Now I have to get the ifixit tools too.

Im not entirely sure of using the original hd with a caddy, because if the imac fails somehow in the next years I'll probably put it back inside so Apple doesnt say anything to me. I'll use another external hd.

Sounds like a reasonable price. Best to get it locally

Not sure which tools you're getting, all you need is a couple of Torx screw-drivers. I'd highly recommend magnetised ones. Mine aren't and getting the display screws back was a PITA. Don't spend much on a suction-cup, you probably just pull it off with your finger-nails. If you've got a sat-nav, you could use the mount for that - or anything similar. Just pull one top corner and then the other. Don't pull from the middle (where the iSight is).

I am looking at either the X25-m 160gb from Intel, or the Kingston V+ series 128gb. Anyone have an opinion on the two? I see that there is a big difference in write speed, but I was looking at overall performance more, and opinions of posters who have one of the two.

Intels are great. Only look at the small random write speeds. High sustained transfers are useless in practice.

 

[Sensamic]

Ok. So I'm thinking of buying the ICY DOCK MB882SP SSD 2.5" to 3.5" SATA Drive Converter. I think it will fit better and that way the SSD will be completely safe inside. I know the Intel comes with an adapter too but I find the Icy one better.

No problems with the tools. They are easy to get. My only concern right now is still the step of pulling out the vertical sync cable and placing it back. Someone said previously on this thread that the little black "box" (see the picture below) where the vertical sync cable is connected has to be opened to let the cable inside again. Is that correct? Im afraid that I might break it if I try to open it. Others have said that this is not necessary. That you just have to push the cable inside the black box. What do I have to do then? I don't want to be confused on that step. Is it possible to take out the cable and put it inside again with just the fingers?

I think the Intel is best. I thought about the Kingston SSD too, but I believe Intel is the safest bet. I think the Intel SSD will give less problems and have a longer life.

Last night I even thought of putting another Intel 160GB where the dvd drive is, but Im not ready for that heavy operation just yet. Maybe on the future and therefore I would have 320GB (2 Intel 160) or 416GB (1 Intel 160 + 256 OCZ or Kingston).

Another question. Do I need a usb keyboard to install Mac OS X on the SSD? I mean, after installing the SSD inside, I boot and insert the Mac OS X inside. Then I need to press some key (I dont remember right now which one) to start from the dvd drive. Will the bluetooth keyboard work or do I need a usb keyboard? Im afraid the imac wont recognize the bluetooth keyboard since the original hd with the drivers is not inside anymore, since now the SSD is and it doesnt have any drivers installed, so maybe it wont detect the apple bluetooth keyboard.

 

[fhall1]

I haven't done this but just from looking at that connector it looks like you just push in the cable end to re-connect, doesn't look like there's anything to "open". Good luck.

 

[Cockroach]

Don't waste your money on the Icy Dock - there's nothing 'better' about it.

I didn't open the box to push the cable in, not sure if you can or should.

I doubt you'll be able to fit your fingers in there and hold it tight enough to push it in - there's very little space. Use a tool like the one pictured - I used needle-nosed pliers.

I think you can use a Bluetooth keyboard for the installation. If there's no hard-drive with an OS installed, but the install DVD is inside the iMac, it will be smart enough to choose that to boot from. Otherwise you can connect the original drive with a caddy boot that and install it that way.

 

[Sensamic]

Ok. I guess I'll need a usb keyboard because I dont think of anyway to force the imac to start from the DVD if it doesnt recognize the bluetooth keyboard after installing the SSD.

Was there a way to force the imac to initialize always from the DVD? I think I read somewhere that you could do that by changing EFI or something. Anyway, how did you guys did it? Just with the apple bluetooth keyboard? With another usb keyboard?

I would be pissed if I did myself the SSD installation and then when I boot to install Mac OS X find out that I cant boot from the DVD or something. What did you guys do?

 

[Cockroach]

No, I think you can use the bluetooth keyboard.

You can have it always startup from the DVD by setting the startup disk in system preferences. I have the USB keyboard so it wasn't a problem for me.

If there's no other system in the iMac, it will boot to the DVD. You don't need to worry.

 

[sentros]

No, I think you can use the bluetooth keyboard.

You can have it always startup from the DVD by setting the startup disk in system preferences. I have the USB keyboard so it wasn't a problem for me.

If there's no other system in the iMac, it will boot to the DVD. You don't need to worry.

I can confirm this.

Also on a side note I gotta vent a bit about my previous engagement with installing an SSD to an iMac. I recently sent my iMac to get patched up since it's memory got somehow corrupted and would function anymore. I even told the apple care guys the error code that I got with the diagnostics tool. It was clearly pointing to a memory fault.

Well yesterday I got it back. They had replaced the whole motherboard (I assumed that the problem lied with the memory slots in the MB). So happily I thought this would be a perfect time to put in my SSD, since it was pratically brand new at that moment and would not need service in a long time.

So I got to work and 4h later I booted up the machine only to find out they hadn't fixed the memory problem. So I had to take out the SSD I put in and send it back to the repair guys. Man I was so frustrated. Should've prolly made sure that they had fixed it before toying around with it.

Anyway I gotta thank all the guys in this thread for their awesome pictures and links to various sites. You guys helped me a lot. Atleast I got to see the innards of the iMac and I could see with the system profiler that the drive was working properly. The SSD fits perfectly when replacing the HDD.

The 3.5" adapter that came in the box with the intel x25-m g2 fit PERFECTLY. I can't stress this fact enough. It was amazing. The only thing that I did (like all the other guys in this thread) that wasn't perfect, was to short circuit the temp sensor thingie.

My initial plan was to replace the optical drive, but I found out that I needeed an adapter for that, since the optical drive uses a smaller SATA plug. I must've missed that at some point in this thread. But alas I'm prolly gonna order a HDD Caddy with the adapter included from eBay if they are able to deliver to Finland.

 

[Sensamic]

Ok. Thanks for sharing the info.

Now I'm waiting to get the tools and then I'll order the Intel 160GB. Hope to make the change by the end of the month. I wish I could do it right now. Do I need to buy additional screws for installing the intel adapter inside the imac? I know some screws come with the SSD, but just in case. I've seen the pictures on this thread and it looks good.

You guys have been great with all the help. Thanks again!

 

[sentros]

Ok. Thanks for sharing the info.

Now I'm waiting to get the tools and then I'll order the Intel 160GB. Hope to make the change by the end of the month. I wish I could do it right now. Do I need to buy additional screws for installing the intel adapter inside the imac? I know some screws come with the SSD, but just in case. I've seen the pictures on this thread and it looks good.

You guys have been great with all the help. Thanks again!

I installed a retail version of the Intel X25-M G2 80GB and the 3.5" adapter that came with it worked perfectly since it came with the propers screws and such. It actually had more than enough screws.

What you have to do is remove the original HDD from the iMac and remove two little "plugs" from the other side of the HDD (these can be removed with torx 8 screw driver) and two screws that are attached to a metal "angle iron" (these too have torx 8), these screw are on the opposite side in comparison to the plugs. Then attach both of the things you removed from the HDD and attach them into the adapter that came in the Intel SSD retail box.

Then just put everything back in reverse order and attach the thermal sensor wire with a little bit of tape to the SSD so it doesn't move around inside. Now properly placed the 3.5" adapter should be facing upwards so that you don't see the SSD. This way the SATA cables and such can be connected with ease and are the right way around.

ps. sorry if some of this is unclear, I'm not a native english speaker

 

[Sensamic]

Thanks for the help sentros. So it really is not that hard as I see it. Cool

Tomorrow I will be ordering the Intel 160GB. I even thought of maybe waiting a few months to see the new Intel SSDs. I heard rumors of Intel 3.5 SSDs and of more storage, but I cant wait that longer. I want my imac to be quiet now