Is it worth it to upgrade RAM on Mid 2010 21.5 iMac?

[Loyola]

I wanted to see what it would cost to have a provider upgrade the hard drive. People that have the skills can do this for a fraction of the cost.

1TB HDD - $76.99 plus tax.

or

500GB SSD - $118.99 plus tax for the drive and $21.99 for the appropriate mounting bracket.

Labor - $149 for either option

 

[Juicy Box]

I wanted to see what it would cost to have a provider upgrade the hard drive. People that have the skills can do this for a fraction of the cost.

1TB HDD - $76.99 plus tax.

or

500GB SSD - $118.99 plus tax for the drive and $21.99 for the appropriate mounting bracket.

Labor - $149 for either option

I would not put a HDD back into this computer. You are just asking for problem by doing that (GPU).

Compare the prices to doing it yourself:
512GB SSD - $46
3.5" to 25" SATA Adapter - $7

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If you decided to get a 1TB SSD - $80

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You probably don't have the tool set to do the job, here is a kit from OWC for $47, it includes the external temp sensor SATA adapter-

OWC in-Line Digital Thermal Sensor HDD Upgrade Cable and Install Tools for iMac 2009-2010, (OWCDIYIMACHDD09)

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Of course I would expect a warranty with having a repair shop to do the work, so that would have to be considered.

People that have the skills

I wonder if they will include an external temp sensor? I would ask prior, as I am pretty sure your iMac will need one when replacing the HDD with anything third-party. The SATA Temp sensor cable itself is really easy to install, doesn't require any skill and it is done when connecting the new drive.

But, I wonder if the repair you talked to knew to install one, as not all Macs need one.

The reason why there needs to be an external sensor is that Apple's OEM HDDs for your Mac have a built-in temperature sensor. If the HDD is replaced with non-Apple drive, it causes the OS to think that there is something wrong with the sensor, and protects the HW by running the fans on full blast.

This can be easily fixed by putting an adapter between the SATA connection going to the SSD and the SSD itself. Most external sensor adapters have adhesive on it to stick on the SSD. There are other HW solutions that are basically free, like shorting the pins fo the temp sensor for example. This would read as the temperature around the drive is cold all the time.

There are also SW solutions, like Mac Fan Control, but I figure that the external sensor isn't that expensive, might as well use it and forget about it once it is installed.

The only reason I bring it up is that the external temp sensor wasn't included in the quote you posted to us. With the "professional" install one?

I am pretty sure your iMac needs one, so it would be a good question to ask.

 

[Loyola]

I would not put a HDD back into this computer. You are just asking for problem by doing that (GPU).

Compare the prices to doing it yourself:
512GB SSD - $46
3.5" to 25" SATA Adapter - $7

Of course I would expect a warranty with having a repair shop to do the work, so that would have to be considered.

I wonder if they will include an external temp sensor? I would ask prior, as I am pretty sure your iMac will need one when replacing the HDD with anything third-party. The SATA Temp sensor cable itself is really easy to install, doesn't require any skill and it is done when connecting the new drive.

But, I wonder if the repair you talked to knew to install one, as not all Macs need one.

The reason why there needs to be an external sensor is that Apple's OEM HDDs for your Mac have a built-in temperature sensor. If the HDD is replaced with non-Apple drive, it causes the OS to think that there is something wrong with the sensor, and protects the HW by running the fans on full blast.

This can be easily fixed by putting an adapter between the SATA connection going to the SSD and the SSD itself. Most external sensor adapters have adhesive on it to stick on the SSD. There are other HW solutions that are basically free, like shorting the pins fo the temp sensor for example. This would read as the temperature around the drive is cold all the time.

There are also SW solutions, like Mac Fan Control, but I figure that the external sensor isn't that expensive, might as well use it and forget about it once it is installed.

I am pretty sure your iMac needs one, so it would be a good question to ask.

I decided to ask to to see what the cost would be if I had someone do it for me. The cost is more than I want to spend on an old computer. About $300 is a lot to put into a computer just over 10 years old. The upgrade would make sense if I had the skills to do it myself. Another issue with having someone do it is the 7 to 10 day turnaround time. Since I work from home this would present an issue.

It is working good enough for me right now. If I need a new computer it might make more sense to put the money into a refurbished Mac Mini. I have everything need - 3 monitors, adapters and keyboard / mouse. Honestly I want to wait for the ARM iMac but I know the age of my computer. It won't last forever.

Many of the things that you posted I would not have known and that is why this group is so valuable. If I decided to this I would have made some potentially costly mistakes.