OWC 27 Inch iMac Screen Adhesive Strips vs OEM

[Apple Crusader]

Hello all,

I've been lurking in this site and wanted to share some photos comparing [alleged] OEM screen adhesive strips to the ones offered by OWC.

I have read several horror stories about OWC strips failing after installation, either within a day or even a year. The OWC strips are CLEARLY inferior in quality and I believe the issue is the lack of a "foam" center in-between the adhesive sides. OWC should be ashamed for not fixing their adhesive strips that have cost Mac owners and small businesses that perform upgrades several hundreds of dollars in damage. Since they won't acknowledge the issue to date and chalk up all the iMac screens that fall off to "installer" error, behold the below pictures.

I purchased [alleged] OEM screen strips on eBay from two separate sellers in different parts of the US in hopes to receive an OEM part. The items received are identical in every way including the wrapping. You might not be able to see it in the pictures, but the packaging is higher quality and the manufacturer takes the time to fold over the open end of the bag and tape it shut to prevent the strips from falling out. Additionally, both sellers packed their strips in a rigid FedEx envelope to ensure the strips don't bend.

The OWC screens trips came folded up in a small box. The adhesive strips did not have the end of their bag folded over and taped closed, though the strips weren't exactly easy to remove from the packaging. The packaging for the OWC strips is shorter by approximately 4 inches due to the lack of a fold.

It's hard to tell by the picture as well, but the OWC screen adhesive strips are much thinner than the OEM ones and I believe the strips fail to retain the screen not because of the adhesive, but because of the lack of ability to contact both surfaces fully due to the thinness of the strips.

I am not here to represent a company but because I'd like to provide info that nobody else has really done on Reddit or here, if they have it's buried in threads with dozens of pages. I hope this helps anybody doing an upgrade on one of their 27" iMacs out!

 

[chscag]

You didn't mention anything about strips purchased from www.ifixit.com? Actually, their strips are more popular than those sold by OWC.

 

[Apple Crusader]

You didn't mention anything about strips purchased from www.ifixit.com? Actually, their strips are more popular than those sold by OWC.

I have read mixed reviews from iFixit strips and people on other sites *cough cough* stated to go OEM just to be safe. I almost bought some strips from iFixit but cheaped out, I'll probably do so just to complete this review, as it's only fair (Expect this update in 3 weeks [next payday])!

 

[TwoH]

OWC tapes are only good for one thing - being absolutely horrible.

 

[ThugFreak]

Deleted

 

[Apple Crusader]

I've used OWC's tape and it's fine. It's hell to remove though. It will destroy several pizza cutter tool blades.
You must prep the surfaces for the new tape. You need duct tape and rubbing alcohol.
iFixit sells actual foam tape. Out of all places I bought tape, iFixit has the best. And the fastest shipping.

I think they are a little slow due to COVID, but in hind sight I should have bought some of their tape last week [but for personal / family reasons, it wasn't at the top of my list].

I am glad I haven't opened my Mac yet because it turns out the SSD model does NOT have the cable or mounting hardware. I ended up buying some VHB tape from 3M and will just tape the 2.5" SSD I'm upgrading to the frame instead of buying the required mounting chassis once my SATA cable comes in.

How long did it take you to open everything up and clean it? I'm probably going to replace the thermal paste while I'm at it, I probably will remove the NVME drive unless anybody here recommends running the 2.5" SSD as fusion with the NVME.

 

[ThugFreak]

I think they are a little slow due to COVID, but in hind sight I should have bought some of their tape last week [but for personal / family reasons, it wasn't at the top of my list].

I am glad I haven't opened my Mac yet because it turns out the SSD model does NOT have the cable or mounting hardware. I ended up buying some VHB tape from 3M and will just tape the 2.5" SSD I'm upgrading to the frame instead of buying the required mounting chassis once my SATA cable comes in.

How long did it take you to open everything up and clean it? I'm probably going to replace the thermal paste while I'm at it, I probably will remove the NVME drive unless anybody here recommends running the 2.5" SSD as fusion with the NVME.

Deleted

 

[Apple Crusader]

I could do everything in about 2 hours. But I have done this several times. I know what to expect.
If you never opened an iMac before, you should take your time. Allow yourself about 4-6 hours. Take breaks too. It's easy to make a mistake. If the iMac has the original tape, it takes 30 seconds to cut. If it has plastic tape, it will take about 20 minutes to cut. Then you need to clean the surfaces and install the new tape strips. You will need duct tape (removes glue and foam remnants), rubbing alcohol, q-tips, napkins, painters tape (to temporary attach the display to test everything & line up the bottom of the display), nitrile gloves (keeps fingerprints out), razor blade (to separate tape strips from plastic backing), A small plastic container to prop the display up while you connect the cables, a leaf blower or shop vac (to blow dust out). You also need torx tools and a screwdriver. A magnifying visor helps too.
I once upgraded a late 2015 27'' iMac with a very pink screen. Installed a new display, SSD & RAM. The chin of the iMac (silver part where Apple logo is) was packed solid with dust balls. A strong blower is needed. I don't think a can of compressed air will be strong enough. Every iMac I have opened has been full of dust.
Installing a NVME drive is a big job. You have to remove almost everything. Don't electrocute yourself with the power supply. I would go straight SSD drive instead of fusion drive. 1 Terabyte SSD's are real cheap.

Thanks for the info! I have an electric leaf blower so that makes life better since there will be no vapors produced . Hopefully that does not generate lots of static electrcity.

I would like to clarify one point though: It currently has a very small (256GB) NVME drive. Is there any issues running a 2.5" SSD as a fusion drive in conjunction with the current NVME that is installed (so I don't have to remove the board)?

 

[ThugFreak]

I think they are a little slow due to COVID, but in hind sight I should have bought some of their tape last week [but for personal / family reasons, it wasn't at the top of my list].

I am glad I haven't opened my Mac yet because it turns out the SSD model does NOT have the cable or mounting hardware. I ended up buying some VHB tape from 3M and will just tape the 2.5" SSD I'm upgrading to the frame instead of buying the required mounting chassis once my SATA cable comes in.

How long did it take you to open everything up and clean it? I'm probably going to replace the thermal paste while I'm at it, I probably will remove the NVME drive unless anybody here recommends running the 2.5" SSD as fusion with the NVME.

Deleted

 

[Apple Crusader]

Why are you removing a NVME SSD and installing a SATA SSD?
NVME SSD's are about 10 times faster.

I don't feel like dealing with the compatibility issues I've read about due to Apple's proprietary drive and I have several, several SATA SSD's literally just laying around .

I did upgrade the NVME in my MacBook Pro and flashed custom firmware and had no issues but I felt like doing the "easy" solution on this desktop. I'm still waiting for the SATA cable to come in the mail so I have yet to crack open my Mac.

 

[tripkip]

I used OWC adhesive strips for an SSD upgrade job for a client. Adhesive failed after two days and now this costs me a new display and lost work hours.

 

[Apple Crusader]

Update:

I destroyed the main board when I was trying to repast the CPU since I already had the unit apart. The pin on the socket bent and I took it to a shop where the guy tried to bend the pin back. He did a terrible job.

I bought an electric microscope to bend it back and snapped the pin. It was a non-critical pin, but I bent more pins in the process.

RIP 27” Mac.....

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

Update:

I destroyed the main board when I was trying to repast the CPU since I already had the unit apart. The pin on the socket bent and I took it to a shop where the guy tried to bend the pin back. He did a terrible job.

I bought an electric microscope to bend it back and snapped the pin. It was a non-critical pin, but I bent more pins in the process.

RIP 27” Mac.....

Don't give up so soon.
The 27" LCD is still of high quality and worth rescuing.

 

[Tivadar Dávid]

Hello all,

I've been lurking in this site and wanted to share some photos comparing [alleged] OEM screen adhesive strips to the ones offered by OWC.

I have read several horror stories about OWC strips failing after installation, either within a day or even a year. The OWC strips are CLEARLY inferior in quality and I believe the issue is the lack of a "foam" center in-between the adhesive sides. OWC should be ashamed for not fixing their adhesive strips that have cost Mac owners and small businesses that perform upgrades several hundreds of dollars in damage. Since they won't acknowledge the issue to date and chalk up all the iMac screens that fall off to "installer" error, behold the below pictures.

I purchased [alleged] OEM screen strips on eBay from two separate sellers in different parts of the US in hopes to receive an OEM part. The items received are identical in every way including the wrapping. You might not be able to see it in the pictures, but the packaging is higher quality and the manufacturer takes the time to fold over the open end of the bag and tape it shut to prevent the strips from falling out. Additionally, both sellers packed their strips in a rigid FedEx envelope to ensure the strips don't bend.

The OWC screens trips came folded up in a small box. The adhesive strips did not have the end of their bag folded over and taped closed, though the strips weren't exactly easy to remove from the packaging. The packaging for the OWC strips is shorter by approximately 4 inches due to the lack of a fold.

It's hard to tell by the picture as well, but the OWC screen adhesive strips are much thinner than the OEM ones and I believe the strips fail to retain the screen not because of the adhesive, but because of the lack of ability to contact both surfaces fully due to the thinness of the strips.

I am not here to represent a company but because I'd like to provide info that nobody else has really done on Reddit or here, if they have it's buried in threads with dozens of pages. I hope this helps anybody doing an upgrade on one of their 27" iMacs out!

View attachment 936485 View attachment 936486 View attachment 936487 View attachment 936488 From where can I purchase original adhesive with foam center? Any link or store?

 

[Apple Crusader]

I bought the foam ones off eBay. The official Apple P/N for the 27” Mac is: 076-00009. I don’t want to Link to any specific seller but I paid approx $5.49 and $8.49 each (I bought from two different sellers). Look at the rating of the sellers and ensure you buy the correct strips for your model and year.

Don’t buy OEM equivalent and make sure that the item you receive has foam in between both sides of adhesive and is not plastic thin.

 

[avxkim]

Can someone share a part number for 2020 imac 5k OEM adhesive strips? Just found this on ebay: link
As far as i understand, OEM is close to original, but ain't original? On the link i've provided, there's original adhesive for 27" 2019-2020 (A2115) for $22, is this original? I can't say by the pictures, @Apple Crusader do they have foam, can you look, please?

 

[Apple Crusader]

Those appear to be the foam ones so it would appear to be safe. TBH I believe I got the part numbers from iFixit (They should have an OEM part number in addition to their P/N, but I’ll defer to the apple experts here.

Also, when installing the screen, apply even pressure around the whole screen to ensure the strips adhere appropriately so you don’t have a tradgety with the screen!

 

[Richdmoore]

Thanks for the info. I attempted to use the owc strips (it was in a kit I bought) but I messed up and accidentally pealed one back up instead of the backing when installing the screen. After purchasing another set ($25 with shipping) I saw this thread and canceled the owc order.

I ordered from eBay instead (2 sets were $12). They are suppose to be oem, we will see, but he/she sells a lot of them so I suspect they are not.

Anyway, I will remove the rest of the owc adhesive strips and reclean everything while I wait another week for the eBay strips to arrive.

Hopefully everything will work out this time when reattaching the screen. Does anyone have any particular techniques?

I attempted the method in the Apple service manual, placing the lower strips on the iMac frame, attaching it with painter’s tape, pulling the adhesive tape off (where I messed up and pulled it completely off there iMac) then hinging it up, connect the cables and pull the rest of the tape off and swing up.

I noticed owc and ifixit videos has us add the tape to the screen bottom first, then just place it on. Is that a better/easier method?

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

Suggest attaching the screen securely with masking tape when assembly finished and make sure it boots and everything runs okay. Can save getting more strips, dismantling and doing all again. Go slow and be patient.

 

[Richdmoore]

Suggest attaching the screen securely with masking tape when assembly finished and make sure it boots and everything runs okay. Can save getting more strips, dismantling and doing all again. Go slow and be patient.

I was able to attach the screen using masking tape and confirm everything is working, so no worries there.

(I am refurbishing a 2013 iMac to give to family, the hinge broke and had to gut it to replace the hinge mechanism. Since the iMac screen was off and the logic board was removed, I replaced the hdd with a ssd and installed a fresh pram battery.)

To replace the screen, I applied tape, did a test install. I then hinged the screen down, and when I went to pull the protective tape to expose the screen side, the whole adhesive strip came off instead.

Hopefully the new adhesive I purchased won’t have the same problem.

I checked ifixit, the ifixit guide (and official Apple service manual) shows the “painters tape” method I tried, but the YouTube video from ifixit/ice shows them placing the bottom strips on the screen itself rather than the iMac chassis.

I assume it probably doesn’t make too much difference which method is used to reattach the screen, I just had some bad luck with the owc strips today. Still, after reading this thread I will try the eBay brand instead now.

 

[Apple Crusader]

I was able to attach the screen using masking tape and confirm everything is working, so no worries there.

(I am refurbishing a 2013 iMac to give to family, the hinge broke and had to gut it to replace the hinge mechanism. Since the iMac screen was off and the logic board was removed, I replaced the hdd with a ssd and installed a fresh pram battery.)

To replace the screen, I applied tape, did a test install. I then hinged the screen down, and when I went to pull the protective tape to expose the screen side, the whole adhesive strip came off instead.

Hopefully the new adhesive I purchased won’t have the same problem.

I checked ifixit, the ifixit guide (and official Apple service manual) shows the “painters tape” method I tried, but the YouTube video from ifixit/ice shows them placing the bottom strips on the screen itself rather than the iMac chassis.

I assume it probably doesn’t make too much difference which method is used to reattach the screen, I just had some bad luck with the owc strips today. Still, after reading this thread I will try the eBay brand instead now.

Sorry for the late reply. While I haven't been able to finish my SSD upgrade because I totally destroyed my Mac by trying to re-paste the CPU, I did read about the use of SMALL PLASTIC clamps from the hardware store. They look something like this:

The problem with this could be the curvature of the mac. Other recommendations were to apply books to the top of the monitor while laying the mac down, just don't add too much weight. Clamps should be applied using a piece of wood or something, to protect the monitor from the red surface shown above and to evenly distribute pressure, ensuring a clean bond.

 

[Richdmoore]

Sorry for the late reply. While I haven't been able to finish my SSD upgrade because I totally destroyed my Mac by trying to re-paste the CPU, I did read about the use of SMALL PLASTIC clamps from the hardware store. They look something like this:
View attachment 1807390

The problem with this could be the curvature of the mac. Other recommendations were to apply books to the top of the monitor while laying the mac down, just don't add too much weight. Clamps should be applied using a piece of wood or something, to protect the monitor from the red surface shown above and to evenly distribute pressure, ensuring a clean bond.

I put the screen back together with new strips, I used a paint roller, hand pressure, and put it face down for a bit. I have since boxed it up and shipped it to my brother, hopefully he doesn’t open a package with a falling off screen. (I will know the end of next week.)

Like others have posted here, the eBay strips were much better than the owc ones. If they were not oem, they did their best down to the apple part numbers on each strip.

I am glad I was able to get everything back together, and it appears to work like new. I really would have preferred apple to use another connection method, as I suspect finding proper strips will be a big hassle to vintage computer users as they need to replace pram Batteries and hard drives.

 

[just1ed]

Hello all,

I've been lurking in this site and wanted to share some photos comparing [alleged] OEM screen adhesive strips to the ones offered by OWC.

I have read several horror stories about OWC strips failing after installation, either within a day or even a year. The OWC strips are CLEARLY inferior in quality and I believe the issue is the lack of a "foam" center in-between the adhesive sides. OWC should be ashamed for not fixing their adhesive strips that have cost Mac owners and small businesses that perform upgrades several hundreds of dollars in damage. Since they won't acknowledge the issue to date and chalk up all the iMac screens that fall off to "installer" error, behold the below pictures.

I purchased [alleged] OEM screen strips on eBay from two separate sellers in different parts of the US in hopes to receive an OEM part. The items received are identical in every way including the wrapping. You might not be able to see it in the pictures, but the packaging is higher quality and the manufacturer takes the time to fold over the open end of the bag and tape it shut to prevent the strips from falling out. Additionally, both sellers packed their strips in a rigid FedEx envelope to ensure the strips don't bend.

The OWC screens trips came folded up in a small box. The adhesive strips did not have the end of their bag folded over and taped closed, though the strips weren't exactly easy to remove from the packaging. The packaging for the OWC strips is shorter by approximately 4 inches due to the lack of a fold.

It's hard to tell by the picture as well, but the OWC screen adhesive strips are much thinner than the OEM ones and I believe the strips fail to retain the screen not because of the adhesive, but because of the lack of ability to contact both surfaces fully due to the thinness of the strips.

I am not here to represent a company but because I'd like to provide info that nobody else has really done on Reddit or here, if they have it's buried in threads with dozens of pages. I hope this helps anybody doing an upgrade on one of their 27" iMacs out!

View attachment 936485 View attachment 936486 View attachment 936487 View attachment 936488

I work for an independent service centre so here's a gist.

Although OEM means original equipment manufacturer and should be original, in the industry, especially in countries outside of US, sellers usually use OEM to mean third-party.

The OEM one that poster bought is actually original from Apple (there's a blue logo behind the strips). As far as I know, there are only 2 sellers on ebay (tecknic-lee, macpremiumparts) that sells original Apple iMac adhesives. They are the kinds that come as service parts for Apple Genius Bars and Authorised Service Providers.

These come in a brown box with the iconic green transparent seal, with the original white Apple cutter and 20 wheels.

The third-party ones which the market likes to call OEM can actually be extremely sticky, but the QC and quality varies. Some all so non-sticky that your LCD will drop off. Others are extremely sticky.

The bad thing is once you stick back the LCD, it is extremely hard to remove as it is a single layered tape.

OWC, iFixit, both sells adhesives without foam in the middle.

There are also third-party OEM factory tape (not by Apple) adhesives with foam in the middle. The difference between these so-called OEM factory ones and Apple, is that Apple uses tape that has several layers.

Original Apple tape: Has a thin layer, double-foamed, has adhesive on both sides, and is non-stretch. The thin layer allows you to peel off the entire adhesive without breakage and the foam allows the cutting wheel to slice through easily for removal.

OEM Foam Factory tape: Single foamed, adhesive on both sides, but stretches. The foam allows the cutting wheel to slice through easily as well, but harder to peel off in one piece should you need to remove the LCD again.

With both original and good quality third-party (you can tell by testing the stickiness with your finger), there is no need to clamp. As long as you press down hard and slide your fingers across the top, sides, AND bottom, there's no risk that the LCD will fall off. Just don't press too hard until you crack the glass.

I will attach photos once the original boxed one of 20 pcs arrives!

 

[Richdmoore]

I work for an independent service centre so here's a gist.

Although OEM means original equipment manufacturer and should be original, in the industry, especially in countries outside of US, sellers usually use OEM to mean third-party.

The OEM one that poster bought is actually original from Apple (there's a blue logo behind the strips). As far as I know, there are only 2 sellers on ebay (tecknic-lee, macpremiumparts) that sells original Apple iMac adhesives. They are the kinds that come as service parts for Apple Genius Bars and Authorised Service Providers.

These come in a brown box with the iconic green transparent seal, with the original white Apple cutter and 20 wheels.

The third-party ones which the market likes to call OEM can actually be extremely sticky, but the QC and quality varies. Some all so non-sticky that your LCD will drop off. Others are extremely sticky.

The bad thing is once you stick back the LCD, it is extremely hard to remove as it is a single layered tape.

OWC, iFixit, both sells adhesives without foam in the middle.

There are also third-party OEM factory tape (not by Apple) adhesives with foam in the middle. The difference between these so-called OEM factory ones and Apple, is that Apple uses tape that has several layers.

Original Apple tape: Has a thin layer, double-foamed, has adhesive on both sides, and is non-stretch. The thin layer allows you to peel off the entire adhesive without breakage and the foam allows the cutting wheel to slice through easily for removal.

OEM Foam Factory tape: Single foamed, adhesive on both sides, but stretches. The foam allows the cutting wheel to slice through easily as well, but harder to peel off in one piece should you need to remove the LCD again.

With both original and good quality third-party (you can tell by testing the stickiness with your finger), there is no need to clamp. As long as you press down hard and slide your fingers across the top, sides, AND bottom, there's no risk that the LCD will fall off. Just don't press too hard until you crack the glass.

I will attach photos once the original boxed one of 20 pcs arrives!

Just to close the loop, I purchased the strips from eBay‘s technic-lee, as mentioned by the post above. Much better than the owc strips, and is still working fine A few weeks after installation.

 

[Alvin777]

I work for an independent service centre so here's a gist.

Although OEM means original equipment manufacturer and should be original, in the industry, especially in countries outside of US, sellers usually use OEM to mean third-party.

The OEM one that poster bought is actually original from Apple (there's a blue logo behind the strips). As far as I know, there are only 2 sellers on ebay (tecknic-lee, macpremiumparts) that sells original Apple iMac adhesives. They are the kinds that come as service parts for Apple Genius Bars and Authorised Service Providers.

These come in a brown box with the iconic green transparent seal, with the original white Apple cutter and 20 wheels.

The third-party ones which the market likes to call OEM can actually be extremely sticky, but the QC and quality varies. Some all so non-sticky that your LCD will drop off. Others are extremely sticky.

The bad thing is once you stick back the LCD, it is extremely hard to remove as it is a single layered tape.

OWC, iFixit, both sells adhesives without foam in the middle.

There are also third-party OEM factory tape (not by Apple) adhesives with foam in the middle. The difference between these so-called OEM factory ones and Apple, is that Apple uses tape that has several layers.

Original Apple tape: Has a thin layer, double-foamed, has adhesive on both sides, and is non-stretch. The thin layer allows you to peel off the entire adhesive without breakage and the foam allows the cutting wheel to slice through easily for removal.

OEM Foam Factory tape: Single foamed, adhesive on both sides, but stretches. The foam allows the cutting wheel to slice through easily as well, but harder to peel off in one piece should you need to remove the LCD again.

With both original and good quality third-party (you can tell by testing the stickiness with your finger), there is no need to clamp. As long as you press down hard and slide your fingers across the top, sides, AND bottom, there's no risk that the LCD will fall off. Just don't press too hard until you crack the glass.

I will attach photos once the original boxed one of 20 pcs arrives!

Hello, thank you so much for this valuable information, this truly advances the Right to Repair (Louis Rossmann leading the way), especially in this pandemic economy and warming planet coz' of people throw away culture.

I've got too many one time use or use twice tools already, does one really need the plastic cutting wheel from say iFixit to remove the adhesive or a credit card is ok or a guitar pick is ok too? Also is this the same quality as tecknic-lee. It also says Apple OEM/original. (Shopee is an online platform when one can set up a virtual store. It's like Amazon or AliExpress or Alibaba of some asian countries):

https://shopee.ph/A1419-Adhesive-Ta...e-Paper-2012-2017-Year-i.272922596.8066575596

Thank you in advance.
God bless, Rev. 21:4