I have ordered the new iMac i7 with the stock 1TB HDD and wanted to know if it is possible to replace the 3.5" HDD with a 2.5" HDD and a 2.5" SSD in the space where the current HDD is.
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SSD in the new iMac i7
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Yes, but you will need some sort of enclosure/adapter, and you need to be okay with removing the screen and messing around inside your iMac.
Thanks. I'm okay to remove the screen and doing the dirty work. Will this adapter work?
http://www.amazon.com/SILVERSTONE-SDP08-3-5-2-5-Inch-Converter/dp/B002BH3Z8E/ref=pd_cp_e_1
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Success!!
Yesss!! Today, I finally upgraded my mid-2010 i7 iMac by installing a 256GB Crucial C300 RealSSD and a 2.5" 500 GB Seagate MomentusXT Hybrid HDD.
I used the SilverStone 3.5" to 2.5" bay converter. Here are some photos of the installation. Sorry, couldn't take more pictures.
The original Seagate Barracuda 1TB drive is now my TM backup drive in an enclosure.
SSD rocks!!!
Possibly, nobody of us knows yet. Want to be our guinea pig?
Yesss!! Today, I finally upgraded my mid-2010 i7 iMac by installing a 256GB Crucial C300 RealSSD and a 2.5" 500 GB Seagate MomentusXT Hybrid HDD.
I used the SilverStone 3.5" to 2.5" bay converter. Here are some photos of the installation. Sorry, couldn't take more pictures.
The original Seagate Barracuda 1TB drive is now my TM backup drive in an enclosure.
SSD rocks!!!
Attachments
Sure. Apart from the drives and the 3.5" HDD bay I mentioned, I used the SATA Y-cable for power from here http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Micro%20Accessories/CBLSATAPWRY/
and a SATA Data cable with one end with a 90 degree connector.
Thanks.
Havent had any heating issues yet. When the two drives are installed in the 3.5" adapter bay, there is a small gap of about 3-4 cm between them, allowing for airflow.
OP,
Thanks for posting this mod. I suspected you could fit 2x2.5" drives in the 3.5 drive bay w/ an adapter and now you have confirmed this.
This could be the preferred method for add 2 SSD in RAID0 in my view.
Now I just need to find a DIY technique for routing the 3rd SATA port outside the case for eSATA (after removing the near useless optical drive of course). Trying to determine if a cable can be feed into the memory area and out the memory door as that part is easily replaceable.
Thanks for posting this mod. I suspected you could fit 2x2.5" drives in the 3.5 drive bay w/ an adapter and now you have confirmed this.
This could be the preferred method for add 2 SSD in RAID0 in my view.
Now I just need to find a DIY technique for routing the 3rd SATA port outside the case for eSATA (after removing the near useless optical drive of course). Trying to determine if a cable can be feed into the memory area and out the memory door as that part is easily replaceable.
Are you saying, that there are just three Sata connections in total available? One for HDD, one for SDD, and one for the optical drive?
Yes, on the updated 2010 iMac 27 there are now 3 internal SATA ports. The old models and the 21 inch models only have 2 SATA ports so this an improvement.
The problem is, unless you add a SSD drive from the factory the 3rd SATA port goes unused unless you can make the changes yourself.
I would really love to remove the optical drive and just have two internal drives. Either and SSD boot drive and a good 2TB storage drive or 2 SSD drives in RAID0 with the 3rd port being turned into an eSATA port. That way you can repurpose the internal optical drive in a USB or FW enclosure and or have an external RAID array connected via eSATA for media storage and Time Machine backups.
The eSATA option can easily be added by sending your machine to OWC and they will modify it for you. I'm just reluctant to be without my machine for several days and don't want to cut a hole in the grill if there as an easier way. I read in the OWC blog that someone was able to route a SATA cable out the memory door in a 2009 iMac 27 so it should be possible with the 2010 model as well. This mod would be easier to reverse if needed for support issues.
The problem is, unless you add a SSD drive from the factory the 3rd SATA port goes unused unless you can make the changes yourself.
I would really love to remove the optical drive and just have two internal drives. Either and SSD boot drive and a good 2TB storage drive or 2 SSD drives in RAID0 with the 3rd port being turned into an eSATA port. That way you can repurpose the internal optical drive in a USB or FW enclosure and or have an external RAID array connected via eSATA for media storage and Time Machine backups.
The eSATA option can easily be added by sending your machine to OWC and they will modify it for you. I'm just reluctant to be without my machine for several days and don't want to cut a hole in the grill if there as an easier way. I read in the OWC blog that someone was able to route a SATA cable out the memory door in a 2009 iMac 27 so it should be possible with the 2010 model as well. This mod would be easier to reverse if needed for support issues.
Did you need to take the mainboard loose at all in order to get the cables plugged into either SATA port for the harddrives?
The other topic about this added in the SSD (I believe he kept the standard drive in) behind the mainboard where it would be mounted if you ordered it that way I think. Putting two smaller harddrives in the one place is rather cool idea actually.
Yes, I had to loosen the motherboard to access the SATA connector for the SSD. The most difficult part for me was to remove the IR connector (I think) from the bottom of the mac, without which the MB would not slide up.
Thanks!
Yes, it should. But, there will be very little or no space between the two drives in this arrangement if both the drives are 12.5mm.