Using 2009 iMac today

[throAU]

I have a late-2009 imac 27” and am wondering if I can stretch the use of it until next year when Arm Macs start showing up.

Usage is in Keynote, Sketch, Affinity Designer (like Illustrator), and Pages.

I believe the processor is still capable as I went with a quad core i7 at the time.

Internal drive is spinner, so I would like to boot to external SSD. Would this arrangement give me a speed advantage?

Depends. You are currently using it... if it survives and you're happy with the performance keep using it.

Just because its an i7 doesn't mean it is the same as a current i7. It's still 11 years old and time (and instructions for new media types, etc.) have moved on.

There have been significant improvements.

Booting from an external SSD will help, yes.

 

[Kent W]

I am very glad to read this 2009 iMac thread, very helpful for me to install SSD for my iMac late 2009 27".

I have been very happy with my iMac 27", never had major problems for years, but suddenly it can't boot anymore, it's always showing the prohibitory symbol or question mark, maybe the hard drive corrupted(??).

My question is if I can directly to install SSD to replace the HDD/optical drive without fixing the HDD problem?

I have tried to use two USB flash disks; one 8G as OS installer, one 120G as OS installation target. 8G USB can start the process to install OS, but somehow the 120G drive can't detect properly.

Thanks for sharing

If you can boot into recovery menu your boot system at least works. If you are not getting any response when pressing keys to get into recovery mode at startup, it might be a bigger mainboard problem.

However if you can run Mac HW test (Macs before 2013) at start up (press D key at startup ) you might get a hint.

if it’s the HDD that has failed, you can successfully switch to SSD. 2009 iMacs can be upgraded to Catalina through Dosdude1’s patch (its 2010/2011 that have problems with that). It might even be working on upcoming Big Sur. However Metal dependent apps might be tricky otherwise worth it. At least it can bridge you until ARM Macs comes into play.

 

[tanventure]

Hi, Kent

Thanks for suggestion of Mac HW test. I have tried the D key pressing at start up, somehow my iMac27 did not go the HW test, went ahead as a normal startup, then went into the prohibitory mode again. I will look into the HW test and see why I can't run it on my iMac.

So far I can run the start up manager on my iMac with Option key, not sure if it indicates my mainboard working properly.

 

[Kent W]

Hi, Kent

Thanks for suggestion of Mac HW test. I have tried the D key pressing at start up, somehow my iMac27 did not go the HW test, went ahead as a normal startup, then went into the prohibitory mode again. I will look into the HW test and see why I can't run it on my iMac.

So far I can run the start up manager on my iMac with Option key, not sure if it indicates my mainboard working properly.

Hi,
Perhaps this guiding article by Macrumors could be of help.

How to Use Apple Diagnostics to Check for Mac Hardware Problems

Mac issues can occur for a variety of reasons, but in general most errors can be traced back to unstable software. The best way to prevent problems...

www.macrumors.com

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

I am very glad to read this 2009 iMac thread, very helpful for me to install SSD for my iMac late 2009 27".

I have been very happy with my iMac 27", never had major problems for years, but suddenly it can't boot anymore, it's always showing the prohibitory symbol or question mark, maybe the hard drive corrupted(??).

My question is if I can directly to install SSD to replace the HDD/optical drive without fixing the HDD problem?

I have tried to use two USB flash disks; one 8G as OS installer, one 120G as OS installation target. 8G USB can start the process to install OS, but somehow the 120G drive can't detect properly.

Thanks for sharing

Yes, you can.
After install a blank SSD.
Use internet recovery to re-install Mac OS. (Use Disk Utility to erase/format the SSD first)
Then hook up your old HDD to the Imac via an HDD USB Box, to see if you can recover any old data from it.

 

[Andrea Filippini]

I'm here with an iMac 21.5-inch late 2009.
It works amazingly after SSD and Ram upgrade.
It runs macOS High Sierra without any problem.
Boot up 25 seconds.
Here my specs:

Best regards
Andrea Filippini

 

[tanventure]

Hi, Andrea

Wonder if you still uses the old temprature sensor of the old HDD after install the SSD?

Yes, you can.
After install a blank SSD.
Use internet recovery to re-install Mac OS. (Use Disk Utility to erase/format the SSD first)
Then hook up your old HDD to the Imac via an HDD USB Box, to see if you can recover any old data from it.

BTW I learned that Internet recovery is not available for iMac late 2009, so I am trying to
install Mac OS from a bootable USB, still ongoing.

Thanks for sharing

 

[Coyote2006]

dsvdfv

 

[mbosse]

Hi, Andrea

Wonder if you still uses the old temprature sensor of the old HDD after install the SSD?

This is not possible as the sensor is integrated into the hard drive, just accessed with a separate cable.

BTW I learned that Internet recovery is not available for iMac late 2009, so I am trying to
install Mac OS from a bootable USB, still ongoing.

Thanks for sharing

True, you need a bootable USB stick.

Magnus

 

[Andrea Filippini]

Hi, Andrea

Wonder if you still uses the old temprature sensor of the old HDD after install the SSD?



BTW I learned that Internet recovery is not available for iMac late 2009, so I am trying to
install Mac OS from a bootable USB, still ongoing.

Thanks for sharing

Hi @tanventure ,
I don't know the exact procedure.
For SSD installation I have contacted my local supplier.


Best regards
Andrea Filippini

 

[Kent W]

Just install Macs Fan Control.

Mac OS actually have support for the universal sensor standard. That means that Macs Fan Control can read temperature data that the SSD reports through the regular SATA connection.

That is what Macs Fan Control can read and manage fans with.

The Apple sensor cable setup is just old bloat. Don't waste time on that. Just get a good SSD. You can reuse the old HDD bay on one side and add some duck tape to fix the SSD. Nothing more than SSD and Macs Fan Control (free) is needed.

And yes I have installed this on one of our family's iMacs a 2011 21,5 inch. It works flawlessly and fast nowadays.

 

[Hombre53]

The late 2009 iMac 27" i7, was one of the best iMac's of ALL TIME. Yes, it should continue to serve you well as long as you don't use it to boot from a USB external drive. That slow USB bus will tax your nerves, but the rest is not too freaking bad! Use it with confidence until you upgrade to a 2017+ Mac. Cheers!

 

[mbosse]

I'm here with an iMac 21.5-inch late 2009.
It works amazingly after SSD and Ram upgrade.
It runs macOS High Sierra without any problem.
Boot up 25 seconds.
Here my specs:

View attachment 932488

View attachment 932489


Best regards
Andrea Filippini

What I would still do now is to enable TRIM to maintain the fast SSD performance over time. For this, you open the Terminal app and put in the following command:

sudo trimforce enable

Terminal then asks for your password and you are required to confirm a few warnings. Then after some time your iMac restarts. If you open your system information again, the 'Supporto TRIM' will show yes.

TRIM is a system-level command which operates in the background and which optimises flash use of the SSD to extend the lifespan and maintain performance of the drive. TRIM is enabled by default on all original Apple SSDs, but you need to activate it manually on all non-Apple SSDs.

Best,
Magnus

 

[Kierkegaarden]

Can someone tell me if the t10 screws are normal or security? The guide says to use a tr10 driver, but only references t10 screws — wondering if a t10 driver would be sufficient.

 

[Kierkegaarden]

Completely agree with the advice to swap out the internal drive for an SSD. I did this a couple of years ago with my late 2009 27" 3.06 GHz Core 2 Duo iMac using a 1 TB Crucial MX 500 SSD. I would add the following comments to those already given by others:-
1) I used a couple of cable ties instead of a drive caddy to secure the SSD
2) I solved the fan speed issue with a hardware solution using the special sensor uniquely manufactured by OWC
3) My DVD drive ceased functioning years ago and I haven't missed it at all!
4) The work is not difficult as long as it is not rushed. I did the swap with my iMac in the upright position.
5) The video demo from OWC, iFixit, etc are good. N.B. care needs to be taken after unscrewing the display and gently pulling it forwards a short distance from the top to avoid cable damage.
6) Disconnect the cables carefully - especially the ribbon cables.
7) To top off the performance upgrade I also upgraded the RAM from 8GB to 16GB.

Good Luck!

Regarding #1, would this work for the optical bay? If so, how exactly could I do this? And would I need an adapter?

 

[Kierkegaarden]

Trying to decide between Crucial mx500 and WD Blue, then I saw this info on an OWC page:
————
Special note for 2009 iMacs: We highly recommend the use of a SATA 2.0 (3Gb/s) SSD such as the OWC Mercury Electra 3G for the following iMacs models with model ID:

• iMac10,1
• iMac11,1
• iMac9,1

While a 6G SSD does function, it will only do so at SATA Revision 1.0 (1.5Gb/s, 150MB/s) speeds rather that the SATA Revision 2.0 (3.0Gb/s 300MB/s) speed the computer can deliver.
The Mercury Electra 3G SSD is the OWC recommended upgrade option for the iMacs listed in the special note above.
————-
Is this correct information, or are they just trying to sell their own product?

 

[Cyprusian]

Regarding #1, would this work for the optical bay? If so, how exactly could I do this? And would I need an adapter?

I used two cable ties to attach the SSD to one of the mounting brackets from the original HDD after removing it. The optical drive is mounted differently so you would need an inexpensive caddy kit for the SSD (including SATA/data cables).
[automerge]1595055850[/automerge]

Trying to decide between Crucial mx500 and WD Blue, then I saw this info on an OWC page:
————
Special note for 2009 iMacs: We highly recommend the use of a SATA 2.0 (3Gb/s) SSD such as the OWC Mercury Electra 3G for the following iMacs models with model ID:

• iMac10,1
• iMac11,1
• iMac9,1

While a 6G SSD does function, it will only do so at SATA Revision 1.0 (1.5Gb/s, 150MB/s) speeds rather that the SATA Revision 2.0 (3.0Gb/s 300MB/s) speed the computer can deliver.
The Mercury Electra 3G SSD is the OWC recommended upgrade option for the iMacs listed in the special note above.
————-
Is this correct information, or are they just trying to sell their own product?

You will no have no problem using the Crucial MX500 or WD Blue. I used a Crucial SSD. Note that while the SSD data speeds are much faster than HDD transfer rates and, while you will see a considerable performance improvement, the actual read/write rates are nothing like the SATA speed indicated in System Report. For reference, as I mentioned in an earlier post in this thread, my late 2009 27" iMac shows the following data rates:

Serial SATA Device Tree
link speed: SSD 3 Gigabit DVD 3 Gigabit
Negotiated link speed SSD 3 Gigabit DVD 1.5 Gigabit

Actual data transfer speeds are what really matter:

Blackmagic Disk Speed Test for SSD
Write: 204.6 MB/s
Read: 238.2 MB/s

 

[mbosse]

Trying to decide between Crucial mx500 and WD Blue, then I saw this info on an OWC page:
————
Special note for 2009 iMacs: We highly recommend the use of a SATA 2.0 (3Gb/s) SSD such as the OWC Mercury Electra 3G for the following iMacs models with model ID:

• iMac10,1
• iMac11,1
• iMac9,1

While a 6G SSD does function, it will only do so at SATA Revision 1.0 (1.5Gb/s, 150MB/s) speeds rather that the SATA Revision 2.0 (3.0Gb/s 300MB/s) speed the computer can deliver.
The Mercury Electra 3G SSD is the OWC recommended upgrade option for the iMacs listed in the special note above.
————-
Is this correct information, or are they just trying to sell their own product?

I think they are trying to sell their product. No issues here with SATA 3 SSDs on either 2009/2010 iMacs or Macbook Pros.

Magnus

 

[Kierkegaarden]

Every piece I need is readily available except for the caddy. Would this Sabrent converter work in the optical drive bay or is this only for the hdd bay?
[automerge]1595105373[/automerge]

I think they are trying to sell their product. No issues here with SATA 3 SSDs on either 2009/2010 iMacs or Macbook Pros.

Magnus

I figured that — thanks for the info.

 

[acorntoy]

The I7 Late 2009 is still a commonly used mac in our house. Im a tech snob and I could easily use it as my daily driver if I really needed to, which usage pretty close to yours.

 

[Kierkegaarden]

I used two cable ties to attach the SSD to one of the mounting brackets from the original HDD after removing it. The optical drive is mounted differently so you would need an inexpensive caddy kit for the SSD (including SATA/data cables).
[automerge]1595055850[/automerge]


You will no have no problem using the Crucial MX500 or WD Blue. I used a Crucial SSD. Note that while the SSD data speeds are much faster than HDD transfer rates and, while you will see a considerable performance improvement, the actual read/write rates are nothing like the SATA speed indicated in System Report. For reference, as I mentioned in an earlier post in this thread, my late 2009 27" iMac shows the following data rates:

Serial SATA Device Tree
link speed: SSD 3 Gigabit DVD 3 Gigabit
Negotiated link speed SSD 3 Gigabit DVD 1.5 Gigabit

Actual data transfer speeds are what really matter:

Blackmagic Disk Speed Test for SSD
Write: 204.6 MB/s
Read: 238.2 MB/s

Good to know. I’ll probably be going with the Crucial as it seems to have a good longevity rating. When I eventually upgrade to a new Mac down the road I’ll remove this ssd and turn into an external.

 

[acorntoy]

Depends. You are currently using it... if it survives and you're happy with the performance keep using it.

Just because its an i7 doesn't mean it is the same as a current i7. It's still 11 years old and time (and instructions for new media types, etc.) have moved on.

There have been significant improvements.

Booting from an external SSD will help, yes.

Eh me and my dad both got new late 2009 macs at the same time, the Core 2 Duo iMac was slow and unusable within 4 years for my usage, the i7 has trucked on undaunted. The introduction of hyper-threading (though v1) along with the extra cores really was a seismic shift.

 

[throAU]

Eh me and my dad both got new late 2009 macs at the same time, the Core 2 Duo iMac was slow and unusable within 4 years for my usage, the i7 has trucked on undaunted. The introduction of hyper-threading (though v1) along with the extra cores really was a seismic shift.

Sure, core 2 to i7 would have been a big jump, but the point I'm making is that an 11 year old core i7 is missing instructions for things like h.265 and VP9 video, which did not exist. That can make a massive difference for those tasks. Even without those instructions a modern i7 quad core is 25-50% faster than a 2011 machine at the same clock speed, and they run faster clock speeds.

RAM speeds are 3x faster.

It depends what you're doing, and an old i7 is still usable today, but there's a big difference between 2011 machines and 2020. I say that as someone intel processors from 2007, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2020 in the house...

 

[Cyprusian]

Every piece I need is readily available except for the caddy. Would this Sabrent converter work in the optical drive bay or is this only for the hdd bay?
[automerge]1595105373[/automerge]

I figured that — thanks for the info.

No, that Sabrent converter isn't what you need to fit an SSD in the Optical Drive bay. This is an example of the caddy you need:

TheNatural2020 HDD/SSD Caddy kompatibel mit Apple iMac 2009 bis 2011 (20" 21.5" 24" 27") - SATA III Caddy (ersetzt Combo-/SuperDrive) - Festplattenrahmen Einbaurahmen Adapter 12.7 mm SATA auf SATA

www.amazon.de

 

[Kierkegaarden]

No, that Sabrent converter isn't what you need to fit an SSD in the Optical Drive bay. This is an example of the caddy you need:

TheNatural2020 HDD/SSD Caddy kompatibel mit Apple iMac 2009 bis 2011 (20" 21.5" 24" 27") - SATA III Caddy (ersetzt Combo-/SuperDrive) - Festplattenrahmen Einbaurahmen Adapter 12.7 mm SATA auf SATA

www.amazon.de

Thanks for clarifying. Also, does the brand of converter matter or are they all pretty much the same? I was going to get either some off-brand Chinese product or one from OWC. Normally I would go for the OWC product but they aren’t in stock right now. Does the quality of the connection on the converter affect the performance of the ssd, or is this not a factor? I just don’t want any issues once I install the ssd.