Has anyone tried to ADD SSD to 2011 imac for HDD+SSD?

Vertex 3

Hi everyone,

Originally I was planning to get the SSD / HDD Combo from Apple for the new 27" iMac. Given the long wait time and the fact that most probably the Apple SSD will only be SATA 2, I am now considering having a Vertex 3 installed.

My local Apple Reseller offered me to upgrade to a Vertex 3 for 195 EUR. Is this a fair price? A 240 GB Vertex 3 would cost me around 400 EUR.
Total cost would be equal to the SSD / HDD Combo from Apple. Do you see any disadvantages in opting for the Vertex 3? WWDC is just around the corner, should I wait or go ahead?

any thoughts/ recommendations would be highly appreciated!
many thanks in advance!

Sylonien said:

Would you mind sharing how much it costs to get them fitted? I'm trying to figure out whether it's cheaper / better to get it done by authorised Apple retailer afterwards or just to go with the Apple SSD right from the start.

Also is there any reason why you went with the 5900rpm drive rather than a 7200rpm hard drive. Cost? Compatibilty? Noise?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

A nearby authorized center in Los Angeles, that the Apple store recommended, quoted me $160 US to get the SSD installed at my home.

likegadgets said:

A nearby authorized center in Los Angeles, that the Apple store recommended, quoted me $160 US to get the SSD installed at my home.

Click to expand...

What store in LA since my local certified store hasn't giving me a response in cost

rambosamboo said:

My local Apple Reseller offered me to upgrade to a Vertex 3 for 195 EUR. Is this a fair price? A 240 GB Vertex 3 would cost me around 400 EUR.
Total cost would be equal to the SSD / HDD Combo from Apple. Do you see any disadvantages in opting for the Vertex 3? WWDC is just around the corner, should I wait or go ahead?

Click to expand...

Well, WWDC isn't going to change anything re: iMacs/SSD's, so I'd go down the Vertex 3 route. The only downside is you're going to have to pull it apart, or pay to have it pulled apart ($100, if not $150) to send it away for warranty. Chances are slim, but something worth keeping in mind.

rambosamboo said:

Hi everyone,
My local Apple Reseller offered me to upgrade to a Vertex 3 for 195 EUR. Is this a fair price? A 240 GB Vertex 3 would cost me around 400 EUR.
Total cost would be equal to the SSD / HDD Combo from Apple. Do you see any disadvantages in opting for the Vertex 3? WWDC is just around the corner, should I wait or go ahead?

Click to expand...

Definitely go it mate!

Apple will supply you with a slow Toshiba or Samsung. The Vertex will be twice the speed in the real world after the iMac firmware upgrade unlocks the SATA 3 port.

Twice the speed for f all more money? Your call!

mifun said:

I upgraded my new iMac without a problem you just need a hard drive that is s.m.a.r.t. verified and all works out fine. I used a 3TB seagate barracuda XT. I even took the liberty to install an intel x25m SSD in the third sata port. so i don't know what owc is talking about but for me this was not even close to a problem. "hddfancontrol" is also a handy tool for anyone that is doing this because not all hard drives operate at the same temperatures so it might throw off what mac perceives as hot and run the fans to slow. but thats nothing that should discourage the type of person that would go out and buy a brand new imac only to take it apart the same day. everything checked out perfect when i ran the hardware test as well.

Click to expand...

I have the 27" quad i7, iMac 12,2 model, and I replaced the original 1TB drive with the Seagate 2TB Barracuda XT drive. After new OS X installation, the HDD fan immediately went to its max speed, so I installed the HDD Fan Control and was able to control it as expected.

BUT.... there is another seemingly related problem that is causing some of the components of my iMac to reach temperatures in the 150º F range in a cool room with only a browser window running . The upper back of the case is too hot to comfortably touch. I installed iStat and saw that there are two other fans within the machine that never increase in speed over their base 1000 RPM. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling the HDD Fan Control, but it appears to only access the main hard drive fan and not the other system fans.

Unless I can find a solution to control these other fans, I think I am going to have to revert to the original drive.

Hi, have you installed any other fan control software? Your presumption is correct that HDD Fan Control only effects the HDD Fan, so something else is causing your other fans not to speed up (Quite alarming).

Have you tried resetting your SMC?

After the SSD Upgrade....

Just wondering how this will work on a Mac. I realize you will have 2 drives, and it makes sense to install the OS on the SSD, but as far as the apps go, such as on the app store, how do you specify the install location? If i went with a 120GB SSD, i'd want most of my apps on the regular HDD right? I mean, otherwise its going to fill real fast. I also want to create a BootCamp partition on the SSD for a Win 7 install. Obviously movies and music/photos will go on the regular 1TB drive.


Any help is appreciated.

ajbrutico

ajbrutico said:

Just wondering how this will work on a Mac. I realize you will have 2 drives, and it makes sense to install the OS on the SSD, but as far as the apps go, such as on the app store, how do you specify the install location? If i went with a 120GB SSD, i'd want most of my apps on the regular HDD right? I mean, otherwise its going to fill real fast. I also want to create a BootCamp partition on the SSD for a Win 7 install. Obviously movies and music/photos will go on the regular 1TB drive.


Any help is appreciated.

ajbrutico

Click to expand...

You want your apps on the SSD too. These require reading of information from the SSD consistently, and would be faster on the SSD. 120GB is overkill for just the ~6GB (estimation) OS X install.

The HDD is best used for storage of data (music, videos).

My Config

1. Vertex 3 / 120 GB
2. Seagate Baracuda LP / 2TB

No Fan Issue

appleboy68 said:

1. Vertex 3 / 120 GB
2. Seagate Baracuda LP / 2TB

No Fan Issue

Click to expand...

Nice... I'm planning to add an SSD once my current 2011 iMac is replaced (yellow display).

BTW, why is your SSD temp showing 128 Deg? Is it normal?

snebes said:

You want your apps on the SSD too. These require reading of information from the SSD consistently, and would be faster on the SSD. 120GB is overkill for just the ~6GB (estimation) OS X install.

The HDD is best used for storage of data (music, videos).

Click to expand...

It would be nice, but with a boot camp partition for gaming, and the amount of games I have downloaded via the Mac App store, they end up taking up a lot of room. I really would like to keep the OS separate from most apps.

So any way I can specify the default location for App Store Apps?

mac.rumors said:

Nice... I'm planning to add an SSD once my current 2011 iMac is replaced (yellow display).

BTW, why is your SSD temp showing 128 Deg? Is it normal?

Click to expand...

Yes, it shows, but the vertex is cold. Either the vertex shows the wrong or the widget has a problem with it and it is related to the Y-cable. Anyway, I have no failures due to overheating.

What I forgot:
The AHT test was also passed.

Update:
I once tested.
Backup with Time Machine SSD / HDD = 9.87 GB in 5 min. and 7 sec

Hello Guys!

Finished my SSD install tonight and the only word to describe it was horrendous. It is NOT for the faint hearted. Logic board took 3 hours to get back into place.

Apart from that everything went OK and I now have a OCZ Vertex 3 120GB installed and showing speeds of 490Mb/s.

However I have come across a small problem. My HDD sensor is showing a temperature of 3 degrees. Obviously this is wrong and I imagine it has something to do with the power splitter.

However the SMART temperatures are also being reported. The SSD is wrong and is showing 128 degrees however I am not bothered about that as the SSD is cold to the touch and is obviously a software glitch.

The more serious problem is the 1TB HDD still in the system. It's showing a temperature of 52 degrees which I feel is pretty high. As the HDD temperature sensor is showing only 3 degrees the fan speed is not increasing. Without increased air flow the temperature is only going to keep rising.

I have paid for and installed HDD Fan Control like suggested in this thread however it sets the fan at full speed because it's reading the 128 degree temperature from the SSD.

I tried installing SMC Fan Control and this seems to be working in raising the fan speed slightly however the temperature doesn't seem to be dropping. I also use Bootcamp regularly and during this the HDD fan won't be getting regulated.

My questions are is there any way to solve this issue and secondly what is a normal HDD temperature range?

Cheers,
Declan

Links to cables, please

I could have missed it, but I've read this whole thread and I don't see any links to the SSD Y-splitter power cable or info on what length SATA cable (right angle to straight).

I prefer buying my cables from monoprice, and the 'original Apple part' that another how-to linked to seemed over priced for something that's not going to have the correct fan controller jumpers anyway.

Can any old sata power Y-splitter work? What length? I've bought my Torx screwdriver kit and suction cups and SSD (haven't bought the iMac yet but soon) and just need the correct cables.

Input/help/links appreciated!

deleted

Ok, this is probably not what most would want to do but... considering the new iMac's have Thunderbolt ports, 10Gbps vs eSata @ 3Gbps or even Sata 3 @ 6Gbps.

I know it's external but Tbolt port far exceeds anything a single SSD can provide. I'm thinking, once avail, short Tbolt cable + external SSD and direct the iMac to boot off the external.

Sure it's not sleek and whatever, but it's a desktop system (never moving/not on an arm) so to me and several brackets/shelves that attach to the iMac's stand. Easy to upgrade in the future, easy to expand without ever messing with the internals. This is my plan for SSD boot drive and storage as the price drops on those drives. I actually have a 256gig OCZ SSD from a Win7 box I sold so as soon as ext Tbolt enclosures are out, it will be my boot/main drive.

bossxii said:

I'm thinking, once avail, short Tbolt cable + external SSD and direct the iMac to boot off the external

Click to expand...

You are dreaming mate. For starters Thunderbolt is currently vapourware. When it becomes a reality the peripherals will be exorbitant and it will be NON Bootable.

Maybe in two years Thunderbolt will be a reasonable price and have the tech to be bootable. In the meantime I will be adding a eSata port to my iMac 12,2 as well as a 3Tb HD & an OWC Sata 3 SSD so I am not going backwards!

You don't know it will be non-bootable, no-one does. It's certainly not an issue with the technology, but whether Apple supports it. I know it was said that you couldn't boot from a Macbook Pro (it's hard to find the original source of that rumour too!), but we're talking a different computer here and one that isn't designed with portability in mind. You can boot from USB or Firewire, so why not Thunderbolt? The simple fact is that no-one seems to know for sure as of yet.

I'm not saying you're definitely wrong, but based on what I've read on other sites, I think you're being a bit early to dismiss it completely.

I'm considering upgrading to SSD myself, but before I crack open my iMac, I'm going to hold off and see exactly what these Thunderbolt drives are capable of and how much they can be bought for.

nightfly13 said:

I could have missed it, but I've read this whole thread and I don't see any links to the SSD Y-splitter power cable or info on what length SATA cable (right angle to straight).

I prefer buying my cables from monoprice, and the 'original Apple part' that another how-to linked to seemed over priced for something that's not going to have the correct fan controller jumpers anyway.

Can any old sata power Y-splitter work? What length? I've bought my Torx screwdriver kit and suction cups and SSD (haven't bought the iMac yet but soon) and just need the correct cables.

Input/help/links appreciated!

Click to expand...

Hi mate, I was wondering the same thing, got an iMac, all tools and a vertex 3 sitting here. I'll let you know if I find any.

marcelo.correia said:

Hi mate, I was wondering the same thing, got an iMac, all tools and a vertex 3 sitting here. I'll let you know if I find any.

Click to expand...

The y-splitter is a very generic SATA Power Splitter like this one:



As for the SATA data cable, I personally added a cable with a 90 degree connector at one end and straight at the other like this one:

simon567 said:

You don't know it will be non-bootable, no-one does.
I'm not saying you're definitely wrong, but based on what I've read on other sites, I think you're being a bit early to dismiss it completely.

Click to expand...

The only companies that have working prototypes and have definitively commited that they have Thunderbolt drives coming for public consumption are Promise and LaCie. Both have stated that they are non bootable.

Obviously if it was easy to impliment it would be done already. Therefore the likely timeframe of a complete new version appearing would be 1.5-2 years. Possible that a firmware update in the more complex Promise units might open up bootability in 6-12 months but I wouldn't bank on it.

I reiterate. Thunderbolt is currently vapourware ... useless. I have it. It has Promise ( in more ways than one) but It's doing nothing!

maxinc said:

The y-splitter is a very generic SATA Power Splitter like this one:

Image

As for the SATA data cable, I personally added a cable with a 90 degree connector at one end and straight at the other like this one:

Image

Click to expand...

Thanks for that. I just bought two cables like that from monoprice. $1.50 and $3 I think, plus shipping. I was a bit worried about what lengths, but seems 18" was about the max they sell so went with that.

maxinc said:

The y-splitter is a very generic SATA Power Splitter like this one:

Image

As for the SATA data cable, I personally added a cable with a 90 degree connector at one end and straight at the other like this one:

Image

Click to expand...

Thnx, I was looking for the cables to add an SSD next to my 1TB drive at my new 27" mid 2011 iMac. I have one more question, with what part can i attach the SSD drive in my iMac? Do i need a Apple SSD pressure wall or something else?

Janv said:

Thnx, I was looking for the cables to add an SSD next to my 1TB drive at my new 27" mid 2011 iMac. I have one more question, with what part can i attach the SSD drive in my iMac? Do i need a Apple SSD pressure wall or something else?

Click to expand...

The elegant solution would be Apple's adapter. The quick and cheap method I used was some sticky velcro tape to hold the SSD in place.