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I bought non working iMac, where to get hard drive?

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Kyles3399

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 1, 2010
23
2
Hi all i'm just looking for suggestions i'm open to all options.

i bought a 2010 21.5/3.06i3/4gb/nohd iMac for super cheep on ebay. I bought it knowing full well no hard drive was included. i'm looking around at options for installing a hd. and it looks like these are my options. I'm also not really sure what else is wrong with it, may have other problems. I know the temp sensor is/was in the missing HD and without it the fans will be screaming.

1.go to apple store and get them to install a new drive (probably going to cost allot/ not sure if they will actually do it, Tell them the drive vaporized)
2. buy standard HD (probably use a SSD) and use software to stop the fans of doom (if I use SSD which run way cooler I shouldn't have to worry about over heating)
3. buy apple brand drive off ebay and hope it is the same mfr as old one (may still have to deal with fans)
4. I've heard of using a external temp sensor and plugging it into the connector. any one try this?

I'm planning on fixing this to give to my parents. who really only use mail/browse safari/ pages / iPhoto . very very light use. I'm only in this machine a couple hundred so if it cost me a few hundred to fix no big deal.

Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
FreakinEurekan

FreakinEurekan

macrumors 603
Sep 8, 2011
5,561
2,611
Get a standard hard drive, hopefully one you don't have to buy (scavenge one, even if it's only 40GB) and test the system out with that. Install OS, check out all the hardware (iSight, Wi-Fi, ports, screen, speakers). I find it unlikely that anyone would take a perfectly good iMac, yank the drive out of it, and sell it for $200. If it has a bad screen or logic board, find out NOW before you throw good money after bad.
 
toddzrx

toddzrx

macrumors 6502a
Nov 20, 2012
725
263
I would install an SSD which will keep its performance snappy even with future OSX upgrades. 120Gb SSDs aren't that expensive, and you can always add external storage for large photo or music libraries.

Of course, your parents may not care about a zippy computer.
 
K

Kyles3399

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 1, 2010
23
2
Thanks

That's a good idea, I've got an old drive in my closet. Your right, i really don't know what i'm getting into. I should wait to sink any more into it. It wont arrive for a few days anyway.

So anyone know what the best solution to the fan problem? any Ideas? just like to know.

i think most people appreciate a zippy computer, even old people. just saying.
 
gnasher729

gnasher729

Suspended
Nov 25, 2005
17,980
5,565
toddzrx said:
Why? It's not that difficult.
Click to expand...

I'd buy a 2.5" external USB drive of the size you want. First, that makes it very easy to try everything out. If the iMac isn't actually working, you find out with very little effort and you don't spend an eternity figuring out what you did wrong adding the internal drive, when the fault is somewhere else. Second, they don't actually cost more than internal drives.

Once that's working, you _can_ remove the drive from its case and put it into the Mac. But you can first think about whether it's worth the effort, because all that effort gives you is some speed improvement. If the Mac doesn't have much memory, you could think about adding RAM because that would reduce how much the drive is used and increase speed.
 
M

macthefork

macrumors 6502
Feb 2, 2013
467
7
Some people are Hacks when they pull delicate equipment apart. It could be it needs more than a HDD. I too, would boot from an external, or DVD to make sure everything works, then take apart to check for any other possible damage before spending much money on it.

If it boots from a DVD or external drive, then you're good to go.
 
toddzrx

toddzrx

macrumors 6502a
Nov 20, 2012
725
263
gnasher729 said:
I'd buy a 2.5" external USB drive of the size you want. First, that makes it very easy to try everything out. If the iMac isn't actually working, you find out with very little effort and you don't spend an eternity figuring out what you did wrong adding the internal drive, when the fault is somewhere else. Second, they don't actually cost more than internal drives.
Click to expand...

Right. I was assuming the hardware was ok and recommending that if you're going to take the computer apart, an SSD may be a better option.

As for testing, I bet a local Genius Bar would be happy to try and boot your machine off a DVD copy or flash drive copy of OS X. If you have one near you. I would try to test this thing for free before spending money on anything else.
 
O

Oracle1729

macrumors 6502a
Feb 4, 2009
638
0
gnasher729 said:
I'd buy a 2.5" external USB drive of the size you want. First, that makes it very easy to try everything out. If the iMac isn't actually working, you find out with very little effort and you don't spend an eternity figuring out what you did wrong adding the internal drive, when the fault is somewhere else. Second, they don't actually cost more than internal drives.

Once that's working, you _can_ remove the drive from its case and put it into the Mac. But you can first think about whether it's worth the effort, because all that effort gives you is some speed improvement. If the Mac doesn't have much memory, you could think about adding RAM because that would reduce how much the drive is used and increase speed.
Click to expand...

Wow, I think you just won this year's award for most things wrong in a single post. It's okay to not know much, everyone starts somewhere and everything they know is learned. What baffles me is why someone who knows so little would post in such an authoritative tone and try to convince people to take your very, very bad advice.
 
G

gargalen

macrumors newbie
May 4, 2013
5
0
You don't even have to replace the internal HD, per se. Since the iMac is not portable, you may just want to use external HD boot drive and other externals for media.
 
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