Just installed custom SSD as second disk in 2010 iMac 27"

[Fat Fatster]

Nutter - thanks for the GREAT post.

For people who are not yet familiar with SSDs ..

you are going to be VERY SURPRISED about some things:

THERE ARE THREE CRITICAL FACTS ABOUD SSDs:

(1) [Most] SSD DRIVES ****** ARE NOT RELIABLE ******* over longer periods of time. We have had to send back excatly 50% of SSD drives which we have bought - after about 1 to 2 months.

SSD drives have the famous "SSD spinning ball problem". AT FIRST they work brilliantly, BUT after they have been used for a long time, and there have been a lot of read write operations on a given area, they (can, sometimes) develop problems.

Once this happens, they change from being the fastest drive in the universe, to moving at a snails pace. You will basically have one last chance to move everything to an (old-fashioned platter) drive to save the data.

This EVEN HAPPENED TO US with a Mercury OWC (50gb model) which is fantastic and probably the "LEAST LIKELY" to suffer the famous "SSD decay" problem. It worked perfectly until it filled up to 32.5 gb ... after which it never worked again (other than at a snail's pace) and was sent back.

Indeed it is very likely, the reason Apple use the laughable Toshiba SSD drives .. is that they are (perhaps? we hope?) more reliable after a few months than actual fast SSD drives.

(2) SSD DRIVES ARE MINDBOGGLINGLY FAST. If you have not tried one yet, you will be stunned and feel silly once you try one! They are so fast you will weep. They are so fast they make processor upgrades seem silly.

(3) And thirdly, SSD DRIVES DIFFER VERY GREATLY ONE FORM THE OTHER. The fact is all platter drives are about the same, no big difference. SSD drives are wildly different from each other, huge differences, HUGE differences in speed, basic operational paradigm, reliability, power use, the "SSD Decay" problem, etc etc etc.

As someone said ..

"You've obviously never seen or used one of these new
SandForce SSD's. Forget about the Apple built-in ones.
They are atrocious."

This is true, if you have not used SSDs yet, and indeed not tried at least four different brands, you at this point know zero and you will be very, very shocked (in both good and bad ways) when you enter the SSD world.

Again the three very critical points ..

(1) "SSD Decay" -- SSDs have a horrible and well known problem where in some cases they simply stop working (other than at a snail's pace) after a certain amount of use

(2) SSD drives are so fast it is scary

(3) there are HUGE --------- HUGE ------------ differences between SSD technologies and brands. Indeed to be clear, SSD drives are as different one from the other as (say) a mac vs. a pc or a motorbike vs. a car or a sailing ship vs. a motorboat. The various SSDs are wildly different and perform wildly differently -- and have wildly different approaches to the horrific "SSD Decay" problem.

if you're ever using an SSD drive and once - just once - you get a spinning ball, you're buggered. The drive has had it, "SSD Decay" is here, it will just get worse and worse over the next couple weeks and that will be the end of it.

Something new .. (Aug 2010) ..We have not yet tried one of the brand-new hybrid drives,

http://www.macupgrade.be/product_inf...roducts_id/443

but perhaps they are the future.

Again thanks for the fantastic post, Nutter !!

[Van evander Van]

I have put my Corsair Force 120 gb into my iMac and it all went smoothly. Everything connected and everything fit. My issue is that my new drive is not showing up under devices in my Finder. What is that about? is it possible the drive was DOA (dead on arrival)? Is there some other explanation?

[wingzero1285]

Originally Posted by Van evander Van

I have put my Corsair Force 120 gb into my iMac and it all went smoothly. Everything connected and everything fit. My issue is that my new drive is not showing up under devices in my Finder. What is that about? is it possible the drive was DOA (dead on arrival)? Is there some other explanation?

Open disk utility and partition the hard drive. Don't erase it or cause any additional writes than necessary. Depending upon what you're using it for, you need to partition it correctly... Select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and under options make sure you have GUID selected. That way the drive can have the OS installed to it if thats what you're looking to do! Good luck!

I recently added an Intel 80gb x25-m in addition to my 1TB for the OS and apps, its nice!

[Van evander Van]

The thing is my disk utility does not recognize that my SSD is in the machine. I want to put my OS and Apps on it so if disk utility cannot locate it, is it not installed properly?

[Nick L.]

Here's a guide with photos for installing an SSD drive in new iMacs.

http://www.twam.info/hardware/apple/...d-2010-27-imac

[MrGusto]

I was wondering or someone could tell me or it is possible to put in a SSD as a second disk in my late 2009 i5 iMac (first quad core).

The space for the drive is probably there but does the motherboard also have a spare sata connector? This seems like a reasonable question because in this model there were no options for a second drive..

And I would like to find out first before I start opening my iMac.

[drcreek]

The only way to it with that one I think is to sacrifice the SuperDrive.

[iDutchman]

Originally Posted by MrGusto

I was wondering or someone could tell me or it is possible to put in a SSD as a second disk in my late 2009 i5 iMac (first quad core).

The space for the drive is probably there but does the motherboard also have a spare sata connector? This seems like a reasonable question because in this model there were no options for a second drive..

And I would like to find out first before I start opening my iMac.

You'll need to sacrifice your SuperDrive indeed. The 2010 iMac 27" has an third SATA connector.

[JasonR]

Originally Posted by iDutchman

You'll need to sacrifice your SuperDrive indeed. The 2010 iMac 27" has an third SATA connector.

If I sacrifice the superdrive...can I install OS X from a thumb drive (much like the Macbook Air)?

[MrGusto]

Originally Posted by JasonR

If I sacrifice the superdrive...can I install OS X from a thumb drive (much like the Macbook Air)?

I think that I will just buy the macbook air superdrive, it looks good so that won't be annoying if it just lays under the screen.

[iDutchman]

Originally Posted by MrGusto

I think that I will just buy the macbook air superdrive, it looks good so that won't be annoying if it just lays under the screen.

Note: The MacBook Air Superdrive Does not work on any other Apple computer except from the air (obviously)

[reboot81]

Any of you tried to mount the SSD behind the superdrive? I read about it at Brian Tobeys page, and it sounds smart.
Way much easier to remove the superdrive than the logic board whenever theres a need to access the SSD.

He used doublesided tape, but I'm running for velcro straps.

[c613m]

Originally Posted by reboot81

Any of you tried to mount the SSD behind the superdrive? I read about it at Brian Tobeys page, and it sounds smart.
Way much easier to remove the superdrive than the logic board whenever theres a need to access the SSD.

He used doublesided tape, but I'm running for velcro straps.

Umm there are several more recent threads regarding this...

But to answer your question, whether or not you're mounting under the superdrive, you still need to gain access to the logic board (aka remove it) to plug in your cables.

[reboot81]

Originally Posted by c613m

Umm there are several more recent threads regarding this...

But to answer your question, whether or not you're mounting under the superdrive, you still need to gain access to the logic board (aka remove it) to plug in your cables.

Oh, could you please show me one 2010 SSD+HD setup thread?

Thanks

[tmaxxtigger]

Just completed this upgrade myself and all I can say is why did I wait so long! Probably because the SSD drives where too pricey. I used the Corsair Force GT 240GB. Bootcamp is a rocket also

[Sandman1969]

Very cool thread. Thanks for the information.

I just ordered 2 27" iMacs. They were refurbed, so I couldn't do any modifications. I will probably wait before going SSD, as the bump in speed to these new iMacs will be big enough from our existing iMacs.

I will definitely keep this in mind in the future. Though, hopefully external Thunderbolt drives prices come down in the future. Firewire devices were steep at first.

[Revolverkiller]

Originally Posted by Nutter

I've attached a close-up showing where the temperature cable is attached to the stock HD. This cable is used to control the HD fan, but since the SSD you're installing doesn't have a port for this cable you'll need to short the contacts at the end of the cable to keep the fan running at its minimum level (rather than at the maximum). This is perfectly safe as SSDs generate very little heat.

Note that you only need to do this if you're replacing the stock HD with an SSD, not if you're adding an additional SSD.

i plan on swapping out my superdrive with an SSD and have that be the main drive and the 1 tb already there be the secondary drive, so would i have to short out the temp sensor anyway?