Rip Those Macs Open

[pubjoe]

I'd like to know if R.OG killed his drive using a boot disk or whilst in OS. I've updated my M4 several times on an imac (using the downloadable iso) without a problem. If the boot disk detects SATA on a mac motherboard, what's the difference between that and any other PC?

 

[iMartijn]

Is there a part vendor site u recommend ?

MacPartsOnline.com or AppleComponents.com

 

[happyhacking]

My iMac 27 2012 with Fusion drive is pretty slow with windows

Hi, R.OG, pretty good pictures and very good teardown, many thanx for all your work.

Since it apears something complicated to open the iMac 27" 2012, i ordered the Fusion Drive, and it works perfectly fast with Mountain Lion, but when i installed windows 7, it feels pretty laggy since windows uses hdd only, so i want to ask you (or anyone) if this would be possible:

I want to raid this drives togheter in mountain lion

1.- OWC 480GB Aura™ Pro Solid State Drive Mfr P/N: OWCSSDAP12R480 OWC SKU: OWCSSDAP12R480

2.- Samsung 840 PRO 512GB

Im looking for absolutly the best speed for this iMac using internal drives

 

[mattiasdk]

For those interested in some numbers about the 27" (i5 - 3,2Ghz) with the Samsung 840 SSD:

Boot time: 13 sec.
Resume from sleep: 2 sec.
Energy usage - off: 2W
Energy usage - sleep: 9W
Energy usage - idle: 59W
Energy usage - load: 110W (max. recorded)

 

[happyhacking]

Great numbers

For those interested in some numbers about the 27" (i5 - 3,2Ghz) with the Samsung 840 SSD:

Boot time: 13 sec.
Resume from sleep: 2 sec.
Energy usage - off: 2W
Energy usage - sleep: 9W
Energy usage - idle: 59W
Energy usage - load: 110W (max. recorded)

Great numbers, thats what im looking for !! Btw its 840 Pro your SSD ?
Windows 7 boot time ??

 

[kennyap]

For those interested in some numbers about the 27" (i5 - 3,2Ghz) with the Samsung 840 SSD:
Boot time: 13 sec.
Resume from sleep: 2 sec.

Did you install the drive yourself? Did you update the firmware before installing, if so how did you do this (ex/ connected via Sata 3 in Windows machine).

Thanks,

 

[mattiasdk]

Great numbers, thats what im looking for !! Btw its 840 Pro your SSD ?
Windows 7 boot time ??

Yes, it's a Pro

Sorry, don't have Windows 7 on bootcamp installed, and don't have any plans to do so either - if Windows is needed, it will be with Parallels.

Did you install the drive yourself? Did you update the firmware before installing, if so how did you do this (ex/ connected via Sata 3 in Windows machine).

Thanks,

Yes, installed it myself. No, I'm running the stock firmware at the moment - nothing to report of

 

[kennyap]

Yes, installed it myself. No, I'm running the stock firmware at the moment - nothing to report of

Thanks mattiasdk: Anandtech reports a bug in firmware versions prior to version DXM03B0Q that actually bricks the device. Can you confirm which firmware version you are running.

 

[mattiasdk]

Thanks mattiasdk: Anandtech reports a bug in firmware versions prior to version DXM03B0Q that actually bricks the device. Can you confirm which firmware version you are running.

Yeah, I read that too, but according to this link it only applies to pre-production units

Just checked myself and I'm running the 3B0Q-version:

 

[kennyap]

Yeah, I read that too, but according to this link it only applies to pre-production units

Just checked myself and I'm running the 3B0Q-version:
Image

Thanks for the info. I might just get one of these as opposed to an OCZ.

 

[starscript]

hey would any one know if you put in a new SSD and Blade SSD,
are you able to use RAID to make the two one big drive?

i'm thinking of getting a 550Gb SSD and blade and would like to RAID them into a 1TB drive for the "lazy file and drive management"

 

[fpdesign]

Yeah, I read that too, but according to this link it only applies to pre-production units

Just checked myself and I'm running the 3B0Q-version:
Image

What about trim enabler?
I have a macbook pro late 2009 with a OWC data doubler

LION on SSD OCZ VERTEX 2 240 GB
SNOW on original 500 hd

And i use TRIM ENABLER

 

[spork183]

Look what i found.

Image

You gonna install an SSD on that thing?

 

[maharajah]

we used a VHB tape, but not the 3m one. we couldn't get hold of any 3m.

Should be ok. plus hopefully we never have to open it haha

Do you have the part number for the tape you used?

 

[NVRENUF!]

Can't remember now. But im sure i posted the link to it on one of the pages in this thread.

 

[maharajah]

Can't remember now. But im sure i posted the link to it on one of the pages in this thread.

Thanks, I'll take another look through the thread.

 

[starscript]

what screw driver do you need to remove the HDD in the 27ich iMac?

 

[mattiasdk]

What about trim enabler?
I have a macbook pro late 2009 with a OWC data doubler

LION on SSD OCZ VERTEX 2 240 GB
SNOW on original 500 hd

And i use TRIM ENABLER

No, I dont use TRIM - one forum member mentioned that it shouldn't be neccesary when running Mountain Lion, so haven't done anything

 

[NVRENUF!]

what screw driver do you need to remove the HDD in the 27ich iMac?

t8 or t10


Can't remember now but was was of those two

 

[fpdesign]

t8 or t10


Can't remember now but was was of those two

What about the sensor for the temperature?
Any problem?

 

[NVRENUF!]

there was no sensor .

and hardware test fully test ok. no problems

 

[yjypm]

Questions for R.OG

Say I purchased an 27" iMac with the i5 processor, default memory, the least expensive hard drive, but with the highest end option graphic card (GTX680mx).

Later on, would I be able to put in a i7 3930k, along SSD and more memory with relative ease? I am not entirely happy with the components of the 27" iMac, but if I knew I could improve them later on then I would go ahead with the purchase.

Any insights/advice is appreciated.

Thanks

3930k will NOT work because the new iMac is using socket 1155 meaning the best processor you can get for iMac right now is 3770 (i dont know if 3770k or 2700k will work). 3930k and 3960k are using socket 2011, which is not compatible with socket 1155.

 

[endlessy]

No, I dont use TRIM - one forum member mentioned that it shouldn't be neccesary when running Mountain Lion, so haven't done anything

Hello Mattiasdk

No problems fan speed?

A representative APPLE service pointed out that if I change the 1TB seagate by a samsung 840 PRO 512, I might run the fans at maximum due to a sensor embedded in the Seagate 1TB...

reassures me, you haven't got this problem with your samsung?

Thanks a lot

 

[mattiasdk]

Hello Mattiasdk

No problems fan speed?

A representative APPLE service pointed out that if I change the 1TB seagate by a samsung 840 PRO 512, I might run the fans at maximum due to a sensor embedded in the Seagate 1TB...

reassures me, you haven't got this problem with your samsung?

Thanks a lot

Nope, there is no standalone temp-sensor in the late 2012-models, as there were in the former design-revision. My fan is running at 1200rpm according to smcFanControl and it's almost completely silent

 

[teturkhan]

Worth it?

Reading versus actually doing are two different things. How difficult would it be for anyone to take apart an iMac 27" and upgrade the HDD to SSD?

I was thinking of getting the 1TB HDD with the purchase of an iMac 27" then at a later point in time upgrading it to an SSD.

My primary concern is whether I can actually do it, and whether the resulting performance gain would be worth it.

Any opinions/advice is appreciated.