Rip Those Macs Open

[iWaiting]

You gonna install an SSD on that thing?

at least it wasn't curly

 

[mattiasdk]

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.

I've been messing around with computers for more than a decade now, so it's hard to say, but would say that it's quite straight forward to do. But of course it would void your warranty (until the correct tape is available) and if you have the money, just get the Apple SSD from the start? Some of us just like the fact that we're able to upgrade them on our own, liking the "messing around inside" and if we can save some money in the process, we'll take that too! It all comes down to personal preference...

I've got an aprox. 150% increase in speed (write/read) from my 1TB standard hard drive versus the new SSD, so it was worth it for me!

 

[ThirteenXIII]

http://www.scribd.com/doc/118836055/2012iMac

(partial take apart guide from Apple)
PDF of the tools Apple uses, as well as part number and procedure for display removal and reapplying adhesive.

 

[maharajah]

http://www.scribd.com/doc/118836055/2012iMac

(partial take apart guide from Apple)
PDF of the tools Apple uses, as well as part number and procedure for display removal and reapplying adhesive.

Excellent, thanks!

 

[jamesakano]

http://www.scribd.com/doc/118836055/2012iMac

(partial take apart guide from Apple)
PDF of the tools Apple uses, as well as part number and procedure for display removal and reapplying adhesive.

Great find!

 

[MetalCooper]

Heard that kit they are using in that document is $99 from a friend of mine who runs a certified Apple repair shop

 

[iPhisch]

http://www.scribd.com/doc/118836055/2012iMac

(partial take apart guide from Apple)
PDF of the tools Apple uses, as well as part number and procedure for display removal and reapplying adhesive.

Apple Pizza Cutter?

 

[starscript]

Another SSD upgrade along with a naked iMac

 

[fpdesign]

Can I just confirm that the base 27" has a slot for the apple blade ssd, and that the ssd is the same one used in the retina macbook pro?

I ASKED to OWC

for this product

480GB OWC Aura Pro 6G Solid State Drive for 2012 MacBook Pro

this is the answer

No that will not work with that iMac 2012
Sincerely,

OWC Dennis
Technical Customer Service Representative
Other World Computing, Inc. (OWC)
OWC.net, Inc.

 

[pubjoe]

I don't know if you should take too much from that. It's quite likely, as a customer service rep, he's just quoting the product specs.

In answer to MacFoodPoisoner's question: Yes, R.OG and myself have both used a rMBP SSD in 2012 imacs and they've been fine. They were the Samsung produced SSD which Apple use in the rMBP.

 

[cngisl]

Thanks for all the info guys.

I will have a definite answer next week when my OWC blade SSD arrives and I instal it. I will post some photos as well.

I think OWC likes to sell these things in kits to instal and they are worried about the general public installing them on their own.

Cheers,

CJ

 

[Geux]

A couple of days ago I managed to split the fusion drive and unmount the 1TB HDD permanently. No more HDD spin up after sleeping. Very happy.

Just completed first installation of the Samsung 840 Pro 256GB.

Below a picture and screenshot of the benchmarks. (yes, little "Dexter" of 4 months was very interested)

128GB blade SSD is used for OSX, Apps and Virtualbox Windows7.
256GB Samsung Pro is used for iTunes, Aperture (iPhoto) library etc.

Still not sure about the definitive upgrade though. Blade SSD 128GB for the OS is fine, 60GB free space left and fast enough for me.

Thinking of just fitting a 512GB Samsung 840Pro and save me the hassle of replacing the blade SSD for now.

I'll sleep on it a bit....

Thanks to all for giving me the confidence to give it a try.

Grtz,
Robert
Tilburg (NL)

 

[jamesakano]

Just completed first installation of the Samsung 840 Pro 256GB.

Nice!!

 

[Yeroon]

Pretty good scores Geux! Blazing fast! I'm also looking for the 840 Pro (or 830) 512 GB SSD instead of the hdd. But I'm still waiting for my BTO to be delivered (also in NL)...

Good to let us know these upgrades work well.

 

[naiver12]

Good news and bad news:

Good: You can do a Samsung ssd Firmware Update on Mac since December.
http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/samsungssd/downloads.html

Bad: 2012 late Imac = no ODD =(

 

[WilliamG]

Good news and bad news:

Good: You can do a Samsung ssd Firmware Update on Mac since December.
http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/samsungssd/downloads.html

Bad: 2012 late Imac = no ODD =(

Good news: ODDs are cheap as heck!

 

[elberggreno]

Sorry if this has been answered before, but does the non-fusion 27" imac feature the blade connector (unlike the base 21") or do you have to order with the fusion drive to have it on the mainboard?

Also any progress on the blade-ssd pinout? Would like to check into the option of making an blade male connector -> sata female port.

 

[Wedlock]

Yes there is a connector for the blade ssd on the non fusion 27" imac.

 

[shoulin333]

I hope iFix it starts to sell those pizza slicers and that foam wedge!

 

[hfg]

Yes there is a connector for the blade ssd on the non fusion 27" imac.

Haven't seen a teardown on the SSD only 27" yet, but I bet the disk drive data/power cable is not supplied with that model.

Anyone seen a teardown of the 27" SSD only model?

 

[azentropy]

I hope iFix it starts to sell those pizza slicers and that foam wedge!

I care more about the tape. Hopefully someone starts selling the "official" tape that Apple uses.

 

[elberggreno]

Yes there is a connector for the blade ssd on the non fusion 27" imac.

Great! Thanks!

Haven't seen a teardown on the SSD only 27" yet, but I bet the disk drive data/power cable is not supplied with that model.

Anyone seen a teardown of the 27" SSD only model?

I was under the impression that it's a bus-like interface (you don't need any cables to connect a blade ssd).

My plan is to somehow make or buy a "blade-ssd-bus" to sata board and run a standard sata up from there. Place a standard 2.5" SSD on top of the regular HDD and use a splitter from the standard HDD connector for power.

That is if the apple blade interface is just another connector for standard sata. I think it should be, but looking at current solutions for connecting blade-ssds to regular sata it seems theese boards feature some other circuits than just pure rewiring.

 

[hfg]

Great! Thanks!



I was under the impression that it's a bus-like interface (you don't need any cables to connect a blade ssd).

My plan is to somehow make or buy a "blade-ssd-bus" to sata board and run a standard sata up from there. Place a standard 2.5" SSD on top of the regular HDD and use a splitter from the standard HDD connector for power.

That is if the apple blade interface is just another connector for standard sata. I think it should be, but looking at current solutions for connecting blade-ssds to regular sata it seems theese boards feature some other circuits than just pure rewiring.

The SSD only iMac already has a "blade" 768GB SSD installed. What is probably missing is the cable assembly that connects the rotating hard disk in the Fusion optioned iMac. I would like to install an additional 512GB SSD in that location if I decide to risk opening it up.

I was hoping to verify whether the cable was included before slicing mine open, and if it was not supplied, then attempt to obtain one prior to starting the upgrade. From earlier in this thread where R.OG posted pictures, it is a non standard cable on the power leads, so a special cable is required. It was too bad that the hard disk didn't simply slide-in to a standard SATA connector so that a SSD could be used with an "icy dock" type enclosure.

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/16492876/


-howard

 

[pubjoe]

It's an extremely safe bet that a loose, unused cable won't be included in the SSD only model.

The cable is actually just separate sata data and power cables that have been joined on the connector end with plastic housing. Normal cables should work. But that said, I did not check the sata power cable's connection on the PSU end - there's no other 5v rail to split from in this model, though it'll be doable direct from the PSU one way or another.

Regardless of the power cable, if you plan to attach a sata cable to the the rear of the logic board, you'll end up performing a just as tricky (and more expensive) upgrade than you will do if you buy the ($1300 cheaper) hdd only model and upgrade both drives yourself.

 

[hfg]

It's an extremely safe bet that a loose, unused cable won't be included in the SSD only model.

The cable is actually just separate sata data and power cables that have been joined on the connector end with plastic housing. Normal cables should work. But that said, I did not check the sata power cable's connection on the PSU end.

If you attach a power cable to the PSU and sata cable to the the rear of the logic board, you'll end up performing an overall trickier and pricier upgrade than you will do if you buy the ($1300 cheaper) hdd only model and upgrade both drives yourself.

Yeah ... the SATA data cable is standard at both ends, but the power cable is some kind of pin field on the power supply end.

Have you seen the 768GB Blade SSD for sale separately anywhere?