2 Questions About 2011 iMac 21" (Heat and Drive Bays)

[kikuchiyo]

I'm thinking about getting my first Mac desktop in the iMac over the summer as a part of the BTS promotion. However, I had a couple of questions I was hoping folks here could answer for me.

1. Does the mid rage 21" iMac have 2 drive bays? I would get the 1TB HD in it, but would like to add an SSD on my own (installed by someone else). I know this is possible in the larger machine, but wasn't sure if it was also true for the 21".

2. I've heard some reports of the iMac getting super-hot and frying its own innards. What are people's experiences with this? I don't want to have to begin replacing parts in it shortly after my Apple Care has run out.

 

[old-wiz]

I'm thinking about getting my first Mac desktop in the iMac over the summer as a part of the BTS promotion. However, I had a couple of questions I was hoping folks here could answer for me.

1. Does the mid rage 21" iMac have 2 drive bays? I would get the 1TB HD in it, but would like to add an SSD on my own (installed by someone else). I know this is possible in the larger machine, but wasn't sure if it was also true for the 21".

2. I've heard some reports of the iMac getting super-hot and frying its own innards. What are people's experiences with this? I don't want to have to begin replacing parts in it shortly after my Apple Care has run out.

I don't think "drive bays" is the right term on an iMac. In order to add an SSD alongside the regular HDD you need to remove the superdrive.

 

[clyde2801]

I don't think "drive bays" is the right term on an iMac. In order to add an SSD alongside the regular HDD you need to remove the superdrive.

Eh, you may not be right about that one. You can BTO a SSD plus HD in the 21.5", so chances are there's probably a cubbyhole inside the machine that can accommodate it.

 

[elithrar]

Eh, you may not be right about that one. You can BTO a SSD plus HD in the 21.5", so chances are there's probably a cubbyhole inside the machine that can accommodate it.

As posted above, you take out the optical drive and slip the SSD underneath: http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iMac-Intel-21-5-Inch-EMC-2428-Teardown/5485/1

 

[Badger^2]

If you need more space, then you should buy an external drive.

SSD on a 21" goes under the optical drive, it needs a special bracket, so whoever installs it will need to have access to the parts.

"some reports" is kinda like "I heard it on the internet"

And a lot of people confuse the the case being hot = the inside is hot. The AL case is designed to work like a giant heatsink, it gets hot.

 

[kikuchiyo]

Thanks for the replies!

If I'm going to the trouble of buying an all-in-one, I'd much prefer its boot drive to be internal and don't want to remove the optical drive. This changes the math on an iMac vs. a Hackintosh a bit.

Also, I understand the machine gets hot - my 2007 MBP gets hot as well. However, this post on Mac OS Hints about people having internal components fried because of the heat.