2011 iMac SATA cable for 2nd hard drive (SSD) under optical drive?

[stevescivic]

Hello folks, I picked up an SSD to install into a newly acquired 2011 27" iMac and wanted to know if there was anything special with the cable that you see in the OWC videos install an SSD under the optical drive.

From what I can tell for the 27" model doesn't seem to need a special cable like the 21.5" models need.

Can someone please direct me to a reliable source in Canada as to where I can get the proper SATA/power cable combo for the 2nd SSD that goes behind the optical drive?

Thanks!

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

Hello folks, I picked up an SSD to install into a newly acquired 2011 27" iMac and wanted to know if there was anything special with the cable that you see in the OWC videos install an SSD under the optical drive.

From what I can tell for the 27" model doesn't seem to need a special cable like the 21.5" models need.

Can someone please direct me to a reliable source in Canada as to where I can get the proper SATA/power cable combo for the 2nd SSD that goes behind the optical drive?

Thanks!

By "in Canada", you meant that the seller/shop must be a resident on Canada soil?
It would be difficult to catch such a seller, then. And the price maybe high on a shop case.
Almost all cheap items are from China.

 

[Juicy Box]

Can someone please direct me to a reliable source in Canada as to where I can get the proper SATA/power cable combo for the 2nd SSD that goes behind the optical drive?

Are you replacing the HDD with a SSD?

If so, I am curious if it would be better to put the SSDs together than putting the second SSD with the ODD.

 

[PaulD-UK]

The SATA cable is standard - with a right-angle connector at the logic board end.
It is the power cable that is unique - with a small 4-pin connector to match the logic board socket.
iFixit seems to be the most common source, often sold by a more local retailer (or on eBay).
The additional SSD goes in the place Apple originally specified, but without their plastic bracket, just using double sided adhesive pads.

 

[stevescivic]

Hey folks. Yes, ideally the seller is in canada (I don't mind buying from China either since most sellers in China often include free shipping.

Specifically I want to keep the 1TB HDD that came with the computer and add a SSD that is hidden under the optical drive that is held in place with some double sided tape (like the solution from OWC). What I don't get is the cable inside the iMac for the SSD under the optical drive. I see on amazon.ca this but it is listed as being for the 21.5" iMac.

OWC SSD DIY Kit for Apple iMac 21.5 201

Add a 3G or 6G Solid State Drive (sold separately) to your hard drive only equipped iMac to experience faster booting, near instant application launches and data transfer speeds up to 559MB/s! Before attempting to perform this installation it is recommended you watch the installation video on the...

amzn.to

If the 21.5" kit fits the 27" model perfectly then I can just buy the OWC kit since I could use the extra tools that comes in the kit.

I thought the 27" iMac didn't use that tiny little 4 pin power connector and that was exclusive to the 21.5" models. I haven't taken my iMac apart just yet since I'm waiting on my new CPU to arrive from China.

I would prefer to NOT buy from US suppliers as they tend to cost an awful lot for shipping to bring a $15 cable into Canada.

Thanks.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

Hey folks. Yes, ideally the seller is in canada (I don't mind buying from China either since most sellers in China often include free shipping.

For iMac 27", I think the right place for an extra 2.5in SSD is behind the pipes of the GPU heatsink, between the HDD and the ODD, not under the ODD. I put my extra 2.5in drive there on my iMac 2010.

A better option is: replace the 3.5in drive with two 2.5in drive, and you can use something like this.

Kingwin SSD/HDD Internal SATA Tray-Less Hot Swap Mobile Rack Cage for Dual 2.5” SSD/HDD. Hard Drive Backplane Enclosure,Support SATA I/II/III & SAS I/II 6 Gbps Performance [Optimized for 2.5” SSD/HDD]

A tool free and trouble free solution for your storage needs. KF-251-BK supports up to two 2.5" SATA hdd and it's tray free design allows you to easily swap and exchange drives in seconds.

www.amazon.com

Or just DIY one.

 

[BeatCrazy]

The SATA cable is standard - with a right-angle connector at the logic board end.
It is the power cable that is unique - with a small 4-pin connector to match the logic board socket.
iFixit seems to be the most common source, often sold by a more local retailer (or on eBay).
The additional SSD goes in the place Apple originally specified, but without their plastic bracket, just using double sided adhesive pads.

That's not the power cable, that's the HDD temperature sensor. The power is delivered via a standard SATA power connector.

 

[stevescivic]

okay, so after watching the install video from OWC on the SSD behind the optical drive I'm dead set on installing it that way. I want to keep the original 1TB drive for large file storage. Judging by the connector on the logic board it would seem like I can buy a regular plain old SATA cable and SATA power cable from ANY computer store and use them. Should I buy them with 90 degree bends in them or all straight cables? I think from what I can tell and what I remember about the insides of my 2010 iMac for reference purposes that the logic board connectors should be 90 where possible and to get cables that are as thin as possible. I know this isn't rocket science but I'd rather be prepared when I tear into the 2011 iMac and be able to swap out my video card, cpu and install the ssd drive under the optical drive and have it all go without a hitch rather than trying piecemeal bit by bit having to take apart the unit multiple times. When I did my 2010 iMac I went the exact factory route by buying the apple SSD bracket and the genuine apple cable for dual drives and installed a thermal sensing cable onto the exterior of the new HDD. That 2010 unit I did has 6 TB of total storage of it, 1TB being SSD boot drive and that machine screams still. Anything I do to my newly acquired 2011 unit will be as good if not MUCH better than my 2010 machine so I want to get it right the first time out the gates.

Sorry for asking relatively simpleton question - macs are never quite straightforward to upgrade compared to say... a tower PC.

Thanks.

 

[BeatCrazy]

okay, so after watching the install video from OWC on the SSD behind the optical drive I'm dead set on installing it that way. I want to keep the original 1TB drive for large file storage. Judging by the connector on the logic board it would seem like I can buy a regular plain old SATA cable and SATA power cable from ANY computer store and use them. Should I buy them with 90 degree bends in them or all straight cables? I think from what I can tell and what I remember about the insides of my 2010 iMac for reference purposes that the logic board connectors should be 90 where possible and to get cables that are as thin as possible. I know this isn't rocket science but I'd rather be prepared when I tear into the 2011 iMac and be able to swap out my video card, cpu and install the ssd drive under the optical drive and have it all go without a hitch rather than trying piecemeal bit by bit having to take apart the unit multiple times. When I did my 2010 iMac I went the exact factory route by buying the apple SSD bracket and the genuine apple cable for dual drives and installed a thermal sensing cable onto the exterior of the new HDD. That 2010 unit I did has 6 TB of total storage of it, 1TB being SSD boot drive and that machine screams still. Anything I do to my newly acquired 2011 unit will be as good if not MUCH better than my 2010 machine so I want to get it right the first time out the gates.

Sorry for asking relatively simpleton question - macs are never quite straightforward to upgrade compared to say... a tower PC.

Thanks.

I realize you're keeping the optical drive in the chassis, but do you still plan on using it? If not, just re-purpose its cables.

 

[stevescivic]

I realize you're keeping the optical drive in the chassis, but do you still plan on using it? If not, just re-purpose its cables.

i still need optical drive to access legacy content plus the SATA interface for the optical drive isn't as fast as the primary SATA interfaces for the HDD/SSD drives.

 

[BeatCrazy]

i still need optical drive to access legacy content plus the SATA interface for the optical drive isn't as fast as the primary SATA interfaces for the HDD/SSD drives.

The interfaces are the same for the HDD/SSD and the ODD.

Where are you getting the extra SATA interfaces you need for the things above?

 

[Juicy Box]

The interfaces are the same for the HDD/SSD and the ODD.

The ODD SATA port is only SATA II on the Mid 2011 iMac, IIRC.

 

[BeatCrazy]

The ODD SATA port is only SATA II on the Mid 2011 iMac, IIRC.

Ah, might be right there.

 

[Crazy Badger]

I don’t remember needing a special SATA cable, but you do need to get under the motherboard to get to the connector.

I was about 8 years ago when I did mine though! It’s been upgraded since and I now have a 1TB SSD and a 2TB HDD fitting in the way you describe, with the SSD stuck behind the OD.

It also has 32GB RAM and has been a great machine. Will only run to High Sierra and I’m starting to have some intermittent issues with the Bluetooth and OD but it will be 10 years old next year, so can’t really complain!

 

[USB3foriMac]

There is some misinformation in this thread, be careful.

1. The SATA data connector on the logic board can use a standard SATA data cable (should be 90 degrees angled), but the SATA power connector is slim SATA. So you can't use a standard SATA power cable.
Normally, you need the slim-SATA to SATA cable. You can buy that on Aliexpress, e.g. this one:
iMac 27 SSD SATA cable

2. If the SSD is in addition to the HDD, the correct location is under the optical drive. It will not fit under the GPU heatsing, and this would anyway not be a good location in terms of heat. MNaybe this is correct for 2010 model, but certainly not for 2011.

3. Your system will still suffer from the HDD in your system, as you have to wait for spin-up time at boot and wake-up from standby.
I recommend to replace this drive with SSD as well. You can even do a software RAID without special software.
You could buy a cheap SSD, e.g. this one:
SSD 1TB
While this is no-name, it should survive the useful time of this computer, i.e. the next 10 years
I have this myself, and it is very fast. See the reviews.

4. If you replace the HDD, you need to take care of the temp sensor. There are many ways to do it, both hardware and software. While the easiest appear to be software: if you have a solder iron, simply soldering the pins 12 and 11 together is what I find easiest.

There are many threads on this, too.

 

[stevescivic]

Ah excellent this is PRECISELY the info I was looking for. The 2011 model has been a mystery for me up until now. I actually did the multiple drive upgrade using all genuine factory brackets, cables, sensors on my SSD add and performance HDD upgrade in my 2010 so it isn't like I don't know my way around the insides of this generation of the imac. That being said that was back in 2013 and I've long forgotten quite a few details. I actually was on the cusp of order a fully configured 2020 iMac to replace my mostly supercharged 2010 imac but with Intel out of the picture that I wasn't willing to commit $5600 CAD to buy a computer that might not be supported for the typical 7 year life that apple updates its software and OS for. It got me wondering about upgrades I can do to keep the old machine going but since I didn't want to mess with a perfectly working computer that I went out and bought a used 2011 imac to tinker with. The intent of the 2011 was to practice doing the GPU upgrade on but then as I got using the 2011 and reading more about how it is better for cooling (3 pipe heatsink and SATA III spec) that I decided to go all out without breaking the bank too badly. By the time I'm done doing this upgrade I would've sunk $1000 into the 2011 (CAD) including the purchase price of the machine. The machine itself is like a 9.8 out of 10 condition and came with everything unmolested.

So glad you shared the actual photos of the logic board and also provided the link to the cable. I will order that up today.

For those that are curious my machine is currently a i5 2.7GHz with 16GB of RAM (2x8 so-dimms), 512 MB Video and 1TB HDD.

What is going in is:
1TB Samsung EVO 860 SSD
8GB of additional RAM (left over ram from my 2010 imac)
Xeon 1275v1 @ 3.4 GHz processor (has integrated GPU to absolve the sleep/wake issue)
Nvidia K2100M graphics card pulled from a Dell/Alienware laptop

I figured that by the time these things are all installed that this computer won't even be the same and will perform more like the 2013/2014 imacs.

Once the GPU upgrade is successful in this imac I plan to swap the GPU out in the 2010 for fun. Might even yank 2100M into the 2010 imac and search for a K5100M for the 2011 since it has the larger heatsink to accommodate the XMX-B sized cards.

I'm sure lots of other folks have this exact config but for me this would be the biggest upgrade I've ever completed on an all in one machine. Shame apple didn't keep this bulkier design. They're fun to work on and WAAY better than that nonsense slimline model that was introduced in 2012.

Thanks everyone for your insightful help. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

If you can find an adapter that allow you to assemble two 2.5in SSD/HDD in the 3.5in bay, it will be the cleanest arrangment inside the iMac.
I got myself 2 of those ($2 each) locally, but it maybe different where you live. Mine are more flimsy that the below amazone item. Or DIY one. Just need 4 U-shape thin aluminium bar (<1mm), some easy driling and taping only.

Corsair Dual SSD Mounting Bracket (3.5” Internal Drive Bay to 2.5", Easy Installation) Black

There are many factors to consider when upgrading from 3.5" hard-drive (HDD) to 2.5" solid-state drive (SSD). One of those is that direct mounting of SSDs in most desktop computer cases is not possible due to lack of dedicated 2.5" drive bays. Corsair Dual SSD Mounting Bracket is a perfect soluti...

www.amazon.com

 

[USB3foriMac]

Xeon 1275v1 @ 3.4 GHz processor (has integrated GPU to absolve the sleep/wake issue)

See this post here to understand that sleep does not work with this CPU either.

 

[xpk]

Could someone please clarify whether the original hdd sata cable in mac 21 mid-2011 is sata2 or sata3? I want to replace the hdd with a new ssd with sata3 support, but wonder whether I also need to replace the cable to take advantage of it?

 

[Juicy Box]

Could someone please clarify whether the original hdd sata cable in mac 21 mid-2011 is sata2 or sata3?

I am pretty sure the HDD SATA port in the 21" Mid 2011 iMac is SATA3. I wouldn't think the cable would matter, but maybe it does?

I want to replace the hdd with a new ssd with sata3 support, but wonder whether I also need to replace the cable to take advantage of it?

Even if it was SATAII, it would be a night and day difference going from the HDD to a SATA3 SSD.

 

[The_Croupier]

Could someone please clarify whether the original hdd sata cable in mac 21 mid-2011 is sata2 or sata3? I want to replace the hdd with a new ssd with sata3 support, but wonder whether I also need to replace the cable to take advantage of it?

No need to replace the cable.

 

[noveluser]

There is some misinformation in this thread, be careful.
View attachment 967731
View attachment 967739
1. The SATA data connector on the logic board can use a standard SATA data cable (should be 90 degrees angled), but the SATA power connector is slim SATA. So you can't use a standard SATA power cable.
Normally, you need the slim-SATA to SATA cable. You can buy that on Aliexpress, e.g. this one:
iMac 27 SSD SATA cable

2. If the SSD is in addition to the HDD, the correct location is under the optical drive. It will not fit under the GPU heatsing, and this would anyway not be a good location in terms of heat. MNaybe this is correct for 2010 model, but certainly not for 2011.

3. Your system will still suffer from the HDD in your system, as you have to wait for spin-up time at boot and wake-up from standby.
I recommend to replace this drive with SSD as well. You can even do a software RAID without special software.
You could buy a cheap SSD, e.g. this one:
SSD 1TB
While this is no-name, it should survive the useful time of this computer, i.e. the next 10 years
I have this myself, and it is very fast. See the reviews.

4. If you replace the HDD, you need to take care of the temp sensor. There are many ways to do it, both hardware and software. While the easiest appear to be software: if you have a solder iron, simply soldering the pins 12 and 11 together is what I find easiest.
View attachment 967737
There are many threads on this, too.

Thanks for the info here. I have a question that is an aside, how would keeping a HDD along with the SSD harm the system. Assuming I'm booting from SSD the HDD would just be acting as internal storage no?

 

[USB3foriMac]

Thanks for the info here. I have a question that is an aside, how would keeping a HDD along with the SSD harm the system. Assuming I'm booting from SSD the HDD would just be acting as internal storage no?

It's under point 3 above. Since the HDD may go to sleep now and then, you have repeated times of delay.

 

[B0URNE]

There is some misinformation in this thread, be careful.
View attachment 967731
View attachment 967739
1. The SATA data connector on the logic board can use a standard SATA data cable (should be 90 degrees angled), but the SATA power connector is slim SATA. So you can't use a standard SATA power cable.
Normally, you need the slim-SATA to SATA cable. You can buy that on Aliexpress, e.g. this one:
iMac 27 SSD SATA cable

2. If the SSD is in addition to the HDD, the correct location is under the optical drive. It will not fit under the GPU heatsing, and this would anyway not be a good location in terms of heat. MNaybe this is correct for 2010 model, but certainly not for 2011.

3. Your system will still suffer from the HDD in your system, as you have to wait for spin-up time at boot and wake-up from standby.
I recommend to replace this drive with SSD as well. You can even do a software RAID without special software.
You could buy a cheap SSD, e.g. this one:
SSD 1TB
While this is no-name, it should survive the useful time of this computer, i.e. the next 10 years
I have this myself, and it is very fast. See the reviews.

4. If you replace the HDD, you need to take care of the temp sensor. There are many ways to do it, both hardware and software. While the easiest appear to be software: if you have a solder iron, simply soldering the pins 12 and 11 together is what I find easiest.
View attachment 967737
There are many threads on this, too.

Hi. I've got a 2011 27" imac with an SSD-only configuration where I want to eliminate the ODD. The HDD PWR (F) has that jumper config with pin#2 and 7 (not entirely sure if that pin# order is correct)? So leaving that jumper intact if I want to modify the logic board J4511 do I simply solder a 0R0 SMC from HDD_OOB_TEMP_FB on pin#7 to ground on pin#6 if I want to use an SSD on SATA2?

 

[splifingate]

Hello folks, I picked up an SSD to install into a newly acquired 2011 27" iMac and wanted to know if there was anything special with the cable that you see in the OWC videos install an SSD under the optical drive.

From what I can tell for the 27" model doesn't seem to need a special cable like the 21.5" models need.

Can someone please direct me to a reliable source in Canada as to where I can get the proper SATA/power cable combo for the 2nd SSD that goes behind the optical drive?

Thanks!

I'm in the process of getting ready to upgrade my 2011 27" iMac, and I sourced the required SATA cables via the Bay.

Referring to the logic board photo in USB3foriMac's post #15, above:

The data cable for connector E is 922-9851 593-1321 (.ca Bay link here)

The power cable for connector F is 922-9852 593-1317 (.ca Bay link here)

The combined sata power/data cable for connector C (the one you want, I believe, for the SSD behind the ODD) is 922-9875 593-1330 (.ca Bay link here)

Have fun