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iFixit Offers Kit To Install 2nd Hard Drive in Mid-2011 iMacs

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Last year, iFixit released a kit to install a second hard drive inside the 2011 Mac Mini. The install was fairly straightforward, but some Macs are a lot trickier to upgrade.

imacdriveinstall.jpg



The company has now released a hard drive install kit for the mid-2011 21.5" and 27" iMacs.
We've combined all the components you need and set the price at $69.95. And you'll be able to use the clearest, bestest instructions on the planet to perform this install -- for free. Check out the 21.5" iMac and 27" iMac dual hard drive installation manuals to get a feel for the install process; the instructions are as clear as can be, but the procedure is still pretty involved since you have remove the LCD to get inside.
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The kit includes the required SATA cables as well as the appropriate mounting hardware to install the second drive. As the LCD needs to be removed to access the interior of the iMac, the install isn't for the faint of heart, though iFixit does include suction cups to pull the glass off.

The kit is available for $69.95 from iFixit in 21.5" and 27" varieties.

Article Link: iFixit Offers Kit To Install 2nd Hard Drive in Mid-2011 iMacs
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/03/06/ifixit-offers-kit-to-install-2nd-hard-drive-in-mid-2011-imacs/
If the new 27" iMac come with SSD then I'll just get that but if it's still a REALLY expensive BTO I might get a kit and do it myself!
 
Rudy69 said:
If the new 27" iMac come with SSD then I'll just get that but if it's still a REALLY expensive BTO I might get a kit and do it myself!
Click to expand...

The 2010 and 2011 iMacs had SSD+HDD options (I have a mid-2011 with a 256GB SSD + 2TB HDD). The issue is if you ordered either without both drives, it did not include the mounting bracket and cabling for the second disk.
 
mrfoof82 said:
The 2010 and 2011 iMacs had SSD+HDD options (I have a mid-2011 with a 256GB SSD + 2TB HDD). The issue is if you ordered either without both drives, it did not include the mounting bracket and cabling for the second disk.
Click to expand...

I know and if you actually read my post that's what I'm saying
 
Imagine bringing your 27" iMac into the Apple Genius Bar for repair with a second hard drive custom installed! :eek:
 
Battlefield Fan said:
What happened to using 3rd party drives and them causing the fans to spin up to 100%?
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Actually the second drive won't cause that issue, as the fans are related to the Main Hard drive Temp Sensor. The secondary drive doesn't have any temp sensor.
 
SSD Drive?

I have the 2Tb hard drive but want a SSD drive installed. Are the instructions for installation of the SSD drive? Besides a new SSD drive, what else will I need with that kit? :D
 
Just duct tape it on the back, and put the iMac against a wall. Nobody will know.
 
ferrous said:
I have the 2Tb hard drive but want a SSD drive installed. Are the instructions for installation of the SSD drive? Besides a new SSD drive, what else will I need with that kit? :D
Click to expand...

The kit has everything you need to install the hard drive, minus the hard drive it self. The kit will work for SSDs, and Platter Based Drives.
 
anyone know what that special cable they use for the sata power is called or where to get one?
 
Mikey44 said:
Actually the second drive won't cause that issue, as the fans are related to the Main Hard drive Temp Sensor. The secondary drive doesn't have any temp sensor.
Click to expand...

So in other words, instead of making the fans run, it'll just sit and burn quietly. Isn't that actually worse?
 
yongren said:
So in other words, instead of making the fans run, it'll just sit and burn quietly. Isn't that actually worse?
Click to expand...

No, it still uses the temperature setting from the main drive. The issue was never with adding a second hard drive. It was with changing the first one.

On a side note, the 'fan issue' was solved. When Apple sells systems with a sad only, its solution is a plug that shorts the pins (where the main hard drive would have went0 to allow proper fan speeds in the absence of the SMART data from a 3.5" drive.
 
I always thought it's weird that the iMac, being a desktop computer, is much more difficult to upgrade than the MacBook Pros… I mean taking the screen off, with the possibility of getting dust underneath, is quite a big thing, you shouldn't have to do that to change the HD. And taking it to Apple each time is stupid, since it's a heavy machine and it costs more that way too.

I'm waiting for the time when SSDs will be cheap enough, and they'll be the size of a CF card and you'll just pop it into a slot next to the RAM. Will that ever happen?
 
Sounds like a decent and easy upgrade now. Pulling the screen off is actually super easy (some long nails can pry it off), and allows for expand ability in this usually fairly static machine (storage wise).

:)
 
yongren said:
So in other words, instead of making the fans run, it'll just sit and burn quietly. Isn't that actually worse?
Click to expand...
Actually, the hard drive will sit right above the optical drive fan, and so will receive a fair amount of cooling. The spot is intended for a second hard drive and the only fan there IS the optical drive fan, which suggests that it would be fulfilling the purpose it was designed for.
 
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