iMac 11,2 hard drive compatibility

[yadmonkey]

Can anyone tell me if the 21.5" iMac 11,2 has any special hard drive requirements? Special firmware or cable, etc? I feel like I remember some iMac models needing something non-standard.

Normally I'd do my due diligence but I'm in the middle of a move (posting from phone) and could really benefit from the MR community's knowledge on this one. Thanks!

 

[p3ntyne]

No, they use a 2.5 inch SATA drive. However, I believe there is a thermal sensor cable that if not plugged in to the new drive, will cause the hdd fans to ramp up.

 

[DeltaMac]

No, the iMac11,2 is a 2010 model, and the 21.5-inch still has the 3.5-inch hard drive.
And - relatively easy to replace/update, compared to the newer, thin models.

The hard drive temp sensor does need to be correct (replacing HDD with same brand is likely OK, but you would need to use software to control the fans if you replace with an SSD, for example.)

 

[yadmonkey]

Thank you both for your replies. My concern is this thermal sensor - how does that attach to the hard drive? It looks like maybe it was the 2011 model that required the special firmware on the hard drive, is that right?

 

[Bruno09]

This might help : https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+EMC+2389+Hard+Drive+Replacement/6284