Installing HD in iMac with only SSD?

[orangezorki]

Hi everyone,

I've just had an idea. I'm completely convinced of the value of Apple computers, the hardware, design, and particularly OS X provide an unbeatable package. But where they do take the proverbial is on the extras, such as RAM and HD space. RAM isn't a problem at all, but if I do go ahead and get a maxed out 27" iMac in the next few months, I'd like the benefits of an SSD. Whilst I know that faster SSDs are available, getting to the SSD slot looks like something I'm not prepared to do with something so valuable.

So, my idea is to get an iMac with just a 256Gb SSD, and then install a large capacity HD (probably 3TB) in the machine myself. But is this easy or even possible to do? Are all the sensors and connectors there? Do all HDs work, or would I need one that Apple use themselves?

Thanks in advance,

David

 

[The-Pro]

People who have replaced the HDD in the 2011 iMac have had the problem that there fans spun up because the HDD's from apple have a special temp sensor or something whilst the HDD's they bought from somewhere else didn't. Don't know if that applies when you are adding a HDD when you didn't have one, logically it would
Wait for more info from others about this

 

[Dresevski]

To add your aftermarket HDD you're going to go through the same steps as adding a new SSD (i.e., take out the motherboard to connect the hard drive cables). The SSD is installed where the stock HDD is usually placed since Apple does not intend for you to do this. You will have the same problems as installing your own SSD except you will have spent more money for a slower drive. Get the 2TB option and install your own SSD, that way you avoid fan issues and you have the fastest setup. Getting the stock 1TB and then putting in the 3TB is only risky in that the drive may not report temperature as necessary, you'd need to do more research on that (I think WD drives work though)

 

[Bonte]

I would like to use a external TB SSD as a Photoshop scratch disk but that is a rather limited use, are there other benefits for an extra fast disk like this?

 

[Dresevski]

I would like to use a external TB SSD as a Photoshop scratch disk but that is a rather limited use, are there other benefits for an extra fast disk like this?

Booting in about 7 seconds or something, which is nice when switching between OSX and W7. Opening programs takes less than a second for the most part (my iTunes is open before the icon reaches the top of its bounce). Just makes the computer operate faster where the normal HDD would slow it down. Completely necessary? No, but really nice!