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New 27-Inch iMac Disassembled, Aftermarket SSD Install Deemed Difficult

I've actually found that I get a number of new parts like this (cables, brackets, etc) for cheaper from a local Apple specialist than I do from iFixit. (They charge way too much for some of their used parts.)

I bet I could get both parts for under $30 (still high for a cable and a bracket but... no biggie).

I've disassembled both the 21.5" and 24" aluminum iMacs and despite all the complaining, I've never found them to be too tough to work on. The optical drives are the hardest thing to get to in my experience.
 
Funny how you can easily change drives on Apple's small 13" laptops, but not a 21.5" or 27" iMac.

I guess iMacs are for executive desk tops. Not for the mere mortals that have the back of their monitor against a wall.

If you don't routinely sit people on the other side of your desk then an iMac isn't for you.
 
macmyworld said:
Also remember that Apple makes a nice little profit selling 256GB SSDs for $600. Highway robbery yes, but it is obviously working for them.
Click to expand...
My beef isn't primarily with price, it's with the SSD. I'd much rather have a sandforce-based SSD that has native TRIM/GC and much higher overall performance (which would be about the same price in pricing terms $750-$150 for 1TB drive).
Which is possible with the iMac, but I can't add a 2nd data drive for my movie files? ... that kinda sucks.
 
Has any of the .. complainers .. tried to consider that this device may not be targeted at them. Its already interesting enough how apple managed to put two drives into that thing at all. Most customers I know that buy this thing don't even know what a harddisk drive is.

If you want to mod etc etc .. get something else.
 
alphaod said:
This is why you buy a Mac Pro. The iMac is the mainstream machine for people who do not want to deal with messing with the innards of their computer. The Mac Pro is the power users and as such gives users the flexibility of installing and upgrading its internal components with relative ease.
Click to expand...
Apple is pushing a certain bracket of users away from the Mac Pro and toward the iMac. They are understandably frustrated that Apple is doing this before the iMac can accommodate them on a satisfactory level.

What about users that need processor power and RAM but dont need to be able to swap out 4 different hard drives or make extensive use out of PCI slots? 2 internal drives could work out just fine, but they have no choice in how large the internal SSD, and cannot access it.

"Just get a mac pro"? The low end Mac Pro is a rip off for someone who doesnt need 4 HDD bays and PCI slots. 16 months gave the quad core Mac Pro a 5% processor speed increase. The iMac is reflecting current specs and prices. The low end Mac Pro is not. Why should people be satisfied with that?
 
The more and more I read stuff on this forum the more and more I generally get disgusted with people. What do you think... It'd be a super easy upgrade. People no matter what find a way to bitch about something. "omg
Yes we can have a ssd". Oh wait "it's a pain to upgrade aftermarket". Seriously people get over the most meaning-les gripes. Get a macpro if you want "super easy upgradeability"
 
600 bucks for SSD from Apple or maybe one for a bit less with dust all over the place and minimum 1 hour to install it?

For the record some of you are nuts and masochists. Have a painful day.
 
How many people mod their PCs to begin with? I bet 90% never open the case up to do anything. So Apple knows which side of their bread is being buttered.
 
Retrofit SSD..

Hello all,

I sent the following to Mike at XLR8 yesterday..

Mike,

I have had a look over the Service Manual for the new iMac. Retrofitting an SSD....

1. AC/DC/SATA Power Harness (922-9155) needs to be replaced with AC/DC/SATA/SSD Power Harness (922-9531).

Comparing the two harness pictures shows that the power connector for the SSD is simply a flying lead that is daisy-chained from the Hard Drive power connector. The adventurous could easily modify the existing cable :)

2. SSD Data Cable must be installed (922-9538).

No clear picture of this cable. Plugs into the rear of the logicboard. Standard SATA connector. (The adventurous could route this out of the iMac to an external SATA array)

3. Optical/MXM Pressure Wall (922-9241?) must be replaced with Optical/MXM/SSD Pressure Wall (922-9485?)

The service manual only lists one version of this 'Pressure Wall'. However, the illustration seems to show two different versions (one without the plate that the SSD mounts to).

I am not 100% sure if a different bracket is required for SSD installation. The manual seems to contradict itself. Unsure of the Apple P/N's for this component.

There is also a note that the SSD-only option must have the following installed.

1. HDD Temp Sensor Jumper 922-9628.

This is simply a small jumper that shorts out the temp sensor connector on the logicboard, when an HD is not present, to prevent the fans running at full speed.


It would have been nice if there was a simple slot on the bottom edge of the iMac, behind a removable plate like the RAM slots, that an SSD could be slid into on a simply caddy like the first gen MacBooks.
 
Why no matte screen? From this disassembly, can you figure why it is so hard for Apple just to provide a matte, anti-glare option? They've done it before on previous generations of iMacs. Why is someone at Apple so pig-headed about this? See the growing 1,000+ petition at http://macmatte.wordpress.com where numerous people -- such as graphic artists, photographers, people who use their iMacs in sunlit areas, and people prone to eyestrain -- are asking Apple for a matte option. This reeks of Steve Jobs's obstinacy of sticking to his guns when he thinks he is right.

Notice in the antenna-gate issue where Jobs's first response is to say everything is fine, and only recants when pressure is brought to bear. This is Apple's corporate and design attitude - they're right, unless pressure is brought to bear.

People who want matte screens - and it's not everyone, but a substantial minority - should add to the growing petition at http://macmatte.wordpress.com
 
Well even removing the display seems to be a hassle, so upgrading anything but the RAM in the iMac sounds like a big thing that you might not wanna do yourself!
 
Outch,

can any1 tell me what speed upgrade im looking at having that SSD installed?
Would you use it for your OS + Appllications you use the most?

Well in the end i would just like to know if its making my iMac alot better, because its alot of money...

Thx in advance
 
Ravich said:
Apple is pushing a certain bracket of users away from the Mac Pro and toward the iMac. They are understandably frustrated that Apple is doing this before the iMac can accommodate them on a satisfactory level.

What about users that need processor power and RAM but dont need to be able to swap out 4 different hard drives or make extensive use out of PCI slots? 2 internal drives could work out just fine, but they have no choice in how large the internal SSD, and cannot access it.

"Just get a mac pro"? The low end Mac Pro is a rip off for someone who doesnt need 4 HDD bays and PCI slots. 16 months gave the quad core Mac Pro a 5% processor speed increase. The iMac is reflecting current specs and prices. The low end Mac Pro is not. Why should people be satisfied with that?
Click to expand...

You just described where I am... Hackintosh.

Even if they had it so there were 5, maybe 6 bays for just 2.5" disks, 1TB 2.5 disks are out now, but even 4x500s in RAID-5 and 2x128GB SSDs in RAID-0 would mean the iMac could be really awesome.

To be honest, the way Apple uses Server/Workstation hardware for the Mac Pro, I'm surprised they haven't made the Mac Pro use 2.5" SAS drives with space for 8 or so disks.
 
slicecom said:
They do it in the MacPros, it would be nice if they did it in the iMacs too. For the record I installed an SSD in my iMac and taking it apart is really not a big deal; its quite straight forward.
Click to expand...

As a Mechanical Engineer I never cease to be amazed when people compare completely different form factors and think they are being astute as if that comparison supports their argument that Apple is screwing them.

The form factor in the iMac is an All-In-One design. The Mac Pro is the antithesis of AIO.

The best comparison for the iMac is the MacBook/MacBook AIR/MacBook Pro.
 
When I decided 20 years ago to go Apple for my primary computer, I wasn't just buying a single computer. I was betting that Apple would provide a better long term investment, factoring in cost, ease of use, pricing of future machines, etc.

If you benchmark against the overall PC market, there is a gap in Apple's lineup, between the iMac (an all-in-one) and the Mac Pro (built with server parts).

That gap is causing a "relative value problem".

I recently built an i7/Indilinx SSD/Win 7 box ($1600). It is so fast and responsive that it is like a different kind of computer experience. I put an Intel SSD into a 3yo Lenovo laptop and it is a different machine. A good SSD makes a huge difference, especially for someone like me who spends a good portion of my life in front of a screen.

So now I need a new Mac, at least as fast as the Win box. I have two options:
- iMac + 3rd party SSD + install hassle + support hassle ($2800)
- Mac Pro + 3rd party SSD + monitor ($4000)

Or I can just cross-grade my software to Win 7 for under $1000. Windows sucks, but right now I'm re-evaluating the Mac value proposition. Not sure what I will do.
 
Gzimbo, Especially when your i7 can probably quite easily run OSX, it gets to feel a bit of a wind up that Apple hasn't just built a model that would fit into what they must think is a very 'niche' market.
 
Clearly they left the connectors and mounting brackets out of the non SSD iMacs, as even if they were in there, a really small proportion of iMac owners would actually want to go through the effort of installing one, and so with this in mind Apple are making savings. Its a shame, because for power users, this would have been a great feature.

I'd like to see the next iMac to have this 2nd hard drive, or even both, user accessible.
 
steviem said:
Gzimbo, Especially when your i7 can probably quite easily run OSX, it gets to feel a bit of a wind up that Apple hasn't just built a model that would fit into what they must think is a very 'niche' market.
Click to expand...

You got it. I'm an old UNIX programmer, so I'd consider putting a hackintosh together, except that I have a family now and time is more precious than money.

I bet Apple's issue is a combination of:
- margin targets
- maintaining an optimal number of models for marketing and segmentation purposes

I bet they "understand" how they are making margin dollars off the iMac and the Mac Pro, but they don't exactly see the long-term margins in a Mac that looks a bit more like a traditional PC desktop.

My problem is that I'm the customer who needs what's in that missing segment.
 
It's so typical! An eMac is probably easier to upgrade when it comes to adding an SSD (although it might give you a fatal electric shock if you touch it inappropriately).

This approach to purposely limit consumers' choices in terms of upgradeability is just annoying... I wish they listened once...
 
Studying the photo, it would seem that Apple didn't learn from NeXT that fans and optical drives make a lousy couple.
 
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