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Upgrading my Mid 2010 Imac computer

C

cap2587

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 12, 2010
124
2
I am looking to upgrade my Mid 2010 Imac computer. I would like to add a SSD drive in addition to the current Mac hard drive. I would also like to add some RAM to the currently installed 4GB. Is it possible to add an updated WiFi/Bluetooth card in order to get Airplay Mirroring to work? In information would be greatly appreciated.

 
iFixIt has some good information to help you figure out what is possible, and of those tasks, which ones you feel comfortable doing yourself (and what tools you will need). The RAM upgrade is trivial, adding a second disk (SSD or HDD) is possible. Not sure about upgrading the wireless capability, though. The guide has information on how to get the old one out and replace it, but the issue here is no so much whether you can replace it but whether the machine can use the newer hardware required for airplay mirroring.
 
rcp27, Thanks for the good information! I believe the Airplay mirroring is related to the GPU and this can't be upgraded on this model. I think the SSD would be the best upgrade to make.
 
I'm in a somewhat similar boat, I have a 21" iMac 2010 with the 3.2GHz CPU, 4 GB RAM. I might replace my internal HD to a 512 GB Samsung 850 EVO, and the 4 x 1 GB to 2x4 + 2x1 = 10 GB… I'm sure this will be second life for the iMac, as the CPU is still very nice...

Either that OR waiting for Rev 2 RiMac with (hopefully) a decent GPU and less heat/noise…

I'm still undecided and shoveling this idea around my brain's corners… oh well…

If you upgrade this yourself, take caution to reattach the Temp sensor for the drive correctly, or your iMac will surprise you with eternal max fan speed noise…, or so I heard…. there are a number of imac upgrade experience threads here, it might be worth to quickly scan through them…

Good luck and tell us of your success or experience…
 
AlifTheUnseen - Thanks for the response! I also love the Samsung Evo and saw the 512 GB at Ebay (Newegg) this week for $149.

I will try and find a good video tutorial on adding an SSD drive to the current Mac drive. The RAM upgrade seems pretty straight forward. Still wondering if the Bluetooth/WiFi card below would work in this machine.
 
cap2587 said:
I am looking to upgrade my Mid 2010 Imac computer. I would like to add a SSD drive in addition to the current Mac hard drive. I would also like to add some RAM to the currently installed 4GB. Is it possible to add an updated WiFi/Bluetooth card in order to get Airplay Mirroring to work? In information would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...


Can't help you with the mirroring issue, but I have just added an SSD and more memory to my mid-2010 27" iMac. The results were dramatic! Boot times and general snappiness of the OS are vastly improved. I feel like I have added another 5 years of lifespan to this unit. I got all the stuff I needed from OWC, and would recommend their products / service.

However, adding the SSD is tricky to say the least. To add one while retaining the optical drive (one of the reasons I went for an upgrade rather than a new unit) you have to access the 3rd SATA port which is all-but inaccessible on the inside of the logic board unless you are happy to disconnect it completely - which is a lot of fiddly connections.

In full, my upgrade included adding a bigger HDD and a BD optical drive, so I was messing with a lot of things in there. When I closed it all up it turned out to be completely dead. A two-week stay at Microcenter finally unearthed the problem, which was a short on the logic board. It only cost me $80 for the diagnosis / fix, but it was a scary time thinking that I had just wasted a bunch of money on components only to kill my Mac putting them in. A new logic board would have been nearly $700!

In summary, I heartily recommend the upgrade, but I also strongly suggest you have a professional do it.
 
cap2587 said:
I am looking to upgrade my Mid 2010 Imac computer. I would like to add a SSD drive in addition to the current Mac hard drive. I would also like to add some RAM to the currently installed 4GB. Is it possible to add an updated WiFi/Bluetooth card in order to get Airplay Mirroring to work? In information would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

AlifTheUnseen said:
I'm in a somewhat similar boat, I have a 21" iMac 2010 with the 3.2GHz CPU, 4 GB RAM. I might replace my internal HD to a 512 GB Samsung 850 EVO, and the 4 x 1 GB to 2x4 + 2x1 = 10 GB… I'm sure this will be second life for the iMac, as the CPU is still very nice...

Either that OR waiting for Rev 2 RiMac with (hopefully) a decent GPU and less heat/noise…

I'm still undecided and shoveling this idea around my brain's corners… oh well…

If you upgrade this yourself, take caution to reattach the Temp sensor for the drive correctly, or your iMac will surprise you with eternal max fan speed noise…, or so I heard…. there are a number of imac upgrade experience threads here, it might be worth to quickly scan through them…

Good luck and tell us of your success or experience…
Click to expand...

I highly recommend this upgrade, and attempting to do it yourself. Work with OWC to get the right hardware, use iFixit guides to help you through it, and above all, take your time while the machine is opened up! It's really not hard if your patient and pay attention to what you're doing. The results will be well worth the time and money you spend.
 
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