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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Desktops > Intel iMac HD upgrade

Intel iMac HD upgrade
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scottajronan
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Jan 7, 2011, 10:11 AM
 
I am considering upgrading my white Intel iMac 2.33ghz hard drive to a 2TB drive and was wondering if anyone on here had tried that and if so where there any tips you could give me. I have had a look at Ifixit and its does'nt look to complex however for me to buy the HD from them would be too expensive as I am located in the UK and they only list a Hitachi drive and a Western Digital one but dont say exactly which particular model, can any of you guys advise on one ?
Thanks in advance for any help.
     
Waragainstsleep
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Jan 7, 2011, 12:36 PM
 
Most drives will work just fine. Personally I like WD at the moment. Grab a 7200rpm WD Black from scan.co.uk.

Something like this:
Scan.co.uk: Western Digital 2TB Caviar Black Hard Drive - HDD - WD2001FASS

Failing that, give them a call. They are unbelievably knowledgable when it comes to any kind of hard disk. They will steer you right.
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
Radioflyer
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Jan 7, 2011, 01:50 PM
 
oops
Cheers
RadioFlyer
     
scottgh
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Jan 7, 2011, 01:51 PM
 
If you're in the US, I buy most of my hardware for my Macs at Other World Computing, Performance Upgrades; FireWire USB SATA Storage; Memory, more at OWC. I believe the drive suggested above is here:

2.0TB Western Digital 'Caviar BLACK' 7200RP... (WD2001FASS) at OWC

The Other World people know Macs, they know their products and their prices are very competitive. Hope this helps.
     
scottajronan  (op)
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Jan 7, 2011, 03:17 PM
 
Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep View Post
Most drives will work just fine. Personally I like WD at the moment. Grab a 7200rpm WD Black from scan.co.uk.

Something like this:
Scan.co.uk: Western Digital 2TB Caviar Black Hard Drive - HDD - WD2001FASS

Failing that, give them a call. They are unbelievably knowledgable when it comes to any kind of hard disk. They will steer you right.
Thanks they have that drive on Amazon for £79 I may go for it. Have any of you actually upgraded the disk in an intel iMac
     
davidflas
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Jan 8, 2011, 02:02 PM
 
I upgraded my white 2Ghz 17" iMac, and it was a fair amount of work, but I was successful. It was the first time I had taken apart an all-in-one machine, but it wasn't as daunting as I thought beforehand. Here's a link that helped me.. iMac Intel - iFixit
2.7Ghz 15" Mid 2012 MBP 16GB RAM 7.2k 750GB HD anti-glare display|64GB iPad4 ATT LTE|
     
Waragainstsleep
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Jan 10, 2011, 06:19 AM
 
I've upgraded lots of them.
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
scottajronan  (op)
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Jan 10, 2011, 07:54 PM
 
Going to order the drive later this week and give it a try. Can anyone reccomend the tools I will need? I guess a set or Torx screwdrivers but is there anything else?
     
Rev2Liv
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Jan 11, 2011, 03:39 PM
 
Why don't you folks upgrade to a 2TB Seagate Barracuda XT 7200rpm?
Internal Hard Drive | Barracuda XT Desktop Hard Drive | Seagate | Seagate
IF you're going to do all that work, might as well fit in the best.
     
scottajronan  (op)
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Jan 11, 2011, 04:58 PM
 
What does that offer over the Western Digital ?
     
scottajronan  (op)
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Jan 12, 2011, 11:50 AM
 
Okay I have another couple of questions. Does the speed matter a great deal will having a 5900 rpm disk make a great deal of difference over a 7200 rpm disk ? and should I avoid low power and green disks ?
     
amazing
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Jan 12, 2011, 01:57 PM
 
The ifixit.com guide will tell you what tools you need.

Tip: print out 2 copies of the guide, tape the screws directly to one copy, exactly as they come out of the iMac. Best worry-free solution to keeping track of all the screws, makes it a piece of cake.
     
Rev2Liv
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Jan 12, 2011, 05:01 PM
 
Originally Posted by amazing View Post
The ifixit.com guide will tell you what tools you need.

Tip: print out 2 copies of the guide, tape the screws directly to one copy, exactly as they come out of the iMac. Best worry-free solution to keeping track of all the screws, makes it a piece of cake.
I take high rez images of all the internals, print them out, and then put the screws against the pictures. It can be a bit tedious with multiple layer machines, but it's a thorough method tried and trued
     
Waragainstsleep
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Jan 13, 2011, 05:29 AM
 
Its not really necessary on these iMacs. Its just 3 or 4 screws and the memory door on the bottom edge, then two for the display cable and 8 holding the panel in place. HDD is clipped in place in a frame. Transfer the frame and reverse the process. Don't forget the temp sensor glued to the original drive. You'll need to transfer that too.
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
scottajronan  (op)
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Jan 15, 2011, 03:57 AM
 
Thanks Guys, I'm doing the memory on it first and then the HD next month when I get my bonus.
     
   
 
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