Replacing HD for SSD

It is already a 2.5 inch form factor, so swapping in a 2.5 inch SSD is reasonably easy, once you get all the adhesive separated with the plastic pizza cutter wheel, and carefully remove the lcd/screen combo. If you break this assembly, replacements are currently only available from China directly, and are expensive. I would really consider a thunderbolt external drive instead.

Hey Alex!

Kinda late but if it helps..

I performed the HDD - SSD change recently in the i5 2.9 Ghz model and I didn’t need the thermal sensor. I placed a Samsung EVO 860 500GB and also upgraded the RAM to 16gb, it’s a new machine. I’ll try the PCIe Nvme SSD storage option soon, we’ll see how it goes/ if it’s worth it.

I know you mentioned that you’ve opened up macs before but still, be careful. Other than that it’s not that difficult, just follow the macsales youtube tutorial and you’ll be fine.

Good luck!

Most of the iMacs I have upgraded did not need a special cable or sensor. The few that did were just as easy to install the fan control program and that fixes even those ones.

I bought a Sandisk 240GB SSD Plus and I hope it works. Others on Mac Forums scream thermal sensor yet every you tube video I watched for the 2013 models nobody put a thermal sensor in.

I'll be doing mine next week and could REALLY use some reassurance that the fans wont scream after I put it back together.

There was one video where this guy debunks the myth of needing one for a 2011 27" model but he just snipped two wires going to the SSD but said the OWC sensor basically bypasses those two wires because it only has 5 wires on the harness they send you instead of 7 so you can pay $50.00 for the sensor that senses NOTHING. lol

This is why I believe the YouTube video.

https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/DIDI... everywhere I search it says for 27" iMac 2012-Later. I know older models had them too but.