Introduction
Use this guide to replace or upgrade Apple's proprietary blade SSD (NVMe/PCIe x4) in a 21.5" Retina 4K Late 2015 iMac equipped with an SSD (Fusion Drive or blade SSD configurations).
The SSD is located on the back side of the logic board, requiring logic board removal for access.
All iMacs also come with a traditional hard drive, which you can replace by following this guide instead.
What you need
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Tool used on this step:iMac Intel 21.5" Cardboard Service Wedge$4.99
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Before beginning any work on your iMac: Unplug the computer and press and hold the power button for ten seconds to discharge the power supply's capacitors.
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Starting on the left of the display, near the power button, insert the iMac Opening Tool into the gap between the glass panel and the rear enclosure.
Don’t get too worried about starting exactly where the picture says. The glue is stronger in some parts so just start wherever is easier and then work slowly and patiently around in the direction shown.
As this guide doesn’t cover replacing the adhesive strips, I found referring to the following was useful (noting that it’s not for the same model of iMac, so the modification they mention wasn’t necessary): iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2544 Adhesive Strips Replacement
This part of the exercise should be done with extreme patience. I took my sweet time with the opening tool, rolling it through the entire panel and enclosure gap over and over again, until I was very sure no parts were sticking together anymore. And when I thought I was I done, I decided to do it over again.
You can "warm up" the adhesive before try to cut it with the tool using a hair dryer. Heat the edges for about a minute, keep moving it so you don't cause stress in the glass. Also the above note.. use the tool and then the cards. Do not use a guitar pick or other objects as the thickness will cause you to break the front glass, which is a bonded part of the display (expensive).
Merci pour ce conseil
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Use the tool like a pizza cutter—roll it along through the gap, and it will cut the foam adhesive through the center.
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Run the tool up along the left side of the display.
If re-opening a screen that was opened and re-attached using iFixit’s adhesive strips, I would strongly recommend heating it first with an iOpener, heat gun or hair dryer. 20 minutes after attaching with the iFixit adhesive I tried to open it again with the pizza slicer to fix something and cracked the screen on the left-hand side.
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Continue along the top of the display.
In this step can I cut along the display without make any damage to the front camera?
Hi! Actually - there is no need to cut the tape around the camera area - there is no tape to cut at all! And so, the way go is easy - just pass 10 mm to the left and to the right from camera and start cutting!
P.S. Just did the whole procedure to replace a RAM and to add SSD on PSIe an hour ago! Seems to be different reading the instructions... you know - 2/10 and so on. But it's really not that hard, trust me. I'll give it 5/10.
P.P.S. By the way there is one trick to pass the difficult steps. Any action which requires pulling smth (motherboard, speaker, power supply unit) from the narrow crack (or should i say - slit?) at the bottom of your Imac is really not so easy.
And the trick is to first remove a thin metal stripe with some kind of insulation on it which held by 5 small (very small!!) screws at the bottom of your Imac. After you done it - it's easy to pull everything! Pay attention to the fact that one of this 5 screws at the center are more shortly than others.
If you're changing cracked EMC 2638 display to new assembly, there's two more steps:
Step 24: Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the metal retaining bracket on the display data cable.
Carefully pull the display data cable from its socket on the display assembly.
Step 25: Use the tip of a spudger to unplug bracket of the thermal sensor small cable near display data cable.
Carefully remove scotch tape covering thermal sensor. Using iSesamo or flat tip of the spudger carefully peel the thermal sensor away.
omg - forgot to switch the termal sensor from the old display...
now fan runs like crazy...
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Finish pushing the opening tool to the bottom of the right side of the display.
Yes, do it many times to loosen the adhesive.
Would be good data to show the 3 areas (wifi antennas where the "tape" is larger and covers them. The rest of the "tape" is 1.4" and easy. Also after removing the display, be sure to remove the old "tape" from both the display and the rubber parts of the case. Use the spudger to start an end and it should pull off easily. Careful on the baackside of the display as you can scratch off the black paint/covering.
Wrong iMac model
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Tool used on this step:Plastic Cards$2.99
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Starting from the top right corner of the iMac, wedge a plastic card between the display and frame.
this step is extremely important NOT to stick in the cards too far….. doing so, you risk a 600 euro replacement as I experienced………
I drew a 3/8” line on my cards with a marker first.
I’m reading this on the EU store, please change all measurements to cm/mm.
@ifixit The next batch of cards you create should have a line printed on the card 3/8” in from the edges. Would make a nice reference.
Better to remove stand wedge at this point? Can’t see from pics
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Gently twist the plastic card sideways to create a gap between the display and frame.
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Move slowly and be careful not to stress the display glass too much—you only need to make a gap of about 1/4".
This part must be done very carefully or you can damage the flat cable from display, despite it was under a iron cover.
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Slide the card toward the center of the display to cut any of the remaining adhesive along the top right corner of the iMac.
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Hold the display with one hand while using your other hand to unplug the display power cable.
Can this cable be replaced? I am worried mine is damaged. I have no display after the screen fell and stressed the display flex cables following an SSD upgrade.
This step should be done with extreme caution and care, as this step 19 is not described in great detail (sorry, author).
The first (most outward) cable will slide out by gently pulling it by its tabs. The second (inner) cable is more tricky, as the locking lever must be moved backward first, before gently pulling backward on the cable connector. The angled tweezers are useful here, to help lift that locking lever, because fingers are too big for this.
I found the best way to unplug this display power cable was to use my right hand, and the fingernails of my index finger and thumb to grab the ends of the tabs on either side of the connector, squeeze, and pull the connector out gently.
i think the cable nearest the case edge is held in by friction and can be gently pulled, maybe with fingernails or a spudger. The next cable is held by a wire lever clip as described above it unlocks so the cable can be removed. These cables are also fiddly to re-insert, I didn't get one of them home and had no display after power-up, so at the end, don't re-seal the screen until tested.
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Continuing to support the display with one hand, flip up the metal retaining bracket on the display data cable.
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Carefully pull the display data cable from its socket on the logic board.
Cannot seem to find a replacement cable for this, as I suspect mine is damaged. Can’t even find a part number. Anyone know what it might be?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TTL...
That's the part I ordered for mine and it seems to work ok. I did make a point of contacting the seller and advising them of my requirement and they ensured I got the right part and it matches the description of the link. Bear in mind I bear no responsibility if yours does not work since I am just sharing what I did and what I ordered. Thanks.
I also need that cable.
It's a little difficult to tell... but looking at the connection to the logic board on the video data cable, are the pins faced up or down?
On the display, same question since it appears you have to "twist" the cable during the reconnection step.
For this particular cable, take a good look before pulling on anything. Plug is locked on its socket with a bracket. You can lift this bracket by holding the small, flat black plastic handle that is attached to it. If you're struggling to grab it, use the end of the pizza roller handle to lift it, or the tweezers. Cable then comes off by pulling parallel to the main board.
How can I tell if either of this cable is bad? My iMac display won't turn on after reconnecting it. I'm using an external display and everything is working except for the iMac display. If I go to settings - display the built-in display is recognize. But again nothing shows up in the screen - not even the apple logo when turning it on.
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Lift the display up to a near-vertical position.
The adhesive strip along the bottom is designed with a pull tab on each outer end. Rather than lever and pull the screen simply carefully pull the tab which removes that half of the lower adhesive strip and frees up the screen.
Yes, use the tabs as Andrew indicates. Super easy.
Here is an image of the pull tabs that Andrew mentioned above. Thanks guys https://i.imgur.com/GoISPkq.jpeg
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Lift the display up from the frame and remove it from the iMac.
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It may be necessary to slowly lift from one side to peel against the remaining adhesive.
The adhesive strip along the bottom is designed with a pull tab on each outer end. Rather than lever and pull the screen simply carefully pull the tab which removes that half of the lower adhesive strip and frees up the screen.
Andrew, FTW! This worked perfectly
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Remove the following five Phillips screws holding the lower support bracket in place:
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Four 3.2 mm screws
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One 1.7 mm screw
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Remove the lower support bracket from the iMac enclosure.
Of all the parts of this entire procedure, replacing this one piece is the hardest part! The screws are tiny and they just don’t seem to want to grab the support piece. Also it seems to perform no function which is also annoying.
I left mine out. LOL
Line up the screw holes and press on the bracket from the back to help the screws grab. If your fingers are too big, press with the flat side of your spudger. As long as there’s no gap between the bracket and the iMac’s frame, the screws should grab easily.
I put it in at a slight angle lining up the right hand side holes, screwed in the two screws and gently pressed my finger behind it on the rest
If you only want to replace the HD and RAM, take a big shortcut and leave the logic board in, as well as all the parts needed to remove it (speaker, power supply etc). Once the display is removed, just take out the fan and the top two logic board screw. There is than sufficient space to gently remove and insert the two ram modules. HD can easily be replaced with an SSD by just removing the HD mounting brackets...
Voces mudaram de modelo iMac, desta foto para proxima, esse modelo desta foto nao tem slot nvme. O da proxima foto sim. Voces me fizeram comprar un nvme por engano...
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Gently pull the right speaker cable connector straight down and out of its socket on the logic board.
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Remove the following T10 Torx screws securing the hard drive brackets to the iMac:
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Two 21 mm screws
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One 9 mm screw
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One 27 mm screw
At step 26, when reassembling, it's super easy to over-tighten the 9mm screw and strip the brass ferrule out of its hole in the plastic bracket (%#*@).
Mine has 4 different length screws, the two red colored 21mm screws in this guide are actually two differ lengths
buongiorno, l'imac del 2019, non monta alcuna ssd, ma monta una m2 direttamente sulla scheda madre!
pertanto nella guida andrebbe aggiunto il cavo sata con sensore temperatura da aggiungere sulla scheda madre, per poter collegare un nuovo hd ssd altrimenti rimarrete come me bloccati con un imac aperto e non assemblato, in attesa di ricevere il cavo acquistato su internet da amazon o terze parti.
vi consiglio inoltre di aggiungere una foto reale del ò'imac 2019 nella guida in cui manca l'ssd, renderà subito la problematica che avranno in molti!
Hi, mine doesn’t HAVE an HD/SSD to remove, the bay is empty (yes it was fully working yesterday. So what do we do ? I see someone else with the sane issue above….
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Use the tip of a spudger to push each side of the power button cable connector and gently walk it out of its socket.
I would advise that before removing the PSU unit and all other components from the bottom of the case that you remove the 5 screws at the bottom of the display which hold an insulation strip in place.
The guide shows this piece removed, but does not tell you how to remove it.
There will be 5, small J1000 screws. The middle one, which goes over Apple Logo is the shorter one of the 5, all others are the same length. Once this piece is gone removing the components is much easier, and chance of damage lessened.
Added to the guide. Thanks for the tip!
No need to remove power board and logic board and all other components, just remove the fan and it is quite "easily" accessable to change the RAM. Just need to use the tools to remove the old RAM and carefully install the new RAM.
I just did it without removing the logic or power board
could you elaborate a little more, I would love to skip the rest of these steps. How did you accomplish this?
ej P -
Oleksandr Trokhymchuk,
Thank you! You just saved me so much time! I wouldn’t call this “easy” but it saved me a lot of time and effort.
ej P: remove the fan assembly first. Then remove the connector that runs from the iSight camera to the logic board on the left.
the RAM is located right near that cable. It’s tricky to remove but you can pop open the connectors with a black nylon stick and the RAM chip will pop up at 45 degrees. Make a mental note on which way you will need to install the new ram as it’s tough to see. For the Crucial memory I got it was label side facing away you (facing towards rear metal enclosure).
the second chip has a plastic adhesive piece on it that you should probably attach to the new ram.
remove both chips then install the new ram in sequence from the board out.
In the photo for Step 28, the power button cable connector is placed around the power board screw hole on the top left of the power board.
However, on the iMac I upgraded, the power button cable connector was “fed” through the power power screw hole on the top left of the power board. The cable was too short to run around and below the hole.
Hence, I had to ensure the cable was “fed” through the hole during re-assembly and the screw carefully screwed back through the hole.
I guess every iMac is assembly just a bit differently, just to make repairs that much more fun.
This is not correct and may have been assembled incorrectly during a previous repair.
Just replaced the hard drive and RAM with SSD and 16GB respectively and did NOT remove the power supply or logic board. Tricky is a word to describe putting the RAM in without removing the logic board. You work in the dark with little room to get your fingers in between the logic board and the back of the case. I put the first RAM chip in without a problem (the one next to the logic board), but the second to four tries and dropped it behind the logic board three times before finally getting it to position correctly. Just impossible to see and must work but feel. Still it was faster than removing all the components… though did remove the fan (needed cleaning anyway). All in all I can’t say enough about the help the guide was through the upgrade ! Thanks !
I found this connector to be very tight and was afraid of breaking it off. I just kept slowly working on it—it did eventually come out.
I did try to sneak the RAM in without removing the logic board but my fingers were too big. I found it too difficult and just continued on with this guide.
I was not able to install the memory without removing all the components. My fingers are too big and I could barely get in that tight spot to swap out the memory. The hardest part about the power supply is that one connector under the chin next to the Apple logo. Once it is out, you are home free because it is so easy to plug it back in when you are putting it all back together again. Ridiculous that Apple did not put a simple access door behind those memory slots because they are on the backside of the Mac! They did an access door on the PowerBooks and it did not ruin the appearance. They could have designed a cool looking pop out door that only had a thin seam around it so it would still look good. Then you could remove the access door to upgrade the memory easily.
Does anyone know if this is the same situation as in the 2017 model? I just changed RAM in the 2017 version and also skipped taking out the logic board. I just bent a pair of tweezers and put some tape around the tips to make them less scratchy and used them to place the RAM modules into the slots. Worked supereasy and much much quicker than performing the complete tear down of the whole machine.
This step is impossible!
@wizdomonwheels, I don’t see how I can get the RAM shield off of the logic board to access the RAM without removing the logic board. What am I missing?? I’m guessing that those of you that are suggesting this technique are working on older iMac models that don’t have the RAM shield.
Yes, you are correct. It is likely the various steps are a bit different on each model. If I recall I was likely working on a 2015 or older system. If there’s a shield in the way, I can’t think of a way you could get around it without pulling the logic board.
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Remove the two 7.2 mm T10 Torx screws securing the power supply to the rear enclosure.
In my case, the left side corner of the PS was caught against the Lower Support Bracket, and I had to remove the LSB in order to get the PS freed and out.
I think the author Walter Galan should put this in the main section of his instructions. I have TWO identical iMac 14,1 / i5 2.7GHz / 21 Inch Late 2013 / Order ME086LL/A. They both required removing the LSB. Thank you very much Walter Galan & others for your contributions.
Those screws were definitely not T10 but T9 on my unit
mine too.../
Those screws were T8 on my unit.
c'est du torx 08
Before you tighten the screws on the PSU, make sure the ports are properly aligned with the openings on the rear side. After I had finished putting everything back together, I had big problems putting all the plugs back in. Somehow the ports were slightly off center and now I can't use my USB-C connections. Bummer!
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Tilt the power supply forward.
When replacing the PSU (on the re-build) take care not to trap the power button cable behind it - I did...
When replacing the PSU, make sure the ports are properly aligned with the openings on the rear side. After I had finished putting everything back together, I had big problems putting all the plugs back in. Somehow the ports were slightly off center and now I can't use my USB-C connections. Bummer!
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Pull the power supply slightly up and out from the rear enclosure.
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Rotate the power supply counterclockwise, lifting the right side up about an inch higher than the left.
In my case, the left side corner of the PS was caught against the Lower Support Bracket, and I had to remove the LSB in order to get the PS freed and out.
I think the author Walter Galan should put this in the main section of his instructions. I have TWO identical iMac 14,1 / i5 2.7GHz / 21 Inch Late 2013 / Order ME086LL/A. They both required removing the LSB. Thank you very much Walter Galan & others for your contributions.
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Squeeze the tab on the back side of the DC power cable connector and pull it straight out of its socket on the back of the logic board.
when pulled the cable, even slightly, the actual female piece that connects to the logic board came off. am i screwed?
Repairing sockets that come off the logic board is possible, but very specialised work. Unless you have a magnifying lamp and the necessary desoldering and soldering skills, it will be difficult but not impossible.
I could not disconnect this cable without fear of breaking something (as previous posters did). I found that I could skip this and the next step by wrapping the power supply in a couple layers of a small towel (to prevent shorting with any other metal surfaces), and laying the power supply on the aluminum face of the iMac near the Apple logo. This got it out of the way enough to do what I needed on the logic board (changing PRAM battery) after completing removal of the other items in this guide.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to press the clip on the side of the AC inlet cable connector inward.
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While pressing on the release clip with the spudger, grasp the AC inlet cable, and pull the connector straight out of its socket.
I didn't disconnect the input cable to the power supply. Because I had the machine lying on its back throughout, I placed it on to the metal bit at the bottom of the machine instead (with a cloth to stop the metal getting scratched). The AC inlet cable was pretty tricky to get un-locked, and the PSU sat on the case fine. It didn't hinder anything else throughout the guide.
I thought from Dave’s comment that I could leave the power supply completely in place, but I was mistaken. In order to remove the hard drive assembly after you remove the center screw in it, you’ll need to at least unscrew it and the HD assembly will slip out. Like Dave said, you don’t need to unplug the AC or PSU, which I left hanging.
Getting power supply to the logic board unplugged is also tricky without unscrewing the two bottom screws. They didn’t make this part easy.
I would like to thanks Dave Hallett for his tip of not removing the AC inlet connector of the power supply. I simply wrapped the board in bubble wrap and taped to the iMac case, out of the way, thus giving access to the remaining disconnection procedures and preventing the board from scratching to the iMac case. It also made reassembly much simpler.
Yeah, that AC inlet plug was a nasty one to unplug, mainly because I was trying not to bump the solder joints on the PSU. After a few wiggles and pulls while manipulating the spudger tool to release the clip, it finally unplugged. Made it easier by removing the PSU completely so you don’t have to worry about it. Don’t worry, plugging it back in is a breeze!
With the right tool this plug comes out very easily. Forget about your tiny computer tools, go to the garage and grab a regular old needle nose pliers. Grab the clip and the plug at the same time. The plug will come right out.
Carin Ann— The most helpful comment on this procedure. After reading what you wrote I maneuvered the board, grabbed the clip with my left hand (a little awkward because of the cooling enclosure), squeezed the front of the plug, and got it out.
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Lift the hard drive from the edge nearest the logic board and pull it slightly out of its recess.
During the reassembly process I found it very difficult to plug the power/data cable on to the new hard drive. On my machine it’s very short and the fact that the cable comes into the plug from below at 90 degrees means it’s hard to keep straight on to the drive. I found this process could be made much easier by undoing 2 x T10 screws and CAREFULLY (there are cables attached) moving the adjacent speaker assembly a little away from the drive, reattaching once done. Hope this helps
Moving the speaker helped tremendously! Thanks
lucas -
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Remove the hard drive from the iMac.
I found that there is one more torx screw underneath the hdd when you take it out. If you remove this it seems to be easier to reattach the SATA cable to the new drive.
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Remove the single 7.2 mm T10 screw securing the hard drive tray to the rear enclosure.
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Gently pull the left speaker cable straight out of its socket on the logic board.
I would add/clarify that the Left Speaker and the 10 mm T10 Torx screws do not need to be removed if this is accurate.
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Remove the following T8 Torx screws securing the exhaust duct to the rear enclosure:
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Two 6.2 mm screws
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Two 4.7 mm screws
I would add/clarify that the 2 pivot mount screws to the left of the exhaust duct do not need to be removed. (if this is accurate)
These are Torx T9 on mine
Getting the two screws on the right side (next to the logic board) out and then back in was tricky, as they are recessed so much. To get them back in I used a magnet to magnetize my Torx bit (https://www.wikihow.com/Magnetize-a-Scre...) so it could hold onto the screws while I very, very carefully threaded them back into their respective holes.
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Remove the four 7.3 mm T8 Torx screws securing the logic board to the rear enclosure.
左下のネジの上にこの画像にない配線がある 2019 iMac
Motherboard Screws are T9 on mine
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Tilt the top of the logic board away from the rear enclosure.
If you are only changing the PRAM battery, you don't need to remove the logic board completely, just pull it out a bit and angle it up enough to get to the battery.
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Slightly lift the rightmost side of the SSD and firmly slide it straight out of its socket on the logic board.
At this “Remove logic board” guide iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2805 Logic Board Replacement step 65, I’m not seeing any PCIe socket. Does this mean if you bought an iMac with HDD you cannot add PCIe-based storage module to it later? I see in this guide, there can be a HDD with the PCIe-based model.
If the iMac shipped with only a regular hard drive there will be no socket for a blade SSD.
Models that shipped with a "Fusion Drive" have both the PCIe socket as well as all the parts for the HD.
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To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
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11 Comments
could this work for imac 2019 4k?
Refer to this great guide: The Ultimate Guide to Apple’s Proprietary SSDs
Dan -
Yes! Both 1 TB and 2TB drives are possible
Custom Apple Samsung SSPOLARIS 1 or 2 TB NVMe SSD or OWC Aura Pro X2 1 or 2TB NVMe SSD
Dan -
But on other sites write that motherboards do not have a connector if the version is without fusion drive.
Well… It’s complicated! Apple originally had two different logic boards one with and one without the blade connector! So 21.5” Fusion Drive and Blade SSD only bought systems had the connector and the needed support logic (Apple was squeezing every penny out of us!) later, Apple stopped and just produced one logic board! So the given series you have may have the blade connector
To add to this many people assumed Apple continued the two boards when in fact they stopped, and Apple never offered clarity as why would they! They want to sell you another system, not let you enhance yours.
Dan -
Can imac with 2TB fusion drive be replaced with 512GB NVME SSD?
A Fusion Drive is really two drives! A SATA HDD and the PCIe blade SSD using both I/O ports your system offers.
So… You’ll need to break the fusion drive set and then you can replace the impish cache SSD to the 512 GB PCIe/NVMe blade SSD! Either a real Apple or OWC SSD designed for your system.
Here, you’ll want the SSD to be your boot drive with your OS & Apps (leaving 1/3 to 1/4 free for the OS & Apps to leverage for caching, Virtual RAM & scratch space) and your current HDD as the data drive.
Dan -
Hi ..
I have a 2019 21.5 inch imac with a fusion drive, what is the best option if i want to upgrade my HD with a SSD , is it better to choose a normal SSD or a PCI SSD, and should i keep or remove the SATA SSD !!
Thanks …..
If you want something cheap and easy I would just swap out your current 2.5” SATA HDD for a SSD. If you want something that leverages the full ability of the system then you’ll want to replace the smalll blade SSD with something larger like a 512 or larger PCI/e/NVMe blade SSD, either using Apples custom SSPOLARIS drive or going with the OWC Aura Pro X2 blade SSD. I would keep the HDD alone! But setting up the new blade SSD as the systems boot drive and holding your apps as well as leaving the rest of the drive empty! That way your OS & Apps have elbow room for virtual RAM, Caching & scratch space.
Dan -
The wedge is an extremely tight fit for this model. I was worried that the amount of force needed to use it as shown might damage the stand, so I used it with the long side down instead. It worked fine that way and didn’t need anywhere near as much force to insert.
roberttrevellyan - Reply
Here’s a good YouTube vid on upgrading the RAM: Can a Normal Person Upgrade the RAM in the 2017 21.5" iMac?
Dan - Reply
Here are a couple tips from me:
1) Expose the adhesive to extreme temperatures. I did this by transporting my iMac in my car, screen-down on a piece of cardboard on a cold February morning (in Chicago). When I went to pick up the iMac, the screen practically fell off the chassis. I would have been distraught by this if I hadn’t already planned this replacement. So it was a happy accident.
2) Remember to expell the residual power from the power supply by pushing the power button while the iMac is unplugged. This does NOT guarantee it’s safe to touch, but when I accidentally brushed the solder and exposed capacitors, I didn’t get shocked.
jerrid_foiles - Reply
Instead of using the wedge, I placed the iMac faced up with the top side (web cam) facing me while I ran the pizza roller around. It worked out great!
Sam Fung - Reply
“All iMacs also come with a traditional hard drive” mine doesn’t!! it’s HDD bay is completely empty, no SATA cable or anything. I guess I’ll have to upgrade the PCIe SSD instead.
Chris Hughes - Reply
There is no replacement glass for this model, it is part of the LCD and impossible to remove or replace- the entire LCD has to be replaced unfortunately if the glass is cracked or damaged. You will have to Google search for a replacement. Also be careful with some of the lock tight tork screws as I broke one of my screw mounts taking one out.
Phil Tesone - Reply
I used this service wedge but also found it a very tight fit. The same stabilization can be achieved by using a big rolled up towel.
Ernst - Reply
While this is a good instruction guide, I recommend to also look at OWC’s instruction video about drive installation, before starting the exercise. Those install videos are very detailed and useful.
Ernst - Reply
Main advice: TAKE YOUR TIME with the pizza roller.
Make several passes, until you really feel like there's no more sticker in the way. Stay away from the camera though (approx. 1inch / 2.5cm on both sides). This will reduce the work left with the plastic card. Adhesive is really on the edge of the screen so there is absolutely no need to go any further than the recommended 1cm / 3/8inch depth.
Where are the sensitive parts?
Facing your iMac, imagine you're looking at a watch. There are antennas on 1, 2 and 4 o'clock. Do not insert any metal piece there (nor anywhere else, btw). Other than that AND the screen cables underneath the camera, not much danger.
Froggy Manny - Reply