Intel iMac upgrade completed!

My Problem

The original 1tb Fusion Drive in my 2019 i27” iMac was slowing, leading to very long boot times and poor overall performance. I had already added plenty of ram and otherwise, the machine is great, and the display remains superb. So it was worth fixing.

My Fix

The visual guide from iFixit was excellent, as good or better than many of the videos I watched in preparation. Some of the comments added under specific steps were also helpful.

Removing and reapplying the display was the most challenging aspect, but with care, it went smoothly with minimal issues. One thing I found is that, after applying the adhesive tape, if it required repositioning, lifting up on the tape would loosen the top cover, causing folding when reapplied. I was able to unfold and flatten the tape without consequence fortunately. Careful and thorough cleaning of the old adhesive on both sides, with fingers, a plastic spludger and alcohol, was essential.

The other quirk is one of the cables was positioned at an angle different from the pics, and stubbornly resisted removal. A pic added by a commenter was helpful. I was persistent and gentle, and eventually, one side loosened enough to make removal possible.

Ultimately, the new 2tb SSD was successfully added and the display replaced, “Like nothing happened!”. I’m very pleased and proud that I was able to accomplish this. My iMac has a new lease on life as a secondary machine with dramatic improvements in performance.

Thanks, iFixit!

My Advice

Study the process carefully, rehearse every step, make sure you have all your tools handy and that you have a quiet, clean workspace. Take your time and be precise and gentle in your movements. Don’t force any steps which could lead to breaking either the display or a connecting cable.