Sostituzione SSD Blade iMac Intel 21.5" Display Retina 4K

Scritto Da: Evan Noronha

Commenti: 127

Sostituzione SSD Blade iMac Intel 21.5" Display Retina 4K

Difficoltà

Moderato

Passi

Tempo Necessario

2 - 3 ore

Introduzione

Usa questa guida per sostituire o aggiornare l'SSD blade (NVMe/PCIe x4) proprietario di Apple in un iMac 21.5" Retina 4K di fine 2015 con un SSD (con configurazione Fusion Drive o SSD blade).

L'SSD si trova sul retro della scheda logica, serve quindi rimuoverla per averci accesso.

Tutti gli iMac hanno anche un hard drive tradizionale, che puoi sostituire seguendo invece questa guida.

Strumenti

Ricambi

iMac Intel 21.5" (2012-2019) Adhesive Strips

Passo 1

Con il cardine libero di muoversi, l'iMac sarà sbilanciato e la lavorazione risulterà difficoltosa. Le riparazioni saranno più rapide e facili con un cuneo di supporto per iMac, ma potranno essere completate anche senza di esso.
Se intendi usare il Cuneo di cartone di supporto dell'iMac di iFixit, segui queste istruzioni di assemblaggio per montarlo.
Prima di iniziare a lavorare sull'iMac, scollega il computer dall'alimentazione e tieni premuto il pulsante di alimentazione per 10 secondi per scaricare i condensatori dell'alimentatore.
Fai molta attenzione a non toccare i contatti dei condensatori o qualsiasi punto di saldatura esposto sulla parte posteriore dell'alimentatore. Maneggia la scheda tenendola solo dai bordi.

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 - 19/09/17

Here’s a good YouTube vid on upgrading the RAM: Can a Normal Person Upgrade the RAM in the 2017 21.5" iMac?

Dan - 12/02/18

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 - 31/03/19

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 - 06/06/19

“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 - 10/11/19

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 - 18/01/21

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 -

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 -

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 - 23/03/23

Passo 2

Iniziare sulla parte sinistra del display, accanto al pulsante di alimentazione, inserire l'attrezzo per l'apertura dell'iMac nello spazio fra il pannello di vetro e il case posteriore.
Il perno sull'attrezzo per l'apertura dell'iMac impedisce di inserire la ruota troppo a fondo. Nel caso di utilizzo di un altro attrezzo, non inserirlo nel display per più di 0,95 cm, In caso contrario, si rischia di tranciare i cavi dell'antenna e provocare danni gravi.

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.

Richard Cook - 15/02/19

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): Sostituzione strisce adesive iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2544

Alan Digby - 24/06/20

It is very easy to crack the glass in front of the LCD during this step. I used the guitar pick, maybe it was too thick… crack is just on the frame but anyway it is disappointing :(

Nikolay - 30/06/20

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.

Ernst -

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).

Carl Schultz -

Merci pour ce conseil

bry nicolas -

Passo 3

Utilizzare l'attrezzo come una taglierina per la pizza: ruotarlo lungo lo spazio per tagliare la schiuma adesiva al centro.
Effettuare sempre una pressione con l'impugnatura dietro il disco tagliente. Tirando, il disco potrebbe uscire dall'impugnatura.
Far scorrere l'attrezzo lungo il lato sinistro del display.

Erreur de traduction: "de bas en haut" et non de" haut en bas" sur le côté gauche de l'écran

Moreau - 15/04/17

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.

plasticpool - 08/12/20

Passo 4

Continuare a far scorrere l'attrezzo attorno all'angolo superiore sinistro.

Ne pincez pas l’écran avec l’autre main. Vous exercez une pression inutile sur le verre et empêchez la roulette de couper le joint.

phfoglia -

Passo 5

Tagliare l'adesivo lungo il lato sinistro del display.

Passo 6

Continuare lungo la parte superiore del display.
È consigliabile far scorrere ripetutamente l'attrezzo avanti e indietro lungo la parte già tagliata, per fare in modo di separare il più possibile l'adesivo.

In this step can I cut along the display without make any damage to the front camera?

arisnordico - 22/01/15

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.

dv1977 - 24/01/15

I did all steps like this manuell but now the Display wont work only some colered strips are to see! Whats happend??

Can anybody help me ? Maybe the connector cable is broken?

djfanta - 28/05/15

Check both connectors, probably one of them not seated well

pzhivulin - 12/06/15

You can add a SATA SSD if you already have a PCIe SSD Factory?

kaserlik - 30/05/15

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.

pzhivulin - 12/06/15

omg - forgot to switch the termal sensor from the old display...

now fan runs like crazy...

Andrei Balotescu - 05/02/16

The key thing is to never put any force on the opening tool when working through the tape. Just roll it back and forth with ease.

Ernst -

Passo 7

Premere l'attrezzo attorno all'angolo superiore destro del display.

Passo 8

Far scorrere l'attrezzo verso il basso, lungo il lato destro del display.

Passo 9

Terminare l'applicazione dell'attrezzo per l'apertura nella parte inferiore del lato destro del display.
A questo punto, si consiglia di ripassare nuovamente l'attrezzo lungo tutto il display, per fare in modo di tagliare il più possibile l'adesivo.

Yes, do it many times to loosen the adhesive.

Noah Ralston - 19/07/18

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.

Carl Schultz -

Passo 10

Sebbene l'attrezzo per l'apertura tagli la maggior parte dell'adesivo, il display sarà ancora leggermente attaccato al case. Occorre una scheda di plastica per liberare la parte restante dell'adesivo.
Poggiare l'iMac su un tavolo, rivolto verso l'alto.
A partire dall'angolo superiore destro dell'iMac, inserire una scheda di plastica fra il display e il telaio.
Fare attenzione a non inserire la scheda di plastica per più di 0,95 cm, in caso contrario si rischia di danneggiare i componenti interni.

this step is extremely important NOT to stick in the cards too far….. doing so, you risk a 600 euro replacement as I experienced………

Edgar Broekema - 18/11/17

I drew a 3/8” line on my cards with a marker first.

Max Romano - 27/09/20

I’m reading this on the EU store, please change all measurements to cm/mm.

Morgana Devina - 30/10/20

@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.

Richard Giratd -

Here’s where OWC provides glass removal suction cups, which is a better solution than plastic cards.

The suction cups help to easily lift the glass panel, without risking the damaging of any internal wiring that the plastic cards could cause.

Ernst -

Better to remove stand wedge at this point? Can’t see from pics

derekrobinson -

Passo 11

Ruotare delicatamente la scheda di plastica lateralmente per creare uno spazio fra il display e il telaio.
Eseguire movimenti lenti, facendo attenzione a non fare troppa pressione sul vetro del display, poiché occorre solo uno spazio di circa 0,63 cm.

This part must be done very carefully or you can damage the flat cable from display, despite it was under a iron cover.

Cassio Machado - 17/09/16

Passo 12

Far scorrere la scheda verso il centro del display per tagliare il resto dell'adesivo lungo l'angolo destro dell'iMac.
Occorre fermarsi prima della fotocamera iSight per non danneggiarla.

You don't need to do it like this, simply open the iMac bendidng the LCD completely and use the pizza cutter to remove the adhesive.

Felix - 31/05/20

Using glass removal suction cups will avoid running this risk of damaging the camera (or any wiring).

Ernst -

Passo 13

Inserire la scheda di plastica nell'angolo superiore destro nuovamente e lasciarla in sede per evitare che l'adesivo si riattacchi.

Passo 14

Inserire una seconda scheda di plastica nello spazio fra il display e il telaio, vicino all'angolo superiore sinistro dell'iMac.

Passo 15

Ruotare delicatamente la scheda verso l'alto per aumentare leggermente lo spazio fra il display e il telaio.
Come sulla parte opposta, ruotare lentamente la scheda, per consentire la separazione dell'adesivo, senza esercitare una pressione eccessiva sul vetro del display.

Passo 16

Far scorrere la scheda di plastica verso il centro, fermandosi nuovamente prima della fotocamera iSight.

Passo 17

Reinserire la scheda di plastica nell'angolo superiore sinistro.

Passo 18

Mantenendo entrambe le schede di plastica inserite vicino agli angoli come indicato, ruotarle delicatamente sui lati per aumentare lo spazio fra il display e il case.
In presenza di sezioni ancora incollate che non si separano, fermare la rotazione e utilizzare una delle schede per tagliare l'adesivo restante.
Iniziare a sollevare la parte superiore del display dal telaio.
Sollevare il display di pochi centimetri, poiché i cavi di alimentazione e dei dati sono ancora collegati alla scheda logica.

Passo 19

Solleva lo schermo abbastanza in alto da avere un accesso facile al connettore, ma non tanto da strappare i cavi e forzare i rispettivi connettori (alzalo di circa 20 cm).
Mantieni lo schermo con uno mano mentre con l'altra stacchi il cavo di alimentazione dello schermo .

It was difficult to remove this connection. I ended up having to gently pull-up vertically a little on the wire side to unsnap it about 1mm and then horizontally wiggle it out.

delacrj2 - 22/12/17

I had a difficult time removing this connection. I had to lift the wire-side about 1mm before it unsnapped and then carefully wiggle it out horizontally.

delacrj2 - 22/12/17

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.

Jeremy Brainard - 19/04/19

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.

Ernst -

be VERY careful and SLOW...take your time. These displays crack VERY easily when removing and they'll spider web on you. I've done probably 20 or so of these and cracked 3 being super careful.....ugh.

Faslane -

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.

Phil McInnis -

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.

Peter Taffs -

Passo 20

Continua a tenere lo schermo con una mano, sblocca la staffa metallica di ritenuta del cavo dati dello schermo.
Stacca con cautela il cavo dati dello schermo dalla sua presa nella scheda madre.
Assicurati di tirare il cavo dati dello schermo direttamente fuori della sua presa, mantenendolo parallelo alla scheda madre, per evitare di danneggiarlo.

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?

Jeremy Brainard - 19/04/19

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.

Jim Stanford -

I also need that cable.

cameronjpu - 24/03/20

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.

Jim Stanford - 09/05/22

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.

Froggy Manny -

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.

Carlos Sosa -

Passo 21

Solleva lo schermo in posizione all'incirca verticale.
A questo punto c'è ancora una striscia di adesivo lungo il bordo inferiore dello schermo che tiene ancorato il display alla scocca come se fosse una cerniera. Puoi indebolire questo adesivo muovendo lo schermo su e giù per alcune volte di seguito.

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 Stephens - 10/08/18

Yes, use the tabs as Andrew indicates. Super easy.

Michael Adams - 22/06/19

Passo 22

Fai attenzione a non toccare i conduttori del condensatore o le saldature esposte sul retro dell'alimentatore (in rosso).
Afferra la linguetta all'estremità di una delle strisce adesive del bordo inferiore dello schermo e tira l'adesivo verso il bordo superiore dell'iMac per rimuoverlo.
Ripeti questo passo con l'altra striscia adesiva e rimuoverla.
Se una delle strisce adesive si rompe prima di essere rimossa, usa una scheda di plastica per tagliare l'adesivo rimasto.

Passo 23

Solleva lo schermo dalla scocca e rimuovilo dall'iMac.
Può rendersi necessario sollevare lentamente il display da uno dei bordi laterali per staccare l'adesivo rimasto.
Stai molto attento nel maneggiare lo schermo: è grande, pesante e di vetro.
Dopo aver tagliato l'adesivo, non può essere più riutilizzato per rimettere al suo posto il display. Segui questa guida per sostituire le strisce adesive che fissano lo schermo alla scocca.

Andrew Stephens - 10/08/18

Andrew, FTW! This worked perfectly

Megan O'Leary -

Passo 24

Rimuovi le seguenti cinque viti a croce Phillips che tengono in posizione la staffa di supporto inferiore:
Quattro viti da 3,2 mm
Una vite da 1,7 mm
Su almeno alcune macchine EMC 2544, tutte e cinque le viti hanno le stesse dimensioni.
Potrebbe essere necessario rimuovere l'adesivo del display che riveste il bordo inferiore della custodia dell'iMac per accedere alle viti.

I used the CR-V 4.0 standard screwdriver head to help peel away the adhesive lining. My fingers were too big to grab it, and my fingernails too short to get the removal started. This 4 screw head worked perfectly.

airshack - 07/02/20

Passo 25

Rimuovi la staffa di supporto inferiore dalla custodia dell'iMac.

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.

John M - 25/01/19

I left mine out. LOL

jerrid_foiles - 04/05/19

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.

Jeff Suovanen - 07/05/19

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

jmorphett5 - 30/04/20

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...

diddl14 -

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...

tgb4rr0s tege -

Passo 26

Tira delicatamente il connettore del cavo dell'altoparlante verso il basso e rimuovilo dalla sua presa sulla scheda logica.

Passo 27

Rimuovi le due viti Torx T10 da 10 mm che fissano l'altoparlante destro al telaio posteriore.
Le rondelle di gomma mantengono le viti ben salde nell'altoparlante anche quando vengono allentate. Puoi usare delle pinzette o un'unghia per rimuovere le viti o lasciale con l'assemblaggio dell'altoparlante.

Passo 28

Inserisci la punta di uno spudger tra l'altoparlante destro e il cavo dell'antenna, facendolo scorrere lungo il bordo destro dell'altoparlante per rimuovere il cavo dal suo canale.
Se il canale non è facilmente accessibile, puoi inclinare l'altoparlante leggermente in avanti (allontanandolo dal case posteriore) per aver accesso al cavo dell'antenna.

Passo 29

Sposta l'altoparlante in avanti e fuori dal case posteriore di circa 1 cm.
Tira l'altoparlante verso l'alto e rimuovilo dall'iMac.

Passo 30

Rimuovi le seguenti viti Torx T10 che tengono ancorato il supporto del'hard drive sull'iMac:
Due viti da 21 mm
Una vite da 9 mm
Una vite da 27 mm

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 (%#*@).

roberttrevellyan - 19/09/17

Mine has 4 different length screws, the two red colored 21mm screws in this guide are actually two differ lengths

anonymous 523 - 19/10/20

Mi imac does not have a HDrive whats the steps to follow?

Charlie - 05/02/21

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!

Donato Altomare -

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….

Jeroen Speak -

Passo 31

Rimuovi i supporti sinistro e destro dell'hard drive dell'iMac.

Passo 32

I prossimi passaggi ti faranno lavorare con le mani vicino all'alimentatore esposto. Non toccare la faccia della scheda o le saldature. Toccarle significa correre il rischio di ricevere una scossa ad alta tensione dai diversi potenti condensatori fissati alla scheda.
Usa la punta di uno spudger per spingere su un lato alla volta del connettore del cavo del tasto di accensione e scollegalo lentamente dalla sua presa.

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.

[deleted] - 16/01/16

Added to the guide. Thanks for the tip!

Jeff Suovanen - 06/07/16

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

Oleksandr Trokhymchuk - 11/08/17

could you elaborate a little more, I would love to skip the rest of these steps. How did you accomplish this?

ej P - 03/07/18

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.

Joshua Ericson -

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.

Wizdom On Wheels - 10/07/19

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.

Tim Telcik - 01/09/19

This is not correct and may have been assembled incorrectly during a previous repair.

Charlie Nancarrow -

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 !

Ray Burgard - 14/12/19

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.

Mikkif - 30/03/20

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.

Peter Hillman - 18/10/20

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.

Nils Witte - 26/12/20

This step is impossible!

Cecily Walker - 05/01/21

@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.

jiclark - 11/03/21

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.

Wizdom On Wheels - 12/03/21

Passo 33

Usa la punta di uno spudger per spingere su un lato alla volta del connettore del cavo di controllo dell'alimentatore e scollegalo lentamente dalla sua presa.

Passo 34

Svita le due viti Torx T10 da 7,2 mm che fissano l'alimentatore al case posteriore.
In alcuni modelli più recenti di iMac queste sono due viti T8 da 7,2 mm.
Durante il riassemblaggio assicurati di non bloccare il cavo del tasto di accensione dietro all'alimentatore.

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.

Ted Horodynsky - 15/07/20

Those screws were definitely not T10 but T9 on my unit

Vincent Monteil - 27/12/20

Those screws were T8 on my unit.

jag32mobile - 17/01/21

c'est du torx 08

pascal cacou -

Passo 35

Mentre sei alle prese con l'alimentatore stai molto attento a non toccare i contatti dei condensatori o le saldature sul retro dell'alimentatore. Spostalo toccando esclusivamente i bordi della scheda.
Inclina l'alimentatore in avanti.

When replacing the PSU (on the re-build) take care not to trap the power button cable behind it - I did...

Dave Hallett - 10/08/17

Passo 36

Tira leggermente l'alimentatore verso l'alto e fuori dalla scocca.
Ruota l'alimentatore in senso antiorario, sollevando il lato destro di circa 2 cm rispetto a quello sinistro.

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.

Ted Horodynsky - 15/07/20

Passo 37

Fai scorrere l'alimentatore verso destra per evitare i supporti per le viti sulla scocca.

Passo 38

Muovi l'alimentatore avanti e indietro per rimuoverlo da suo alloggio nella scocca.
Non cercare di rimuovere del tutto già ora l'alimentatore: è ancora collegato alla scheda madre.

Passo 39

Stai molto attento a non toccare i contatti dei condensatori o le saldature sul retro dell'alimentatore. Spostalo toccando esclusivamente i bordi della scheda.
Gira l'alimentatore per avere accesso al cavo di alimentazione DC sul retro della scheda madre.
Schiaccia l'aletta sul retro del connettore del cavo di alimentazione e sfilalo dalla sua presa sulla scheda madre.

when pulled the cable, even slightly, the actual female piece that connects to the logic board came off. am i screwed?

Racheal Major - 08/05/17

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.

Charlie Nancarrow - 28/07/19

The tab is at the far end of the connector, so you’ll need to reach farther than you might think.

lkollar - 30/12/19

When I pulled the disconnect, I pushed down on the disconnect, instead of pushing down on the tab on the disconnect and bent those pins… tried to straighten the bent pins and two of the pins broke off the logic board. Will I need a new logic board or can I purchase the pins…?

Ray AA - 04/06/20

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.

Phil McInnis -

Passo 40

Può esserti d'aiuto appoggiare l'iMac sul suo retro per i prossimi passaggi.
Usa l'estremità piatta di uno spudger per premere verso l'interno l'aletta sul lato del connettore del cavo di alimentazione AC.
Mentre premi l'aletta per il rilascio, afferra il cavi di alimentazione AC e sfilalo dalla sua presa.

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.

Dave Hallett - 10/08/17

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.

delacrj2 - 22/12/17

Kleiner Rechtschreibfehler - statt „denac“ muss es wohl „den iMac“ heißen

Gonzalo - 01/11/18

Au ja. Du kannst so was selbst ausbessern. Einfach auf “Übersetzen" gehen und loslegen.

VauWeh - 01/11/18

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.

Rob Hogan - 04/08/20

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!

Peter Hillman - 18/10/20

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 Loewen - 08/03/21

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.

Glen Kohler -

+1 for needle nose pliers!

Sam -

Passo 41

Rimuovi l'alimentatore dall'iMac.

erreur: retirer "la carte d'alimentation" et non" le disque dur" !!!!!

Moreau - 16/04/17

Passo 42

Estrai delicatamente il connettore del cavo della ventola dal connettore presente sulla scheda logica.

Passo 43

Rimuovi le tre viti Torx T10 da 10 mm che fissano la ventola all'involucro posteriore.
La vite più in alto ha una guarnizione in gomma per aderire meglio e supportare lo schermo: lascia la guarnizione dov'è.

Passo 44

Rimuovi la ventola dall'iMac

Passo 45

Solleva il disco rigido dal bordo più vicino alla scheda madre e tiralo appena fuori dal suo alloggio.
Il disco rigido è collegato con un solo cavo SATA alimentazione/dati, non cercare ancora di rimuoverlo dall'iMac.

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

Jerry Frost - 07/02/18

Moving the speaker helped tremendously! Thanks

lucas -

Passo 46

Usa uno spudger per scollegare il cavo SATA alimentazione/dati.

Passo 47

Rimuovi il disco rigido dall'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.

jeffjeffmurray - 08/03/17

Passo 48

Rimuovi la vite T10 da 7,2 mm che fissa il vassoio dell'hard drive al telaio posteriore.

HD Screw is a T9 on mine

TheStudioDrummer -

Passo 49

Rimuovi il vassoio dell'hard drive dal telaio posteriore.

You will have to reroute the sata cable beneath too. The drive tray will not simply lift out.

biscuit - 04/02/17

Passo 50

Rimuovi delicatamente il cavo dell'altoparlante sinistro dalla sua presa sulla scheda logica.

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.

TheStudioDrummer - 13/12/21

Passo 51

Sposta il cavo dell'altoparlante sinistro, tirandolo via dal gancio di bloccaggio sul retro del telaio.

Passo 52

Come nel passo precedente, sposta il cavo SATA e il cavo di alimentazione, tirandoli via dal gancio di bloccaggio.

Passo 53

Rimuovi il pezzo di nastro adesivo che collega il connettore dell'altoparlante sinistro al cavo dell'alimentatore SATA e quello dati.

Passo 54

Capovolgi la staffa di bloccaggio di metallo sul connettore del cavo della fotocamera FaceTime.
Sfila il cavo della fotocamera FaceTime direttamente dalla sua presa sulla scheda logica.
Questo è un connettore delicato che potrebbe danneggiarsi facilmente.

Passo 55

Rimuovi le due viti Torx T5 da 4,0 mm che fissano i quattro connettori dell'antenna alla scheda AirPort/Bluetooth.

Passo 56

Scollega tutti e quattro i connettori sollevandoli direttamente dalle loro prese sulla scheda AirPort/Bluetooth.

Passo 57

Usa la parte piatta di uno spudger per sollevare il connettore del jack cuffie direttamente alla sua presa sulla scheda logica.
Sposta il cavo leggermente a destra.

Passo 58

Rimuovi il nastro adesivo che copre il condotto di raffreddamento.

Passo 59

Rimuovi le seguenti viti Torx T8 che fissano il condotto di raffreddamento al telaio posteriore:
Due viti da 6,2 mm
Due viti da 4,7 mm

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)

TheStudioDrummer -

These are Torx T9 on mine

TheStudioDrummer - 13/12/21

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.

Phil McInnis -

Passo 60

Rimuovi le quattro viti Torx T8 da 7,3 mm che fissano la scheda logica al telaio posteriore.

左下のネジの上にこの画像にない配線がある　2019 iMac

Daisuke Hirai - 29/01/21

Motherboard Screws are T9 on mine

TheStudioDrummer -

Passo 61

Allontana la parte superiore della scheda logica dal telaio posteriore.

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.

Phil McInnis -

Passo 62

Solleva la scheda logica e rimuovila dall'iMac.
Fai attenzione che la scheda non si impigli nei perni delle viti del telaio.

Passo 63

Quando reinstalli la scheda logica, fa' attenzione ad allineare le porte I/O correttamente. La scheda logica potrebbe essere storta anche quando è fissata con tutte le sue viti.
Puoi usare una chiavetta USB e/o un cavo ethernet per accertarti che la scheda logica sia posizionata correttamente mentre la avviti.

Passo 64

Rimuovi la singola vite Torx T8 che fissa l'SSD alla scheda logica.

Passo 65

Solleva lievemente la parte più a destra dell'SSD e fai scorrere l'unità tirandola con una certa decisione fuori dal suo zoccolo sulla scheda logica.

At this “Remove logic board” guide Sostituzione scheda logica iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2805 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.

Lance - 05/11/17

If the iMac shipped with only a regular hard drive there will be no socket for a blade SSD.

roberttrevellyan - 05/07/22

Conclusione

Per rimontare il dispositivo, segui queste istruzioni in ordine inverso.

Autore

Evan Noronha

Membro da: 06/02/15

223184 Reputazione

11 commenti

could this work for imac 2019 4k?

Sean Guillermo - 19/02/20

Refer to this great guide: The Ultimate Guide to Apple’s Proprietary SSDs

Dan - 19/02/20

Is it possible to put a blade SSD on the iMac that has 1 TB HDD (no fusion drive)?

many83 - 28/05/20

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 - 28/05/20

But on other sites write that motherboards do not have a connector if the version is without fusion drive.

Vasiliy Kalugin -

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?

Kiyoon Choi - 22/06/20

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 - 22/06/20

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 …..

Mohd Alharbi - 29/06/20

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 - 29/06/20

If your model does have the nvme connector on the board but did not ship with a blade ssd, what is the spec of the screw you need to screw in the drive?

akira9000 -