Excellent video - well lit, and well explained. I used it to remove a bad power supply. Thank you for taking the time to make thjs, it was extremely helpful. I looked at several similar videos, and yours was the best.
Thanks for the video, it's been a while since I've done any upgrades on Macs. I'm a PC person primarily, but I've done Macs when I worked field service, but I've slept a few times since then, so I needed an update. This is owned by a lady from my church, she isn't very knowledgeable about computers, so I didn't even know this was an iMac until I got it home and removed it from the box. Evedentally, there is someone in her family that used to do this kind of work for her family, but has declining vision and is no longer able to do the work, but she sent a box with all the tools and parts for the upgrade, so she definitely knows what she's doing. I'm going to use a USB hard drive for the bootable version of MacOS, before I do the upgrade. Thanks again for the video.
5:36 failed to mention the power button cable should be removed from the groove before attempting to remove the speaker. the speaker moves pretty easily once the power button cable is removed from the groove, but I accidentally broke it and had to take a detour from this video to learn how to repair this. Long story short the power button has a strong adhesive that will require heat gun to remove. After the power button assembly is removed, the assembly can be opened up and the cables can be rewired or in my case i soldered them together and then carefully closed up the assembly and kinda reset the power button back into the hole, but it doesn't sit flush with the metal anymore
I did this myself today and it was okayish, everything worked after finishing it. However this was nerve wrecking, these connectors are so tricky and some screws were not that easy too. However, I failed to perfectly align the screen in the end, it is minimally out of center. The screen is the most enervating part. But .. I am quite happy that I saved 700€ on my RAM upgrade and 400€ for the ssd in comparison to buying more RAM or storage from Apple back then.
I’m pumped to do this here in a couple weeks! I have everything ordered! For right around 180$ much cheaper than a new one. Should be able to get a couple more years out of it!
Thank you for this, it was very helpful. I was worried that only doing the SSD upgrade wouldn't be enough to have good performance but I was wrong. I left the 8GB of RAM my iMac came with alone as I didn't want to deal with all of the additional dismantling of the computer to access the RAM. I even saw another video where the guy digs all the way in further to upgrade the the CPU to a newer processor.....no thanks. Anyway, just the SSD upgrade was plenty to make this Mac plenty usable for typical run of the mill daily activities (email, web browsing, RUclips video viewing, etc). Can't speak for more resource intensive applications......but this is just the desktop my mom uses for her normal stuff. SSD made a night and day difference, to the point that I can't believe Apple let these things leave the factory with the P.O.S. HDD that comes OEM in them. All in this was about a 1 hour job start to finish for me.
Thanks. This video has convinced me to pay an expert to upgrade the HDD to an SSD, before I smash the glass somehow. I was all onboard until you got out the heat gun, suckers and specialist prising tool. What the heck is wrong with screwing electronics together?
This looks awesome! I am going to do it. Thank you so much for sharing how you did it. BTW, are you wearing any special gloves or static protection wrist straps? How do you avoid static electricity? I'm a noob, thanks!
Thanks for the excellent video. It is crazy to do all that to renew the HD. It is clearly visible when you remove the screen. I hope Apple makes things easier in the future.
Great video ! Went to install Ventura and got stuck in a boot loop . I eventually had to boot and load Monterey . I am using a OWC mercury ssd.. do you think this is the reason I can not update to Ventura ?
Yes, Definitely a good idea to test before you seal the adhesive. Also recommend the computer face down on a towel or blanket on a hard surface for a few hours for it to really bond well. It bonds fine without doing that but having pressure for a few hours ensures that the adhesive won't separate.
Hi thanks for the video. Just quick question. Thinking of buying a second hand iMac with 32g memory i7, DDR. Should that be fast enough? Ill just be using for some light music and photo editing ? Thanks
Hi I came across your video cause I'm planning to do the same to my iMac but on the OWC website they have an adapter cable that you plug your new drive then you plug it into your motherboard which gives you a lead as a temperature sensor, apparently without it the internal fans will spin full speed. Did you come across this issue? Cause I did not see you putting the adapter in.
- iMac from this era still have upgradable ram door on the back but only for 27 inch models its a tally been this way since 2012 - you should never use non ESD safe blower to get brush out, it should be a ESD safe vacuum instead, adding to that never letting the fan it spin freely when blowing air as this will damage the motor, - allowing the metal from the airport antennas touch under the logic board can damage it to. - If an iMac has been power off and unplugged for 24 hours then you do not have to worried about being shocked from the power supply - Otherwise great video.
With your standard ssd installation you are still limiting the true speed these machines can run at. When I upgrade the 2019 21" iMacs I usually replace or install an nvme as the main drive (samsung evo's) and use the standard 2.5 ssd as additional storage with 32 gigs of Crucial ddr4 3200mhz ram which is backward compatible to 2667Mmhz. Once done you have a beast of a machine. Good job on your part. Your neighbor will definetly see a performace boost. Will have a useable machine for a couple years.
you can't install a nvme pci harddrive with a 2019 iMac that came with a Sata harddrive, only if you got an SSD or Fusion Harddrive to begin with. this is the best update you can get if you're using the cheapest 2019 iMac, as it doesn't have a PCI port.
If there is no internal PCIe Slot (shame on Apple) , there is another external workaround. Today you can get a TB3/4 enclosure for a reasonable price. Speeds around 2400-2800Mbit/s. depending on your Mac Modell and TB ports, you can also add a cheaper USB3.2Gen2(!) enclosure. Speed around 900Mbit/sec, which feels like a newer FusionDrive.
You can completely skip the process of using a USB boot drive, downloading Mac OS, using the terminal, etc., by using the Mac's built-in recovery mode. Hold down Command-Option-R while booting, it'll boot directly into the Recovery environment, and automatically download and install the most recent version of Mac OS supported by that computer.
question why not install a LEVEN 1TB Mac Upgrade NVMe SSD PCIe Gen3x4 Compatible with Apple MacBook Air (2013-2017) & Pro (2013-2015), Mac Mini (2013) & Pro (2014), iMac (2013-2019), Since you are already inside the iMac, food for though, Great Info. Well Done. PS holding in the power button for 10 sec will discharge all power in the unit.
So, if I don't need to update the RAM, and I only need to upgrade the HD, this is only 1/10 th of the effort you are doing on this video, correct? Once the screen is off, I have access to the HD, correct? I have a 27", 2019 iMac with a Fusion Drive. I want to replace with an SSD. So glass off, pull old HD, replace with SSD, and close back up? Does that sound right?
Yes, that's correct. Much easier to only upgrade to an SSD. I also could have upgraded to an M.2 drive which is located near CPU, opposite of the RAM, but it is much more difficult to do compared to just upgrading to a regular SSD.
With my MacBook Pro 2012 (non-Retina), I did quite some tasks of upgrading on my own such as upgrading the storage and the RAM and replacing the optical drive with a second storage slot. However, this screen removement when upgrading an iMac really scares me. I've got exactly this 2019 21,5 4K model with i3 and 8 GB of RAM which I would really like to upgrade, but as the prices for newer Macs have drastically increased, I will think more than twice if I really touch this screen. Fortunately, there is already a SSD in it because I got it relatively cheap with an HDD and just let a company build this SSD into it. Not sure how much of a benefit 16 or 32 GB of RAM would actually be on top of that.
Love that 2012 MacBook Pro model - mine is still working after all these years tho it’s finally gonna into semi retirement. Honestly if you have ever had to replace the keyboard on the old MacBook 2012, this installation won’t be problematic for you. The screen is not as delicate as the 2013 MacBook Pro retinas were, I have had to take mine off twice and didn’t have any issues. Just make sure you use a heat gun it makes the whole process MUCH easier and less risky (softening the adhesive is key to not having to be too rough with it to get it off). In fact I would say your concern about cracking the screen is really only a concern IF you aren’t using a heat gun, which I have seen some people in other tutorials do. THAT to me feels too risky. But if you use the heat gun carefully (go slow, better to build up to the right amount, you will feel it and know exactly when it’s the right amount because suddenly the pizza wheel spinner thing will go through it like a hot knife through butter. (Actually that’s the other big recommendation is getting as part of one of the adhesive kits the little spinny wheel dealt which is only long enough so that it cuts through the adhesive without cutting in too deep. The radius of the wheel is measured perfectly to ensure you can’t cut too deep in. So yeah… TL;DR heat gun + plastic cutting wheel specifically in kit for this iMac model = you can do this no problem.
Question, if i sont really care about transferring data over to the new ssd since all i got on it is Ultimaker cura, nothing important, should i go ahead and not bother transferring data and start clean or would i have to download the OS to it? Asking since im planning on upgrading to ssd and not the RAM yet?
You will need to format MacOS to the SSD if this will be your primary boot disk so the computer knows how to start MacOS, but you dont have to transfer files over. I recommend not doing an iCloud or Time Machine backup. Instead, do a clean MacOS install and buy the $15 SATA cable dock which allows you to manually drag and drop the files from your old hard drive to the new SSD.
Yes, many hair dryers get hot enough that you could just warm up the adhesive with that and disconnect the screen. It does take longer so may need some patience too.
i have question. could imac 2019 21.5inch 1hdd model(not fusion drive and ssd model) upgrade hdd to ssd? some people said only fusion and ssd model can be upgraded
Okay, if you watch my upgrade for the iMac 4K Retina from 2019, I've installed a new i9 CPU to replace the i5 it came with... along with 64GB instead of 8GB of RAM. There was only 256GB of storage so I upgraded to about 2TB. I'm not expert, but I did push the computer a lot further. I've dropped the link to this video of yours under mine in case someone wants an actual explanation.
not my iMac 2019 19.1 which has a PCIe SSD drive, currently at 2TB and i want to put in a 4TB but not sure anyone makes a compatible one (OWC does not). I do not have the fusion drive which also contains a SSD SATA like in this video.
At first you say you want to help your neighbors by upgrading their Mac then throughout the video you refer to the Mac as yours? And finally transfer all your photos and files? 🤔
I can see how worry is equivalent to lack of trust in God. Can someone help me find where in the Bible ‘worry’ equates or hints to ‘worshiping’ the devil? I think his idea makes sense and I understand ‘we’ could say it equates to worship… but I don’t know if the Bible equates it to worship. Appreciate anyone willing to help me deepen my understanding! I want to follow Christ and if I’m not understanding, I want to fix that.
Believe it or not it could be worse. Apple frequently just solders in the components directly to the mother board in many other models. At least this one is upgradable, even if getting access to it requires a good hour of open heart surgery.
Excellent video - well lit, and well explained. I used it to remove a bad power supply. Thank you for taking the time to make thjs, it was extremely helpful. I looked at several similar videos, and yours was the best.
Thanks for the video, it's been a while since I've done any upgrades on Macs. I'm a PC person primarily, but I've done Macs when I worked field service, but I've slept a few times since then, so I needed an update. This is owned by a lady from my church, she isn't very knowledgeable about computers, so I didn't even know this was an iMac until I got it home and removed it from the box. Evedentally, there is someone in her family that used to do this kind of work for her family, but has declining vision and is no longer able to do the work, but she sent a box with all the tools and parts for the upgrade, so she definitely knows what she's doing. I'm going to use a USB hard drive for the bootable version of MacOS, before I do the upgrade. Thanks again for the video.
Brother.. This video helped me crush it today! 💪 Bless you! 🙏 Perfect video! Filmed and Edited perfect! 💯 Thank you
5:36 failed to mention the power button cable should be removed from the groove before attempting to remove the speaker. the speaker moves pretty easily once the power button cable is removed from the groove, but I accidentally broke it and had to take a detour from this video to learn how to repair this. Long story short the power button has a strong adhesive that will require heat gun to remove. After the power button assembly is removed, the assembly can be opened up and the cables can be rewired or in my case i soldered them together and then carefully closed up the assembly and kinda reset the power button back into the hole, but it doesn't sit flush with the metal anymore
Thanks for posting. This was very useful!
THANK YOU BROTHER! 🙏🙏 I've got this exact same iMac in my workshop right now and your tutorial really helped me. Thank you 🙏 LIKED & SUBBED
You are one classy man for subscribing.
I did this myself today and it was okayish, everything worked after finishing it.
However this was nerve wrecking, these connectors are so tricky and some screws were not that easy too. However, I failed to perfectly align the screen in the end, it is minimally out of center. The screen is the most enervating part. But .. I am quite happy that I saved 700€ on my RAM upgrade and 400€ for the ssd in comparison to buying more RAM or storage from Apple back then.
I’m pumped to do this here in a couple weeks! I have everything ordered! For right around 180$ much cheaper than a new one. Should be able to get a couple more years out of it!
please update us when you finish.
Thank you for this, it was very helpful. I was worried that only doing the SSD upgrade wouldn't be enough to have good performance but I was wrong. I left the 8GB of RAM my iMac came with alone as I didn't want to deal with all of the additional dismantling of the computer to access the RAM. I even saw another video where the guy digs all the way in further to upgrade the the CPU to a newer processor.....no thanks. Anyway, just the SSD upgrade was plenty to make this Mac plenty usable for typical run of the mill daily activities (email, web browsing, RUclips video viewing, etc). Can't speak for more resource intensive applications......but this is just the desktop my mom uses for her normal stuff. SSD made a night and day difference, to the point that I can't believe Apple let these things leave the factory with the P.O.S. HDD that comes OEM in them. All in this was about a 1 hour job start to finish for me.
Thank you
Thanks. This video has convinced me to pay an expert to upgrade the HDD to an SSD, before I smash the glass somehow. I was all onboard until you got out the heat gun, suckers and specialist prising tool.
What the heck is wrong with screwing electronics together?
This looks awesome! I am going to do it. Thank you so much for sharing how you did it. BTW, are you wearing any special gloves or static protection wrist straps? How do you avoid static electricity? I'm a noob, thanks!
I have a 2019 21.5" iMac Fusion + HDD. Does that make it any more challenging do you know ?
Solid video btw, very well explained and executed.
Thanks for this video!
Luckly i think i have an m.2 ssd ready to use now i just need some ram lol
Despite many screws, it is really easy compared to the MBP.
i was wondering why not see if the main chip needs thermal paste renewing cos it goes hard or is it they don't use thermal paste just wondering
Thanks for the excellent video. It is crazy to do all that to renew the HD. It is clearly visible when you remove the screen. I hope Apple makes things easier in the future.
they will never do that make it easy for us
it's never been easy before, it'll never be easy in the future. they want to be the exclusive repair/upgrade path.
Great video ! Went to install Ventura and got stuck in a boot loop . I eventually had to boot and load Monterey . I am using a OWC mercury ssd.. do you think this is the reason I can not update to Ventura ?
When installing the SSD, is the heat sensor from OWC not needed?
The best
i have the same imac issue can i install nvme ssd in PCI port
Hi! Good morning! May I ask if I can do the same upgrade like what you did this with my IMac 2015? I’ll patiently wait for your response. Thank you!
Hi how much you charge for replacement memory and hard drive, thanks great video.
Great vid. - thanks for doing this - sooo helpful. Wouldn't you test the repair before removing the adhesive film and pressing the screen onto it?
Yes, Definitely a good idea to test before you seal the adhesive. Also recommend the computer face down on a towel or blanket on a hard surface for a few hours for it to really bond well. It bonds fine without doing that but having pressure for a few hours ensures that the adhesive won't separate.
Hi thanks for the video. Just quick question. Thinking of buying a second hand iMac with 32g memory i7, DDR. Should that be fast enough? Ill just be using for some light music and photo editing ? Thanks
Just curious, why not migrate from a back up? such as Time Machine?
Hi I came across your video cause I'm planning to do the same to my iMac but on the OWC website they have an adapter cable that you plug your new drive then you plug it into your motherboard which gives you a lead as a temperature sensor, apparently without it the internal fans will spin full speed. Did you come across this issue? Cause I did not see you putting the adapter in.
I have 21.9 inch 2019
How ram ican upgrade
So what if I already have Ventura?
How long you wait to turn on the imac again after you bond the LCD display?
Will it run Sonoma with out problem? Thinking on upgrading ram and ssd instead of buy a new MAC. My imac is so slow running Big Sur
- iMac from this era still have upgradable ram door on the back but only for 27 inch models its a tally been this way since 2012
- you should never use non ESD safe blower to get brush out, it should be a ESD safe vacuum instead, adding to that never letting the fan it spin freely when blowing air as this will damage the motor,
- allowing the metal from the airport antennas touch under the logic board can damage it to.
- If an iMac has been power off and unplugged for 24 hours then you do not have to worried about being shocked from the power supply
- Otherwise great video.
With your standard ssd installation you are still limiting the true speed these machines can run at. When I upgrade the 2019 21" iMacs I usually replace or install an nvme as the main drive (samsung evo's) and use the standard 2.5 ssd as additional storage with 32 gigs of Crucial ddr4 3200mhz ram which is backward compatible to 2667Mmhz. Once done you have a beast of a machine. Good job on your part. Your neighbor will definetly see a performace boost. Will have a useable machine for a couple years.
Great tips. Thanks for sharing.
you can't install a nvme pci harddrive with a 2019 iMac that came with a Sata harddrive, only if you got an SSD or Fusion Harddrive to begin with. this is the best update you can get if you're using the cheapest 2019 iMac, as it doesn't have a PCI port.
@@r.w.7768Exactly.
Can you share the exact sku of the ram you chose please?
If there is no internal PCIe Slot (shame on Apple) , there is another external workaround. Today you can get a TB3/4 enclosure for a reasonable price. Speeds around 2400-2800Mbit/s. depending on your Mac Modell and TB ports, you can also add a cheaper USB3.2Gen2(!) enclosure. Speed around 900Mbit/sec, which feels like a newer FusionDrive.
Can you come over to Hawaii and do this for me? LOL
Does the hard drive and ram still work good ? I am about to do it but I am reading some mixed reviews about that ssd falling after few months? Thanks
You can completely skip the process of using a USB boot drive, downloading Mac OS, using the terminal, etc., by using the Mac's built-in recovery mode. Hold down Command-Option-R while booting, it'll boot directly into the Recovery environment, and automatically download and install the most recent version of Mac OS supported by that computer.
So the recovery mode "software" it's integrated in the motherboard regardless of the hard drive ? I was wondering about that too....
question why not install a LEVEN 1TB Mac Upgrade NVMe SSD PCIe Gen3x4 Compatible with Apple MacBook Air (2013-2017) & Pro (2013-2015), Mac Mini (2013) & Pro (2014), iMac (2013-2019), Since you are already inside the iMac, food for though, Great Info. Well Done. PS holding in the power button for 10 sec will discharge all power in the unit.
Excellent tips. Thanks for watching.
Instead two 8 GB ram cards, can I use to 16 GB cards?
Why didn't you install an M.2?
So, if I don't need to update the RAM, and I only need to upgrade the HD, this is only 1/10 th of the effort you are doing on this video, correct? Once the screen is off, I have access to the HD, correct? I have a 27", 2019 iMac with a Fusion Drive. I want to replace with an SSD. So glass off, pull old HD, replace with SSD, and close back up? Does that sound right?
Yes, that's correct. Much easier to only upgrade to an SSD. I also could have upgraded to an M.2 drive which is located near CPU, opposite of the RAM, but it is much more difficult to do compared to just upgrading to a regular SSD.
With my MacBook Pro 2012 (non-Retina), I did quite some tasks of upgrading on my own such as upgrading the storage and the RAM and replacing the optical drive with a second storage slot.
However, this screen removement when upgrading an iMac really scares me. I've got exactly this 2019 21,5 4K model with i3 and 8 GB of RAM which I would really like to upgrade, but as the prices for newer Macs have drastically increased, I will think more than twice if I really touch this screen. Fortunately, there is already a SSD in it because I got it relatively cheap with an HDD and just let a company build this SSD into it. Not sure how much of a benefit 16 or 32 GB of RAM would actually be on top of that.
Love that 2012 MacBook Pro model - mine is still working after all these years tho it’s finally gonna into semi retirement. Honestly if you have ever had to replace the keyboard on the old MacBook 2012, this installation won’t be problematic for you. The screen is not as delicate as the 2013 MacBook Pro retinas were, I have had to take mine off twice and didn’t have any issues. Just make sure you use a heat gun it makes the whole process MUCH easier and less risky (softening the adhesive is key to not having to be too rough with it to get it off). In fact I would say your concern about cracking the screen is really only a concern IF you aren’t using a heat gun, which I have seen some people in other tutorials do. THAT to me feels too risky. But if you use the heat gun carefully (go slow, better to build up to the right amount, you will feel it and know exactly when it’s the right amount because suddenly the pizza wheel spinner thing will go through it like a hot knife through butter.
(Actually that’s the other big recommendation is getting as part of one of the adhesive kits the little spinny wheel dealt which is only long enough so that it cuts through the adhesive without cutting in too deep. The radius of the wheel is measured perfectly to ensure you can’t cut too deep in.
So yeah… TL;DR heat gun + plastic cutting wheel specifically in kit for this iMac model = you can do this no problem.
Question, if i sont really care about transferring data over to the new ssd since all i got on it is Ultimaker cura, nothing important, should i go ahead and not bother transferring data and start clean or would i have to download the OS to it? Asking since im planning on upgrading to ssd and not the RAM yet?
You will need to format MacOS to the SSD if this will be your primary boot disk so the computer knows how to start MacOS, but you dont have to transfer files over. I recommend not doing an iCloud or Time Machine backup. Instead, do a clean MacOS install and buy the $15 SATA cable dock which allows you to manually drag and drop the files from your old hard drive to the new SSD.
Would a hair dryer also work to safely loosen the adhesive?
Yes, many hair dryers get hot enough that you could just warm up the adhesive with that and disconnect the screen. It does take longer so may need some patience too.
9:05 Shouldn't you keep the fan from spinning?
only if its still connected to the motherboard
I wish you were my neighbor....
For sure, I'm his other neighbor and he just swapped out the transmission on my 2012 Honda Civic.
i have question. could imac 2019 21.5inch 1hdd model(not fusion drive and ssd model) upgrade hdd to ssd? some people said only fusion and ssd model can be upgraded
Yes you can , in this video was only hdd , not fusion...I am pretty sure.
@@TheAtheosForem thank u. i had installed it. you right
Okay, if you watch my upgrade for the iMac 4K Retina from 2019, I've installed a new i9 CPU to replace the i5 it came with... along with 64GB instead of 8GB of RAM.
There was only 256GB of storage so I upgraded to about 2TB. I'm not expert, but I did push the computer a lot further.
I've dropped the link to this video of yours under mine in case someone wants an actual explanation.
Can’t find your vid
you didnt fixfusion so the drive is just an external drive not a contiguous
not my iMac 2019 19.1 which has a PCIe SSD drive, currently at 2TB and i want to put in a 4TB but not sure anyone makes a compatible one (OWC does not). I do not have the fusion drive which also contains a SSD SATA like in this video.
Can I use usb 2.0?
Yes, but 3.0 is significantly faster for transferring data. USB 2.0 caps at 480 Mbps but 3.0 transfers at 5 Gbps, making it 10x faster.
feel like taking the entire engine and the seats of the car to replace 1 rear brake light bulb that died.. makes no sense
lol yep. I think they made it harder to get people to buy new ones.
amazing that they sell these things that are literally taped together, the apple cult leaders sure are good at herding sheep
At first you say you want to help your neighbors by upgrading their Mac then throughout the video you refer to the Mac as yours? And finally transfer all your photos and files? 🤔
I can see how worry is equivalent to lack of trust in God. Can someone help me find where in the Bible ‘worry’ equates or hints to ‘worshiping’ the devil?
I think his idea makes sense and I understand ‘we’ could say it equates to worship… but I don’t know if the Bible equates it to worship.
Appreciate anyone willing to help me deepen my understanding! I want to follow Christ and if I’m not understanding, I want to fix that.
This has to be the dumbest design for a computer where you have to completely strip it down to replace the ram...like wtf😂
yep.
Believe it or not it could be worse. Apple frequently just solders in the components directly to the mother board in many other models. At least this one is upgradable, even if getting access to it requires a good hour of open heart surgery.