Slow 2011 imac

[kevdawg86]

Ok. Sounds like a plan. Thank you all for the help.

 

[robertk328]

Ok. Sounds like a plan. Thank you all for the help.

Good luck! If the videos looked easy, you should have no trouble. I just watched one on YouTube and a few things I'd suggest:

1. Keep track of screws in order of how you take them out. Reverse the order to put them in.
2. Wear cotton gloves to keep from touching the screen once you've removed the glass.

I think the screen is going to be your most hair-raising part. Looks easier than the new ones (that are glued down vs. held in with magnets). If you don't have any of the tools (torx drivers), I'd at least get the tools from OWC and either one of their drives or a Samsung EVO which is what I got. Whatever you think is the best, but you're not limited to the OWC drives.

Also, having a way to watch the video while you go along (iPad, iPhone, etc.) will help.

Good luck, and let us know how it went when you're done!

 

[robertk328]

One other thing! Not sure if it's an issue on the iMac or not, but in putting my Mini back together I evidently didn't connect the fan well enough and I got close to overheating. The computer started acting weird after a bit, and the case felt hot. Shut it down to cool and took it apart again to check the fan, which wasn't connected.

I installed smcFanControl to keep an eye on it, and when installed it showed the fan was operating just fine.

You can download at: https://www.eidac.de/

 

[kevdawg86]

Good luck! If the videos looked easy, you should have no trouble. I just watched one on YouTube and a few things I'd suggest:

1. Keep track of screws in order of how you take them out. Reverse the order to put them in.
2. Wear cotton gloves to keep from touching the screen once you've removed the glass.

I think the screen is going to be your most hair-raising part. Looks easier than the new ones (that are glued down vs. held in with magnets). If you don't have any of the tools (torx drivers), I'd at least get the tools from OWC and either one of their drives or a Samsung EVO which is what I got. Whatever you think is the best, but you're not limited to the OWC drives.

Also, having a way to watch the video while you go along (iPad, iPhone, etc.) will help.

Good luck, and let us know how it went when you're done!

So do you recommend cotton gloves over rubber gloves?

 

[anon(9602380)]

I agree with everyone else. Drop an SSD in it.
The internal HD that comes with it is 5400 rpm. Very slow and just get worse over time.
Be careful if you plan to do it yourself. Go slow, use a ground strap.
A static free mat wouldn't be a bad idea.
OWC is awesome. I have bought from them many times. Great customer support too.

They are 7200 platters in the 2011. They went to the 5400 with the fusion drive in late 2012.

 

[kevdawg86]

I agree with everyone else. Drop an SSD in it.
The internal HD that comes with it is 5400 rpm. Very slow and just get worse over time.
Be careful if you plan to do it yourself. Go slow, use a ground strap.
A static free mat wouldn't be a bad idea.
OWC is awesome. I have bought from them many times. Great customer support too.

Where do you recommend attaching the clip to stay grounded? I was reading online and a few people said the ground peg of the iMac plug. Is this what you'd recommend?

 

[robertk328]

So do you recommend cotton gloves over rubber gloves?

I actually thought about that, because rubber gloves might help with grip on the side when you move it. However I don't know how the rubber would do on the glass (probably ok) but I do know cotton gloves were what we wore back in the day with sensitive film negatives, slides, etc., to keep fingerprints off of them when handling.

 

[robertk328]

Almost forgot!

You'll need a way to get the old drive data to the new one. If you're using a Time Machine backup, this will be simple. If not, you'll want a drive caddy for the old drive. You can clone the drive to the new one before installing. Or boot from the old drive (connected externally in the caddy) and clone it over then. OWC sells those, too.

 

[labcabin]

I have the 2011 iMac, and know how you feel. Adding an internal SSD is a great idea, but I didn't wanna risk the screen or messing with the internals, so I used a different solution. Im using a 256GB Lacie Rugged Thunderbolt SSD external drive connected to a Thunderbolt port. I installed a new image of the latest build, el capitan, and it runs like butta. No taking off the screen, and you still have the 1tb internal which you can access the data from. The internal Drive I have a Bootcamp partition and a mac partition for data storage. Good luck.

 

[timelady]

I have the 2011 iMac, and know how you feel. Adding an internal SSD is a great idea, but I didn't wanna risk the screen or messing with the internals, so I used a different solution. Im using a 256GB Lacie Rugged Thunderbolt SSD external drive connected to a Thunderbolt port. I installed a new image of the latest build, el capitan, and it runs like butta. No taking off the screen, and you still have the 1tb internal which you can access the data from. The internal Drive I have a Bootcamp partition and a mac partition for data storage. Good luck.

Huh. I may try that first. Thanks, I've just made the decision to out he grunt in what is still a magic desktop device, just slowed. I was going to take out the HDD and put it where the DVD drive is as a secondary storage. I am assuming you went into rescue mode and just changed the boot order? Any gotchas you can point to?

 

[robertk328]

Huh. I may try that first. Thanks, I've just made the decision to out he grunt in what is still a magic desktop device, just slowed. I was going to take out the HDD and put it where the DVD drive is as a secondary storage. I am assuming you went into rescue mode and just changed the boot order? Any gotchas you can point to?

Here's how to choose a start up:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204417

Going external may be a good option. I didn't do it because I wasn't worried about a screen (Mac Mini) and I already use the Thunderbolt for a second monitor. So I had no choice.

I don't think the Thunderbolt is as fast as internal but I'd have to look up the numbers. Should be close if it isn't. And still leaps and bounds above the internal.

 

[kevdawg86]

Almost forgot!

You'll need a way to get the old drive data to the new one. If you're using a Time Machine backup, this will be simple. If not, you'll want a drive caddy for the old drive. You can clone the drive to the new one before installing. Or boot from the old drive (connected externally in the caddy) and clone it over then. OWC sells those, too.

Yeah I just started running time machine a couple weeks ago to an external hard drive just in case. In that case I can just use that correct?

 

[anon(9602380)]

I have the 2011 iMac, and know how you feel. Adding an internal SSD is a great idea, but I didn't wanna risk the screen or messing with the internals, so I used a different solution. Im using a 256GB Lacie Rugged Thunderbolt SSD external drive connected to a Thunderbolt port. I installed a new image of the latest build, el capitan, and it runs like butta. No taking off the screen, and you still have the 1tb internal which you can access the data from. The internal Drive I have a Bootcamp partition and a mac partition for data storage. Good luck.

I made this same suggestion in another thread for someone wanting to change their hard drive in a late 2012 iMac, which is by far a lot harder to do than on earlier models. Awesome suggestion by the way.

 

[MaxSmarties]

I have the 2011 iMac, and know how you feel. Adding an internal SSD is a great idea, but I didn't wanna risk the screen or messing with the internals, so I used a different solution. Im using a 256GB Lacie Rugged Thunderbolt SSD external drive connected to a Thunderbolt port. I installed a new image of the latest build, el capitan, and it runs like butta. No taking off the screen, and you still have the 1tb internal which you can access the data from. The internal Drive I have a Bootcamp partition and a mac partition for data storage. Good luck.

what about performance ? I don't have very good experiences about external storage

 

[Richard Schembri]

Hi.

I was having the same problem so I fitted a Silicon Power T11 Thunderbolt SSD, I now boot from this.
My iMac now boots up in around 10 seconds.

 

[robertk328]

what about performance ? I don't have very good experiences about external storage

For a device that age you should use thunderbolt not USB.

 

[MaxSmarties]

For a device that age you should use thunderbolt not USB.

Even with TB, I found performance to be much worse than internal storage.

 

[kevdawg86]

I think I'm leaning towards an internal drive. I really don't want to invest in an external and have an issue with the internal HDD and have to invest more.

 

[maflynn]

I have the 2011 iMac, and know how you feel. Adding an internal SSD is a great idea, but I didn't wanna risk the screen or messing with the internals,

What about finding an apple authorized shop to do the work, I don't mean an apple store because they may not be keen on the idea, but a third party place may - provided they're experienced with Apple.

I'm kicking around the idea of upgrading my iMac's storage when the time comes. Its virtually brand new and I'm really happy wiht the 2TB Fusion drive, but I figure after 3 years, the cost of higher capacity SSDs may make it worthwhile.

Personally, I doubt if I'll try this myself, so it would have to be someone who does it for a living.

 

[robertk328]

I think I'm leaning towards an internal drive. I really don't want to invest in an external and have an issue with the internal HDD and have to invest more.

On a model that makes this relatively easy, I think it's the right call.