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I'm interested in getting a 27" iMac, but I want to install my own SSD - and I'm dreading the whole process of having to saw through the sticky tape to get into it.
Has anybody seen a posted teardown of of the 27" late 2012 iMac? Is it much different than the 21"? Will it hold two drives?
Thanks.
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You can do it if you are really into it and careful enough. Get some adhesive tape before daring it. The first teardown work is here: http://www.iclarified.com/26218/first-te....
Be careful, the teardown is not as elaborative as we see here with iFixit. You need to get some ideas from New iMac 21.5-inch iFixit tear down. It's here: iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2544 Teardown
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I hope it will help. If you liked it, please rate it and mark as accepted. Thanks. ''
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I really won't suggest it for the time being as the 21" already proved to be a pain in the A**.
Here's my solution which is working great for me, it's cheaper and MUCH safer for now.
iMac 27" 2012, 3.4GHz i7 Quad Core Processor, 16GB RAM, 3TB Internal HD.
I connected a SanDisk Extreme SSD 240GB to the sata connector of a Seagate GoFlex Desk 3.5" Thunderbolt Adapter (STAE122). I have over 260MB/s writing speeds and over 370MB/s in reading speeds. Fast is an understatement but not too happy as I could achieve much faster speeds. I have a funny feeling the culprit (bottleneck) is the STAE122 as it more likely has a SATA II connector instead of a SATA III. Nevertheless, it's a perfectly fine setup for me and lightning fast.
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The original forum post has quite a bit of additional information about poking around inside the new 27" iMac. Bottom line: I'll wait 6 months or so for iFixit or OWC to start carrying "upgrade kits" with the proper replacement tape & entry tools.
The 27" iMac holds one 3.5" drive (unlike the 21", which uses a 2.5" drive), and one "blade" SSD like the new MacBook Pros use. Unlike the new 21" iMac, you can upgrade the RAM on the 27" w/o cutting the machine open (there's an access hatch on the back).
Replacing the disk requires cutting open the display and removing the left speaker. You'll need a proper mounting bracket (e.g., an Icy Dock) to mount a 2.5" SSD in place of the 3.5" drive. Adding/replacing the blade SSD requires pulling out the main logic board.
Creating huge access headaches just to make the edges a 1/4" thinner is just insane.
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Update: I'm disgusted enough with glued-shut computers that I opted to by a Mac Pro (trashcan) instead of the iMac. At least it opens without destroying the fasteners!
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UPDATE: IFIXIT has posted quite a few guides now review these: iMac Intel 27" EMC 2546 Repair
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