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Upgrading an iMac

TangoJuliet

TangoJuliet

Diamond Member
So how hard is it to upgrade a hard drive and RAM in a new iMac? I'm going to buy one in Jan and want to upgrade the 500GB/2GB to a 750GB/4GB or so. I dont feel like paying apple $850 extra when I can do it for much cheaper myself (if at all possible).
 
Ram is easy (one screw); the hard drive requires a lot more effort and voids the warranty. $159.99 for 4 Gigs here:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item...omputing/53IM2DDR4GBK/

Here's a video, just fast forward to the part where he puts it in:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glki-cEICpo

Couldn't be easier. I would recommend testing the ram over night using Rember (a free memory testing program) to make sure it's good:

http://www.kelleycomputing.net:16080/rember/

1TB drives are well under $400 now and I've seen them under $300 lately. Here's a deal on a WD 1TB drive for just $279.99:

http://www.compuplus.com/i-WD-...ml?sid=i1504p50j7sj84q

So let's see...you save $690 from Apple on the ram and $270 from Apple on the hard drive for a total savings of $960. So you save almost $1,000 if you can use a screwdriver. DIY FTW 😀
 
Originally posted by: Kaido
Ram is easy (one screw); the hard drive requires a lot more effort and voids the warranty. $159.99 for 4 Gigs here:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item...omputing/53IM2DDR4GBK/

Here's a video, just fast forward to the part where he puts it in:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glki-cEICpo

Couldn't be easier. I would recommend testing the ram over night using Rember (a free memory testing program) to make sure it's good:

http://www.kelleycomputing.net:16080/rember/

1TB drives are well under $400 now and I've seen them under $300 lately. Here's a deal on a WD 1TB drive for just $279.99:

http://www.compuplus.com/i-WD-...ml?sid=i1504p50j7sj84q

So let's see...you save $690 from Apple on the ram and $270 from Apple on the hard drive for a total savings of $960. So you save almost $1,000 if you can use a screwdriver. DIY FTW 😀
Click to expand...

wow, cool. thanks for all of that. on the part where it will void my warranty....why? how would they know if I upgraded the parts (if I kept the originals)? is there a seal that breaks so they can tell?

i planned on getting the extended apple care but not if they are going to void the warranty if I upgrade.
 
Originally posted by: alkohoLiK
Originally posted by: Kaido
Ram is easy (one screw); the hard drive requires a lot more effort and voids the warranty. $159.99 for 4 Gigs here:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item...omputing/53IM2DDR4GBK/

Here's a video, just fast forward to the part where he puts it in:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glki-cEICpo

Couldn't be easier. I would recommend testing the ram over night using Rember (a free memory testing program) to make sure it's good:

http://www.kelleycomputing.net:16080/rember/

1TB drives are well under $400 now and I've seen them under $300 lately. Here's a deal on a WD 1TB drive for just $279.99:

http://www.compuplus.com/i-WD-...ml?sid=i1504p50j7sj84q

So let's see...you save $690 from Apple on the ram and $270 from Apple on the hard drive for a total savings of $960. So you save almost $1,000 if you can use a screwdriver. DIY FTW 😀
Click to expand...

wow, cool. thanks for all of that. on the part where it will void my warranty....why? how would they know if I upgraded the parts (if I kept the originals)? is there a seal that breaks so they can tell?

i planned on getting the extended apple care but not if they are going to void the warranty if I upgrade.
Click to expand...

I haven't seen a hard drive upgrade video or picture set for the new iMac yet, so I don't know. I would assume that if you are careful you should be fine. I've heard mixed things on end-user upgrades...Apple of course prefers to sell it to you themselves, pre-installed, to make money. I read somewhere once that the FCC or something said that all basic parts (HDD, RAM, etc.) must be user-upgradable. Apple reps have said just be careful and if you return it swap back in the old part. I don't know the exact state of things and Apple's website is very unclear on the matter.
 
It does void warranty
and the ram will if its not apple branded... which is normaly 10 - 15$ more then normal ram...
 
There are guides on Apple's website for replacing the hard drive and RAM in the iMacs. If there are guides (labelled Do It Yourself BTW) then why would it void the warranty?
 
Originally posted by: TheStu
There are guides on Apple's website for replacing the hard drive and RAM in the iMacs. If there are guides (labelled Do It Yourself BTW) then why would it void the warranty?
Click to expand...

the ram I know doesn't void warranty... but... where is the guide for hard drive replacement on apple's site?
 
I found one for the old G5, so it is possible that the new iMac doesn't have one. I suppose i spoke in haste, but still, the G5 didn't look to be that much easier to open than the new Al-Intel one, so it would be strange if they had changed their stance.
 
The new Intel slim iMac is significantly more difficult to open. Where as the old G5 and Intel machines you loosened three screws at the bottom of the chin and the back cover came off giving you pretty easy access to everything, the new one requires you to remove the glass on top of the lcd screen and then remove the lcd screen.
 
yeah, i totally agree with you.You are absolutely right and on the spot.The older version was quiet easy to open but the newer ones are hard to open.It always takes some effort.
 
Not sure if this has any truth to it:

"It has come to my attention that Apple CANNOT void your warranty by replacing a user serviceable part such as the HD due to an FCC regulation. If we couldn?t replace the HD ourselves the manual would say ?no user serviceable parts inside?." - http://home.comcast.net/~woojo.../iMac_Disassembly.html

I have taken the original intel iMac apart (most of the way) and I will say its a PITA. The new ones seem to been even harder. Who cares about how thin the dam thing is? its a stand up all in one! Now the iMac G5's they are easy as pie to get at the insides.
 
since it seems that doing it myself is going to be a PITA I might just bite the bullet and get the 1TB drive from apple.

however, what about the RAM? Do I have to open up the whole thing or is it a simple remove a couple screws and such.
 
Originally posted by: alkohoLiK
since it seems that doing it myself is going to be a PITA I might just bite the bullet and get the 1TB drive from apple.

however, what about the RAM? Do I have to open up the whole thing or is it a simple remove a couple screws and such.
Click to expand...

ram has gotten simpler to upgrade. no problems there.


As for the white intel imacs... no screen removal needed??? if that's the case.. I might have to upgrade... heh
 
yeah, Ram is easy to change or upgrade.Just one screw for that but Hard disk is little difficulty to change.i do not know about the new "iMacs".
 
I think you can book OS X from an external firewire drive, so might be safer / smarter to get a large, fast external firewire hard drive, and then install OS X on it and there should be some setting to tell OS X to boot from the firewire drive.
 
yeah, thats a great idea.yes,it would be safe as well as a smart thing.Thanks for that,what you have written in your post.
 
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