Note: Before attempting to perform this installation, please watch the install video below to determine your ability to perform this complex upgrade. If you need an upgrade kit with tools, you can purchase the OWC Internal HDD DIY Kit. Using an OWC Internal HDD DIY Kit (sold separately), replace your iMac's original hard drive with up to an 8.0TB hard drive or a lighting fast SSD with a NewerTech Adaptadrive, for dramatic upgrades in storage capacity or data speed while maintaining the original system's fan and diagnostic performance. This innovative device is designed specifically for the iMac, requires no software hacks and ensures compatibility with Apple's built-in diagnostic processes. A convenient, plug-and-play cable, the In-line Digital Thermal Sensor eliminates fan noise and maintains proper system fan control through the iMac's System Management Controller. OWC's in-line solution is the only hardware digital thermal sensor on the market allowing a third-party SATA drive to be installed in your iMac.

Engineered in-house and backed by OWC's award-winning customer support.

Fixes firmware incompatibility issues with third-party hard drives.

The only iMac HDD upgrade option on the market certified to pass the Apple Hardware Test.

Eliminate fan noise and maintain correct system fan control when upgrading your 2012 or later iMac.

Required for any drive installed into the main drive bay.

You can attach the external SSD to the iMac's 'arm' with a piece of velcro, and it will be out-of-the-way.OWC In-line Digital Thermal Sensor for 27-inch iMac (Late 2012 - 2019) The external SSD should have the OS, your applications, and your accounts (less the large libraries see above).Īll you need to do is to take the right steps in the proper order. If you have lots of pictures, movies and music, you can leave these libraries on the internal drive. What you do depends on how much 'stuff' is on the internal, and whether the external SSD can hold it all (there should always be at least 10-15gb of free space left on the SSD).

use CarbonCop圜loner to 'clone over' the internal to the external. Then - either install a clean copy of OS X and 'migrate' from the internal, or

Get the 480gb size if you can afford it, or else the 240gb should do fine. It can probably be re-initialized (erased) and used for storage once you get up-and-running with an external SSD. I'm going to guess that your internal hard drive (which is almost certainly a platter-based 'spinning' drive) has become somewhat fragmented and slow over time.

Imac 2012 replace hard drive