Installing iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Heat Sink

  • Add Note x

Replacing the heat sink in your iMac will keep your processor cool and happy.

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Add Note Edit Step 1 — Access Door  ¶ 

  • Lay your iMac front side down on a table with the lower edge facing yourself.

  • Loosen the single Phillips screw in the center of the access door.

  • This screw is captive in the access door.

  • Remove the access door from your iMac.

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Add Note Edit Step 2 — Glass Panel  ¶ 

  • The glass panel is fixed onto the front bezel with fourteen magnets around its perimeter.

  • Stick two suction cups to opposing corners of the glass panel.

  • To attach the suction cups we sell, first position the suction cup with the movable handle parallel to the face of the glass panel. While lightly holding the suction cup against the glass, raise the movable handle until it is parallel with the other handle.

  • If your suction cups refuse to stick, try cleaning both the glass panel and the suction cup with a mild solvent.

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Add Note Edit Step 3  ¶ 

  • Gently pull the glass panel straight up off the iMac.

  • The glass panel has several positioning pins around its perimeter. To avoid shearing these pins off the glass panel, be sure to only pull straight up during removal.

  • Be meticulous about cleaning the LCD and the inside face of the glass panel before reinstallation, as any fingerprints or dust trapped inside will be annoyingly visible when the display is on.

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Add Note Edit Step 4 — Front Bezel  ¶ 

  • Remove the following 12 screws securing the front bezel to the rear case:

    • Eight 13 mm T8 Torx.

    • Four 25 mm T8 Torx.

  • On the 24" iMac Intel Model A1225, the bottom center two screws are long (26mm), four on sides (two left, two right) are medium (18mm), and the remaining 6 (four top, two bottom corners) are short (14mm).

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Add Note Edit Step 5  ¶ 

  • The front bezel is still attached to the iMac by the microphone cable.

  • Gently lift the front bezel from its top edge off the rear case.

  • Once the top edge of the front bezel has cleared the rear case, rotate the front bezel toward the stand and lift it off the rear case.

  • Rotate the front bezel away from the rest of the device and lay it above the top edge of the iMac.

  • When reinstalling the front bezel, start at the lower edge and make sure it is flush with the rear case before lowering the top edge onto the iMac.

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Add Note Edit Step 6  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the microphone cable connector, removing tape as necessary.

  • For the front bezel to sit properly, be sure to tuck the microphone cable and connector into the void next to the camera board.

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Add Note Edit Step 7 — Display Panel  ¶ 

  • Pull the LCD temperature sensor connector straight up off its socket on the logic board.

  • (located at the top of the logic board on the 24")

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Add Note Edit Step 8  ¶ 

  • Remove the two T6 Torx screws securing the display data cable to the logic board.

  • Use the attached black tab to pull the display data cable connector straight away from the logic board.

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Add Note Edit Step 9  ¶ 

  • Remove the eight T8 Torx screws securing the display panel to the rear case.

  • Lift the display panel from its left edge and rotate it toward the right edge of the iMac.

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Add Note Edit Step 10  ¶ 

  • With the display panel still lifted, disconnect the four inverter cables.

  • During reinstallation, place the four inverter cable connectors in voids between components attached to the rear panel so the display panel will sit flush on the edges of the rear case.

  • (combined into one plug in on the 24")

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Add Note Edit Step 11 — Right Speaker  ¶ 

  • Remove the single T10 Torx screw securing the right speaker to the rear case.

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Add Note Edit Step 12  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the right speaker cable connector from the audio board by pulling it straight up from its socket.

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Add Note Edit Step 13  ¶ 

  • Gently lift the right speaker out of the rear case.

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Add Note Edit Step 14 — Logic Board  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the optical drive fan connector from the audio board by pulling it straight away from its socket.

  • Pull the connector toward the top edge of your iMac.

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Add Note Edit Step 15  ¶ 

  • Gently lift the optical drive fan off the plastic posts protruding from the rear case.

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Add Note Edit Step 16  ¶ 

  • Insert the flat end of a spudger into the gap between the optical drive data cable connector and its socket.

  • Twist the spudger to separate the connector from its socket.

  • It is helpful to work from alternating sides to "walk" the connector out of its socket.

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Add Note Edit Step 17  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the microphone cable connector from the audio board by pulling it straight up from its socket.

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Add Note Edit Step 18  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the following connectors:

    • Hard drive thermal sensor cable.

    • Optical drive thermal sensor cable.

    • Hard drive fan cable.

  • When removing these connectors, it is helpful use your thumbnails to push the ears on either side of the connector toward the top of your iMac.

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Add Note Edit Step 19  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the DC-in cable by simultaneously depressing both locking arms and pulling its connector away from the socket on the logic board.

  • After both locking arms pass their retaining tabs, it is helpful to push them toward the left edge of your iMac with one hand while pulling on the body of the connector with your other hand.

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Add Note Edit Step 20  ¶ 

  • Pull the SATA data cable straight up off the logic board.

  • The SATA connector on most iMacs tends to stick in its socket on the logic board. If you are having trouble disconnecting the SATA cable, insert a metal spudger or any other thin tool into the gap between the SATA connector and its socket and twist the spudger's shaft to safely separate the two pieces.

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Add Note Edit Step 21  ¶ 

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry both antenna connectors up off the AirPort Extreme card.

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Add Note Edit Step 22  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the left speaker connector from the audio board by pulling it straight away from its socket.

  • Pull the connector parallel to the face of the audio board.

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Add Note Edit Step 23  ¶ 

  • De-route the left fan cable from the channel on the CPU fan.

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Add Note Edit Step 24  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the following connectors:

    • Ambient temperature sensor cable.

    • Power button cable.

    • CPU fan cable.

  • Pull the power button and CPU fan connectors straight up off the logic board, and pull the ambient temperature sensor cable toward the lower edge of the iMac.

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Add Note Edit Step 25  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the camera cable connector from the logic board by pulling it straight up from its socket.

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Add Note Edit Step 26  ¶ 

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the bluetooth antenna connector up off the bluetooth board.

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Add Note Edit Step 27  ¶ 

  • Use the sharp end of a spudger to peel the EMI tape off the headphone/microphone jacks.

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Add Note Edit Step 28  ¶ 

  • Remove the following screws securing the logic board to the rear case:

    • Three fine-thread T10 Torx.

    • Six coarse-thread T10 Torx.

    • One longer coarse-thread T10 Torx.

    • Two coarse-thread T8 Torx.

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Add Note Edit Step 29  ¶ 

  • Lift the logic board assembly out of the rear case, minding any cables or I/O ports that may get caught.

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Add Note Edit Step 30 — Heat Sink  ¶ 

  • Set the logic board on a cloth or a soft surface.

  • Use the sharp end of a spudger to remove the clear tape covering the heat sink bracket.

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Add Note Edit Step 31  ¶ 

  • Turn the logic board over so the copper heat sink is facing up.

  • Disconnect the heat sink temperature sensor cable by pulling it straight up from its socket.

  • Turn the logic board back over.

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Add Note Edit Step 32  ¶ 

  • Remove the following screws securing the heat sink bracket to the logic board:

    • One T10 Torx screw.

    • Six T8 Torx screws.

  • Gently lift the heat sink bracket off the logic board.

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Add Note Edit Step 33  ¶ 

  • Gently lift the logic board off the heat sink.

  • Heat sink remains.

  • If you need to mount the heat sink back into the iMac, we have a thermal paste guide that makes replacing the thermal compound easy.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

For more information, check out the iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 device page.

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