Introduction
This guide details removing the logic board in a 2017 iMac 4K in order to upgrade the RAM and the SATA hard drive (for example, if you purchased the Max Your Mac kit).
Some images in this guide were taken from the 2015 model, which has some small visual differences.
If you are replacing/upgrading your hard drive, be sure to clone your existing hard drive onto the replacement drive prior to performing this upgrade to keep your files and operating system in place.
This guide is marked "potentially dangerous" because it requires you to handle a power supply that contains large capacitors. Unplug the iMac and hold the power button down for at least 10 seconds to help discharge the capacitors. Handle the board by the edges and do not touch surface components.
What you need
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Tool used on this step:iMac Intel 21.5" Cardboard Service Wedge$4.99
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Before beginning any work on your iMac: Unplug the computer and press and hold the power button for ten seconds to discharge the power supply's capacitors.
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Tool used on this step:Plastic Cards$2.99
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Starting from the top right corner of the iMac, wedge a plastic card between the display and frame.
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Hold the display with one hand while using your other hand to unplug the display power cable.
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Remove the following five Phillips screws holding the lower support bracket in place:
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Four 3.2 mm screws
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One 1.7 mm screw
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Remove the following T10 Torx screws securing the hard drive brackets to the iMac:
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Two 21 mm screws
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One 9 mm screw
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One 27 mm screw
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Use the tip of a spudger to push each side of the power button cable connector and gently walk it out of its socket.
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Gently pull the fan cable connector straight away from its socket on the logic board.
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Lift the hard drive from the edge nearest the logic board and pull it slightly out of its recess.
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Peel the rubber bumper off one side of the hard drive.
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Repeat for the other side.
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Remove the 7.3 mm T8 Torx screw securing the hard drive tray to the rear enclosure.
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Gently pull the right speaker cable connector straight down and out of its socket on the logic board.
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Flip the latch on the microphone ZIF connector and pull the cable out of its socket on the logic board.
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To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
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5 Comments
Be very careful. I also replaced my fusion drive with a 2T SSD and maxed the ram to 32gb but somehow I screwed up the microphone. I had to pay Apple 520.00 to fix it because they had to replace the whole back cover. Took about a week to get it back from Apple. Good luck!
Frank, along the bottom right hand side of the aluminum case where the screen slots in there are three small holes. Make sure the adhesive doesn't cover those as it is the microphone. To do this, I laid the screen adhesive, and then cut a section out over those holes.
successful upgrade my iMac to 2 TB SSD and 32gb RAM with no complications. Thank for this useful guide
Hats off team!! Really nice and helpful guide.
Done and worked on an iMac Retina 4K 2017. Upgraded SSD Crucial 2Tb MX500 + 2 x 16Gb RAM. Finished and working!!
100% satisfied with the improvement.
Please take your time and read ALL users comments. They have experienced issues that you can avoid. Use adhesive tape to fix some connectors, be careful when removing the display and check everyting works before setting the new adhesives.
Time 1h 47m. Most time consuming and delicated parts - Removing screen and adhesive and finally setting the new adhesives and fitting the screen.