iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 3068 Repair

Author: Adam O'Camb (and 3 other contributors)

Create a Guide

I Have This

Guides

Replacement Guides

Adhesive Strips

Airport/Bluetooth Card

Display

FaceTime Camera Assembly

FaceTime Camera Cable

Fan

Hard Drive

Heat Sink

Left Speaker

Logic Board

PRAM Battery

Power Supply

RAM

Tools

These are some common tools used to work on this device. You might not need every tool for every procedure.

Models

A1418 non 4K Mid 2017 iMac18,1 2.3 GHz

The iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 3068 was released in June 2017 as a lower-spec alternative to the 4K Retina Display iMac from the same year. The budget (comparatively) model comes with a 1080p display and an Intel i5 series processor. It has USB-A ports and Thunderbolt ports on the back for a variety of input options. You can identify this machine by looking under the stand for the model number “A1418” and the EMC number “3068.” The model number was shared by multiple iMacs, but the EMC number is unique to this version. If you open the System Information application in macOS, the computer will also be identified as the “iMac 18,1.”

At purchase, this iMac can be configured with 8 GB or 16 GB of memory. Surprisingly, this memory is not soldered to the logic board, but is actually upgradeable to a maximum of 32 GB. Unfortunately, Apple did not make it easy to get into the machine, and opening the chassis requires cutting adhesive around the screen. They also did not cover the power supply inside, so handling this component can potentially be dangerous. There is a guide for this procedure, however, which shows how to remove the power supply without exposing yourself to shock.

The computer also comes with a 2.5-inch hard drive or fusion drive inside. This component can be replaced, but again it requires removing the display. If you’re up to the task, however, replacing the hard drive with a faster SSD is one of the best speed-increases you can provide for this machine. Interestingly, this iMac was available at purchase with an SSD built-in, but in this case the SSD actually uses a PCIe slot in the computer. Only the models that shipped from the factory with an SSD have this extra-fast slot inside.

Processor

Intel Core i5-7360U
2.3 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz
Two cores, 4 threads

Memory

8 GB or 16 GB at sale (upgradeable to 32 GB)
Two slots
2133 MHz DDR4

Storage

Hard drive models:
- 1 TB hard drive (5400 rpm)
- or 1 TB fusion drive
- SATA interface
- 2.5-inch form factor (7 mm thickness)
SSD models:
- 256 GB SSD
- PCIe interface

Graphics