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Model A1225 / Early 2009 / 2.66, 2.93, or 3.06 GHz Core 2 Duo processor

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Upgrading the hard drive from HDD to SDD or SSHD

I have acquired a iMac 9,1 last year and i'm happy with it and thinking of upgrading the actual 640G with SSD with the following ideas but can't seem to find the right drives SATA II compatibles. I can do Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator good. I'm maxed at 8G on memory :

Idea 01 :

- Change 640g HDD to 256g SDD or 500g SSD

- Keep HDD external as a Time Machine

Idea 02 :

- Change 640g HDD to 1T SSHD

- Keep HDD external as a Time Machine

Idea 03 :

- Keep 640g HDD internal for (Data)

- Add 128 SSD (for OS and Apps) by replacing Optical Drive

I don't want to spend more than 250$ and my question which seems the most efficient way to have the iMac last longer - hoping a few more years. Also looking for some compatible drives that would do the job. Saw some complet solution (Drive - tools) at macsales.com but i'm still looking and was wondering if there were others options into shopping to these drives.

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Chosen Solution

You don't need to get Mac specific parts from macsales.com if you have a 2009, only if it were a 2011 version do you need a special hard drive cable/adapter.

Look at amazon.com for the Samsung evo SSDs, WD Blue SSDs, or the Seagate 1tb SSHDs, along with a sata to 3.5" USB enclosure. This will all cost under $250 on amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-FireCuda-...

https://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-W...

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-NAND-500GB-S...

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-...

https://www.amazon.com/ORICO-Toolfree-Ex...

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4 Comments:

Thank you.

For the SSD, they all states "SATA III (6GB/s)" yet on my iMac System report - under SATA it states "link Speed : 3GB/s". Will it definately be compatible?

I'm interested in the WD Blue.

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what brand was the original drive?

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I replace hitachi's with hitachi's, seagates with seagates, and WD with WDs on the 2010s without issues. Updating to a better model, but the same brand works. i.e. WD blue for a WD black, etc).

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Currently, it's an Hitachi 640

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Part of SWs statement is correct, your early 2009 does not need the thermal heat sensor. The 2010 and later does.

Here's are the drives that will work with your machine. What you put in depends on how much storage space you need and just how much wear that old drive has.

A 256 SSD works very well in this machine. It can also be set up as a fusion drive but with an eight year old hard drive may not be advisable. But your budget is large enough to replace that drive with just another standard drive for storage and add your SSD. With two new drive setting up a fusion drive would not scare me.

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Thank you.

I'm assuming fusion drive is the SSHD?

Although it's the best cost-saving size drive, will the iMac performed "much better" than the 640GB 7200RPM actual?

I wanna to try it because i'll save and have a bigger drive and i can always add a small SSD to the Opdtical Drive later. Will they be compatible? Won't the SSHD nand be "a bit useless" since it won't have the OS (just wondering)?

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No it is not and SSHD but a combination of a stand hard drive with an SSD. This article will give you a much better idea of the differences: https://www.macworld.co.uk/news/mac/why-...

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@mayer, actually 2010 worked fine as long as the same brand replaces the existing one. For example I just fixed 3 that had hitachi drives with ones from amazon and the thermal was fine.

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@avanteguarde Apple had three different heat sensors for the three stock drives Seagate, Hitachi and Western Digital. Those drives can be changed out with one of those brands cheaply by changing the stock sensor. All of this was the start of Apple making them unrepairable and controlling the parts market.

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Right, so keep the same brand originally in it and it is fine.

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Finally used Idea 01 cost me about 175$ for an 480 SSD and brackets to make for the difference in size. I just sticked the sensor back, works fine. 20 minutes opening and putting back the drive in. Works fine altough it's SATA III (6gb/s) the iMac picked it up at 3gb/s. Still nice.

Thanks for all comments.

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Khalel Leconte will be eternally grateful.
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