Rubrike Sci-Tech Upgrade your iMac 20" or iMac 24" aluminum 2007 & 2008 to 1.5TB Hard Drive and 4 GB RAM - DIY Guide | Upgrade your iMac 20" or iMac 24" aluminum 2007 & 2008 to 1.5TB Hard Drive and 4 GB RAM - DIY Guide |
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DisclaimerYou WILL need technical knowledge to upgrade your iMac hard drive by yourself - upgrading hard drive is not user serviceable part and it might void your Apple warranty. Therefore, I cannot be responsible for any damages or losses you'll potentially incur from following this guide - proceed at your own risk! Desire for the Top of the Line iMac 24" Aluminum (2007, 2008) for Least the Money $$Copyright 2007-2008 Amfiteatar Portal. All rights reserved.
What You'll Need1) Apple iMac 20" or iMac 24" AL (aluminum, models 2007 - MA876LL, MA877LL or MA878LL or 2008 models - MB323LL, MB324LL, MB325LL): If you purchase your iMac online you can save additionally on the sales tax, and most of the retailers offer some sort of rebate as well. The configuration you're looking for is with 250 GB hard drive for 20" model or 320 GB hard drive for 24" model (the lowest drive capacity available, because you'll anyhow upgrade the hard drive to 1 TB. You might choose from one of the following iMac 20" and iMac 24" aluminum initial models you'd like to upgrade with 1 TB hard drive:
Also make sure to check out Apple's refurbished deals, from time to time (you just need to keep looking as offers change weekly) they'll have iMac AL 20" and 24" at bargain prices (e.g. iMac AL 20" for about US $1000 and iMac AL 24" for about US $1500 - info spring 2008):
2) 1 TB (terabyte) SATA III, 3.5" hard drive: I've purchased a Hitachi 1 TB drive A7K1000 (data sheet from Hitachi), primarily because of 32 MB cache memory, SATA III interface having 3 Gbit/sec. throughput, and also due to its long-lasting life and reliability - Hitachi extending 5 year warranty and advertising 1.2 million hours average time before failure (choose a good drive - don't you just hate when the drive dies on you and you lose all your data!). In reference to some concerns that Hitachi's A7K1000 1 TB hard drive might run a bit hot - in my iMac AL it runs at about 57C (135F), which is within Hitachi's standard operating parameters - up to 60C - 140F (measured with drive's internal temperature sensor). Hard drives Apple installs in iMacs are Western Digital, you are also well set purchasing one of WD's 1 TB drives, although they don't advertise 1.2 million hrs average time before failure (and they are a bit cheaper than Hitachi). The appropriate 1 TB SATA hard drives going into your iMac are the following:
3) Torx screwdrivers: You'll need several specialized TORX screwdrivers, size T4, T6 and T8 (these screwdrivers are the same type used to work with mobile phones). 
4) Kitchen \ bathroom hook suction cups: In order to open your iMac AL, you'll need to take the glass cover off the display. The glass cover is held in place only by several magnets -- in order to remove it you'll need a specialized suction cup handle: 
However if you don't own such a fancy tool, several kitchen \ bathroom hook suction cups will do the trick instead (as in my case :) Just make sure they're larger cups - at least 1 to 2 inches in diameter. 
Upgrade Guide - Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos[ iMac 20", iMac 24" AL - aluminum mid 2007 models MA876LL, MA877LL, MA878LL - early 2008 models MB323LL, MB324LL, MB325LL - disassembly guide ]
Step 1Take a good look at your iMac AL - no screws (besides the memory upgrade slot) to be seen - how neat. :)))) In order to open your iMac, you will need to lift up the protective glass covering your display. The glass is held by several magnets only, so you just need to lift it up. Naturally you won't be doing this with a screwdriver beneath the glass as you will damage the frame for sure. You need suction cups to lift up the glass. If you don't have specialized suction handle tools, using kitchen \ bathroom hook cups will do just fine. You will need about 4-6 of these, 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Place the suction cups as shown on the photos. You might want to use a rubber string to tie up all suction cups (as shown on the photo) in order to have a grip at all suction cups simultaneously (otherwise you can try lifting up the suction cups with your bare hands ;). Just LIFT UP the glass with the suction cups applying some moderate force. Make sure you do it carefully, as while pulling you might damage the glass! Update: Some of our readers have managed to get the glass off using only two larger suction cups placed at the two opposite corners of the glass (e.g. upper right and lower left corner), and pulling with hands only (please check out the comments at the end of the page).
Once you lift up the glass, put it aside on a soft cloth. Finally we can see some screws in the frame! Use your Torx screwdrivers to take out all screws within the frame. Once you're done, lift up the upper side of the frame only, but carefully, as in the upper mid section (behind the integrated iSight camera), there will be a wire you need to disconnect (as shown in photos). Update: One of our readers reminds there are various length screws you will be taking out - what he suggests is using a piece of 8.5 x 11 (or A4) paper and taping the screws with scotch tape on the paper in the proper location such that it would remind you as where do they go back (thank you Doug)!
Step 2Now make sure you take off the bracket from the memory slot at the bottom of the frame. If you don't do this, you won't be able to take off the frame.
Once you've put the memory slot bracket away, you may lift up the display frame entirely and set it aside.
Step 3At this point we've unleashed the inside of your iMac AL - I truly admire Apple's compact design :) The next thing we need to do is to detach iMac's gorgeous display. Make sure you do this with utmost patience as you don't want to be responsible for any dead pixels in the process! The display is attached with three connectors. The first two you can find on the left and the right hand side of the bottom of the motherboard. Let's start with the right-hand side connector first -- this connector is locked in with a screw - thus you need to take it off and pull out the connector. Now we move to the left-hand side connector - just unplug it carefully. You might want to use a precision screwdriver to help you out in the process. Update: One of our readers managed to upgrade the hard drive without removing the display - althought I've found it to be a lot easier to swap the hard drive with the display off.
Step 4The third connector attaching the display is located underneath the display, in the upper left corner of it. The next step is to lift up the display VERY carefully from its right hand side and up (as shown in the picture), and you need to detach the third cable - which is a power connector connecting it to the power board (smaller blue board shown in photos). In my case, I had to take off the screw holding the power board in place first in order to be able to take off the connector. You might want a second pair of hands helping you with this step (holding the display in the air while you pull out the power connector beneath it)! Update: One of our readers reminds there are two screws on the side of LCD you need to remove in this step in order to lift the screen (please read the comments section at the end of this page).
Once you detach display power connector, you are ready to entirely lift off the display and place it aside. Make sure you put the display on a soft and safe place, away from the tools and work area (you don't want to damage it)!
Step 5Finally, we can see the hard drive placed in the middle upper section of iMac's aluminum back frame. In order to take out the hard drive, you must first take off the temperature sensor from the drive (as shown in photos). The temperature sensor looks like an ordinary transistor component. Make sure not to bend its pins as it may damage it!
Next, pull out the SATA and power connector from the hard drive (left hand side of the drive in my photos).
Step 6For this step you will need to apply a bit of force - you need to push down the plastic handle attached to the upper part of the hard drive - push down until it unlocks and lift up the drive. Alternatively, the handle is held up with two screws, so you might want to take these off and slide out the handle easily out of its place.
You can see at the photo that Apple has used Western Digital WD3200AAJS - 320 GB hard disk in its iMac aluminum.
Step 7The hard drive side opposite to the plastic handle has two metal pins screwed in - holding the hard drive's bottom side within the frame. Take (unscrew) these pins from the original hard drive and put them onto the new hard drive. Also, move the plastic handle from the old hard drive onto the new one (held up by two screws only).
Step 8Use the backward logic to put back the new hard disk in place, bottom side with pins going into the frame first, then you snap it into the place by pushing the upper side handle into the frame (as show in photos)
Step 9Attach the hard disk temperature sensor at approximately the same place where it was on the old hard drive. Use some glue if necessary (in my case there was enough adhesive left on the sensor, so I've just pushed it onto the drive and it stuck). Make sure you put the protective sponge on the top (as it was on the original hard drive).
Plug in the SATA and power connector to the drive (left-hand side of the drive in my photos).
Step 10It's time to put back the display -- we'll use the reverse logic - you need to plug in the power connector first (left hand side of the display) into the blue power board). Then place back the display firmly in its place - as shown in the photo. You might want a second pair of hands helping you with this step.
Then attach the two remaining display connectors at the left and right hand side at the bottom of the system motherboard.
Step 11Put the aluminum frame back into its place (starting with the bottom side first), making sure you connect the integrated iSight camera wire at the top before entirely closing up the frame.
Then put all the screws you've taken out back into their places within the frame.
Step 12Before putting the protective glass back onto the display, you might want to wipe it off and the display itself with a soft cloth (e.g. such are cloths used to clean reading glasses) in order to get rid of the dust particles that have fallen at the display in the mean time. Please take care of what kind of cloth you use - you don't want to unnecessarily scratch your display!
You are ready to put back the protective glass on top of your display. Use suction cups to handle the glass. Make sure you put it back carefully, as magnets will snap it into the place.
Step 13Put back the protective bracket onto the bottom memory slot (upgrading your RAM is as easy as plugging in the new memory modules into the slots).
Upgrading the RAM (optional step for those upgrading the RAM as well)Your iMac has two memory slots available. Please note that 1 GB configurations shipped by Apple use a single memory slot (1 GB memory module inside). Configurations shipped with 2 GB memory by Apple use both memory slots (two 1 GB modules inside). You can also verify the amount and type of memory installed in your iMac, including the verification of memory slots used if you click on the Apple logo (upper left corner), About This Mac, then click on More Info - a system profiler window will show up - click on the Memory menu on the left hand side and you'll be able to see the amount of memory installed and memoy slots used.
Hence, if you've purchased your iMac with 1 GB memory, your options are as follows: If you would like to move to 2 GB, then you just need to purchase an additional 1 GB memory module. If you would like to move to 3 GB, then just purchase an additional 2 GB module. If you'd like to upgrade to 4 GB RAM, you need to purchase two 2 GB memory modules (also meaning your existing 1 GB memory module goes out for sale on eBay :) Similarly, if you've purchased your iMac with 2 GB memory, your options are as follows: If you would like to move to 3 GB, then you just need to purchase an additional 2 GB memory module (and one of your existing 1 GB modules goes out for sale on eBay). If you'd like to upgrade to 4 GB RAM you need to purchase two 2 GB memory modules (also meaning both of your existing 1 GB memory modules go out for sale on eBay :)
Choosing the appopriate modules I've always had a great experience with Kingston (also having a lifetime warranty) - never came across a faulty module! The appropriate memory modules going into iMac 20" and iMac 24" AL 2007 models are the following PC2-5300 modules (1 GB or 2 GB modules, DDR2, 667 MHz, SO-DIMM 200 pin, unbuffered):
iMac models from the early 2008 use faster 800 Mhz memory PC2-6400 (compared to 667 Mhz modules used in 2007 iMacs). Although the above suggested 667 Mhz modules will work in your 2008 iMacs, you should really look into getting the faster 800 Mhz memory - therefore the appropriate memory modules going into iMac 20" and iMac 24" AL 2008 models are the following (1 GB or 2 GB modules, DDR2, 800 MHz, SO-DIMM 200 pin, unbuffered):
Step 14 - install OS X Finally, as you've just installed a blank hard drive, you need to install OS X operating system on your iMac. Please note that if you have Leopard upgrade DVD, you will need to install Tiger first, and then upgrade the system to Leopard. Update: One of our readers mentions that you can install OS X from the upgrade DVD version without previously installing Tiger if you select Time Machine Backup, and then cancel it by going back - at that point the upgrade DVD will allow you to install OS X on a blank hard drive without prior OS installed. On the other hand, if you have the full version of Leopard OS X, just go ahead and pop in the DVD, turn on your iMac and it will boot from the DVD - just follow the instructions on the screen to install the operating system. Please note that once you are booted to OS X Leopard installation you will need to start the Disk Utility in order to partition and format your new 1TB hard drive. You might also want to consult Leopard OS X installation guide from Apple. Once you install the OS X, in order to verify the hard disk installation you need to click on the Apple logo (upper left corner), About This Mac, More Info, then Serial-ATA (or simply start System Profiler application from the Utilities folder).
In order to verify the amount of memory (RAM) installed, click on the Apple logo and select About This Mac.
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Comments (66)
  written by Fernando Leiria, December 28, 2007  written by Rich, December 28, 2007
Thank you for taking the time to photograph and document your upgrade. Nicely done!
 written by xplane93, December 28, 2007
Bigs thanks for this Doc and photos very utlils.
 written by Rene Larsen, December 29, 2007
As the title implies, very nice job! This is by far the best documentation available currently for changing out your hard drive in an Aluminum iMac and the photos are great. Thank you very much for taking the time to put all of this together in such a logical and professional manner. Cheers!
 written by popeye cahn, December 30, 2007
Now I know what I'll be doing soon. Thanks for the excellent write up and detailed photos!
 written by beosro, December 30, 2007
You're the man!
 written by iMC, January 01, 2008
As with one of the user posted, this is by far the best documentation on how to upgrade your Intel iMac (Mid 2007) aluminum. I just bought one ( refurbished ) with 1GB RAM/250GB HDD, and I was wondering how am I going to upgrade the memory and the HDD. Through some searching at the Apple Discussions board, I found your documentation through one of the posts. Great job on this.
These Intel iMacs (Mid 2007) aluminum aren't as user-friendly as on the G5 iMac. Just unscrew 3 to 4 screws, pop the back cover and voila, there it is, all at your disposal. Looks like Apple doesn't want the end-user to tinker the inside.......   written by Opa, January 04, 2008
Thats really a good and needfull help for all Apple-Users.
And many thanks for all the detailed photos.  written by Tom Loki, January 04, 2008
Great work - thank you!!!!
 written by moreliaV, January 05, 2008
A really helpful instruction....it works !!!!
 written by Miguel Palma, January 06, 2008
I did the replacement of my drive with a 500GB samsung HD501LJ, but I used a putty knife to remove the glass in Step 1, I also found a trick to bypass the Leopard Upgrade DVD check (on a forum...), just select the option for Time machine restore on the menu and them click on goback, the button to proceed with normal installation will them be activated
 written by Madmac, January 07, 2008
Thanks for the post, even that I'm a PC technician, look a little difficult to do the hard drive upgrade, I mean it's a little too risky, including messing with the iSight camera, but well done.
I have 2 more questions though. Is the CPU upgradeable or it is soldered? In the 20" mac it is possible to use a terabyte hard drive? I ask this because in the Apple website in the upgrade option shows that you can only install a hard drive up to 500 GB.. maybe a BIOS locked option? Once again thanks a lot for showing the light!  written by DrFelix, January 07, 2008
First: Thanks for the excellent How- To, brought up another idea: I would like to exchange the whole front with an anti- reflex glass. Found a company who cuts the anti- reflex glass to fit my 24 inch iMac. Black bezel will be painted from the backside. Only problem: How to fix the new glass into the frame. I've yet to open up my iMac and thought someone could help me out: Are there magnets glued to the backside of the original glass? Or is the black paint of the bezel magnetized?
Thanks in advance, Felix  written by Danny, January 08, 2008
Madmac,
In terms of difficulty of the upgrade - it's very relative - the above guide sure makes it a lot easier. I'll quote an editor of the specialized French Mac site Bidouille saying that this upgrade is not too difficult - http://www.hardmac.com/news/2008-01-03/. The new iMac aluminum 20" will take 1TB drives (the motherboard is the same as with 24" model) - although Apple doesn't sell 20" models with 1TB drives, thus you can go ahead and upgrade your iMac 20" to 1TB hard drive. Unfortunately I believe it is not feasible to upgrade the CPU in iMac 2007 models above 2.8 Ghz - Apple's 2007 product line. The reason might not be in the actual upgrade (replacing the chip) but in the fact that Apple motherboard (BIOS issue) might not recognize the newer CPUs (for example 3.06 Ghz) in iMac 2007 models. The only way to test this is through a trial and error - I don't have the time or motivation to do it at this time, perhaps some of the readers will try if newer 3.06 Ghz CPUs will work in iMac 2007? On the other hand I believe iMac 2008 models will most likely have no trouble upgrading the CPU to 3.06 Ghz - as Apple uses the same motherboards for the entire product line (and there is a 3.06 Ghz product in 2008 line up). Danny  written by Kevin, January 10, 2008
Thank you for this amazing guide!!! I'm excited to crack open my new iMac and upgrade the drive.
First, I'm not all that interested in the full 1TB drive upgrade so what drive type can be used for about 500GB? Second, is this guide anywhere near how to open up the previous white iMacs (17, 20,, 24)? I have a 17" I'd like to upgrade, but I don't know how to take it apart. written by Danny, January 11, 2008
Felix,
That sounds like an interesting modification  I've zoomed up one of my photos were you can see the back of the glass. The magnets are not located on the glass - they're embedded within the aluminum bezel. The back of the glass - around the borders - is applied with a metallic stripe. Also, please note several spike-looking guides helping fix the glass within the frame. Hope the above helps. Please send us photos of your modification. Danny written by Danny, January 11, 2008
Kevin,
I believe a very good guide to open previous generation iMac white was written by John Wood. In terms of what hard drive to choose for your iMac white (these could also be used in alu iMacs), I can recommend Western Digital Caviar 500 GB hard drive (SATA, 16 MB cache). Good luck upgrading! Danny  written by Sijo, January 13, 2008
Hi,
really helpfull. Thanks a TON !!!  written by Ken, January 17, 2008
Will ordinary Elmer's Rubber Cement work well enough or can anyone recommend a better adhesive that can be used to adhere a temperature sensor to a new hard drive? A URL to an appropriate adhesive product would be appreciated.
 written by Gary Stamey, January 24, 2008
THANKS so much!
 written by artske, February 09, 2008
I have been searching for this tutorial for a while now , I plan to do this upgrade very soon and will let you know how I get on, once again thank you for such an in depth tutorial
  written by Dave, February 16, 2008
did this. couple things of note: 1) suction cups are easy, use 4 - one at each corner. 2) make SURE you put all bezel screws in tight/flush (I missed one, cracked the glass, GRR, who knows what that will cost). 3) you can just unscrew the 2 screws holding the drive to the "handle" and then pop it out, transfer the two metal tabs, and put the new one in - much like doing one in a MacBook Pro. 4) be careful of the EMI shield (silver-ish fabric stuff) down by the RAM slots - and also, put the outer bezel back on BOTTOM FIRST - I had to take it on/off 3 times to get it right, all for the want of some silly small things. 5) If you do have that 2nd-set of hands (or good 2 yourself) you can do it without taking out the "blue board" or unplugging the LCD in the 3rd step - but don't crush wires on the left or stretch the power ones!
written by Ken, February 19, 2008
Does anyone know if ordinary Elmer's Rubber Cement work well enough or can anyone recommend a better adhesive that can be used to adhere a temperature sensor to a new hard drive?
 written by axel Pfister, February 23, 2008
Wow this is exactly the instruction i'm looking for. Is it different when i only want to put s second drive in my 24 imac.
 written by James McDonald, February 27, 2008
On the glue issue I would not use elmers glue in a computer period.
You might try Deacon Weld it. On my cloth dryer the rubber sealer ring on the door started coming off about 5 years ago. I Glued it back on and it's still fine. I fugue sustained high temperature might be around 150 F in the dryer. The strength in 900 LBS / IN SQ. It work well with plastics and metal. Handling time is 5-6 minutes. Time to set is 1.5 to 3 hours. You might want to affix the temperature sensor to the HD with a drop of super glue if you can't get the sensor to lie in the right spot. Two coatings is probably best. Do the second coating perhaps 70 minutes after the first. Devcon Weld-It Weld-It User Review - Video  written by Eric, March 17, 2008
This information is awesome. I have been searching EVERYWHERE for the answer to crack this case open. What a genious design! Thank you for leading the way. This was so helpful.
Eric  written by Mac Newbie, May 09, 2008
Gutsy my man, very gutsy. I have attempted this procedure myself but had to relinquish my only b/c it was way over my head. Thanks to your procedures, photos and pre-cautions as to what obstacle we may encounter, I now feel confidence I can conquer this objective. My hat is off to you....
 written by Scottuk, May 13, 2008
Great instructions, worked a treat , added a 1tb Wd HDD to my Imac.
Extra pair of hands make a big difference when unplugging the last four cables under the LCD. Only small things I noticed were .. 1) I found it easier to leave Isight camera plugged in and just put the ali lid above the main case while working on the system. 2) As "..." said , when reassembling , make sure you tuck in all cables or the LCD wont sit properly , also put the top lid back on from the bottom up (I also had to try this several times before getting it right. Also small set of long nose pliers come in useful for various sections of this install (but not essential). To whoever wrote this guide , THANK YOU , it saved a lot of guesswork.  written by MrDrap, May 22, 2008
Thanks a lot for the Photo-manual, it helps me a lot, thanks a lot
  written by Bob, May 24, 2008
Took me all of about 30 minutes following your excellent tutorial to pop a 1TB into my iMAC 24 AL. Only thing that threw me was once the cover was removed there were 8 Torx Screws to be removed that held in the LCD frame before lifting it and detaching the 3 connectors.
I was surprised how easily the "glass" lifted. I used 2 x 2.5" suction hooks I found a Lowes. They have a hook that when turned down adds suction by puling up on the center of the suction cup. These are used for bathroom showers I think. Then the LCD come up so easy and was so light - plastic I'm pretty certain and I was expecting the weight of glass. Anyway, hats off and Thank You.  written by Eric, June 15, 2008
I can't tell where the two longest screws go back in. Can someone help me out? The bezel is really loose and I'm afraid someone will be able to just pull it off one day.
written by Danny, June 15, 2008
Eric,
All the screws holding the bezel are in front, around the frame and behind the glass - as shown in this photo. I remember those big screws going in the bezel's bottom part. Good luck, Danny  written by Claudio Dalla Vecchia, July 08, 2008
Hi all,
I just replaced the HD on my iMac AL 20", and this tutorial has been very useful. Just a few remarks: 1. it's not necessary to disconnect the iSight cable - just flip the frame over; 2. to remove the monitor one has to unscrew 8 more screws; 3. it doesn't matter which power cables you plug the monitor in; 4. I have a set of TORX T6-20 and didn't need the T4 at all - I mostly used T6 and T9; 5. when one installs Tiger, the HD is not found until it is partitioned with Disk Utils - I guess some HD are already formatted though. Thanks a lot, Claudio  written by chris , July 17, 2008
i found the isight camera connection easy to remove and the bottom plug to the screen fairly easy the left and right i looked both seemed so taped up so i changed the hard with those 2 still attached. putting everything back no problem. These instructions are just what i needed perfect if i had paid apple to upgrade my hard drive would of cost the earth, its shame they cant include this in their manuel especially with what they cost.
Perfect just perfect...... imac 24" 3.06ghz, 500gb h/d, 2gb mem upgraded to; 1TB H/D & 4GB MEM Cheers written by chris, July 17, 2008
just fantastic this is great for those that need this upgrade info if only apple could afford a few extra pages in the manuel.
 written by david, July 26, 2008
Does anyone think the new velociraptor drives would be too hot to put in the IMAC?
 written by david, August 20, 2008
Wasn't sure I could do it - especially after reading about the person who broke their screen - but thanks to your detailed directions, I did. (And because mine is only 20," I was able to do it myself.)
Thanks for sharing your knowledge!  written by Michael, August 28, 2008
Whatever the Mac community may lack in numbers it sure makes up in quality
 written by Roberto, September 05, 2008
THANK YOU!!!
You contributed to human kind progress!!!  written by John, September 17, 2008
Hi, I have a 24 inch iMac with the Radeon 2600 HD and was wondering is it possible to upgrade the graphics card as well to the 8800?
 written by Dee, September 18, 2008
Great instructions, I have a (white Imac) 24" Intel core2 CPU T7400 @2.16Ghz and was wondering if these instruction would also apply? I just want to do the hard drive upgrade to a terabyte drive since I allready have 4 Gb of ram and Is it still SATA or just ATA hard drive? your feedback would be much appreciated.
Thank you in advance. Dee Clay written by Danny, September 18, 2008
I believe a very good guide to upgrade the hard drive in previous generation iMac white was written by John Wood - it's not quite the same upgrade as with iMac aluminum, nevertheless not so hard DIY
iMac white also uses a SATA drive (and you can see that from John's photo of inside his iMac white). You might want to consider the following drives for your upgrade (the prices have significantly dropped on 1TB drives compared to the last year when this article was originally written!): Western Digital Caviar 500GB hard drive (SATA, 16 MB cache) - $84 on 18-Sep-2008 Segate Barracuda 1TB, 32 MB, 7200 RPM - $139 on 18-Sep-2008 Good luck upgrading! Danny PS: Please let us know on how successful was your iMac white upgrade to 1 TB hard drive! written by Danny, September 18, 2008
Unfortunately I believe it is not feasible to upgrade the CPU in iMac 2007 models above 2.8 Ghz - Apple's 2007 product line. The reason might not be in the actual upgrade (replacing the chip) but in the fact that Apple motherboard (BIOS issue) might not recognize the newer CPUs (for example 3.06 Ghz) in iMac 2007 models.
The only way to test this is through a trial and error - I don't have the time or motivation to do it at this time, perhaps some of the readers will try if newer 3.06 Ghz CPUs will work in iMac 2007 - please let us know? On the other hand I believe iMac 2008 models will most likely have no trouble upgrading the CPU to 3.06 Ghz (subject to socket verification inside the iMac!) - as Apple uses the same motherboards for the entire product line (and there is a 3.06 Ghz product in 2008 line up). Danny  written by Mike, September 19, 2008
I am hoping you can help me. I am very comfortable building PCs. (2) days after the iMac warranty was up on my sons mid 2007 20" iMac the PSU went out. I ordered a new one. However I see no easy way or online instructions on how to replace this PSU and hope you can help. My son loves his mac and I am thinking of getting one but this is the 3rd mac product we have bought that has failed one way or other shortly after warranty period. In any case this imac is beautiful and I hope to help me son. I look forwad to your response. Thanks Mike
written by Danny, September 19, 2008
Mike,
You should be able to follow the above guide - steps 1-4 in order to get access to the iMac power supply. The power supply is of a modular type hence once you open up your iMac (and remove the display as in step 4), you should have access to the PSU - and you need to simply take out the old and plug in the new PSU module. Follow the steps 10 and onwards to close your iMac. Apple machines are usually quality build and very durable. PSU failure (especially if you've had several machines fail) might indicate a potential problem with the in house electricity installation, or simply a problem with the power stability on the part of the grid you are connected to. I strongly recommend using an UPS battery backup as it protects your computer equipment from surges, brownouts and blackouts - my lesson was hard learned as I've lost some of my equipment several years ago due to a thunderstorm (lightning causes voltage surges - a severe surge fries your equipment without the proper protection). Since that experience I'm always using an UPS with my system and I've never had a single PSU or power related failure on any of my equipment! Investment into an UPS battery ranges from $80 - $140 and is well worth for the protection it provides for your $2000 iMac!!! For iMac aluminum the minimum UPS size you would use would be APC Back-UPS 550VA, and for iMac and your accessories (e.g. AirPort, Time Capsule, external hard drive, etc), you would need to use a more serious unit APC Back-UPS 900 VA. Good luck replacing the PSU in your iMac aluminum! Don't forget the UPS protection as well! Danny  written by Harold, September 19, 2008
Must the HD be formatted before installing. Or does the software also provide the disk utillities?
written by Danny, September 19, 2008
Harold,
You do not need to format the hard drive prior to the upgrade as this step will be handled by OS X installation DVD. Once you start the OS X installation you can choose the Disk Utility to custom partition and format the hard drive in any way you require. You might want to check out this Apple web page on Leopard OS X installation. Danny  written by Toni, September 25, 2008
Can I replace my iMac 24" (late 2007) 320GB hard drive with Seagate Barracuda 1.5TB (ST31500341AS)?
Thanks, Toni written by Danny, September 25, 2008
Hi Tony!
Thank you for your question! As the hard drive capacities keep increasing, so do upgrade options for iMac! It is my understanding that Seagate Barracuda 1.5TB was just announced - the product is to be available in couple of weeks. Nevertheless, I have reviewed the hard drive specifications at Seagate's web site and we have some good news - yes, you can now upgrade your iMac to 1.5 TB hard drive. Therefore installing the Seagate Barracuda 1.5TB (ST31500341AS) following the instructions at this page is going to make your iMac one mean 1.5TB machine! Please let us know how it went!? Good luck upgrading Danny written by Danny, September 25, 2008
One of the readers above asked if graphics card can be upgraded on iMacs - I suppose you could use the more advanced 8800GTS graphics card from iMac 2008 and plug it into iMac 2007 and hence the upgrade graphics in iMac 2007 - this is due to standardized MXM PCI Express connector.
I've came across this graphics card upgrade for iMac white (not documented so well, but take a note of the last few photos of getting the GPU in). Danny  written by Hans, September 27, 2008
First, more accolades for the instructions. Clear as can be.
I just installed a Western Digital 1 Tb Black drive, without a hitch, replacing the 320 Gb on my 20" iMac. I would even say there is a marked performance increase, especially noticeable when suspend a VMWare fusion session. Awesome! Anyway, I had some double sided scotch tape, and that worked great on the temp sensor. I just affixed a small piece on each "wing" of the mount. Sticks great!  written by Piethein Strengholt, September 29, 2008
Thanks for this manual. I replaced my 320gb harddisk a couple of days ago. I was able to replace the disk without detaching the cables of the screen.
 written by archie bunker, October 06, 2008
Thanks for your effort in providing this info Danny, I just unpacked my 24" 2.8 today. I can now look forward to ripping the beast part when I fall out of love with the 320 GB WD, seagate should have the 2TB out by then!
 written by The MonT-SteR, October 08, 2008
Hello, I bought an iMac used earlier this year, and took the liberty of not renewing the AppleCare -- I've used Macs for years now, and they're reliable, so I figured I'd spare the expense. Wouldn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thanks a lot e-friend