Replacing and/or 2nd drive in iMac?

At the moment I am getting a quite full hdd in my late 2009 121/2 iMac. What would be the best replacement HDD for me to get please??

At the moment I have a 500 gig Hitachi disk and am thinking of either a 1 or 2 Tb jobbie?

Any ideas of which one that won't break the bank?? Still got a lot of wine to buy ;D;D

And/or:

I have read somewhere that it is possible to fit a second hdd/sdd into a late 2009 iMac 21 1/2.

Is this correct and if so how, what size is possible, etc??

Jonzjob said:

At the moment I am getting a quite full hdd in my late 2009 121/2 iMac. What would be the best replacement HDD for me to get please??

Click to expand...

If you mean which brand of HDD...I generally shop via price...not brand. But even between brands...prices are pretty close. Just shop various stores (online or real world) for the best price/capacity you want/need.

Jonzjob said:

At the moment I have a 500 gig Hitachi disk and am thinking of either a 1 or 2 Tb jobbie?

Any ideas of which one that won't break the bank?? Still got a lot of wine to buy ;D;D

Click to expand...

It's up to you...you're the boss. Get the size that works for you.

Jonzjob said:

I have read somewhere that it is possible to fit a second hdd/sdd into a late 2009 iMac 21 1/2.

Is this correct and if so how, what size is possible, etc??

Click to expand...

Here's a procedure for installing a 2nd HD or SSD into a "Late 2009" 21.5" iMac:

Installing iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2308 Dual Hard Drive - iFixit

- Nick

Wasn't it the Seagate's they did the recall on? Personally I prefer Hitachi.
Get it from OWC in order to get the right one with the thermal sensors.

Seagate, Hitachi, Western Digital, Toshiba, etc...I don't really have a big issue (or love) with/for any of them. Yes occasionally one manufacturer may have a problem every now and then...but what manufacturer doesn't (even Apple).

If I was forced to choose a brand...I would most likely go with Western Digital...but I couldn't necessarily cite any data why. If I could get a Seagate HD for $10-$15 bucks less than an equal capacity Western Digital...I would get the Seagate.

Of course if one brand had a continuing history of bad HD models...than that would be a different story. And of course some folks have had bad experiences with one brand or another...so they will swear off of them.

I mostly shop for HD's based on price. Everything important is backed up...so I look for best price/capacity.

- Nick

cradom said:

Wasn't it the Seagate's they did the recall on? Personally I prefer Hitachi.
Get it from OWC in order to get the right one with the thermal sensors.

Click to expand...

Apple still uses 3.5" 7200 RPM Seagate drives in their 27" iMac series. The drive in my 2011 21.5" iMac that went south was a 3.5" 7200 RPM Seagate. Apple replaced it with a WD. Fortunately it was still covered by Apple Care. The problem here is that the drives are proprietary because of the heat sensor cable and connector. Apparently only Seagate and WD make those drives for Apple.

chscag & cradom...thanks for reminding me about the thermal sensors.

My last two iMac purchases were a "Late 2009" 21.5" iMac...and a "Mid-2011" 27" iMac. Both have the HD thermal sensor issues (what a pain in the neck)! I did a ton of research into both of these (especially the 2011)...which I extensively wrote about a repair issue I had in another thread.

Anyway (for the OP)...concerning the HD question/dilemma with a "Late 2009" iMac...here's an article from OWC (MacSales) that I read back then...and explains the situation:

Proprietary Cable can put the brakes on upgrading Late '09 iMacs. | Other World Computing Blog

According to the OWC article...the HD in a "Late 2009" iMac must be replaced "like for like". The "Late 2009" iMacs came with either a Western Digital or a Seagate HD...and if a replacement is needed...then the same brand HD must be used.

The article also has links for the proper HD that will work (which OWC also sells).

- Nick