Late 2009 27" iMac Dual SSD Upgrade

G'Day from Australia,

I am looking to upgrade my late-09 iMac to a dual SSD setup. I have already done the RAM upgrade, and the machine has already been into Apple for the replacement Seagate drive.

I have read the tutorials on how to do both a replace boot drive with SSD and a dual drive upgrade

I have come to the conclusion that I do not have the skill to tackle the screen part and associated wiring related to LCD, however I am able to do the basics, such as cloning my HDD and connecting the SSD to adapters and so forth to make things easier for the technician.

As such, I have enlisted the services of a third party repairer who is willing to perform the above if I supply all parts.

Currently I have the following:
2x Samsung 850 EVO 1TB SSD

And will be purchasing the following from OWC:
1x NewerTech AdaptaDrive 2.5" > 3.5" bracket
1x OWC In-line Digital Thermal Sensor for iMac 2009-2010
1x OWC Data Doubler

Can anyone confirm if the OWC Data Doubler is any different between iMacs, Mac Mini, MacBook, etc?

For some reason, I have found that Data Doublers for iMacs do not qualify for discounts, yet for laptops they do? What gives, I am unsure. If anyone can enlighten me, it would be greatly appreciated.

Now I was thinking is there any other parts that I will need to supply?

Obviously, I would get the original seagate HDD and optical drive back, which I will have enclosures waiting for the moment I get home.

Has anyone tried to do this Dual-SSD setup, and how did it work out for you?

Surely your Apple repairer has advised what is possible?

The Late 2009 iMac, unlike the 2010, was never sold with a second SSD option, so I see why you are considering the data doubler. All data doublers I've seen are intended for MacBook Pro's. These replace the optical drive, which is screwed down to the top case with three screws. The iMac optical drive you hope to replace is fixed to a black plastic carrier. The optical drive is fixed to this with 4 horizonal mounted screws on its sides. All data doublers I've seen don't have these fixings, check with OWC in case theirs do. You don't need the OWC In-line Digital Thermal Sensor for the iMac 2009-2010 models. The current Seagate iTB ST1000DM003, and similar 2TB drive, will function as the original Apple drive with an Apple temp sensor lead. As an SSD is being used a temperature sensor option isn't required, a shorting link goes into the logic board temp sensor socket. In reality the OWC sensor is only needed for the 2011 iMac's, or if a non compatible hard drive is used.

OWC do sell the units for 2009 iMacs:-


OWC DIY Kit: Data Doubler + 240GB Mercury Electra... in stock at OWC

techiesteve said:

Surely your Apple repairer has advised what is possible?

The Late 2009 iMac, unlike the 2010, was never sold with a second SSD option, so I see why you are considering the data doubler. All data doublers I've seen are intended for MacBook Pro's. These replace the optical drive, which is screwed down to the top case with three screws. The iMac optical drive you hope to replace is fixed to a black plastic carrier. The optical drive is fixed to this with 4 horizonal mounted screws on its sides. All data doublers I've seen don't have these fixings, check with OWC in case theirs do. You don't need the OWC In-line Digital Thermal Sensor for the iMac 2009-2010 models. The current Seagate iTB ST1000DM003, and similar 2TB drive, will function as the original Apple drive with an Apple temp sensor lead. As an SSD is being used a temperature sensor option isn't required, a shorting link goes into the logic board temp sensor socket. In reality the OWC sensor is only needed for the 2011 iMac's, or if a non compatible hard drive is used.

Click to expand...

Whilst my Apple repairer has advised what is possible, they did mention the possibility of being able to connect an extra drive without disconnecting the optical drive, hence my research into the matter. Also, I preferred to provide all the parts to the technician so that the job only has to be done the first time because I wouldn't want to drive 40km to fix something that could have been avoided.

As harryb2448 pointed out, they do sell Data Doublers for the 2009 iMacs, but as you mentioned, it would be advisable to check with OWC to ensure the mount holes are present.

My Seagate HDD (Model #: ST31000528ASQ) if I am not wrong has an internal temperature sensor. With the two pin connector on the back of the actual unit connected to the motherboard. I understand that SSDs do not run nearly as hot as mechanical drives, however, I would also like to avoid the problem of the extreme spinning fan. Now I know that there are software out there (smcFanControl or similar), but would ideally prefer a hardware solution that would enable me to forget about it.

edit: something just came to my mind after typing all that, would it be possible to use the HDD fans (using software) to increase airflow in the system? In the summer months in Australia, we can get ambient temperatures north of 40 Degrees. Which would mean that internally, it would be very very warm.

Your iMac will control its own heat regulation even in summer. Have used Mac Pros, iMacs, G5, G4 and G3 PowerMacs, Peforma 5500, 5300 and earlier models and yet to see one shut down beacuse of the heat.

I am sure your Apple technician would be able to overcome the fan problem and heat sensors, if it did arise. Personally suggest not using Fan Control software for a job your iMac is perfectly fine to do.