OWC in-Line Digital Thermal Sensor HDD Upgrade Cable and Install Tools for iMac 2012, (OWCDIYIMACHDD12)

These tools all worked great as I opened my 2017 iMac 27 to add an SSD drive. I didn't need the temperature sensor as I decided to leave the original Fusion Drive in place which has its own sensor. The adhesive strips fit perfectly when resealing the screen. Great product!

I purchased this almost a year and a half ago because I was scared to do the install. I finally did it about a month ago, and I am happy with the results. I have a late 2013 27" iMac with i5 processor that ran like a dog because of a poor performing 1TB Seagate 5400 RPM HDD (I get it Apple, thin comes at a cost - heat). I used the OWC kit to replace that with a Seagate 2TB 3.5-Inch SATA 6GB/s Desktop SSHD (ST2000DX001) (Old Model). While not as fast as a true SSD, it's a more cost effective solution (they are currently a hair over $100 on Amazon) and there is a noticeable increase in overall performance.My kit had everything that was shown in the online video, which can be seen on OWCs YouTube channel. They have a new version they just published on 02/03/2017. I followed OWCs instructions to the letter, and had the video playing on my PC while I was doing the teardown. As far as the replacement tape is concerned, I wish they had provided a lot more in the kit, as I had just enough after I made a couple of mistakes. The method I finally devised was to fold the backing along the tape strip and then use that as guide to line up against the edge of the iMac's case. I have confirmed the tape is the same brand and type as used by the Geniuses in the Apple Store when they disassemble your iMac. My only other recommendation is to be very careful with the screen. The glass is so large it can bow when reassembling the unit. Once I got the glass back on, it now looks like it was never taken apart.I then did a clean install of macOS Sierra and hooked my old drive up to an Anker USB 3.0 to SATA 3ft Converter Adapter Cable for 2.5 inch/3.5 inch Hard Drive Disk HDD and SSD, Power Adapter included and used the Migration Assistant to get my files and settings onto the new drive. A month in, everything is snappier and the computer actually comes back from a restart in under a minute.Some ephemera -When I was considering an SSD, I went on OWC's site and got on with live chat. I asked if I needed to use the heat sensor with an SSD, which doesn't get as hot as a comparable HDD. Chat said I have to use it, so I did a little more digging and I've confirmed that the circuitry locked up in the black connector is not only a temp sensor but also contains the EPROMS that tell the iMac the drive you're using is an Apple certified unit. Newer drives now contain the firmware to get around this issue, but my wife purchased the SHHD for me for Christmas 2014. I would have had to use the sensor anyway as the new drive is mechanical, but if you've purchased an SSD prior to 2015 that you wish to swap in, use the temp sensor. Also, this version of the 27" iMac (iMac14,2) doesn't have the eMMC slot on the logic board, so I couldn't get, say, a 64GB eMMC drive to do the Fusion Drive upgrade.On the plus side, Seagate now sells an SHHD that has the same SSD size, but uses a different schema for reading/writing data called shingled magnetic recording, or SMR. This allows for thinner platters and faster reads/writes over time. Yes, for you non-Seagate fans out there, Western Digital does make something they call a dual drive, which is a standard HDD and an SSD in the same sandwich, however, on Macs it is hard to install. They're also as expensive as a standard SSD for the same capacity. The Seagate solution just works and makes the Mac faster over time. In other words, your fifth boot will be faster than your first boot.

This OWC kit is for iMac models between 2012 and 2015.I purchased two kits to replace the standard 3.5-inch SATA HDD's in 27-inch a 2014 and a 2015 iMac with SATA SSD's.Both upgrade cables plus the included tools plus the OWC online video instructions were perfect and worked perfectly on both iMac's.Note: If you intend replacing the 3.5-inch HDD with 2.5-inch SSD (instead of a 3.5-inch SSD) you will need an adapter bracket to secure the smaller 2.5-inch device. Don't know if you can purchase the same kit with 3.5/2.5 adapter bracket included but these are freely/cheaply available, including from OWC.In my case I managed to make my own adapter bracket from a small piece of scrap aluminium

Good product

A Micron 2TB SSD and NewerTech AdaptaDrive bracket were used along with this kit to upgrade my 27" 5K Late 2015 iMac.I feel like $50 is a lot for the items I did use, since I didn't need the big cleaning cloth or the two suction cups. The other tools were all excellent though and the upgrade went pretty smoothly. The trickiest part for me was getting the new tape in place properly, and some of the backing tabs weren't cut through. Also I couldn't get the display aligned quite perfectly before the tape was sticking along the bottom, so it went back on just slightly off. It's not noticeable at all but I know it and it bugs me a bit... But overall I'm just happy with being able to successfully complete this upgrade myself, and there don't seem to be any issues. My fans work like they should.

OWC overcomes Apples hopes that you just buy your upgrades through them. Ticks me off how apple grossly overcharges for upgrades and their 1TB fusion drives barely have enough fusion to actually wake the computer from a sleep.On iMac retinas, all l that holds your screen on is a rubberized adhesive. What's hard to tell in the photo is that the adhesive has to be replaced but is provided in this kit. One word of warning is that I had a very hard time lining up my screen to place it back on the frame. The adhesive is super sticky so once it grabbed it stayed. My screen now very slightly hangs over the edge. I also suggest having a towel nearby to place the screen face down on. The screen is super fragile so be very careful not to bend it. Somehow I got a small chip on the edge of the screen (not affecting viewing).

A+ item, got the job done! replace old HD with SSD in about 40 minutes, no issues.

Bought this kit because I needed to upgrade my 2017 27" 5K iMac's OEM Fusion Drive with a new NvME and PCMe SSD. The pizza cutter tool worked perfectly in breaking the monitor seal. It takes several passes to cut thru the adhesive, so just take your time. The suction cups were handy for lifting the display up. Make sure to take the extra time to remove ALL of the old adhesive and clean with rubbing alcohol. The replacement adhesive strips fit perfectly. I allowed the iMac to sit face down overnight as a precaution to allow everything to set and settle. The replacement adhesive strips are holding really well and I haven't had any issues with the adhesive failing.