iMac Intel 21,5" Retina 4K Display Kühlkörper austauschen

Schritt 1

Mit einem frei beweglichen Gelenk kann der iMac unkontrolliert pendeln, das macht es schwer an ihm zu arbeiten. Es geht leichter mit einem iMac Service Keil, es kann aber auch ohne ihn durchgeführt werden.
Wenn du die iFixit-Reparaturhilfe aus Karton verwendest, dann baue sie zuerst mit Hilfe dieser Anleitung zusammen.
Bevor du beginnst an deinem iMac zu arbeiten: Ziehe den Netzstecker, drücke und halte den Ausschaltknopf für mindestens zehn Sekunden. Dadurch werden die Kondensatoren im Netzteil entladen.
Sei sehr vorsichtig und berühre nicht die Leitungen oder Lötstellen an den Kondensatoren auf der Rückseite der Platine des Netzteils. Fasse diese nur an den Kanten an.

The wedge is an extremely tight fit for this model. I was worried that the amount of force needed to use it as shown might damage the stand, so I used it with the long side down instead. It worked fine that way and didn’t need anywhere near as much force to insert.

roberttrevellyan - 19/09/17

Here’s a good YouTube vid on upgrading the RAM: Can a Normal Person Upgrade the RAM in the 2017 21.5" iMac?

Dan - 12/02/18

Here are a couple tips from me:

1) Expose the adhesive to extreme temperatures. I did this by transporting my iMac in my car, screen-down on a piece of cardboard on a cold February morning (in Chicago). When I went to pick up the iMac, the screen practically fell off the chassis. I would have been distraught by this if I hadn’t already planned this replacement. So it was a happy accident.

2) Remember to expell the residual power from the power supply by pushing the power button while the iMac is unplugged. This does NOT guarantee it’s safe to touch, but when I accidentally brushed the solder and exposed capacitors, I didn’t get shocked.

jerrid_foiles - 31/03/19

Instead of using the wedge, I placed the iMac faced up with the top side (web cam) facing me while I ran the pizza roller around. It worked out great!

Sam Fung - 06/06/19

“All iMacs also come with a traditional hard drive” mine doesn’t!! it’s HDD bay is completely empty, no SATA cable or anything. I guess I’ll have to upgrade the PCIe SSD instead.

Chris Hughes - 10/11/19

There is no replacement glass for this model, it is part of the LCD and impossible to remove or replace- the entire LCD has to be replaced unfortunately if the glass is cracked or damaged. You will have to Google search for a replacement. Also be careful with some of the lock tight tork screws as I broke one of my screw mounts taking one out.

Phil Tesone - 18/01/21

I used this service wedge but also found it a very tight fit. The same stabilization can be achieved by using a big rolled up towel.

Ernst -

While this is a good instruction guide, I recommend to also look at OWC’s instruction video about drive installation, before starting the exercise. Those install videos are very detailed and useful.

Ernst -

Main advice: TAKE YOUR TIME with the pizza roller.

Make several passes, until you really feel like there's no more sticker in the way. Stay away from the camera though (approx. 1inch / 2.5cm on both sides). This will reduce the work left with the plastic card. Adhesive is really on the edge of the screen so there is absolutely no need to go any further than the recommended 1cm / 3/8inch depth.

Where are the sensitive parts?

Facing your iMac, imagine you're looking at a watch. There are antennas on 1, 2 and 4 o'clock. Do not insert any metal piece there (nor anywhere else, btw). Other than that AND the screen cables underneath the camera, not much danger.

Froggy Manny - 23/03/23

Schritt 2

Setze das iMac Opening Tool an der linken Seite des Displays, in der Nähe des An/Aus Schalters beginnend, in die Spalte zwischen Glaspanel und Rückgehäuse ein.
Die Achse am iMac Opening Tool verhindert, dass du es zu tief einschieben kannst. Wenn du ein anderes Werkzeug verwendest, musst du aufpassen, dass du es nicht tiefer als 9 mm in das Display einschiebst.Sonst riskierst du ein Durchschneiden der Antennenkabel, was zu ernsthaften Schaden führen kann.

Don’t get too worried about starting exactly where the picture says. The glue is stronger in some parts so just start wherever is easier and then work slowly and patiently around in the direction shown.

Richard Cook - 15/02/19

As this guide doesn’t cover replacing the adhesive strips, I found referring to the following was useful (noting that it’s not for the same model of iMac, so the modification they mention wasn’t necessary): IMac Intel 21.5 "EMC 2544 Klebestreifen ersetzen

Alan Digby - 24/06/20

It is very easy to crack the glass in front of the LCD during this step. I used the guitar pick, maybe it was too thick… crack is just on the frame but anyway it is disappointing :(

Nikolay - 30/06/20

This part of the exercise should be done with extreme patience. I took my sweet time with the opening tool, rolling it through the entire panel and enclosure gap over and over again, until I was very sure no parts were sticking together anymore. And when I thought I was I done, I decided to do it over again.

Ernst -

You can "warm up" the adhesive before try to cut it with the tool using a hair dryer. Heat the edges for about a minute, keep moving it so you don't cause stress in the glass. Also the above note.. use the tool and then the cards. Do not use a guitar pick or other objects as the thickness will cause you to break the front glass, which is a bonded part of the display (expensive).

Carl Schultz -

Schritt 3

Benutze es wie einen Pizzaschneider - Rolle es entlang des Spalts und trenne dabei den Klebeschaum in der Mitte.
Achte darauf, dass du es immer mit dem Handgriff hinter dem Schneidrad führst. Wenn du ziehst, kann sich das Rad aus dem Griff lösen.
Lasse das Werkzeug die linke Seite des Displays entlang laufen.

Erreur de traduction: "de bas en haut" et non de" haut en bas" sur le côté gauche de l'écran

Moreau - 15/04/17

If re-opening a screen that was opened and re-attached using iFixit’s adhesive strips, I would strongly recommend heating it first with an iOpener, heat gun or hair dryer. 20 minutes after attaching with the iFixit adhesive I tried to open it again with the pizza slicer to fix something and cracked the screen on the left-hand side.

plasticpool - 08/12/20

Schritt 4

Fahre fort und lasse das Werkzeug um die obere linke Ecke laufen.

Ne pincez pas l’écran avec l’autre main. Vous exercez une pression inutile sur le verre et empêchez la roulette de couper le joint.

phfoglia -

Schritt 5

Schneide die Klebeverbindung entlang der oberen linken Seite des Displays auf.

Schritt 6

Fahre an der Oberseite des Displays fort.
Du kannst das Werkzeug mehrmals hin und her schieben. So trennst du so viel wie möglich von der Klebeverbindung auf.

In this step can I cut along the display without make any damage to the front camera?

arisnordico - 22/01/15

Hi! Actually - there is no need to cut the tape around the camera area - there is no tape to cut at all! And so, the way go is easy - just pass 10 mm to the left and to the right from camera and start cutting!

P.S. Just did the whole procedure to replace a RAM and to add SSD on PSIe an hour ago! Seems to be different reading the instructions... you know - 2/10 and so on. But it's really not that hard, trust me. I'll give it 5/10.

P.P.S. By the way there is one trick to pass the difficult steps. Any action which requires pulling smth (motherboard, speaker, power supply unit) from the narrow crack (or should i say - slit?) at the bottom of your Imac is really not so easy.

And the trick is to first remove a thin metal stripe with some kind of insulation on it which held by 5 small (very small!!) screws at the bottom of your Imac. After you done it - it's easy to pull everything! Pay attention to the fact that one of this 5 screws at the center are more shortly than others.

dv1977 - 24/01/15

I did all steps like this manuell but now the Display wont work only some colered strips are to see! Whats happend??

Can anybody help me ? Maybe the connector cable is broken?

djfanta - 28/05/15

Check both connectors, probably one of them not seated well

pzhivulin - 12/06/15

You can add a SATA SSD if you already have a PCIe SSD Factory?

kaserlik - 30/05/15

If you're changing cracked EMC 2638 display to new assembly, there's two more steps:

Step 24: Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the metal retaining bracket on the display data cable.

Carefully pull the display data cable from its socket on the display assembly.

Step 25: Use the tip of a spudger to unplug bracket of the thermal sensor small cable near display data cable.

Carefully remove scotch tape covering thermal sensor. Using iSesamo or flat tip of the spudger carefully peel the thermal sensor away.

pzhivulin - 12/06/15

omg - forgot to switch the termal sensor from the old display...

now fan runs like crazy...

Andrei Balotescu - 05/02/16

The key thing is to never put any force on the opening tool when working through the tape. Just roll it back and forth with ease.

Ernst -

Schritt 7

Schiebe das Werkzeug um die obere rechte Ecke des Displays.

Schritt 8

Rolle das Werkzeug die rechte Seite des Displays nach unten.

Schritt 9

Beende das Schneiden mit dem iMac Opening Tool unten auf der rechten Seite des Displays.
An dieser Stelle solltest du noch einmal das Werkzeug um das ganze Display laufen lassen, um wirklich soviel von der Klebeverbindung wie möglich aufzutrennen.

Yes, do it many times to loosen the adhesive.

Noah Ralston - 19/07/18

Would be good data to show the 3 areas (wifi antennas where the "tape" is larger and covers them. The rest of the "tape" is 1.4" and easy. Also after removing the display, be sure to remove the old "tape" from both the display and the rubber parts of the case. Use the spudger to start an end and it should pull off easily. Careful on the baackside of the display as you can scratch off the black paint/covering.

Carl Schultz -

Schritt 10

Das Werkzeug hat den größten Teil der Klebeverbindung aufgeschnitten., aber das Display ist immer noch ein wenig mit dem Gehäuse verklebt. Den letzten Rest musst du mit einer Plastikkarte lösen.
Lege den iMac mit der Scheibe nach oben auf den Tisch.
Beginne in der oberen rechten Ecke und zwänge eine Plastikkarte zwischen Display und Rahmen.
Achte darauf, die Karte nicht tiefer als 9 mm einzuschieben. Du könntest sonst Bauteile im Inneren beschädigen.

this step is extremely important NOT to stick in the cards too far….. doing so, you risk a 600 euro replacement as I experienced………

Edgar Broekema - 18/11/17

I drew a 3/8” line on my cards with a marker first.

Max Romano - 27/09/20

I’m reading this on the EU store, please change all measurements to cm/mm.

Morgana Devina - 30/10/20

@ifixit The next batch of cards you create should have a line printed on the card 3/8” in from the edges. Would make a nice reference.

Richard Giratd -

Here’s where OWC provides glass removal suction cups, which is a better solution than plastic cards.

The suction cups help to easily lift the glass panel, without risking the damaging of any internal wiring that the plastic cards could cause.

Ernst -

Better to remove stand wedge at this point? Can’t see from pics

derekrobinson -

Schritt 11

Verdrehe die Plastikkarte seitlich und vergrößere so den Spalt zwischen Display und Rahmen.
Bewege die Karte vorsichtig und langsam, damit das Displayglas nicht zu stark belastet wird - du brauchst nur einen Spalt von etwa 6 mm Breite zu öffnen.

This part must be done very carefully or you can damage the flat cable from display, despite it was under a iron cover.

Cassio Machado - 17/09/16

Schritt 12

Schiebe die Karte zur Mitte des Displays hin und schneide so allen Kleber an der rechten oberen Ecke des iMac auf.
Halte unbedingt vor der iSight Kamera an, damit sie nicht beschädigt wird.

You don't need to do it like this, simply open the iMac bendidng the LCD completely and use the pizza cutter to remove the adhesive.

Felix - 31/05/20

Using glass removal suction cups will avoid running this risk of damaging the camera (or any wiring).

Ernst -

Schritt 13

Zwänge die Plastikkarte erneut in die obere rechte Ecke ein und lasse sie dort stecken. Damit verhinderst du, dass sich die Teile wieder verkleben.

Schritt 14

Setze eine zweite Plastikkarte an der oberen linken Ecke des iMac in den Spalt zwischen Rahmen und Display ein.

Schritt 15

Verdrehe die Karte nach oben, vergrößerte so den Spalt zwischen Rahmen und Display ein wenig.
Drehe, genau wie an der anderen Seite, langsam und lasse dem Klebstoff Zeit beim Auftrennen. Achte drauf, das Displayglas nicht zu stark zu belasten.

Schritt 16

Fahre mit der Karte zur Mitte hin, halte auch hier wieder vor der iSight Kamera an

Schritt 17

Zwänge die Karte wieder bei der linken oberen Ecke ein.

Schritt 18

Verdrehe nun beide Karten seitlich, wie im Bild zu sehen an den Ecken eingesetzt, und vergrößere den Spalt zwischen Gehäuse und Display.
Wenn manche Stellen noch verklebt erscheinen und sich nicht trennen lassen, dann musst du aufhören zu verdrehen und mit einer der Karten die Klebestelle auftrennen.
Fange an, die Oberkante des Displays vom Rahmen weg zu heben.
Hebe es nur ein paar Zentimeter an - die Datenkabel und Versorgungskabel des Displays sind immer noch am Logic Board angeschlossen.

Schritt 19

Hebe das Display soweit hoch, um leichten Zugang zum Verbinder zu haben. Hebe es aber nicht zu hoch (höchstens 20 cm), damit die Kabel nicht zu sehr angespannt und die Verbinder nicht zu sehr belastet werden.
Halte das Display mit einer Hand fest und löse mit der anderen Hand das Kabel der Stromversorgung des Displays.

It was difficult to remove this connection. I ended up having to gently pull-up vertically a little on the wire side to unsnap it about 1mm and then horizontally wiggle it out.

delacrj2 - 22/12/17

I had a difficult time removing this connection. I had to lift the wire-side about 1mm before it unsnapped and then carefully wiggle it out horizontally.

delacrj2 - 22/12/17

Can this cable be replaced? I am worried mine is damaged. I have no display after the screen fell and stressed the display flex cables following an SSD upgrade.

Jeremy Brainard - 19/04/19

This step should be done with extreme caution and care, as this step 19 is not described in great detail (sorry, author).

The first (most outward) cable will slide out by gently pulling it by its tabs. The second (inner) cable is more tricky, as the locking lever must be moved backward first, before gently pulling backward on the cable connector. The angled tweezers are useful here, to help lift that locking lever, because fingers are too big for this.

Ernst -

be VERY careful and SLOW...take your time. These displays crack VERY easily when removing and they'll spider web on you. I've done probably 20 or so of these and cracked 3 being super careful.....ugh.

Faslane -

I found the best way to unplug this display power cable was to use my right hand, and the fingernails of my index finger and thumb to grab the ends of the tabs on either side of the connector, squeeze, and pull the connector out gently.

Phil McInnis -

Schritt 20

Halte das Display weiterhin mit einer Hand fest und klappe den metallenen Sicherungsbügel am Displaydatenkabel hoch.
Ziehe das Displaydatenkabel vorsichtig aus seinem Sockel auf dem Logic Board.
Achte darauf, dass du den Verbinder des Displaydatenkabels gerade aus seinem Sockel ziehst. Halte ihn dabei parallel zur Platine, damit er nicht beschädigt wird.

Cannot seem to find a replacement cable for this, as I suspect mine is damaged. Can’t even find a part number. Anyone know what it might be?

Jeremy Brainard - 19/04/19

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TTL...

That's the part I ordered for mine and it seems to work ok. I did make a point of contacting the seller and advising them of my requirement and they ensured I got the right part and it matches the description of the link. Bear in mind I bear no responsibility if yours does not work since I am just sharing what I did and what I ordered. Thanks.

Jim Stanford -

I also need that cable.

cameronjpu - 24/03/20

It's a little difficult to tell... but looking at the connection to the logic board on the video data cable, are the pins faced up or down?

On the display, same question since it appears you have to "twist" the cable during the reconnection step.

Jim Stanford - 09/05/22

For this particular cable, take a good look before pulling on anything. Plug is locked on its socket with a bracket. You can lift this bracket by holding the small, flat black plastic handle that is attached to it. If you're struggling to grab it, use the end of the pizza roller handle to lift it, or the tweezers. Cable then comes off by pulling parallel to the main board.

Froggy Manny -

Schritt 21

Hebe das Display an, bis es fast senkrecht steht.
Es gibt immer noch einen Klebestreifen am unteren Rand des Displays, der wie eine Art Scharnier wirkt. Du kannst ihn lösen, indem du das Display ein paar Mal auf- und zuklappst.

The adhesive strip along the bottom is designed with a pull tab on each outer end. Rather than lever and pull the screen simply carefully pull the tab which removes that half of the lower adhesive strip and frees up the screen.

Andrew Stephens - 10/08/18

Yes, use the tabs as Andrew indicates. Super easy.

Michael Adams - 22/06/19

Schritt 22

Trenne, wenn nötig, die letzten Reste der Verklebung am unteren Rand mit einer Plastikkarte auf.

Schritt 23

Hebe das Display aus dem Rahmen und entferne es vom iMac.
Es ist vielleicht notwendig, es erst langsam an einer Seite hochzuheben, um es aus der Klebeverbindung zu lösen.
Sei sehr vorsichtig beim Hantieren des Displays - es ist groß, schwer und aus Glas.
Nachdem der Klebestreifen durchgeschnitten ist, kann er nicht mehr verwendet werden. Folge dieser Anleitung, um die Klebestreifen, die das Display befestigen, wieder anzubringen..

The adhesive strip along the bottom is designed with a pull tab on each outer end. Rather than lever and pull the screen simply carefully pull the tab which removes that half of the lower adhesive strip and frees up the screen.

Andrew Stephens - 10/08/18

Andrew, FTW! This worked perfectly

Megan O'Leary -

Schritt 24

Entferne folgende fünf Kreuzschlitzschrauben, welche die untere Displayhalterung befestigen:
Vier 3,2 mm Schrauben
Eine 1,7 mm Schraube
Es gibt aber auch EMC2544-Geräte, bei denen alle fünf Schrauben gleich sind.
Du musst eventuell die Verklebung am unteren Rand der Gehäuseöffnung ablösen, um an alle Schrauben zu gelangen.

I used the CR-V 4.0 standard screwdriver head to help peel away the adhesive lining. My fingers were too big to grab it, and my fingernails too short to get the removal started. This 4 screw head worked perfectly.

airshack - 07/02/20

Schritt 25

Entferne die untere Displayhalterung von der Gehäuseöffnung.

Of all the parts of this entire procedure, replacing this one piece is the hardest part! The screws are tiny and they just don’t seem to want to grab the support piece. Also it seems to perform no function which is also annoying.

John M - 25/01/19

I left mine out. LOL

jerrid_foiles - 04/05/19

Line up the screw holes and press on the bracket from the back to help the screws grab. If your fingers are too big, press with the flat side of your spudger. As long as there’s no gap between the bracket and the iMac’s frame, the screws should grab easily.

Jeff Suovanen - 07/05/19

I put it in at a slight angle lining up the right hand side holes, screwed in the two screws and gently pressed my finger behind it on the rest

jmorphett5 - 30/04/20

If you only want to replace the HD and RAM, take a big shortcut and leave the logic board in, as well as all the parts needed to remove it (speaker, power supply etc). Once the display is removed, just take out the fan and the top two logic board screw. There is than sufficient space to gently remove and insert the two ram modules. HD can easily be replaced with an SSD by just removing the HD mounting brackets...

diddl14 -

Schritt 26

Ziehe den Stecker vom rechten Lautsprecherkabel gerade nach unten und aus seinem Sockel auf dem Logic Board.

Schritt 27

Entferne die beiden Torx T10 Schrauben, welche den rechten Lautsprecher am Rückgehäuse befestigen.
Unterlegscheiben aus Gummi halten die Schrauben im Lautsprecher fest, auch wenn sie lose sind. Du kannst sie mit einer Pinzette oder einem Fingernagel entfernen oder einfach in der Lautsprechereinheit belassen.

Schritt 28

Setze eine Spudgerspitze zwischen den rechten Lautsprecher und das Antennenkabel. Lasse sie entlang der rechten Seite des Lautsprechers nach unten laufen, um so das Kabel aus dem Kanal herauszuholen.
Wenn der Kanal nicht leicht zugänglich ist, kannst du den Lautsprecher leicht nach vorne kippen ( weg vom Rückgehäuse), um Zugang zum Antennenkabel zu erlangen.

Schritt 29

Kippe den rechten Lautsprecher etwa 1 cm nach vorne aus dem Rückgehäuse heraus.
Ziehe den Lautsprecher gerade hoch und entferne ihn vom iMac.

Schritt 30

Entferne folgende Torx T10 Schrauben welche die Festplattenhalterungen am iMac befestigen:
Zwei 21 mm Schrauben
Eine 9 mm Schraube
Eine 27 mm Schraube

At step 26, when reassembling, it's super easy to over-tighten the 9mm screw and strip the brass ferrule out of its hole in the plastic bracket (%#*@).

roberttrevellyan - 19/09/17

Mine has 4 different length screws, the two red colored 21mm screws in this guide are actually two differ lengths

anonymous 523 - 19/10/20

Mi imac does not have a HDrive whats the steps to follow?

Charlie - 05/02/21

buongiorno, l'imac del 2019, non monta alcuna ssd, ma monta una m2 direttamente sulla scheda madre!

pertanto nella guida andrebbe aggiunto il cavo sata con sensore temperatura da aggiungere sulla scheda madre, per poter collegare un nuovo hd ssd altrimenti rimarrete come me bloccati con un imac aperto e non assemblato, in attesa di ricevere il cavo acquistato su internet da amazon o terze parti.

vi consiglio inoltre di aggiungere una foto reale del ò'imac 2019 nella guida in cui manca l'ssd, renderà subito la problematica che avranno in molti!

Donato Altomare -

Schritt 31

Entferne die linke und die rechte Festplattenhalterung vom iMac.

Schritt 32

Die nächsten Schritte bringen deine Hände in die Nähe der offenen Oberfläche der Netzteilplatine. Fasse diese und die offenen Lötstellen nicht an , um einen Stromschlag von den vielen großen Kondensatoren auf der Platine zu vermeiden.
Drücke mit der Spudgerspitze abwechselnd auf jeder Seite des Steckers am Kabel zum Netzschalter und lasse ihn langsam aus dem Sockel "herauswandern".

I would advise that before removing the PSU unit and all other components from the bottom of the case that you remove the 5 screws at the bottom of the display which hold an insulation strip in place.

The guide shows this piece removed, but does not tell you how to remove it.

There will be 5, small J1000 screws. The middle one, which goes over Apple Logo is the shorter one of the 5, all others are the same length. Once this piece is gone removing the components is much easier, and chance of damage lessened.

[deleted] - 16/01/16

Added to the guide. Thanks for the tip!

Jeff Suovanen - 06/07/16

No need to remove power board and logic board and all other components, just remove the fan and it is quite "easily" accessable to change the RAM. Just need to use the tools to remove the old RAM and carefully install the new RAM.

I just did it without removing the logic or power board

Oleksandr Trokhymchuk - 11/08/17

could you elaborate a little more, I would love to skip the rest of these steps. How did you accomplish this?

ej P - 03/07/18

Oleksandr Trokhymchuk,

Thank you! You just saved me so much time! I wouldn’t call this “easy” but it saved me a lot of time and effort.

Joshua Ericson -

ej P: remove the fan assembly first. Then remove the connector that runs from the iSight camera to the logic board on the left.

the RAM is located right near that cable. It’s tricky to remove but you can pop open the connectors with a black nylon stick and the RAM chip will pop up at 45 degrees. Make a mental note on which way you will need to install the new ram as it’s tough to see. For the Crucial memory I got it was label side facing away you (facing towards rear metal enclosure).

the second chip has a plastic adhesive piece on it that you should probably attach to the new ram.

remove both chips then install the new ram in sequence from the board out.

Wizdom On Wheels - 10/07/19

In the photo for Step 28, the power button cable connector is placed around the power board screw hole on the top left of the power board.

However, on the iMac I upgraded, the power button cable connector was “fed” through the power power screw hole on the top left of the power board. The cable was too short to run around and below the hole.

Hence, I had to ensure the cable was “fed” through the hole during re-assembly and the screw carefully screwed back through the hole.

I guess every iMac is assembly just a bit differently, just to make repairs that much more fun.

Tim Telcik - 01/09/19

This is not correct and may have been assembled incorrectly during a previous repair.

Charlie Nancarrow -

Just replaced the hard drive and RAM with SSD and 16GB respectively and did NOT remove the power supply or logic board. Tricky is a word to describe putting the RAM in without removing the logic board. You work in the dark with little room to get your fingers in between the logic board and the back of the case. I put the first RAM chip in without a problem (the one next to the logic board), but the second to four tries and dropped it behind the logic board three times before finally getting it to position correctly. Just impossible to see and must work but feel. Still it was faster than removing all the components… though did remove the fan (needed cleaning anyway). All in all I can’t say enough about the help the guide was through the upgrade ! Thanks !

Ray Burgard - 14/12/19

I found this connector to be very tight and was afraid of breaking it off. I just kept slowly working on it—it did eventually come out.

I did try to sneak the RAM in without removing the logic board but my fingers were too big. I found it too difficult and just continued on with this guide.

Mikkif - 30/03/20

I was not able to install the memory without removing all the components. My fingers are too big and I could barely get in that tight spot to swap out the memory. The hardest part about the power supply is that one connector under the chin next to the Apple logo. Once it is out, you are home free because it is so easy to plug it back in when you are putting it all back together again. Ridiculous that Apple did not put a simple access door behind those memory slots because they are on the backside of the Mac! They did an access door on the PowerBooks and it did not ruin the appearance. They could have designed a cool looking pop out door that only had a thin seam around it so it would still look good. Then you could remove the access door to upgrade the memory easily.

Peter Hillman - 18/10/20

Does anyone know if this is the same situation as in the 2017 model? I just changed RAM in the 2017 version and also skipped taking out the logic board. I just bent a pair of tweezers and put some tape around the tips to make them less scratchy and used them to place the RAM modules into the slots. Worked supereasy and much much quicker than performing the complete tear down of the whole machine.

Nils Witte - 26/12/20

This step is impossible!

Cecily Walker - 05/01/21

@wizdomonwheels, I don’t see how I can get the RAM shield off of the logic board to access the RAM without removing the logic board. What am I missing?? I’m guessing that those of you that are suggesting this technique are working on older iMac models that don’t have the RAM shield.

jiclark - 11/03/21

Yes, you are correct. It is likely the various steps are a bit different on each model. If I recall I was likely working on a 2015 or older system. If there’s a shield in the way, I can’t think of a way you could get around it without pulling the logic board.

Wizdom On Wheels - 12/03/21

Schritt 33

Drücke vorsichtig mit der Spudgerspitze abwechselnd an jeder Seite des Steckers der Netzteilsteuerung, um ihn aus seinem Sockel "herauswandern" zu lassen.

Schritt 34

Entferne die beiden 7,2 mm Torx T10 Schrauben, welche das Netzteil am Rückgehäuse befestigen.
In neueren iMac Modellen sind dies 7,2 mm Torx T8 Schrauben.
Achte beim Zusammenbau darauf, dass sich das Kabel zur Einschalttaste nicht hinter der Leiterplatte verfängt.

In my case, the left side corner of the PS was caught against the Lower Support Bracket, and I had to remove the LSB in order to get the PS freed and out.

I think the author Walter Galan should put this in the main section of his instructions. I have TWO identical iMac 14,1 / i5 2.7GHz / 21 Inch Late 2013 / Order ME086LL/A. They both required removing the LSB. Thank you very much Walter Galan & others for your contributions.

Ted Horodynsky - 15/07/20

Those screws were definitely not T10 but T9 on my unit

Vincent Monteil - 27/12/20

Those screws were T8 on my unit.

jag32mobile - 17/01/21

Schritt 35

Wenn du am Netzteil arbeitest, musst du sehr vorsichtig sein: berühre keine Kondensatoranschlüsse oder auch Lötstellen auf der Rückseite. Fasse die Platine nur an den Kanten an.
Kippe das Netzteil nach vorne.

When replacing the PSU (on the re-build) take care not to trap the power button cable behind it - I did...

Dave Hallett - 10/08/17

Schritt 36

Ziehe das Netzteil leicht hoch und aus dem Rückgehäuse heraus.
Drehe das Netzteil gegen den Uhrzeigersinn, so dass die rechte Seite etwa 2,5 cm höher als die linke ist.

In my case, the left side corner of the PS was caught against the Lower Support Bracket, and I had to remove the LSB in order to get the PS freed and out.

I think the author Walter Galan should put this in the main section of his instructions. I have TWO identical iMac 14,1 / i5 2.7GHz / 21 Inch Late 2013 / Order ME086LL/A. They both required removing the LSB. Thank you very much Walter Galan & others for your contributions.

Ted Horodynsky - 15/07/20

Schritt 37

Schiebe das Netzteil nach rechts um es von den Schraubenpfosten am Rückgehäuse zu befreien.

Schritt 38

Rücke das Netzteil nach vorne und entferne es aus seinem Sitz im Rückgehäuse.
Versuche noch nicht, das Netzteil ganz vom iMac zu entfernen, es ist immer noch mit dem Logic Board verbunden.

Schritt 39

Sei ganz vorsichtig und berühre keine Lötstellen oder Kondensatorkabel auf der Rückseite der Versorgungsplatine. Fasse nur die Kanten an.
Drehe das obere Teil des Netzteils zu dir, um an den Stecker der Gleichstromversorgung hinter dem Logic Board zu kommen.
Drücke die Lasche am Stecker der Gleichstromversorgung zusammen und ziehe ihn gerade aus seinem Sockel auf der Rückseite des Logic Boards.

when pulled the cable, even slightly, the actual female piece that connects to the logic board came off. am i screwed?

Racheal Major - 08/05/17

Repairing sockets that come off the logic board is possible, but very specialised work. Unless you have a magnifying lamp and the necessary desoldering and soldering skills, it will be difficult but not impossible.

Charlie Nancarrow - 28/07/19

The tab is at the far end of the connector, so you’ll need to reach farther than you might think.

lkollar - 30/12/19

When I pulled the disconnect, I pushed down on the disconnect, instead of pushing down on the tab on the disconnect and bent those pins… tried to straighten the bent pins and two of the pins broke off the logic board. Will I need a new logic board or can I purchase the pins…?

Ray AA - 04/06/20

I could not disconnect this cable without fear of breaking something (as previous posters did). I found that I could skip this and the next step by wrapping the power supply in a couple layers of a small towel (to prevent shorting with any other metal surfaces), and laying the power supply on the aluminum face of the iMac near the Apple logo. This got it out of the way enough to do what I needed on the logic board (changing PRAM battery) after completing removal of the other items in this guide.

Phil McInnis -

Schritt 40

Es ist wahrscheinlich hilfreich, wenn du für die nächsten Schritte den den iMac mit der Rückseite auf den Tisch legst.
Drücke die Raste an der Seite des Steckers des Wechselstromkabels mit dem flachen Ende des Spudgers nach innen.
Halte die Raste mit dem Spudger gedrückt, fasse das Wechselstromkabel an und ziehe den Verbinder aus seinem Sockel.

I didn't disconnect the input cable to the power supply. Because I had the machine lying on its back throughout, I placed it on to the metal bit at the bottom of the machine instead (with a cloth to stop the metal getting scratched). The AC inlet cable was pretty tricky to get un-locked, and the PSU sat on the case fine. It didn't hinder anything else throughout the guide.

Dave Hallett - 10/08/17

I thought from Dave’s comment that I could leave the power supply completely in place, but I was mistaken. In order to remove the hard drive assembly after you remove the center screw in it, you’ll need to at least unscrew it and the HD assembly will slip out. Like Dave said, you don’t need to unplug the AC or PSU, which I left hanging.

Getting power supply to the logic board unplugged is also tricky without unscrewing the two bottom screws. They didn’t make this part easy.

delacrj2 - 22/12/17

Kleiner Rechtschreibfehler - statt „denac“ muss es wohl „den iMac“ heißen

Gonzalo - 01/11/18

Au ja. Du kannst so was selbst ausbessern. Einfach auf “Übersetzen" gehen und loslegen.

VauWeh - 01/11/18

I would like to thanks Dave Hallett for his tip of not removing the AC inlet connector of the power supply. I simply wrapped the board in bubble wrap and taped to the iMac case, out of the way, thus giving access to the remaining disconnection procedures and preventing the board from scratching to the iMac case. It also made reassembly much simpler.

Rob Hogan - 04/08/20

Yeah, that AC inlet plug was a nasty one to unplug, mainly because I was trying not to bump the solder joints on the PSU. After a few wiggles and pulls while manipulating the spudger tool to release the clip, it finally unplugged. Made it easier by removing the PSU completely so you don’t have to worry about it. Don’t worry, plugging it back in is a breeze!

Peter Hillman - 18/10/20

With the right tool this plug comes out very easily. Forget about your tiny computer tools, go to the garage and grab a regular old needle nose pliers. Grab the clip and the plug at the same time. The plug will come right out.

Carin Ann Loewen - 08/03/21

Carin Ann— The most helpful comment on this procedure. After reading what you wrote I maneuvered the board, grabbed the clip with my left hand (a little awkward because of the cooling enclosure), squeezed the front of the plug, and got it out.

Glen Kohler -

+1 for needle nose pliers!

Sam -

Schritt 41

Entferne das Netzteil vom iMac.

erreur: retirer "la carte d'alimentation" et non" le disque dur" !!!!!

Moreau - 16/04/17

Schritt 42

Ziehe den Stecker am Lüfterkabel gerade aus seinem Anschluss auf dem Logic Board.

Schritt 43

Entferne die drei 10 mm Torx T10 Schrauben, welche den Lüfter am Rückgehäuse befestigen.
Die oberste Schraube ist mit einem Abstandshalter aus Gummi auf ihrem Kopf versehen, um das Display zu stützen. Lasse ihn, wo er ist.

Schritt 44

Entferne den Lüfter vom iMac.

Schritt 45

Hebe die Festplatte am Rand in der Nähe des Logic Board an und ziehe sie etwas aus ihrem Sitz.
Die Festplatte ist noch über die SATA Kabel für Daten und Stromversorgung angeschlossen, versuche also noch nicht sie ganz zu entfernen.

The newer drives have rubber ends and an adhesive side, be careful removing them if replacing the drive and be sure they are securely pushed back into the holder

Carl Schultz -

Schritt 46

Löse das SATA Combo Kabel für Daten und Stromversorgung, indem du mit dem Spudger vorsichtig seinen großen Plastikverbinder weg von der Festplatte hebelst.

When reconnecting the SATA cable, there is nothing to make the connector hold still, and it is hard to reach, so it took several tries. I ended up taking off the rubber baby buggy bumpers to get more room, and then jamming them back on after getting the SATA connector snugged up.

bstaud - 28/03/18

If by rubber baby buggy bumper, you mean left speaker, then yes, I agree. Reinstall the hard drive before the left speaker.

jerrid_foiles - 31/03/19

Kudo to @jerrid_foiles! I was going crazy trying to attach the SATA cable until I took the two screws out of the left speaker and slid the top end of it aside by about 3/4 inch. Make the whole process SO MUCH easier!!

jiclark - 11/07/19

We solved this by removing the hard drive tray screw, then inserting the cable into the SATA hard drive. Then hold the hard drive a bit out of the way to insert the 7.3mm hard drive tray screw.

Marjie - 25/07/19

Agree with this method, found it an impossible task to reconnect the SATA connector until removed the tray screw, then it was relatively easy to reconnect and then replace the tray screw.

daveedwards - 20/09/19

Also agree with this method!

jmorphett5 - 30/04/20

Schritt 47

Entferne die Festplatteneinheit vom iMac.

When reassembling, I found it easier to loosen the HD tray screw from Step 48 and pull the tray outwards from the left side in order to plug the SATA cable in more easily.

Cool_Breeze - 10/05/17

Thanks! I, too, had a hard time reconnecting the SATA cable.

boboswell - 16/06/17

I found this helpful too!

Anwar - 07/02/21

And DON’T do what I did, which is to remove the left speaker - which can easily lead to breaking the cable between the power on button and the power supply. The cable is routed through a hidden slot at the very bottom of the left speaker

bsmith1 - 15/12/17

I did loosen the speaker so I could get a tool behind the SATA cable to push it on to the SSD drive. Otherwise hard to align cable.

Noah Ralston - 19/07/18

I found the easiest way to connect the SATA cable was to not screw the plastic hard drive tray down until you plug the drive in. That way you can easily push the connector in and due to the cable you’ve got some wiggle room. You can position the tray then just lift one end of the drive up and secure the screw. Then just push the drive down.

Chris Caldwell - 21/03/19

This was the step that I had the most trouble with. I’m used to replacing a hard drive in a MacBook Pro, where the “plug” that you plug the drive into is a rigid thing that you can firmly press the hard drive into.

With the iMac, the plug is situated on the end of a non-rigid cord, so the plug moves back when you try to snap a drive into it. Also, those two rubber gasket things that you adhere to the side of the drive really make it difficult to maneuver the now-overly-chubby drive towards the plug.

After must frustration/concern, what I ended up doing was temporarily removing the rubber gasket things, using the “spudger” as kind of a lever behind the “plug on a cord” so that it didn’t move as much, and then pushed the gasket-less SSD into the plug.

Once I got it connected, I put the rubber gaskets back on the sides of the SSD and kind of coaxed it down into place, using the pointy end of the spudger to get the chubby corner pieces to “sit” correctly in the rigid plastic tray that the SSD kind of rests in.

Jack OnFlickr - 29/05/19

From another comment elsewhere on this repair, I *highly* recommend removing the two screws holding the left speaker in place, then sliding it just a tad out of the way to be able to easily attach the SATA cable. You don’t have to move it much to make the whole process so much easier!

jiclark - 11/07/19

Schritt 48

Entferne die 7,3 mm Torx T8 Schraube, welche den Festplatteneinschub am Rückgehäuse befestigt.

it`s a t10 screw..! ;)

happymac venezuela - 31/03/19

I found it easier to connect SATA cable before fixing tray.

Mārtiņš Jansons - 29/11/20

Schritt 49

Entferne den Festplatteneinschub.

I am following these procedures for the following: iMac Retina 4K - 21.5" - 3GHz Quad Core - Radeon Pro 555 2GB - 4GB/4GB (8GB total - 2 slots) 2400MHz DDR4 SO-DIMM - Mid 2017 - Model: MNDY2LL/A - iMac18,2 - A1418 - 3069. In my case, the SATA cable is clipped into the bottom of the hard drive tray. Pull the hard drive tray up slightly and angle to reveal clips. SATA cable pops out from the side of each clip.

iannai29 -

Better yet, after reading Step 49 - no need to remove SATA cable from the bottom of the hard drive tray.

iannai29 -

Schritt 50

Ziehe vorsichtig das Kabel zum linken Lautsprecher gerade aus seinem Anschluss auf dem Logic Board.

I would add/clarify that the Left Speaker and the 10 mm T10 Torx screws do not need to be removed if this is accurate.

TheStudioDrummer - 13/12/21

Schritt 51

Fädle das linke Lautsprecherkabel aus, indem du es direkt aus seiner Halteklammer hinten am Rückgehäuse herausziehst.

Schritt 52

Entferne auf gleiche Art wie beim vorigen Schritt die SATA und Versorgungskabel, indem du das Kabelgeflecht aus der Halteklammer hochziehst.

Schritt 53

Löse das Klebeband ab, welches den Stecker zum linken Lautsprecherkabel den SATA Daten/Versorgungskabeln befestigt.

Schritt 54

Klappe den metallenen Sicherungsbügel am Stecker des Kabels zur FaceTime Kamera hoch.
Ziehe das Kabel zur FaceTime Kamera gerade aus seinem Anschluss auf dem Logic Board.
Dies ist ein sehr empfindlicher Stecker, der leicht beschädigt werden kann.

Schritt 55

Entferne die beiden 4,0 mm Torx T5 Schrauben, welche die vier Antennenstecker an der AirPort/Bluetooth Karte befestigen.

Schritt 56

Löse die vier Antennenstecker, indem du sie gerade aus ihren Anschlüssen auf der AirPort/Bluetooth Karte hebelst.

Schritt 57

Hebele den Verbinder des Kabels zur Kopfhörerbuchse mit dem flachen Ende des Spudgers aus seinem Anschluss auf dem Logic Board.
Schiebe das Kabel etwas nach rechts.

Schritt 58

Löse das Klebeband vom Lüfterkanal ab.

Schritt 59

Entferne folgende Torx T8 Schrauben, welche den Lüfterkanal am Rückgehäuse befestigen:
Zwei 6,2 mm Schrauben
Zwei 4,7 mm Schrauben

I would add/clarify that the 2 pivot mount screws to the left of the exhaust duct do not need to be removed. (if this is accurate)

TheStudioDrummer -

These are Torx T9 on mine

TheStudioDrummer - 13/12/21

Getting the two screws on the right side (next to the logic board) out and then back in was tricky, as they are recessed so much. To get them back in I used a magnet to magnetize my Torx bit (https://www.wikihow.com/Magnetize-a-Scre...) so it could hold onto the screws while I very, very carefully threaded them back into their respective holes.

Phil McInnis -

Schritt 60

Entferne die vier 7,3 mm Torx T8 Schrauben, welche das Logic Board am Rückgehäuse befestigen.

左下のネジの上にこの画像にない配線がある　2019 iMac

Daisuke Hirai - 29/01/21

Motherboard Screws are T9 on mine

TheStudioDrummer -

Schritt 61

Kippe die Oberkante des Logic Boards weg vom Rückgehäuse.

If you are only changing the PRAM battery, you don't need to remove the logic board completely, just pull it out a bit and angle it up enough to get to the battery.

Phil McInnis -

Schritt 62

Hebe das Logic Board gerade hoch und aus dem iMac heraus.
Achte darauf, dass sich das Logic Board nicht an einem der Schraubenpfosten des Rückgehäuses verhakt.

Schritt 63

Achte beim Wiedereinbau des Logic Boards auf die korrekte Position der rückseitigen Anschlüsse. Das Logic Board kann schief liegen, selbst wenn alle Befestigunsschrauben sitzen.
Benutze einen USB-Stick oder ein Ethernet-Stecker, um sicher zu gehen, dass sich das Logic-Board beim Befestigen an der richtigen Stelle befindet.

Schritt 64

Der SATA Datenstecker besitzt eine Klammer, welche heruntergedrückt werden muss, damit er entfernt werden kann.
Drücke die Klammer mit dem Daumen herunter und hebe gleichzeitig den SATA Datenstecker hoch aus seinem Anschluss auf dem Logic Board, um ihn zu lösen.

Schritt 65

Fasse den Versorgungsstecker der Festplatte an und ziehe ihn vorsichtig aus seinem Anschluss auf dem Logic Board.

Schritt 66

Löse, ohne sie jedoch zu entfernen, die vier unverlierbaren Torx T8 Schrauben, welche den Kühlkörper über der CPU befestigen. Diese vier Schrauben bleiben im Kühlkörper hängen.
Entferne die beiden 5,4 mm Torx T8 Schrauben, die den Wärmeleiter am Logic Board befestigen.
Bei einigen Modellen des iMac ist der Wärmeleiter eher gerade als gebogen. Für die Größe und Art der Schrauben spielt das keine Rolle, und die vier Schrauben über der CPU bleiben immer im Kühlkörper hängen.

Schritt 67

Hebe die Kühlkörpereinheit hoch und entferne sie vom Logic Board.
Benutze beim Zusammenbau unsere Anleitung für Wärmeleitpaste, um eine neue Schicht Wärmeleitpaste aufzutragen.

iMac Intel 21,5" Retina 4K Display Kühlkörper austauschen

Einleitung

Werkzeuge

Ersatzteile

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