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

Worked Well for Me
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.

Easy to install and you get all tools for the job.
I was a bit nervous removing the screen on my 27″ iMac, but it was really easy. This product fit like a charm and came with all the tools needed for the job. 2 thumbs up!!!

Adhesive included
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).

Seems to great I’m using masking tape to secure the screen for now
The reviews on the product scare me but despite my fears I used this product today while replacing my late 2013 iMac 27inch harddrive with a 2tb Seagate firecuda sshd I used 91% isopropyl alcohol even though you can’t really get anymore right now there was a lot of trash from the old adhesive I removed, I used masking tape to secure the screen while the adhesive tape sets I plan on removing the tap at a minimum of a week or when it starts bothering me I’m honestly scared if my screen falling off but it does seem to be so there pretty tight. Also every thing else in the kit works great and was included the tools seem pretty high quality and reusable except maybe the spudger I broke mine but any plastic tool can be broken easily if over worked.

Fungerar som det ska

J’ai acheté ce kit car j’ai remplacé mon vieux disque HDD par un SSD. Une fois reçu, je me suis apercu que j’avais acheté celui pour le 273 mais j’ai un 21,5″, et bien du coup aucun soucis, les bandes se coupent facilement et j’ai pu adapter.
La pose est très simple, les outils fonctionnent très bien. Pour le moment ca colle bien. J’ai laissé l’écran retourne toute la nuit sur une surface bien plate afin que son propre poids écrase bien l’autocollant. Bien respecter le temps avant de relever l’écran, au risque qu’il tombe.