is a 2010 mac desk top to old to update

The newest version of macOS that a 2010 iMac can run is 10.13 High Sierra.

The macOS version you can upgrade to depends on the year your Mac was released.

Click the  (Apple) menu at the top of your screen and choose About This Mac.

Check the Compatibility of your Mac with newer versions of macOS:

➡️ macOS 10.13 High Sierra is compatible with the Macs listed here

Please see > How to download macOS - Apple Support.

Glen Doggett wrote:

Those iMacs were also the also the last of the thicker form factor that has a built-in DVD drive, if you still use it as an ersats entertainment device.

Built-in optical drives were around for a year longer. The 2011 iMacs had them.

In 2012, iMacs

• Got thinner
• Got USB 3.0 ports
• Lost their Firewire 800 ports
• Lost their built-in optical drives

The 21.5" iMacs

• Went from having four user-accessible RAM slots, to having two sealed-in RAM slots
• Lost the ability to use internal 3.5" hard drives (they now had to use the 2.5" notebook ones)

Well in computer terms a 2010 it pretty much a dinosaur, as stated the last version of Mac OS it will run is High Sierra which is at least 12 years old now. Current versions of Mac OS require more capable hardware, you may want to ask "can I upgrade the hardware on a 2010?" however the answer sadly, is no. If you have a need to run more up-to-date versions of Mac OS, then it is time for a new Mac.

rkaufmann87 wrote:

Well in computer terms a 2010 it pretty much a dinosaur, as stated the last version of Mac OS it will run is High Sierra which is at least 12 years old now.

High Sierra came out on September 25, 2017. The last update to High Sierra was on July 9, 2018. So High Sierra isn't "at least 12 years old" (as of October 22, 2023).

There have been six major versions of macOS since High Sierra: Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, and Sonoma.

Note that 2010 Mac desktops did not have USB 3.0.

The fastest way to connect an external drive to your machine would be with FireWire 800. Other World Computing sells some drives and enclosures that have both USB 3 and FireWire 800 (use FireWire 800 with your current Mac, USB 3 when you upgrade to a newer Mac), but they're just about the only ones that still do.

Regarding hardware upgrades, maybe not the best approach for that old of a machine at this point. Those are the last of the models that were somewhat easier to open up and get to the internal drive bay. OWC has some good deals on 3G SATA SSD drives, (more expensive 6G drives will work but will operate at the slower 3G speed in that particular model) which can be installed with an adapter bracket in the drive bay. OWC used to sell a complete DIY installation kit with all the tools you need to install an internal hard drive, including the special thermal sensor cable so that your cooling fans don't go full speed all the time. The RAM slots should be easy to access on the back of the iMac case. So, there are some hardware options available for the internal hard drive and RAM. However, spending more money on an older out of date machine is perhaps not the best investment. Those iMacs were also the also the last of the thicker form factor that has a built-in DVD drive, if you still use it as an ersats entertainment device.

https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/S3D7E3GT1.0/

So while you can expand the storage capacity with a new internal hard drive, a better option would be to get an external hard drive to facilitate transferring your data to a newer computer later. Perhaps sooner rather than later.