iMac 27" (mid 2010): Will replacing the HD cause fan problems?

Thanks for the feedback. Any reason you didn't want to use SSD Fan Control? It supports SMART temps from the drive.

Hi Kingcaramel,

Been reading the post, thanks for all the info. I'm about to follow your steps and replace the Seagate 1TB in my April 2010 27" Imac with a WD20EZRX.

The problem is, in my original drive the socket for the temp sensor is 4 pin so there's only one way to insert the cable (the hole is slightly T-shaped so the direction is obvious). Any other tips on what's the exact way to insert the 4 pin cable in the mentioned 6 pin socket?

Worst of cases, if I get it wrong, how would I know?

Thanks a lot for your reply in advance!

Since you're switching drive manufacturers from Seagate to WD, I believe you will need the correct WD cable. In any event, the WD will not have an internal temp sensor and the fan RPMs will eventually ramp up to maximum. Same if you were to stay with Seagate.

I have found this place to be a good, reasonably priced resourse for this kind of thing.

http://www.cwioutlet.com/

Thanks!

Hiya there,

Interesting read all of this is.

I've just replaced the stock 500GB drive in an iMac 21.5inch Mid 2010 with a WD20EZRX drive. I used the original temperature sensor thats in the imac with its original Western Digital drive. Plugged it into the drive, plugged the drive in etc, and have found that the fans arent ramping up, but the Hard Drive proximity sensor is now failing.

What Im worried about is because the sensor is failing, is the machine going to slow down massively as has been the case before with sensors failing because the machine is constantly trying to re-read it?

Thanks

Joe

joe88moore wrote:

I've just replaced the stock 500GB drive in an iMac 21.5inch Mid 2010 with a WD20EZRX drive. I used the original temperature sensor thats in the imac with its original Western Digital drive.

I don't understand what you did. By all accounts, the original temp sensor was supposed to be internal to the drive. How could you move it to a new drive? Did the original come with an external, stick-on temp sensor, and you moved that over?

Plugged it into the drive, plugged the drive in etc, and have found that the fans arent ramping up, but the Hard Drive proximity sensor is now failing.

With what program are you seeing that the proximity sensor is failing? The "proximity sensor" would be the stick-on. Mine reads 0 or just empty for that, since the drive in my late '09 doesn't have one.

Hiya,

Sorry, I meant the cable that came with the machine, I swapped the hard drive over and plugged it into the new drive, as both were Western Digital so it was the same attachment.

I use AST as I work at an AASP.

However, SSD Fan Control has sorted it out perfectly using the SMART readings.

Thanks for all of the assistance

I replaced the original Seagate in my Mid-2010 iMac with a SATA Seagate that originally came in a Dell. The temp sensor cable plugged into the jumpers of the Seagate no problem, and I've had no issues with the fan spinning out of control. When I tried a WD drive as replacement originally, I did not use the Seagate temp cable obviously and I did have the HD fan spinning constantly. I'm not sure if all Seagates will work as a replacement for the factory Seagate, but the one I pulled out of a Dell PC is 100% compatible, no need for special Apple firmware.

Interesting. Hearing that is a first, for me at least.