iFixit - Answers With Device "iMac"

iMac Intel 27" Retina 5k Display: Is Velcro or 3M Dual Lock a good substitute for display adhesive?

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 19:06:35 -0700

I have an early 2015 iMac with a fusion drive setup where the SSD expired. I plan to replace it with an SSD and use the hard drive from the configuration in an external enclosure. This is an aging system, though, and at some point I plan to convert the iMac into a monitor, so I'd like to be able to access to the internals without buying another set of adhesive strips. I saw a guide on using magnets for this, but it doesn't include any good way to attach the bottom of the screen. I'd like to know if 3M Dual Lock (a stronger Velcro substitute) is a viable alternative to the adhesive, and if so, how much do I need of it to hold the screen on well?

⟐ Commented 4월 26, 2026 at 19:06 GMT-7

iMac Intel: Lots of old parts - what to do with them?

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 05:55:47 -0700

I have several 27" iMacs in various states of disrepair as a result of repeatedly breaking the LCD on mine. What can I do with the parts?

Ideally I'd love to sell them for whatever I can get cause times are hard right? What can I do besides recycle them?

I have parts for 4 complete 27" 2015 iMacs including cases, power supplies, mother boards, speakers, fans, stands, etc....

Most of the electrical components either dont work or I have no way of testing them. I just want to get them off my desk at this point.

⟐ Answered 4월 25, 2026 at 5:55 GMT-7

iMac M1 24": Horizontal lines over iMac 24 screen

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 06:34:42 -0700

Hi,

I got horizontal lines over the display! During the warranty period they replaced the board ( it blacked out ) and now this is happening. They refused to replace the device saying out of warranty and asked to replace it :-|. They were not even sure that changing the display will fix the issue. I am hesitant to replace the screen as I am better off to buy a new one rather keep repairing the faulty product.

Is there any way to fix it?

Tried
- Reinstall the OS
- External Display = Works fine
- Reseating those 3 cables

Lines kind of flickers, may be some lose cables?

Please help

⟐ Commented 4월 22, 2026 at 6:34 GMT-7

iMac Intel 27" Retina 5K Display 2019: Microphone is broken after upgrading ssd

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:15:48 -0700

Any idea where i can get that part?

the ribbon is so fragile, looks like it broke

thanks

After changing the microphone for a new one it is still the same problem, no idea what happened, i was being very careful inserting the flex cable on the board.. when removing the original one i pulled it instead of removing the tiny latch because i did not know

Any idea?

Thanks

⟐ Answer accepted 4월 20, 2026 at 15:15 GMT-7

iMac Intel 27" EMC 2639: Slow Write Speed (2TB Crucial Bx500 SSD) No Matter What

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 12:09:17 -0700

Hello,

I have a late 2013 27" that I replaced the failing HDD with a new 2TB Crucial Bx500 SSD.

Write speeds are an abysmal 20-40MB/s no mattter what.

I have also replaced the SATA cable AND enabled Trim.

I have tried also formatting the drive to exFat and then back to APFS with a clean install of Catalina, and then migrated the data again with migration assistant.

Originally, I thought the drive or cable was bad, so I replaced both again.

The issue persists. Write speeds hover from 20-40 MB/s.

Thank you for your consideration and help. I will be sure to respond as promptly as possible.

⟐ Commented 4월 19, 2026 at 12:09 GMT-7

iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2428: iMac 2011 only #4 diagnostic LED is lit problem after upgrade

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:05:48 -0700

Hi everyone, I am kind of new here so here is my little story which I am having at the moment.
I have been diagnosing my iMac 21 mid 2011 for about a month, and I cannot get it to start back up no matter anything that I've tried and diagnosed, I only get #4 diagnostic LED to lit which is for LCD panel/inverter, nothing else.

First I thought it was the PSU on it's way to failure from age, but purchasing a new replacement didn't made any difference.

Then I've thought the internal connector which goes from power supply to the mb (motherboard) which gives it power and it may have been damaged while I disconnected it from the PSU, and I may have to get it, nothing changed.
But, one interesting thing is that both PSU's giving high pitched noise and "clicks" one or 2 per 3 seconds or so. I can record it as a voice memo if needed.
After that I thought the iMac's chassis may shorting components inside, so I measured voltages with the beeper on multi, everything is fine on that side. (no beeps)

As motherboards rarely fail, I also purchased a replacement, which also did no difference.

I think I have verified everything that could come to my mind, and I simply cannot get it power on no matter what I have tried. I am mostly specialist in laptops, so this is my first attempt and experience on getting inside an iMac.
I really hate throwing electronics away, I always try to diagnose them in every possible way. I have no one to ask and who could assist me in helping with this, as everyone who I know are always with their stuff.

If any more info is needed or I may have something missed during diagnostics, please please let me know, I will very much appreciate it.

⟐ Commented 4월 16, 2026 at 7:05 GMT-7

iMac Intel 27" EMC 2429: How to get rid of iCloud lock?

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:06:02 -0700

I have a 2011 iMac but It was iCloud locked and when I go to do a clean install it has an EFI lock. How Can I get rid of this?

⟐ Commented 4월 10, 2026 at 20:06 GMT-7

iMac Intel 21.5": Replacing my ssd drive

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 10:21:47 -0700

My drive is dead. How easy is it to replace (or is it worth replacing)? If I do replace it, can I restore my system from a backup of the drive or do I need to install a new operating system on the new drive? It is a 21.5 “ 2.7GHz Intel i5.

iMac: I have no sound in chrome on my iMac

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 05:38:11 -0700

I currently have no sound in Chrome on my IMAc at startup

⟐ Commented 4월 04, 2026 at 5:38 GMT-7

iMac Intel 24" EMC 2267: iMac dead. used as a monitor lcd panel

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 23:00:39 -0700

Hello , First sorry for my English . I use google translator to help me :(

I have everything you need (or so I think) to use my imac lcd panel (panel LM240WU2 ( SL) ( B4 ) ) as a monitor for other pc

http://i62.tinypic.com/112e876.jpg

http://i61.tinypic.com/2mwxct2.jpg

also I connect the cable from the inverter to the lcd

this http://i59.tinypic.com/f10dts.jpg to http://i57.tinypic.com/f2itxd.jpg

Connect the power cord from the iMac ( white ) energy to the panel. and I connect the power adapter to the board vga 12V 2A

but does not work , connect via a PC to give vga video signal and does not work

do I wrong ?

Help please :(

⟐ Answered 4월 02, 2026 at 23:00 GMT-7

iMac 27" 2017: Will an HDD from an existing fusion drive work with a different ssd?

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:30:29 -0700

I have an iMac 2017 that is dead, will not power on, and I would assume it's the logic board since power supply replacement didn't help. I have another one of the same iMac that is working, and I want to move the HDD from the bad imac into the the good one. I want to avoid removing the logic board on the new one if possible, so the question is: can I just move the HDD from the bad iMac to the good one without moving over the SSD from the fusion drive? All help is appreciated, thanks!

⟐ Answer accepted 3월 31, 2026 at 12:30 GMT-7

iMac Intel 27" EMC 2546: Help identify the pinout of the PSU (A1419, EMC 2546)?

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:18:53 -0700

Hi all, I am trying to do a monitor conversion and hoping to reuse the PSU. The model number is ADP-300AF T. It has 3 connectors, other than the AC input.

One big 12 pin molex connector connected to the logic board.
One small 2 pin connector connected to the power button.
One small 7 pin connector, connected to the logic board via a flat cable.

The big 12 pin molex connector is apparently the 12V rail. It's also confirmed by the schematic.

The 2 pin connector for power button is probably a passthrough to the logic button. The PSU usually needs a PS_ON pin to be pulled to the ground to keep on, if it's like an ATX PSU.

The 7 pin connector probably has that PS_ON pin, along with some other pins. I'm trying to figure out their functions. According to the schematic, they are:

PWR_BTN_R
GND
SMC_ACDC_ID_R
TSNS_ACDC_N
TSNS_ACDC_P
GND
BURSTMODE_EN_R_L

So, it confirms my suspicion about the power button. Pin 1 must be the power button pass-through. I looked up burst mode, which I probably don't need to worry about. But I'm unclear about the rest 3:

SMC_ACDC_ID_R
TSNS_ACDC (Positive and Negative)

Can someone shed some light on them?

P.S. does anyone know what kind of connector it is? I hate cutting the original cable. Worst case, I can solder wires to the PCB but it's kinda hard to do with the connector in place.

Schematic:

Connector:

⟐ Commented 3월 26, 2026 at 17:18 GMT-7

iMac Intel 27" Retina 5K Display 2019: Maximum fan speeds and CPU throttled after replacing CPU thermal paste

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:53:47 -0700

I decided I needed to replace the thermal paste on my iMac because the temperatures were rising, along with the fan speed.

My iMac is a 2019 5K iMac 27in with an Intel i9 processor at 3.6GHz. (iMac19,1 - EMC 3194)

After putting Arctic Silver MX-6 on the heat sink and reassembling the Mac, when I start it up it is very slow to boot and is very sluggish. The fan is running at full speed.

I have reset the SMC and the PRAM several times, and have checked and re-checked all the cable connections to no avail.

It is running Sequoia 15.7.4.

Has anyone got any suggestions for a fix?

⟐ Answered 3월 25, 2026 at 15:53 GMT-7

iMac Intel 21.5" Retina 4K Display 2019: Harddrive upgrade > no harddrive nor cables in my iMac?

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 06:10:48 -0700

So, I my harddrive didnt work anymore, was only able to run my imac DGKYKHQ4JWF2 → iMac (21.5" Retina 4K, 2019)
👉 Modell: iMac19,2

by adding on an external drive. So i ordered the kit with and SSD, opened it and to my surprise the slot for the harddrive was empty and I also cannot see any cable where i would attatch the SSD I got to. Does anyone have an idea whats going on and how i can manage to install my SSD as i was planning to according to this guide here: https://de.ifixit.com/Anleitung/iMac+Int...

Thank you!

⟐ Commented 3월 25, 2026 at 6:10 GMT-7

iMac Intel 27" EMC 2309 and 2374: iMac won't turn on. Only LED four is on in standby

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:44:16 -0700

iMac won't turn on. I assumed it would be the power supply but found this when I opened it up (glass and LCD apart and iMac plugged into the wall. LEDs 1, 2 and 3 are off BUT number four is ON. I've replaced power supply just to see but the same situation...any ideas? Thank you

⟐ Commented 3월 24, 2026 at 12:44 GMT-7

iMac Intel 27" EMC 2429: Mid 2011 27inch Not booting After CPU Upgrade

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 10:54:09 -0700

My 12,2 iMac works flawlessly with the i5-2500s it came with. But refuses to show any sign of life with an i7-2600.

Nothing happens when I press the power button other than a small hum.

Removing the display gives me access to the LEDs showing 1 and 2 are lit but nothing from 3 or 4.

The 2600 is a known working chip and the 2500s still works fine in the board.

Please help.

⟐ Answered 3월 24, 2026 at 10:54 GMT-7

iMac Intel 27" Retina 5K Display 2020: Kernel panic when CPU is hot for long time

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 08:41:23 -0700

Hi everyone!

TLDR: T2 / PCH related kernel panic if CPU is hot for a long time, boots only after I let it cool down. No kernel panic during normal/light use. Possibly a faulty component on the motherboard that has a bad connection? Possible fix if opened?

EDIT: More tests in the comments

Long version:

I obtained a faulty 2020 iMac 5K with an i7-10700K and 5500XT to be used as a DIY 5K project base. The ad said that the GPU is faulty, it randomly restarts but during normal use, no problem.

The screen is the most important for me (only slight pink hue around the edge, no problem), I did not really care about the issue but here is what I discovered and it made me more interested in fixing the issue.

I benchmarked the GPU using Heaven Benchmark for 1-2 hours running at max fan speed, the GPU was at 80-90 degrees and it did not restart.

Then I benchmarked the CPU using Cinebench, survived 10 minute single-core but crashed 2-3 seconds after starting multi-core. Later when it cooled down, I tested the multi-core again and it lasted a lot longer but not 10 minutes.

When it restarts, sometimes it crashes on boot but mostly it gets to the login screen, can stay there for hours but after entering my password and it would start loading everything, it crashes until I let it cool down so it has a thermal headroom or something. Macs Fan Control turns up the fan speed immediately after login but still not early enough, I also turned off Intel Turbo Boost to decrease the temp generation.

The kernel panic logs (when present) show T2 / PCH / SEP related crashes (BAD MAGIC, x86 global reset detected - CORE 0 is the one that panicked / void AppleEmbeddedPCIeUpLinkMgmt::_linkInterruptAction(IOInterruptEventSource *, int): A link timeout has been seen after 650000 microseconds and 49999 iterations - CORE 0 is the one that panicked

But the weird thing is that I have been using this thing everyday for basic tasks, logging in, sleeping, passwd auth, everything seems to be working as usual. I guess normal tasks use the T2 as well but it does not heat up that much maybe?

What I'm planning to do in the coming weeks is to open it up, check visual defects on the motherboard, get an LGA1200 PC motherboard to test if the CPU is okay or not.

This whole issue seems to be only happening when the CPU is over 75-80 degrees for longer period of time when the nearby components are also heated up, I suspect a faulty connection somewhere that is when hot, not connecting correctly. Maybe the T2 chip's connection is bad or something?

What do you think, what would be the best steps to troubleshoot this issue? Is there a tool that only stress tests the T2 chip and not the CPU? Maybe a feature in macOS that really stresses that?

Thank you in advance!

⟐ Commented 3월 24, 2026 at 8:41 GMT-7

iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2308: Upgrade from Dual-Core to Quad-Core

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 07:40:20 -0700

May have been asked before but, is it possible to get something such as an Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400S or Q9400S to work inside a 21.5" Late 2009 iMac. The wattage seems to be the same although the FSB MHz is slightly different (1066mhz vs 1333mhz), would be cool if this is possible.

⟐ Answered 3월 24, 2026 at 7:40 GMT-7

iMac Intel 27" EMC 2639: iMac late 2013 wont turn on - single LED on

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 05:16:16 -0700

I replaced flash blade SSD with a new PCIe SSD card and all was working fine, but then at some point right before I was ready to seal the screen, the iMac stopped working and I can no longer power it on. I can see diagnostic LED only 1 light is on. From everything I read online power supply if often the problem so I replaced it, but it didn't help. Any thoughts or guidance would be much appreciated. Thank you!

⟐ Commented 3월 20, 2026 at 5:16 GMT-7

iMac Intel 27" EMC 2639: Thick black stripe on iMac screen after attempting HDD to SSD swap

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:01:53 -0700

I swapped my 27" iMac Late 2013's HDD to Samsung EVO 850 1TB SSD. Original aim is successful and the iMac is blazing fast now.

But while trying to close the iMac screen, all adhesives lined up, I connected the display's power cable and ribbon cable. Mistakenly, I lifted the display while trying to align bottom and ouch....the ribbon cable (vsync cable??) pulled out from its connector argh.....

I connected it back and closed the iMac. When I powered up there was a green vertical line (which was gone after a min) and the gray/black thick stripe about 1.5inch wide. This stripe stays all the time from boot to shutdown.

Tried SMC reset, PRAM reset... no luck.

I doubt the ribbon cable damage (is it vsync cable)...now I'm skeptical to reopen to play around without knowing what could be the issue.

Many questions on my mind....did I damage the display? Is the ribbon cable replaceable (I tried googling for spare part couldn't find a proper lead)?

Any help would be much appreciated thanks.

Finally fixed the expensive mistake :)

Had a local shop fix my system in Dubai

Also the iFixit adhesive strips and the removal tool are a must have!

[링크된 제품이 누락 또는 비활성화 됨: IF173-005]

⟐ Answered 3월 19, 2026 at 12:01 GMT-7