SSD compatibility (Thermal Sensor Connector)

Thanks Nick Butler!

I had a same problem. After installing SSD in my imac 27", HHD fan was running at 4200 rpm. The fan noise was just annoying. I ordered the Optical Drive Temp Sensor from Applecomponents.com and now the fan works perfectly.

SSD Rocks! It's so fast... and I love it!!!

Best $20 fix you'll find ;)

But totally unnecessary since SSDs don't overheat. :P

Its not that its unnecessary.. its required for the fans to function properly..

It's unnecessary because you can just short the connector with a piece of wire, which keeps the fans from going crazy, and won't fry your SSD, because they don't overheat.

Well... almost a good solution ;-{ The rub here is any software solution kills your temp monitoring system so if your system heats up the fan's won't correctly rev up to cool the system down. Basically you're shortening the systems lifespan. Which is why the hardware solution is the better direction.

You're absolutely right, Dan. My fault, I wasn't clear. The software was a temporary bandaid so that I could hear myself think and work until I had time to open the iMac up again.

Today, I solved the fan problem more permanently by taking the thermal sensor off the optical drive I had removed for the SSD and just sticking the sensor back in, attaching it to the SSD. Booted up. Everything is back to normal. Temperatures look good, fan speeds consistent with the temps and no 3rd party software necessary.

So, I'm definitely with you on the hardware solution. Software is a nice temporary patch, hence a free one is best.

Where did you stick the senor tho? ssds dont have a port for it... I however replaced the actual hdd with an ssd, nightmare afterwards, full blast fans, no ssd fancontrol could fix it! i then took the snesor cable from hdd, stripped it, taped the two ends onto the OD, silent! seems hdd sensor now reads heat from od, however, ssd will never get warmer than OD so should be fine?

this is the one. THANK GOD!!! I had an SSD for 3 years before it failed, and finally found this again, and it works perfectly. I also use SMC Fan Control because it shows temps in the upper right... but this one actually slows the HD fan down. Cheers!!!

Ishbog, I would recommend you get OWC in-line thermal sensor as it's a better repair. Software over-rides have been found to stress the system as well as slowing a bit. Thats if you want your system to last.

OWC In-line Digital Thermal Sensor for iMac 2009-2010 Hard Drive Upgrade

You don't jump and use software. Jumping the sensor will "trick" the system into thinking it's running supper cold and keep fan at min. speed. Software solution will bypass the hardware sensor and ask the hard drive, via software, what it's temp is and then adjust the fans. The adapter with the temp-sensor built in would be used if you don't want to try either of the above. It's one of the above, not a combination. You COULD use the jumper with the software, but it's really pointless, you don't need the jumper if you use the software (software will ignore the jumped sensor.

First you don't need the more expensive icy box to hold the SSD. The standard 2.5 to 3.5 adapter frame is all that is needed. As to the thermal sensor, I use a spare optical drive sensor to use in place of the internal drive sensor found in the HD's.

As this is such an old post most of the info here is very dated. We don't recommend using fan over-ride software as it tends to wear out the fans and/or shorten the systems lifespan. Using a replacement thermal sensor in this model is the best way. You will need to use the current Yosemite version to gain TRIM services which is now built in. You do need to be careful which SSD you buy as this systems SATA ports are only SATA II (3.0 Gb/s). Also make sure you check your systems firmware version and it's at the latest before you start.

This won't work as you still need to power the board and have a data connection. Remember the SSD is now using this connector!

Best to just bite the bullet here and get the OWC In-line Digital Thermal Sensor for iMac 2009-2010 Hard Drive Upgrade

Dan is not selling any "converters". He is one of the most helpful posters here on iFixit. Read the thread.

As @danj has said: if you want to save money opt for an optical drive sensor in place of the internal drive sensor.

@danj - since this post is dated, and I am doing a repair on one at the moment -do your thoughts on the above still stand? Thanks

Boy! I should have gotten a farthing or two for all of the people I've aimed to OWC!

Sorry, I don't make a nickel here or with any product I've aimed people to on the IFIXIT site. I only aim people to products I've personally used and know is the best product for the task at hand. I also try to dissuade people from using the wrong products as well.

I've been in computers now for over 45 years so I've been through the mini's (Wang, Dec & Sun) to mainframes (IBM) to super computers (IBM, ThinkingMachine & Cray). Before the Mac I had IBM & Compaq PC's and I've had a Mac from the very start and have had quite a few over the years. And I service mostly Mac systems for the last 15 years.

@sys0s - I'm still using the OWC in-line thermal sensors as needed for the different systems I work on.

Fan control software is still not the best direction. People misuse it!

It get back to how people take pills! If the label says take one, how often do we take two! Or, not follow the time point of waiting for the next dose! So they think cranking the fan up or fail to run it at all will be fine. They either kill there system or kill the fans.

Sadly, people don't understand how the system was designed and what it was designed to do. We use an older system to play the most processing intensive app or game and don't understand why the computer is overheating! Which it was not designed to run.

Sorry to say the drives someone put in (replacement) are just that 6.0 Gb/s drives. You would need to open the system and replace them with better drives.

If you do replace any drive I would focus on the SSD drive as thats your boot drive (run the apps here as well) and you might want to get a 500 GB drive.

Thanks, Dan

I would just like to improve the negotiated link speed from 3 to 6 Gigabit on the SSD, as I believe it is capable with the hardware installed.

I'd seen a screenshot of someone who had done just that, and pointed out if it says that's the link speed is 6, you should be able to get the negotiated speed of 6 Gigabit out of it, as he did (but didn't describe in enough detail just how he accomplished it with this machine)!

There are three ports on the logic board HDD, ODD & Spare. The ODD port is 3.0 Gb/s whereas the HDD & Spare are both 6.0 Gb/s ports.

So if the SSD is a 6.0 Gb/s part then its clear someone plugged in the SSD into the wrong port connection.

You'll need to follow this IFIXIT guide: Installing iMac Intel 27" EMC 2390 Dual HDD or SSD Drive jump to step 23 so you male sure the SSD data cable is plugged in correctly.

Again-

On both hard drives it shows:

Link Speed = 6 Gigabit

HOWEVER it shows a

Negotiated Link Speed = 3 gigabit

...So clearly if two out of the three cables are supplying 6 GP/S

And the link speed reads an initial 6 GP/S on both HDD and SSD....

It would appear that they each have the proper port for that part of the configuration ( if one of them was in the optical Port, a starting link speed of 3GP/S, not 6, would show as the link speed)

- then there must be a different answer (possibly SOFTWARE configuration answer)?

My 2011 27" iMac had a SATA II (3.0 Gb/s) drive when I bought it. I replaced it with a SATA III (6.0 Gb/s) and it does link up at the fill 6.0 Gb/s. I did at the time needed to install a firmware update iMac EFI Update 1.6 You'll need 10.6.x Snow Leopard on your system. Later Apple automatically updated the firmware during the OS updates so if you hadn't done the patch it was done for you About EFI and SMC firmware updates for Intel-based Mac computers this is quite old as Apple has been doing firmware updates during the OS upgrade process (since Mavericks). Thats why you shouldn't need any software updates.

I would double check the specs of your drives as I'm suspecting you really have SATA II disks. Your system wants to use SATA III which is why it's saying it's offering the connection but the device can only do SATA II (negotiated).

@grandmaster_m - The newer 2013 models with the newest firmware and newer drives don't need the SMC thermal sensor.

Same with my 2010 iMac. I followed the 2N3904 route (transistor as a sensor) because I didn't want to leave the SSD completely unmonitored, but the fans were running quietly even with no thermal control.

The high-speed fans issue seem to happen only with the 2011 iMac.

@il_biggo - You may have mis-wired things or have another problem. The 2010 models all require the sensor.

I had simply shorted the connector and installed one of the various fan control utilities before using the transistor.

I didn't actually try not putting anything in. I gather most people have issues even with the bridge - I may have misunderstood, though.

ha, thanks Dan.

I have a 2015 iMac and the fixit instructions on how to swap the HDD still says to get a sensor cable. I'm glad I didn't waste the money. Thanks!