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iMac (Intel) Upgrades

iMac Core Duo Front
White Intel iMac
iMac Core Duo Front
Aluminium & Glass Intel iMac

Original Tech Specs

  • introduced: Jan 2006
  • CPU: Intel Core Duo/Core 2 Duo/Core 2 Extreme / Core i3/Core i5/Core i7
  • CPU speed: Core Duo 1.83/2.0GHz
    or Core 2 Duo 1.83/2/2.16/ 2.33GHz/2.4/2.66/ 2.8/3.06/3.33GHz or
  • Core i3 3.06/3.2GHz
  • Core i5 2.66/2.8/3.6GHz or
  • Core i7 2.8/2.93GHz
  • FPU: integrated
  • Maximum RAM: 2/3/4/ 8/16GB
  • RAM sockets: 2/4
  • Minimum RAM speed: 667/800/ 1066/1333MHz
  • VRAM: 128/256/512/1024MB
  • ROM: 1 MB ROM
  • L2 cache: 2/4/6/8MB on-chip (1:1)
  • Data path: 64 bit
  • Bus speed: 667/800/ 1066/1333MHz
  • System Software: 10.4.4 - 10.6
  • Slots: 0
  • USB : 3/4 x USB 2.0
  • FireWire: 1/2/0
  • FireWire 800: 0/1
  • AirPort: 1 (Extreme built-in)
  • HD: 160 - 2000GB SATA
  • CD: SUPERDRIVE
  • Display: 17" TFT 1440 x 900, 20" 1680x1050, 21.5" 1920x1080 24" 1920x1200 27" 2560x1440
  • Ethernet: 10/100/1000B-T
  • Gestalt ID: 406
  • Power: 180/200/280 Watts
  • Weight: (24") 15.5/20/25.4 lbs.
iMac Core Duo Side
White Intel iMac Side

History

This page covers all the Apple iMacs with Intel processors. There are 3 main generations of Intel iMacs, the first two came in the same white case as the iMac G5, the last (announced August 2007) changed to a unique Aluminium and Glass look.

Announced in January 2006 alongside the MacBook Pro, the Intel iMac was the first Apple desktop to use the new Intel Core Duo processor. This first range of iMacs could take up to 2GB of RAM. Apple specs for the original model can be found here.

In September 2006 Apple refreshed this line, moving from the Core Duo to the Core 2 Duo processor (claiming a 50% increase in performance for some tasks) and introducing a new mammoth 24" display model. These white Core 2 Duo iMacs could take up to 3GB of RAM. Apple specs here.

In August 2007 the iMac moved to the new Aluminium and Glass case type, added a FireWire 800 port, dropped the 17" display model and moved the top of the range 24" model to the 2.8GHz Intel Core Extreme CPU. These iMacs can take up to 4GB of RAM. Apple specs here.

At the end of April 2008 Apple updated the iMac line again, keeping the Aluminium case but offering updated graphics options, increasing the CPU speed and bumping the front side bus to 1066MHz, meaning that this iMac uses faster RAM than the previous models. Apple specs here.

In March 2009 another revision moved the memory speed up to DDR3 1066MHz (keeping the front side bus at 1066MHz) with a maximum of 8GB in 2 x 4GB modules. The FireWire 400 port was dropped, leaving 1 FireWire 800 and 5 USB 2.0 for peripheral devices and the optical drive moved to a SATA connection. Apple specs here.

In October 2009 Apple released a new update which debuted a massive 27" display model, available with an option to have the new Intel Core i5 or Core i7 quad-core CPU. Alongside this, at the lower end, a new 21.5" model was released with the Core 2 Duo CPU used in earlier models. Display resolution was also upgraded on both models, with the 27" having a massive 2560x1440 - the same as the contemporary 30" Apple Cinema Display! Also this model added 2 extra RAM sockets, making 4 in total, giving a new maximum memory capacity of 16GB in 4 x 4GB modules. Apple specs here. Importantly, this model has an issue with the hard drive temperature sensor relying on both manufacturer specific hardware and proprietary Apple firmware on the hard drive. Unless/until this is resolved we cannot advise upgrading this hard drive - see the OWC (Other World Computing) blog for more information.

In July 2010 the line was refreshed, with new 21.5" and 27" models. This revision dropped the Core 2 Duo from the remaining models, and used Core i3, i5 and i7 chips for all machines. The graphics card was also upgraded, andimportantly for upgrades, the memory type was upgraded to DDR3 1333MHz PC10600, with the machine able to take 16GB in 4 x 4GB modules. The temperature sensor problem with upgrading the hard drive remains. Apple specs here.

How to Identify these Machines

The white Intel iMac is very distinctive. The only machines that look similar are the earlier iMac G5s. To tell the difference between the G5 and Intel iMacs, open System Profiler and check the CPU type. These newer iMacs also have a mini-DVI video output, rather than the mini-VGA on earlier models.

You can identify between the first and second generation Intel iMacs by looking at the processor type in the System Profile utility - the first generation (Apple specs here) had Core Duo CPUs, the second generation (Apple specs here) had Core 2 Duo CPUs.

The third, forth and fifth generation (Aluminium and Glass) Intel iMacs have a very different casing from the earlier models (see pictures). To distinguish between these two models the simplest way is to check the RAM speed in system profiler (Apple menu > About this Mac, click the "More Info.." button, and select Memory in the left-hand panel).

The third generation (August 2007 - April 2008) uses 667MHz RAM, which should appear in the speed column. Also called PC5300. This was available as a 2GHz and 2.4GHz 20" model, and a 2.4GHz and 2.8GHz 24" version. Apple specs here.

The forth generation (introduced 28th April 2008) uses 800MHz RAM, which should appear in the speed column. Also called PC6400. This was released as a 2.4GHz and 2.6GHz 20" model, and a 2.8GHz and 3.06GHz 24" version. The bus speed on this model was raised to 1066MHz. Apple specs here.

The fifth generation (March 2009) uses DDR3 1066MHz RAM, which should appear in the speed column. Also called PC8500. This was released in a 2.66GHz, 2.93GHz, 3.06GHz configuration. The bus speed in this model is 1066MHz. Apple specs here.

The sixth generation (October 2009) uses DDR3 1066MHz RAM, which should appear in the speed column. The number of sockets was increased from 2 to 4. This was released in Core 2 Duo 3.06GHz and 3.33GHz (21.5" display) and Core i5 2.66GHz and Core i7 2.8GHz (27" display) CPUs. Apple specs here.

The seventh generation (July 2010) uses DDR3 1333MHz RAM, which should appear in the spped column. This was released in 3.06GHz and 3.2GHz Core i3, and 3.6GHz Core i5 (21.5" display). And 3.2GHz and 3.6GHz Core i5, 2.8 GHz Core i5 Quad, and 2.93 Core i7 Quad (27" diosplay) configurations. Apple specs here.

If you are still unsure you can contact us on 01223 833 412 or by email for confirmation. If you want to upgrade but aren't happy to install your upgrades then we can help. Simply ask our engineers for further details.

Memory Upgrades

See the "How To Identify this Mac" section above for information on how to identify which model iMac you have.

Up to 28th April 2008, all Intel iMacs use DDR2-PC2-5300 SODIMM RAM (667MHz), and have 2 slots. The original Core Duo model could take maximum of 2GB, the later Core 2 Duo model could take up to 3GB using 1 x 1GB module and 1 x 2GB. The first Aluminium and Glass iMacs can take up to 4GB in 2 x 2GB modules.

The second Aluminium iMac (April 2008) uses DDR2 PC6400 RAM (800MHz), it has two slots each of which can take up to a of 2GB module for a maximum of 4GB.

The third Aluminium iMac (March 2009) uses DDR3 PC8500 RAM (1066MHz), it has two slots each of which can take up to a 4GB module for a maximum of 8GB.

The fourth Aluminium iMac (October 2009) uses DDR3 PC8500 RAM (1066MHz), it has four slots each of which can take up to a 4GB module for a maximum of 16GB.

The fifth Aluminium iMac (July 2010) uses DDR3 PC10600 RAM (1333MHz), it has four slots each of which can take up to a 4GB modules for a maximum of 16GB.

There is no need to install RAM in matched pairs in any iMac.

Memory is very much a user installable part on the Intel iMac.

INSTALLATION - RAM in an iMac or eMac£15.00 + vat (£17.62)
Kingston DDR3 PC10600 SODIMM - 2GB£43.42 + vat (£51.02)1
Kingston DDR3 PC10600 SODIMM - 4GB£105.95 + vat (£124.49)1
Kingston DDR3 PC8500 SODIMM - 2GB£57.61 + vat (£67.69)2
Kingston DDR3 PC8500 SODIMM - 4GB£123.76 + vat (£145.42)2
Kingston DDR2 PC6400 SODIMM - 2 x 1GB Kit£41.99 + vat (£49.34)3
Kingston DDR2 PC6400 SODIMM - 2 x 2GB kit£80.13 + vat (£94.15)3
Kingston DDR2 PC5300 SODIMM - 1GB£21.86 + vat (£25.69)4
Kingston DDR2 PC5300 SODIMM - 2GB£39.03 + vat (£45.86)5
1Suitable for iMac released after 27th July 2010.
2Suitable for iMacs release from 4th March 2009 until 27th July 2010.
3Suitable for iMacs released after 28th April 2008 but before 4th March 2009.
4Suitable for iMacs released before 28th April 2008.
5For pre 28th April 2008 Core 2 Duo models without integrated graphics cards only, not suitable for original Core Duo versions or Core 2 Duo 17in models using the Intel graphics chipset. Only the first Aluminium and Glass model can take 2 of these chips.

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Difficulty 2 / 5 - Easy

Turn off machine and lie it face down on a soft cloth to prevent scratching. There is an access panel which allows you to access the RAM slots.

Apple's instructions for fitting memory can be found here for the White models, and here for the Aluminium ones prior to October 2009. After October 2009 the iMac had 4 memory sockets, although the install procedure is virtually identical.For specific instructions for this model, see chapter 3 of its user guide.

If you are unsure on how to carry out this procedure our engineers can help. Call on 01223 833412 or email.


CD & DVD Drive Upgrades

The Intel iMac came equipped with a SuperDrive optical drive, which is a slot loading unit on the front top left of the machine. It is possible to use an External writer via USB 2.0 or FireWire.

INSTALLATION - Internal CD/DVD Drive in an iMac, eMac or Mac Mini£34.00 + vat (£39.95)
Internal DVDRW for Al PowerBook, iBook G4, G4 Cube, iMac G5 or Intel, Mac Mini and MacBook Pro£119.00 + vat (£139.83)
REFURB 8x Internal DVDRW for Al PowerBook, iBook G4, G4 Cube, iMac G5 or Intel, Mac Mini and MacBook Pro£59.00 + vat (£69.33)

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Difficulty 5/5 Very Hard

Professional installation recommended.


Internal Hard Drive Upgrades

The internal hard drive in the Intel iMac can be upgraded to a larger volume. Please note that fitting a hard drive will invalidate any remaining warranty on these machines unless you get an Authorised Apple Service Centre to fit the unit.

WARNING: The late 2009 iMac and mid 2010 iMac (the models that have 4 memory sockets rather than the 2 on earlier models) has an issue with the hard drive temperature sensor relying on both manufacturer specific hardware and proprietary Apple firmware on the hard drive. Unless/until this is resolved we cannot advise upgrading this hard drive, since doing so will cause the hard drive fan to run a full power - see the OWC (Other World Computing) blog for more information.

If you don't want to fit a new hard drive yourself, you can take advantage of the MacUpgrades Installation Service. Add the installation service from the list below to your cart along with your chosen hard drive. We can also clone your existing hard drive onto the new one, simply add the Clone Original Hard Drive service below to your cart.

Once you have booked the service, send your machine to us, we will carry out the work and return it to you. Alternatively, we do offer a Collection Service with our courier, please see here for details.

INSTALLATION - Internal Hard Drive in an Intel iMac£49.00 + vat (£57.58)
INSTALLATION - Clone Original Hard Drive£25.00 + vat (£29.38)
IBM (Hitachi) Deskstar 71000.C SATAII 160.0GB 8MB£31.52 + vat (£37.04)1
IBM (Hitachi) Deskstar 7K1000.C SATAII 250.0GB 8MB£32.44 + vat (£38.12)1
Western Digital Caviar SE 250GB SATA II 7200RPM 16MB Buffer£36.80 + vat (£43.24)1
IBM (Hitachi) Deskstar 7K1000.C SATAII 500GB 16MB£37.03 + vat (£43.51)1
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 750GB 3.5in SATA II 32MB£48.47 + vat (£56.95)1
IBM (Hitachi) Deskstar 7K1000.C SATAII 1TB (1000GB) 32MB£62.56 + vat (£73.51)1
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1.5TB 3.5in SATA II 32MB£83.50 + vat (£98.11)1
Western Digital Caviar Green 2TB SATA II 64MB£105.16 + vat (£123.56)1
Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 7200RPM SATA II 64MB£147.04 + vat (£172.77)1
IBM (Hitachi) Deskstar 7K2000 2TB 7200RPM SATA II 32MB£106.88 + vat (£125.58)1
Western Digital Velociraptor 300GB 10,000RPM 3.5" SATA II WD3000HLFS£153.24 + vat (£180.06)1
1This drive is not suitable for the late 2009 or mid 2010 model iMacs (have 4 memory sockets, not 2) - using it will cause excessive hard drive fan usage. Professional installation recommended on all models.

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Difficulty 5 / 5 - Very Hard

We recommend professional installation for replacing the hard drive in the Intel iMac. We can sell you a drive to install yourself, but we cannot provide help for the installation process.

Please note that installing this drive yourself will invalidate any remaining Apple warranty.


Graphics Card Upgrades

The graphics card in your Intel iMac is part of the main logic board. Unfortunately therefore it is not possible to increase or change the graphics card.

There are no graphics card upgrades available for these Macs


Expansion Card Upgrades

Your Intel iMac has no available PCMCIA or PCI sockets for connectivity expansion, it does have a slot for an Airport Extreme card - all models of this machine were sold with a card fitted as standard.

INSTALLATION - Expansion Card in a Desktop Mac£15.00 + vat (£17.62)
INSTALLATION - Airport Card Slot in an Intel iMac£45.00 + vat (£52.88)
Apple Airport Extreme Card (refurb)£52.00 + vat (£61.10)
Trust BT-2400p Bluetooth 2.1 USB Adapter Ultra-Small£12.50 + vat (£14.69)
Sonnet Aria Extreme N Mini PCIe 802.11n Card for Intel Macs£82.00 + vat (£96.35)1
1Designed for original Intel Core Duo iMacs, and the Intel Core 2 Duo 17" 1.83GHz. Other models shipped with either a fully functioning 802.11n card, or one that could be upgraded to 802.11n with a software patch.

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

All Intel iMacs were sold with Airport Extreme as standard.

You would only need this card to replace a failed unit.


Keyboards & Mice

The following keyboards and mice are compatible with this Mac.

Macally Pebble USB 5 button laser mouse £14.20 + vat (£16.68)
Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad (UK) Wired£28.97 + vat (£34.04)

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Difficulty 1 / 5 - Very Easy

Keyboards plug into the relevant port on your Mac. Mice can either be plugged into your keyboard, or they can be plugged directly into your Mac.

Power Supplies & Batteries

Listed below are power supplies, batteries and related products we supply for this Mac.

INSTALLATION AND PARTS - Power Supply for iMac Intel£135.00 + vat (£158.62)
3V Coin Cell Lithium PRAM/Clock Battery£7.50 + vat (£8.81)

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Cables & Tools

Listed below are power cables, tools and related products we supply for this Mac.

Sonnet FireWire 400 to 800 Adapter£9.95 + vat (£11.69)1
Apple DVI-I to ADC Adapter£69.00 + vat (£81.08)2
Torx Screwdriver Set - 20mm T6, T7, T8, T9, T10£8.00 + vat (£9.40)
Screwdriver Set - 20mm Phillips #00, #0, #1 - Flat 1.4mm, 1.8mm, 2.4mm£7.00 + vat (£8.22)
Anti Static Wrist Strap£7.50 + vat (£8.81)
1Only suitable for later models of the Mac (those with a FireWire 800 port).
2This product is only needed if you want to run an ADC monitor from a DVI graphics card.

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.


External Hard Drive Upgrades

This Mac can use any of the following external hard drives.

Please note that the March 2009 revision removed the FireWire 400 ports so to use a FireWire 400 only drive you will need an adapter or a 6pin - 9pin FireWire cable.

3.5" USB 2.0 Hard Drives

Iomega Prestige 3.5in USB 2.0 7200RPM External Hard Drive - 1.5TB£105.24 + vat (£123.66)
Iomega Prestige 3.5in USB 2.0 7200RPM External Hard Drive - 2TB£140.09 + vat (£164.61)

3.5" FireWire 400/eSATA & USB 2.0 Hard Drives

Macally G-S350SUA External FireWire 400/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 500GB Hard Drive£82.82 + vat (£97.31)
Macally G-S350SUA External FireWire 400/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 750GB Hard Drive£100.40 + vat (£117.97)
Macally G-S350SUA External FireWire 400/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 1TB Hard Drive£106.94 + vat (£125.65)
Macally G-S350SUA External FireWire 400/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 1.5TB Hard Drive£123.53 + vat (£145.15)
Macally G-S350SUA External FireWire 400/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 2TB Hard Drive£158.02 + vat (£185.67)
Drobo 4 Bay FW800/USB2 with 2x1TB WD Greenpower Bundle £408.50 + vat (£479.99)1
Drobo 4 Bay FW800/USB2 with 2x2TB WD Greenpower Bundle £570.17 + vat (£669.95)1
Drobo 4 Bay FW800/USB2 with 4x1TB WD Greenpower Bundle£561.69 + vat (£659.99)1
Drobo 4 Bay FW800/USB2 with 4x2TB WD Greenpower Bundle£893.57 + vat (£1049.94)1

3.5" FireWire 400/800/eSATA & USB 2.0 Hard Drives

Macally G-S350SUAB External FireWire 400/800/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 500GB Hard Drive£99.87 + vat (£117.35)
Macally G-S350SUAB External FireWire 400/800/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 750GB Hard Drive£121.54 + vat (£142.81)
Macally G-S350SUAB External FireWire 400/800/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 1TB Hard Drive£129.83 + vat (£152.55)
Macally G-S350SUAB External FireWire 400/800/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 1.5TB Hard Drive£146.41 + vat (£172.03)
Macally G-S350SUAB External FireWire 400/800/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 2TB Hard Drive£180.90 + vat (£212.56)

2.5" FireWire 400 & USB 2.0 Hard Drives

Macally PHR-S250CC FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 2.5in 250GB 5400RPM Hard Drive£68.36 + vat (£80.32)
Macally PHR-S250CC FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 2.5in 320GB 5400RPM Hard Drive£74.15 + vat (£87.13)
Macally PHR-S250CC FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 2.5in 500GB 5400RPM Hard Drive£85.18 + vat (£100.09)
Macally PHR-S250CC FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 2.5in 640GB 5400RPM Hard Drive£107.82 + vat (£126.69)
Macally PHR-S250CC FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 2.5in 250GB 7200RPM Hard Drive£69.89 + vat (£82.12)
Macally PHR-S250CC FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 2.5in 320GB 7200RPM Hard Drive£74.75 + vat (£87.83)
Macally PHR-S250CC FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 2.5in 500GB 7200RPM Hard Drive£94.73 + vat (£111.31)

3.5" Drive Enclosures

Cit 35m11SP External USB 2.0 Enclosure for 3.5in SATA HDD£25.00 + vat (£29.38)
Macally G-S350SUA External USB 2.0/FW400/eSATA Enclosure for 3.5" SATA HDD£52.65 + vat (£61.86)
Drobo 4 Bay FW800 + USB 2.0 Storage Array (no disks)£259.57 + vat (£304.99)1

2.5" Drive Enclosures

Macally PHR-S250CC External FireWire & USB 2.0 Portable 2.5" SATA HDD Enclosure£38.45 + vat (£45.18)
Akasa Integral P2 USB 2.0 & eSATA Enclosure for 2.5" SATA Drives£21.52 + vat (£25.29)

eSATA Enclosures

1White Intel iMacs do not have FireWire 800, so are restricted to USB 2.0. Aluminium models do have FireWire 800.

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Difficulty 1 / 5 - Very Easy

Install any supplied software and connect the new device.

You will need to format the drive before use. This is done with the "Drive Setup" utility, which can be found in Applications > Utilities.

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