Robert Wacker

When reinstalling RAM in this machine or any iMac with upgradable RAM slots push hard to get them to go in (Apple really did make this one harder than it needed to be). If you don't push hard it won't go in and your computer won't work. (trust me on this learned the hard way)

Here they picture Crucial as their choice, you can also find some great options at Samsung (it is what I installed and it works just as good if not better than the crucial I installed in my wife's iMac. here is their site http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/solid...

Its just another great option. Also when installing SSDs make sure to enable TRIM support (crashes can and probably will occur if you don't) TRIM enabler is available free and the pro version is $10 http://www.cindori.org/software/trimenab... It is the easiest solution for this issue.

They have crucial here pictured (we used crucial and it works phenomenal). Also Samsung has a great line of SSDs called EVO (we used it in our Macbook Pro and it works just as good if not better than crucial). {here is their website, http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/solid...) Its a second option for ssd hard drives.

Also when installing SSDs make sure to enable TRIM support (crashes can and probably will occur if you don't) TRIM enabler is available free and the pro version is $10 http://www.cindori.org/software/trimenab... It is the easiest solution for this issue.

To simplify this and since there seems to be some variable set ups, take a digital picture of the way it is before following this step so that you can put it back the way it was. (If no digicam then draw yourself a note with paper and pen).

Be careful when balancing the mother board here, you can damage the RAM bays if not careful. (Had a friend do this, good by motherboard and iMac.) Just be careful and aware of how you have it sitting.

No. Its just flat aluminum. The adhesive pads will work well. You may even be able to use the picture hanging velcro strips by 3M that you can find any where (they now have ones with stronger adhesive). If using the velcro ones it would make it easier for removal later. I personally have not done it this way, but I think it would work. I just used the red ones they gave (i could find my box of the velcro ones).

I actually found it necessary to do this step. If not done you can rip chord, if you read the wording carefully and do as it says it should not break.

Tip: Use one of those weekday pill holders to have a cheep way to store screws you remove and each day of the week can be for different sizes or parts. It has been handy to have (much less expensive than the magnetic mat.

The bay and dvd drive cable at iFixit is $40.00 (Unibody Laptop Dual Drive)

But for $10 more you can get an external casing that will protect your super drive form MCE (http://store.mcetech.com/Merchant2/merch...) A total of $50 dollars. It is what I used and works great and looks pretty and is guaranteed to protect your superdrive. MCE also gives you a disk with software to patch the DVD Player to work with external dvd drives. So For an extra $10 dollars you get better software functionality and a case for your super drive. It works great.

Another comment on step nine I have is about the subwoofer. In my case the screw hole that is for the "One 5 mm Phillips screw" (its currently circled in yellow) was broken [Mind you I have never dropped this computer so it came that way from apple. So be carful, it may be fragile and need some repair. Apple really needs to have better quality control on parts like this .(also they won't care that it was that way, they didn't like that I opened the computer, so even though its their fault, I should never have known and therefore they shouldn't be held responsible in their mind.) This may not void warranty as an over all upgrade, but any parts 'broken' or in my case 'found broken' during the fix are not covered any longer. So just be aware of this possible defect. Happy fixing.