An accident left this iMac with an unpleasant crack on the top right-hand side of the screen, which stemmed down and left a distracting line across the display. This paired with the overall sluggishness of the machine, where it would take several minutes to switch on and would frequently hang whilst opening applications, left the iMac with a lot to be desired. In the following repair, this iMac is given a new lease of life, where it is made to look like new and to run better than it would have new!

To achieve this, we will be swapping out this cracked display for a brand new one. Unlike the older and thicker models of iMacs (<2012), the LCD and glass are fused together, meaning the cracked glass cannot be swapped out on its own. A new screen assembly will therefore be required.

To get this iMac running faster than it could have new, we will be fitting a solid state drive (SSD). The vast majority of these iMacs still rely on slow and outdated technology. They use mechanical and unreliable hard disk drives (HDDs) Since they use moving parts, they will wear out and slow down over time until they inevitably fail! Along with using no moving parts, these SSDs use less power and can operate up to 10x faster than HDDs in iMacs. This will have the iMac starting up in seconds and will eliminate long hang times when trying to open files or applications!

Disassembly

With the broken screen removed, we can see the various components within the iMac. This hasn’t been opened or received a service during its lifetime, so it is no surprise that a fair amount of dust has built up inside over its years of use.

We can take the fan out and open it up to give it a thorough clean. After giving the fan a good clean and lubricating the bearing, this fan is now looking like new again and will do a much better job at keeping the iMac clean! 

After disconnecting and removing the different components from the iMac, we are left with the empty casing, which again, is cleaned out of the built up dust. The bottom vents are also cleaned out to help improve the airflow of the iMac, which keeps this running cool and quiet!

With the logic board removed removed, we can give it and the heatsink a clean, before fitting the SSD. We can also replace the PRAM battery, which holds the system’s date and time. With the SSD fitted, this is ready to be reassembled!

Reassembly

With all the components put back, the old screen can be fitted to test the iMac and install an operating system to the SSD. With this iMac being a Mid 2015 model, it can support macOS Big Sur 11.6.2. With the OS installed, we can now run a speed test on the SSD and compare this to the speed test that was run on the original HDD.

With the operating system configured and the iMac passing its tests, we can now fit and seal the new screen. This repair is now complete!

Below you can see the blisteringly quick startup time with this SSD fitted.