OWC in-Line Digital Thermal Sensor HDD Upgrade Cable and Install Tools for iMac 2012, (OWCDIYIMACHDD12)

These tools all worked great as I opened my 2017 iMac 27 to add an SSD drive. I didn't need the temperature sensor as I decided to leave the original Fusion Drive in place which has its own sensor. The adhesive strips fit perfectly when resealing the screen. Great product!

Good product

I purchased this almost a year and a half ago because I was scared to do the install. I finally did it about a month ago, and I am happy with the results. I have a late 2013 27" iMac with i5 processor that ran like a dog because of a poor performing 1TB Seagate 5400 RPM HDD (I get it Apple, thin comes at a cost - heat). I used the OWC kit to replace that with a Seagate 2TB 3.5-Inch SATA 6GB/s Desktop SSHD (ST2000DX001) (Old Model). While not as fast as a true SSD, it's a more cost effective solution (they are currently a hair over $100 on Amazon) and there is a noticeable increase in overall performance.My kit had everything that was shown in the online video, which can be seen on OWCs YouTube channel. They have a new version they just published on 02/03/2017. I followed OWCs instructions to the letter, and had the video playing on my PC while I was doing the teardown. As far as the replacement tape is concerned, I wish they had provided a lot more in the kit, as I had just enough after I made a couple of mistakes. The method I finally devised was to fold the backing along the tape strip and then use that as guide to line up against the edge of the iMac's case. I have confirmed the tape is the same brand and type as used by the Geniuses in the Apple Store when they disassemble your iMac. My only other recommendation is to be very careful with the screen. The glass is so large it can bow when reassembling the unit. Once I got the glass back on, it now looks like it was never taken apart.I then did a clean install of macOS Sierra and hooked my old drive up to an Anker USB 3.0 to SATA 3ft Converter Adapter Cable for 2.5 inch/3.5 inch Hard Drive Disk HDD and SSD, Power Adapter included and used the Migration Assistant to get my files and settings onto the new drive. A month in, everything is snappier and the computer actually comes back from a restart in under a minute.Some ephemera -When I was considering an SSD, I went on OWC's site and got on with live chat. I asked if I needed to use the heat sensor with an SSD, which doesn't get as hot as a comparable HDD. Chat said I have to use it, so I did a little more digging and I've confirmed that the circuitry locked up in the black connector is not only a temp sensor but also contains the EPROMS that tell the iMac the drive you're using is an Apple certified unit. Newer drives now contain the firmware to get around this issue, but my wife purchased the SHHD for me for Christmas 2014. I would have had to use the sensor anyway as the new drive is mechanical, but if you've purchased an SSD prior to 2015 that you wish to swap in, use the temp sensor. Also, this version of the 27" iMac (iMac14,2) doesn't have the eMMC slot on the logic board, so I couldn't get, say, a 64GB eMMC drive to do the Fusion Drive upgrade.On the plus side, Seagate now sells an SHHD that has the same SSD size, but uses a different schema for reading/writing data called shingled magnetic recording, or SMR. This allows for thinner platters and faster reads/writes over time. Yes, for you non-Seagate fans out there, Western Digital does make something they call a dual drive, which is a standard HDD and an SSD in the same sandwich, however, on Macs it is hard to install. They're also as expensive as a standard SSD for the same capacity. The Seagate solution just works and makes the Mac faster over time. In other words, your fifth boot will be faster than your first boot.

A+ item, got the job done! replace old HD with SSD in about 40 minutes, no issues.

This review is for OWC In-Line Digital Thermal Sensor HDD Upgrade Cable and Install Tools for iMac 2012, (OWCDIYIMACHDD12). The kit worked as described, however, one of the suction cups would not maintain a grip. The other one worked great. Watch the videos and make sure all of the previous adhesive tape residue is removed. My wife assisted me the entire time and it was helpful to have another set of eyes and hands performing this activity for the first time. For example, I had put the thermal sensor on the wrong side of the drive and she spotted that before we closed up the computer. I'm still unclear why the thermal sensor is needed as there wasn't one on the previous drive, but oh well. We applied the new tape strips and then I spent the next day ensuring I could get the new hard drive formatted and loaded with my time machine backup. We then took the final covering off the tape strips and replaced the screen onto the computer. We let this sit over night before standing the iMac upright. I'm three days in and there are no issues. My screen remains attached to the computer and I am happy.

Amazon keeps asking for a review so here it is. I purchased this in-line sata connector with thermal sensor to be able to upgrade the HDD on a 2012 IMac to a SSD. Apparently without the thermal sensor the system will not remain stable and the cooling fan will spin at maximum velocity causing it to suck in all surrounding matter and fusing it together with the help of Apples fusion drive technology at speeds close to that of light. Once critical point has been reached everything surrounding the Mac will become negatively charged in the blink of an eye and not before long, your 27” iMac will approach temperatures of absolute zero allowing it to shrink down to a nano speck sized particle known as a Nanomac. The Nanomac particle eventually goes Macnova once the fusion drive gets to a state of refusuion and simply refuses to abide the laws of thermodynamics, slapping entropy in the face and imploding with massive force, the Macnova turns into Macgyver and can only be stopped with a Microsoft Zune detector.With all that being said, the connector arrived in time and I’m thankful such products and services exist to help simplify upgrades.

Bought this kit because I needed to upgrade my 2017 27" 5K iMac's OEM Fusion Drive with a new NvME and PCMe SSD. The pizza cutter tool worked perfectly in breaking the monitor seal. It takes several passes to cut thru the adhesive, so just take your time. The suction cups were handy for lifting the display up. Make sure to take the extra time to remove ALL of the old adhesive and clean with rubbing alcohol. The replacement adhesive strips fit perfectly. I allowed the iMac to sit face down overnight as a precaution to allow everything to set and settle. The replacement adhesive strips are holding really well and I haven't had any issues with the adhesive failing.