OWCin-Line Digital Thermal Sensor HDD Upgrade Cable and Install Tools for iMac 2011, (OWCDIYIMACHDD11)

This thing has been fantastic. I had no idea why my 2011 iMac fans were running all of the time until a Google search finally revealed that it could be related to replacing the hard drive. I bought the full kit, which is a no brainer for $3. Disconnecting and reconnecting the cables was a little tense, but overall it was easy. The unnecessary fan running immediately stopped. In fact, I have not heard the fan since I installed this kit.By the way, I am running Linux Mint on my 2011 iMac with 32 GB of ram, probably way overkill, and 1 TB SSD. It runs great. Linux Mint Cinnamon edition gave new life to my 2013 Macbook Air that only has 4 GB of ram, too.

I purchased this kit to replace factory installed 1TB Hard drive in 2011 iMac 27". Using above kit, I installed Seagate Barracuda Green ST2000DL003 2TB hard drive.Packaging contents:- OWC In-line Digital Thermal Sensor cable- Tool-Kit with all necessary tools- Heavy duty Suction Cups- Cleaning cloth (microfiber)Summary: Everything came in condition as expected and worked as expected. If you are replacing a hard drive your self, please make sure to view the instruction video on OWC's website prior to beginning the operation as it is essential for successful job.OWC In-line Digital Thermal Sensor cable:This cable has a sensor that gets affixed on the hard drive which reports temperature data to the power circuit and fan speed is adjusted according to hard drive temperature. Without this cable in-between, hard drive itself will work fine, but fans in iMac will keep running at maximum speed - which can cause noise and reduce longevity of the cooling mechanism. While cable itself costs around 50$ (ouch!), i think it is a necessary component for the proper operation of the iMac.Other parts of kit (suctions, tool-kit and cloth):These things are necessary for proper installation of the hard drive and in appropriate job, most tools will be utilized. In the tool kit however, things are not 'magnetized' adequately causing screws to fall from the screw drivers especially when removed from narrow spaces. Manufacturer can do a better job at this. I would advise keeping around a small magnet for short term fix.I should also mention that in addition to replacing the factory hard drive, I also installed an SSD in the same operation and the kit had all necessary tools for task. I had to purchase separate cable/kit (ASIN: B00BJAKBMM) to place SSD, but it was a worthwhile upgrade.All together, while this kit is pricey, it is worthwhile purchase for anyone looking to perform Do-it-yourself replacement of the hard drive in 2011 iMac.I would strongly recommend above product for replacement of the hard drive in 2011 iMac.

I used this cable to upgrade a 2012 vintage Mac to an SSD, and it's working fine. No data issues, and the cooling fan is not blasting so it looks like the cable is doing the job. Kinda pricey for what it does, but worth it to me to keep the system completely happy (i.e. not thinking it's running hot all the time).Anyway, installation was as straightforward as can be expected on one of these machines (hooray for YouTube videos). The only slight glitch was due to the bulk of the extra connector (the computer's HDD cable now plugs into this cable, which in turn plugs onto the SSD - so there's an extra connector that has to get stuffed somewhere). It fits underneath the drive but I was concerned about sharply bending the wires, which I assume must be some kind of micro coax (could be wrong about that), so it took a bit of head scratching to form them without kinking - they're kind of stiff and not very long. Got it done finally, and the SSD is working as it should but I wonder if I'd have problems if I hadn't been so careful about not stressing the wires.There's plenty of room for the small temperature sensor board, and no issues with routing its cable.So it's all good, and the Mac is running probably 10 times faster than it was with its old HDD - SSDs truly are a great way to resurrect an old slow machine. Highly recommended.

Purchased for a SSD installation in my 2011 iMac 21.5". I replaced the original magnetic drive with the SSD, which did need a converter bracket to go from 2.5" to 3.5" as the bay expects. The OWC site and installation video series didn't really specify the need for a bracket, so I bought one just in case and did end up needing it. The thermal cable was easy enough to install, but getting it to set under the iMac's components was a bit tricky and time-consuming. I ended up sliding it carefully under the SSD bracket where there seemed to be enough space. Fiddling with this cable to get it situated took a long time in the overall process. Otherwise, it was easy to make the connections and apply the thermal sensor. While the cable is designed to keep the system fans from running constantly, it seems overly expensive for a SATA cable. While it was necessary evil for the drive temperature monitoring, I think it was rather expensive and essentially negated the great deal I got on a 480GB SSD drive to upgrade my 2011 Mac. I understand it is an Apple design issue to require the cable, I just can't understand why the cable is as costly as it is.