osx for older iMac 2010

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zio_mangrovia

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I received iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2010) as gift I installed High Sierra but iMac is very slow.

What OSX do you suggest to install to get best performance ?

I know It's obsolete but I want to keep this hardware.

How can I retrieve installation file of older OSX to create USB key for installation ?
 
High Sierra is the top you can go on that machine, but how much memory do you have installed? You can go up to 16 GB.
 
I have one of those 2010 iMacs. Runs very well on Monterey (OCLP install), after replacing the original hard drive with an SSD (good choice even if you continue with High Sierra)
 
Cheryl said:
High Sierra is the top you can go on that machine, but how much memory do you have installed? You can go up to 16 GB.
Click to expand...
details:

  • Order: MC508LL/A
  • model A1311 (EMC 2389)
  • cpu: 3.06 GHz Core i3 (I3-540)
  • ram: 4GB
  • vram: 256 GB
  • hdd: 500 GB (mechanical disk)

here the complete technical specifications: https://everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac-core-i3-3.06-21-inch-aluminum-mid-2010-specs.html

I'm not able to replace disk with fusion or ssd because it's too hard (open the iMac because it's glued)
Do you think Snow Leopard can be faster than High Sierra ?
 
The 2010 iMac is not glued, the front glass cover is held in by magnets. The glue/tape did not appear until the 2012 models.
Most steps use suction cups of some kind to pull the screen off. I use a thin blade to (carefully!) pry the glass out.
Then, there's a handful of torx screws to open up the case. Then some tiny connectors that can be quite fragile. Then some more screws to remove the LCD panel.
No tape, no glue. (but don't forget the temp sensor cable if you decide to replace the old hard drive - it's also on the repair steps below)
Look at the steps here: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+EMC+2389+Hard+Drive+Replacement/6284

Snow Leopard is likely faster than High Sierra - but it's an older system that is now quite limited for the browser that you can use. If you are using a Mac for other tasks, such as music, or video editing, then fine.
But, then, Snow Leopard would continue to be faster running on an SSD, too.

Even if you do nothing else: if that iMac has only 4GB of RAM, you can upgrade up to 16GB. That can help, even if you keep the old drive.
RAM is easy, just a small access door on the bottom of the screen.
 
Last edited:
DeltaMac said:
The 2010 iMac is not glued, the front glass cover is held in by magnets. The glue/tape did not appear until the 2012 models.
Most steps use suction cups of some kind to pull the screen off. I use a thin blade to (carefully!) pry the glass out.
Then, there's a handful of torx screws to open up the case. Then some tiny connectors that can be quite fragile. Then some more screws to remove the LCD panel.
No tape, no glue. (but don't forget the temp sensor cable if you decide to replace the old hard drive - it's also on the repair steps below)
Look at the steps here: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+EMC+2389+Hard+Drive+Replacement/6284

Snow Leopard is likely faster than High Sierra - but it's an older system that is now quite limited for the browser that you can use. If you are using a Mac for other tasks, such as music, or video editing, then fine.
But, then, Snow Leopard would continue to be faster running on an SSD, too.

Even if you do nothing else: if that iMac has only 4GB of RAM, you can upgrade up to 16GB. That can help, even if you keep the old drive.
RAM is easy, just a small access door on the bottom of the screen.
Click to expand...
I replaced hdd with ssd disk but with no temperature sensor because It costs too much.
I listen to about fan control software can solve this issue, suggestions?
 
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