iMac 21.5 & 27 Retina repairs

2012–2020 Models A1418, A1419, A2116, A2115

Screens, drives and board-level repair on the slim iMac – the 2012 to 2020 machines, including every Retina 4K and 5K model.

iMac 21.5 & 27 Retina repair at Fixfactor, London
Walk-in · Wimbledon Mail-in · UK wide Up to 12-month warranty Tested, proven parts

Repairs

Something is broken or worn out.

Software & Data

It powers on, but it will not behave.

Know the fault, but don’t see it listed? Describe it and we’ll price it from your description – free, no device needed. Not sure what’s wrong? That’s what the Diagnostics Service above is for.

Which iMac 21.5 & 27 Retina is yours?

The repair depends on which generation you have, and they look identical from the outside. Click the Apple menu › About This Mac – the model number is on the same line as the year. If it will not switch on, it is printed in small type on the underside.

A1418 21.5-inch · 2012–2017 · incl. Retina 4K
A1419 27-inch · 2012–2017 · incl. Retina 5K
A2116 21.5-inch Retina 4K · 2019
A2115 27-inch Retina 5K · 2019–2020

Not sure? Send us a photo of the underside and we will read it for you – it takes us a minute and saves you ordering the wrong part.

The upgrade that changes these machines

Most 21.5 and 27-inch iMacs of this era shipped with a spinning hard drive or a Fusion Drive, and by now that disk is the reason the machine feels slow – not the processor. Replacing it with an SSD is the single biggest change you can make to one of these, and it is usually the difference between replacing the iMac and keeping it for another few years. We move your system and files across, so it starts up as the same machine, only quick.

Opening a slim iMac without leaving a trace

From 2012 Apple bonded the display to the chassis with an adhesive strip instead of magnets. It is meant to be cut, and it is replaced with new adhesive of the correct spec on reassembly – done properly there is no gap, no dust behind the glass and nothing to see. This is also why the glass and the panel are one part on these: a crack over a working picture still means a display assembly, unlike the 2009–2011 models where the glass lifts off on its own.

What tends to fail by now

Hard drives and the disk half of Fusion pairs, first and by a distance. Then: 27-inch graphics faults showing as lines, artefacts or a black screen with the fans running; power supplies on machines that have lived in warm rooms; and cracked or delaminating panels. Fan noise on the 2012–2015 21.5-inch is often a failed hard-drive temperature sensor rather than anything overheating, and that is a cheap fix once it is identified correctly.

Good to Know

The questions we are asked most about iMac 21.5 & 27 Retina repairs.

Not answered here? Ask us – we reply the same working day.

The glass is cracked but the picture is fine. Do I need the whole screen?

On these, yes. From 2012 the glass is bonded to the panel and they are replaced as one assembly. The cheaper glass-only repair applies to the 2009–2011 iMacs, which used a separate magnetic front glass.

Can I put an SSD in it?

Yes, and it is the best money you can spend on one of these. Which SSD depends on the year – some take a 2.5-inch drive, later ones take a blade SSD, and several will take both. We check what yours has before quoting.

My Fusion Drive has got slow, or it is clicking. Is the whole thing dead?

Usually it is the hard-disk half of the pair failing while the small SSD half carries on. We can replace it with a plain SSD and move your data across. If it is already clicking, stop using it and bring it in – every extra hour of running makes recovery harder.

Is it safe to cut the screen off to get inside?

It is how Apple intends these to be opened. The adhesive is a consumable part and comes off with heat and a thin cutting tool; new adhesive goes on at reassembly. The risk is doing it cold or in a hurry, which is where cracked panels come from.

Are parts still available for the older ones?

For most, yes. Where new stock has run out we use tested original panels and boards rather than substitutes, and we tell you up front which one your repair uses.

Get a QuoteAsk a Question

We have to price this service individually due to different factors.

We fix plenty that is not on the list above. Tell us what the device is and what you need doing.

Ask us anything: parts, timing, your data, whatever matters to you.

We usually reply within the day. If you need an answer sooner, call us on 020 8543 7088.

Thanks - we have your request. We’ll come back to you with a price, usually the same working day.