I stuck a maxtor 80 GB 7200 RPM drive in my Dad's Bondi Blue iMac (Rev. A) a while back. I used the instructions from macworld (<a href="http://www.macworld.com/2001/10/howto/imac.html"; target="_blank">linkage</a>). Just so you know, I read that if you put a drive larger than 8 GB in an iMac, you must partition it so the first partition is less than 8 GB or else the computer will fail to load the OS properly, especially if the OS gets pushed beyond 8 GB into the drive. You can do this through either the Mac OS X CD or the Mac OS 9 CD, just boot the computer with the "C" key held down. How the OS might get pushed past 8 GB, I don't know, but I heeded the advice and haven't had a single problem. The 7200 RPM drive wasn't too hot for our iMac, the only difference I've noticed is that CDs come out of the tray a little warmer than before (the HD is beneath the CD drive, so this makes sense). Have fun upgrading your iMac!
you can find user comments regarding all sorts of hard drives. They also have instructions on changing the hard drive. The only scary part is that after you remove the screws you have to pull hard to remove the bottom plastic base from the top. It makes a horrendous noise but it is OK.
You don't really need to push the drive specs. In addition to heat concerns I'd worry about power consumption. On one iMac I upgraded it just didn't like having a 7200RPM drive. Right at boot up the screen would come up funny so it wasn't a heat related problem. With today's higher density drives you get faster performance even with a 5400RPM drive. This will save you some money too and a 5400RPM drie will be quieter.
If you can find one I suggest getting a drive with liquid bearings. Toshiba and others make them. They will run quieter and stay quiet for a long time.
Comments
it <a href="http://forums.xlr8yourmac.com/drivedb/action.lasso?-search"; target="_blank">found</a> 179 hits for (iMac, internal, OS9)
Blueflame
<a href="http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/"; target="_blank">http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/</a>;
you can find user comments regarding all sorts of hard drives. They also have instructions on changing the hard drive. The only scary part is that after you remove the screws you have to pull hard to remove the bottom plastic base from the top. It makes a horrendous noise but it is OK.
You don't really need to push the drive specs. In addition to heat concerns I'd worry about power consumption. On one iMac I upgraded it just didn't like having a 7200RPM drive. Right at boot up the screen would come up funny so it wasn't a heat related problem. With today's higher density drives you get faster performance even with a 5400RPM drive. This will save you some money too and a 5400RPM drie will be quieter.
If you can find one I suggest getting a drive with liquid bearings. Toshiba and others make them. They will run quieter and stay quiet for a long time.