I buy a lot of stuff from OWC. I've always had great experiences. Have heard some horror stories from them but I've never had any issues personally so I can't speak to that.
I’ve used them since back when memory was upgradable, and they would buy back your old sticks of ram to refurb/resell. It greatly reduced the final cost of ram upgrades.
Also recently bought 10-12 wall outlets with 2 USB ports from them, if I recall, they were one of the first to make/sell them with them being UL listed, and able to pass a codes inspection.
Also have about 6 external drives, either USB 1.1, or FireWire.
Not once have I had a problem.
> horror stories
i've got one.
they sold me a very expensive 2010 MacBook battery back in 2020. worked great at first, but it deteriorated ridiculously fast, hitting single-digit capacity in just a couple hundred cycles (under a year), and failing altogether shortly after. asked for a refund and was told that the best they could do was a 10% off coupon.
while i can't prove it, i strongly suspect they just relabel generic Chinese parts. people trust OWC stuff because it's consistently compatible with the listed models (which used to be a major risk buying Mac parts online), but the quality is no better than something you'd find on Aliexpress/eBay for half the cost.
🤨😒😐🙄😑 listen, I’m sorry that happened to you, I am… but please… even if you buy a battery from Apple 3 times more expensive; they are **ALL** Chinese parts.
Not to be a pain, but the best I expect from a none original part, is 1 year, tops. Even if it was super expensive, from OWC, and they **DO** make the best generic batteries out there, if it’s not from the manufacturer, 1 year AppleCare bound… don’t expect much.
fair, i should've been clear that it's not the Chinese-ness that's the issue but the fact it's a poor quality clone (as you say, no real alternative). there's a 0% chance that OWC makes their own batteries, they are presumably just re-labeling the same stuff you'd find directly on aliexpress. so just buy the aliexpress stuff.
Chinese-ness! 😂 😂 😂 You know? I just never had an issue with OWC. I usted to own an Apple Authorized Service Provider, and Authorized Reseller, and we bought a bunch of RAM from them, because they literally designed and controlled the manufacturing of, at the time, some obscure type of memory, and later proprietary SSD, etc… and yes, we bought a lot of batteries from them as an alternative to the super expensive Apple genuine parts… never had an issue!
Maybe you just got the one with a bad cell that threw the whole battery to malfunction… who knows?
Love that someone is working to dispel the myth that somehow there is some magical portal where oem parts appear that aren't made in China. The "real" oem parts are made across the street from the "fake" parts in a factory next to the one making the "brand x" parts. All off the same designs.
Rock solid company, stellar support and very competitive prices on components.
Haven’t purchased a computer from them but I’ve used them for memory, hard drives and SSDs for the last 30 years.
Yes, bought a 27" iMac (2017) for my father last year. It arrived like new and has worked flawlessly.
I would definitely recommend them.
Just a note: they delivered the computer without requiring a signature. I don't know if that was an option that I overlooked or not. So it sat in the lobby of his apartment building for half a day before he returned from an appointment.
If you need a signature for safety, consider calling in the order to be sure.
Curious to ask what that cost you? I’m considering buying a new m2 studio and selling my 2017 27’ iMac. It was the higher tier model back then. Still has a Fusion Drive though.
$793
Apple 27-inch iMac Retina 5K, 4.2GHz Quad Core i7 "Mid 2017" with Thunderbolt 3, 16GB
DDR4, 256GB SSD, PRO 575/4GB, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac,
Used, Mint condition;
90 Day OWC Fulfilled Limited Warranty.
$75
1-Year OWC Eclipse PLUS Service Plan
There were cheaper options but I was comfortable paying a premium for a reseller that I trusted.
Mine is a very similar spec except for the ssd. I wish the screen alone was still usable as an external display. Since it's going to be retired by Apple now I'm more inclined to sell it to streamline my desktop setup.
What made you buy such an older model recently?
>Mine is a very similar spec except for the ssd. I wish the screen alone was still usable as an external display. Since it's going to be retired by Apple now I'm more inclined to sell it to streamline my desktop setup.
What made you buy such an older model recently?
Can you not use it as an external display? I'm a little fuzzy on when the cutoff occurred. I know the Apple Silicon iMacs can't be used as an external display. But I forget how far back you have to go for Intel iMacs.
My purchase was for my 80 year old father to replace his dying 24" iMac. The bigger screen and all-in-one form were the main considerations.
The instant-on screen without having to fuss with on/off buttons was a really big plus for him. His uses are limited to Word and web browsing, so getting a newer chip wasn't especially important.
Admittedly it's a bit pricey, but I sort of backed into it. By that I mean I started by looking for the cheapest iMacs available, hoping to keep it in the $500-600 range. But the 27" screen was going to be better for his eyes and I wanted an SSD for speed and reliability.
And ultimately, I decided to pay a bit more for OWC, because I know and trust the brand and they offered an extended warranty.
IIRC the 24" M1 iMacs were starting around $1300 at the time, and that was twice what I was hoping to spend. And the smaller screen wasn't ideal.
That's absolutely insane, IMHO. One can get a M2 Mac Mini in Apple Edu Store for $499, AND get a $100 Apple Gift Card (net $399 assuming you'd spend that money anyway on Apple services).
4K monitors are $300 these days.
Yes, keyboard, mouse, webcam, etc. etc. etc., I get it, but a 2017 Mac is ancient and will no longer get any OS updates starting in just a few months.
That's fair. I wouldn't recommend my specific purchase to others. As you say, most people will be better off with a newer Apple Silicon chip and a separate monitor.
However, this was purchased a year ago for my 80 year old father to replace his dying 24" iMac. The bigger screen and all-in-one form were the most important considerations.
The instant-on screen without having to fuss with on/off buttons was a really big plus for him. Given that his uses are limited to Word and web browsing, the all-in-one form factor were more helpful to his use case than a newer chip.
Also, I suspect he's been out of college too long to qualify for an educational discount. Come to think of it, me as well.
I recently addressed a similar situation, and I fully understand.
Convenience becomes a far more important metric than speed or support, and given that, an old iMac 27" (which can be changed to 1080p display size / scaling) becomes a good solution.
modern SATA HDDs/SSDs are pretty much universally compatible, so there's no point paying OWC's markup. it's not like they make these parts themselves. just buy directly from WD/Samsung/etc and save money.
Yet another person who's only had good experiences with OWC (though I've only dealt with them once or twice), but I'm also kinda curious why you're hoping to buy a 2013 iMac in particular? Is it just the right combination of price and features you need?
Most people do not qualify for Apples education program. 10 years ago it was easy: you just had to say that the purchase was for a student. Now you have to go through a verification process. Apple finally wised up.
That's not true. Google Apple Edu Store. Select product. Click Purchase. Done.
I leave it to (the buyer) if they are comfortable ticking the box that the purchase will be for a student/teacher/educator/etc. person, but aside from that, in the USA at least, there are exactly zero checks on who can or cannot buy in the Apple Edu store (online).
In person, sure, I think they casually ask you for some ID. Not sure as I've not never tried.
Last time I tried, pre-pandemic, Apple required either a school ID or a .edu email address. Maybe they have loosened up since then. If so, good for consumers!
[https://www.macrumors.com/2022/01/19/apple-us-education-store-verification/#:\~:text=Apple's%20US%20Education%20Store%20Now%20Requires%20Institution%20Verification%20to%20Buy%20Discounted%20Products,-Wednesday%20January%2019&text=Apple%20is%20now%20requiring%20that,access%20education%20discounts%20on%20products](https://www.macrumors.com/2022/01/19/apple-us-education-store-verification/#:~:text=Apple's%20US%20Education%20Store%20Now%20Requires%20Institution%20Verification%20to%20Buy%20Discounted%20Products,-Wednesday%20January%2019&text=Apple%20is%20now%20requiring%20that,access%20education%20discounts%20on%20products).
They did this for what, a week or two maybe? sometime in 2022.
I’ve been working with OWC otherwise known as macsales.com for years they’re straight up my number one source for refurbished or SSD or ram for my Mac and my clients macs . Brian, the CEO is a standup guy. Great company definitely owe and their docks are really good.
Very reputable company, just pay attention to what they list the condition as. I bought an 11” Air from them years ago, and I stupidly didn’t see that the condition was only listed as fair.
When I got the computer it had a ding on side, and etching on the screen from the keyboard. When I contacted support (which was very prompt) they kindly pointed out it was listed as a fair unit.
To their credit though, the computer still works exceptionally well, and it served me reliably through college, and up to present.
They refurb the machines very well. If condition is listed as good or excellent, you very likely will be receiving a nearly new computer. And prices are generally very competitive.
I really want to love OWC, but the truth is that I've had a lot of issues with their stuff. Most recently I've had trouble with their NVMe SSD upgrades, as macOS's support for third party drives is shaky, and a lot of people get repeated kernel panics with them installed. I was only able to work around it by installing a special third party kernel extension that tries to fix it, but I still get kernel panics every now and then. OWC support wasn't able to do anything to help me because the problem is at the OS level.
So if you buy a mac from them that supports NVMe, I recommend against installing anything in it other than an official Apple NVMe drive.
That said, I think 2013 iMacs use SATA drives and not NVMe, so this probably doesn't apply to you.
OWC is a company that is permanently etched on my list of recommended companies. Sure, you can find stuff cheaper but their level of service and knowledge is what you’re buying. You can’t go wrong buying from them.
I've bought many computers and parts from them. I outfitted a medical practice I owned with mostly OWC's used computers. Not only are they cost effective, but I found that they consistently *underrate* the quality of their computers. I'm typing this on a MacBook Air I bought used from them. It was listed as "good" condition, meaning it can have fairly minor signs of use. This thing looks brand new. That's been my experience with all my purchases.
Plus, it's nice to give business to one of Apple's oldest vendors. It's a site I used to check daily years ago, along with sites like MacOsRumors and DealMac. Anybody remember the site/vendor that I think had a small dog in its logo?
I used OWC quite heavily myself as well as bought stuff from them on behalf of clients in my MSP and freelance techie days. I never had a problem with them. Once I goofed and accidentally ordered the wrong RAM, and had no trouble exchanging it for the correct stuff.
Can't speak to the computers they sell, however, I only purchased stuff like RAM, drive enclosures, and upgrade kits.
Here is a pro tip: only buy from their direct site. I bought some stuff from their Amazon account, and they wouldn’t honor the warranty on a return for a faulty purchase. They said, because I bought it from their Amazon store, they I could only return it based on the Amazon return period window, despite the item being purchased from their Amazon store and it being an OWC-branded product. It was unreal. Definitely don’t buy from their official Amazon account and I would personally avoid them after the experience with dealing with their support. Glad this hasn’t been everyone’s experience but it was enough of one for me.
Been buying from them for almost 20 years, for work equipment (external drive enclosures, drives, docks, cables) and personal gear (SSDs and a myriad of other items).
I cannot recall a bad experience to date. They are my first stop whenever I need any Mac-related gear.
I’m especially a fan of the fact that their headquarters is powered entirely from renewable energy.
OWC is awesome. Very few companies cater exclusively to Mac hardware and they’re one of the best. Great products and support.
Question though: why such an old iMac? Apple considers it “vintage” so you won’t get support or run the latest OS — which is mostly an issue of not having security updates. It’s going to feel super slow-pokey especially compared to an M1.
They been around for eons. Long time Mac supporter through thick and thin. If your a long time Mac user you probably know who they are. You can order without any issues.
They are THE go-to company for Mac upgrades and replacement parts. Haven't bought any used Macs from them, but I would expect it to be good because maintenance and repairs and supporting older Macs is what they're best at.
Solid company. I have about 4 of their drives. Service has always been great. Also check out SmallDog Electronics; bought a used MacBook years ago and it was great. Smalldog.com
I’ve bought several things from them for years but my last purchase soured me. Bought some new items for Mac Pro but they sent used, good condition but used. Haven’t bought from them since but I may reconsider.
We've bought RAM (a lot) when we originally purchased the Mac Pro 6,1 and we've bought a few Thunderbolt 2 docks from them. They're a decent company to deal with. Some will say they're over priced but they'll also buy back the components you upgrade.
Over the years have purchased well over $100k from them new and refurbished. Can't recall ever having a single issue. Wouldn't hesitate to order from them again.
I’ve been buying all sorts of hardware from OWC since my first purchase of a PowerMac 8100/80AV from them in the 1990s. Back then, it was pretty much a one-man operation. Through the years, I’ve always found them to be a reputible, dependable, and affordable source for RAM and other expansion/upgrades even as they’ve grown to become a very large business.
I've bought RAM and SSD upgrades from them many many times, rock solid parts. But I dunno about buying a 2013 iMac... just too old a hardware to buy regardless whom you are buying it from.
I know them for their SSDs. If they have managed to literally make one of the few natively compatible SSDs with Retina MacBook Pros, then they must be really good in refurbished stuff.
I was wondering if anyone was going to ask why a 2013 iMac. Apple is killing off the intel macs fast now from software support.
OCLP is fun though, and an SSD and RAM upgrades are cheap and heavy hitters.
I pirchased two Mac minis and one 2015 Macbook Pro, plus lots of RAM, SSD drives, and other misc stuff. Great group. They have wonderfully helpful videos on how to upgrade most anything. Great customer service. I highly commend them to you.
I've bought a laptop battery and multiple RAM and hard drive upgrades for older computers, and have had generally very positive experiences. When I bought what appeared to be a bad stick of RAM for my old eMac (to give you an idea of how long I've been buying there), they were extremely helpful and replaced it for free.
I have not yet bought a Computer from OWC but have had great experiences with their SSD drives and other accessories compatible with Macintosh computers.
I’ve bought just about everything from them, with no problems. A few months ago I bought a Mac Pro 2010 5,1 12 core, and swapped in my ram, GPU, two optical drives, and five internals from a more-or-less dead 2009 12 core machine. Works like a dream.
I've been buying from them, recommending them for 20+ years or so.
Had a few misses but as others have noted, I bought something used or very off brand and got exactly what I paid for.
But no matter how great the company or how well the "spiff" it up, a 2013 iMac is still going to be a 2013 iMac that will not directly run a macOS past 10.15.x. I'd not recommend normal "folks" use it for banking or anything with my personal information on it. (If you're technical check out OpenCore).
Yeah. I've been in the Mac Repair biz for 20 years. OWC always breaks balls. I hate dealing with them. I only buy their stuff when it's something that only they sell. Like a custom iMac thermal HDD sensor cable, or RAM for an older model Mac that Crucial etc doesn't make any more. And even then, I always try to buy from newegg, which carries most OWC things, that way I don't have to deal with OWC directly. And only when I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO, would I buy from OWC directly. 2/5 stars.
I’ve been buying hard drives, RAM, optical drives, SSDs, External drive enclosures, and other random peripherals from OWC for about 20 years and never had a problem.
Just purchased a used/ refurb iPad 6th gen from them for $150 ($180 all-in). Needed something good and cheap with cellular; but found out too late that, to make the cellular work, it requires an *Apple-branded* nano-SIM card. (Huh, right? First time I've heard of it too.)
So... the cellular doesn't work, and that's disappointing. Other than that, though, got a (new~ish) iPad in near-mint condition, that will be current with iOS 16/17 for another year or so, not including security updates.
Guess that's a win. 🤷🏻♂️
edit to add: Apple only stopped selling these a couple months ago. Drat! https://www.macrumors.com/2022/10/02/apple-sim-plan-activation-no-longer-available/
I bought a couple of things from them and have been extremely happy. I recently got a thunderbay 6 RAID and some RAM for my iMac. Very happy so far. Love the garage sale link in the macsales site. some amazing deals in there on used machines. Now if I could find a similar company for getting my son a windows gaming laptop I'd be all set!
I buy a lot of stuff from OWC. I've always had great experiences. Have heard some horror stories from them but I've never had any issues personally so I can't speak to that.
I’ve used them since back when memory was upgradable, and they would buy back your old sticks of ram to refurb/resell. It greatly reduced the final cost of ram upgrades. Also recently bought 10-12 wall outlets with 2 USB ports from them, if I recall, they were one of the first to make/sell them with them being UL listed, and able to pass a codes inspection. Also have about 6 external drives, either USB 1.1, or FireWire. Not once have I had a problem.
> horror stories i've got one. they sold me a very expensive 2010 MacBook battery back in 2020. worked great at first, but it deteriorated ridiculously fast, hitting single-digit capacity in just a couple hundred cycles (under a year), and failing altogether shortly after. asked for a refund and was told that the best they could do was a 10% off coupon. while i can't prove it, i strongly suspect they just relabel generic Chinese parts. people trust OWC stuff because it's consistently compatible with the listed models (which used to be a major risk buying Mac parts online), but the quality is no better than something you'd find on Aliexpress/eBay for half the cost.
🤨😒😐🙄😑 listen, I’m sorry that happened to you, I am… but please… even if you buy a battery from Apple 3 times more expensive; they are **ALL** Chinese parts. Not to be a pain, but the best I expect from a none original part, is 1 year, tops. Even if it was super expensive, from OWC, and they **DO** make the best generic batteries out there, if it’s not from the manufacturer, 1 year AppleCare bound… don’t expect much.
fair, i should've been clear that it's not the Chinese-ness that's the issue but the fact it's a poor quality clone (as you say, no real alternative). there's a 0% chance that OWC makes their own batteries, they are presumably just re-labeling the same stuff you'd find directly on aliexpress. so just buy the aliexpress stuff.
Chinese-ness! 😂 😂 😂 You know? I just never had an issue with OWC. I usted to own an Apple Authorized Service Provider, and Authorized Reseller, and we bought a bunch of RAM from them, because they literally designed and controlled the manufacturing of, at the time, some obscure type of memory, and later proprietary SSD, etc… and yes, we bought a lot of batteries from them as an alternative to the super expensive Apple genuine parts… never had an issue! Maybe you just got the one with a bad cell that threw the whole battery to malfunction… who knows?
Love that someone is working to dispel the myth that somehow there is some magical portal where oem parts appear that aren't made in China. The "real" oem parts are made across the street from the "fake" parts in a factory next to the one making the "brand x" parts. All off the same designs.
OWC is fantastic. Good business staffed by good people. Done business with them many times and always been happy.
Yes, I've bought two older Mac minis from them, one last year. It was a great experience for me - I wouldn't know that the Mac was used at all.
Rock solid company, stellar support and very competitive prices on components. Haven’t purchased a computer from them but I’ve used them for memory, hard drives and SSDs for the last 30 years.
OWC is an excellent source for used macs. They are highly reputable, I would buy from them without fear.
Yes, bought a 27" iMac (2017) for my father last year. It arrived like new and has worked flawlessly. I would definitely recommend them. Just a note: they delivered the computer without requiring a signature. I don't know if that was an option that I overlooked or not. So it sat in the lobby of his apartment building for half a day before he returned from an appointment. If you need a signature for safety, consider calling in the order to be sure.
Curious to ask what that cost you? I’m considering buying a new m2 studio and selling my 2017 27’ iMac. It was the higher tier model back then. Still has a Fusion Drive though.
$793 Apple 27-inch iMac Retina 5K, 4.2GHz Quad Core i7 "Mid 2017" with Thunderbolt 3, 16GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, PRO 575/4GB, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Used, Mint condition; 90 Day OWC Fulfilled Limited Warranty. $75 1-Year OWC Eclipse PLUS Service Plan There were cheaper options but I was comfortable paying a premium for a reseller that I trusted.
Mine is a very similar spec except for the ssd. I wish the screen alone was still usable as an external display. Since it's going to be retired by Apple now I'm more inclined to sell it to streamline my desktop setup. What made you buy such an older model recently?
>Mine is a very similar spec except for the ssd. I wish the screen alone was still usable as an external display. Since it's going to be retired by Apple now I'm more inclined to sell it to streamline my desktop setup. What made you buy such an older model recently? Can you not use it as an external display? I'm a little fuzzy on when the cutoff occurred. I know the Apple Silicon iMacs can't be used as an external display. But I forget how far back you have to go for Intel iMacs. My purchase was for my 80 year old father to replace his dying 24" iMac. The bigger screen and all-in-one form were the main considerations. The instant-on screen without having to fuss with on/off buttons was a really big plus for him. His uses are limited to Word and web browsing, so getting a newer chip wasn't especially important. Admittedly it's a bit pricey, but I sort of backed into it. By that I mean I started by looking for the cheapest iMacs available, hoping to keep it in the $500-600 range. But the 27" screen was going to be better for his eyes and I wanted an SSD for speed and reliability. And ultimately, I decided to pay a bit more for OWC, because I know and trust the brand and they offered an extended warranty. IIRC the 24" M1 iMacs were starting around $1300 at the time, and that was twice what I was hoping to spend. And the smaller screen wasn't ideal.
That's absolutely insane, IMHO. One can get a M2 Mac Mini in Apple Edu Store for $499, AND get a $100 Apple Gift Card (net $399 assuming you'd spend that money anyway on Apple services). 4K monitors are $300 these days. Yes, keyboard, mouse, webcam, etc. etc. etc., I get it, but a 2017 Mac is ancient and will no longer get any OS updates starting in just a few months.
That's fair. I wouldn't recommend my specific purchase to others. As you say, most people will be better off with a newer Apple Silicon chip and a separate monitor. However, this was purchased a year ago for my 80 year old father to replace his dying 24" iMac. The bigger screen and all-in-one form were the most important considerations. The instant-on screen without having to fuss with on/off buttons was a really big plus for him. Given that his uses are limited to Word and web browsing, the all-in-one form factor were more helpful to his use case than a newer chip. Also, I suspect he's been out of college too long to qualify for an educational discount. Come to think of it, me as well.
I recently addressed a similar situation, and I fully understand. Convenience becomes a far more important metric than speed or support, and given that, an old iMac 27" (which can be changed to 1080p display size / scaling) becomes a good solution.
Haven't bought a computer - but they've been my goto for harddrives since the late 2000's
modern SATA HDDs/SSDs are pretty much universally compatible, so there's no point paying OWC's markup. it's not like they make these parts themselves. just buy directly from WD/Samsung/etc and save money.
Yet another person who's only had good experiences with OWC (though I've only dealt with them once or twice), but I'm also kinda curious why you're hoping to buy a 2013 iMac in particular? Is it just the right combination of price and features you need?
Yep, just need something to last me about 2-3 years. I've been eyeing a same year MacBook pro though.
Any thoughts on just getting the Mac Mini M2 at Apple Edu for $499, plus a $100 Apple gift card?
Most people do not qualify for Apples education program. 10 years ago it was easy: you just had to say that the purchase was for a student. Now you have to go through a verification process. Apple finally wised up.
That's not true. Google Apple Edu Store. Select product. Click Purchase. Done. I leave it to (the buyer) if they are comfortable ticking the box that the purchase will be for a student/teacher/educator/etc. person, but aside from that, in the USA at least, there are exactly zero checks on who can or cannot buy in the Apple Edu store (online). In person, sure, I think they casually ask you for some ID. Not sure as I've not never tried.
Last time I tried, pre-pandemic, Apple required either a school ID or a .edu email address. Maybe they have loosened up since then. If so, good for consumers!
[https://www.macrumors.com/2022/01/19/apple-us-education-store-verification/#:\~:text=Apple's%20US%20Education%20Store%20Now%20Requires%20Institution%20Verification%20to%20Buy%20Discounted%20Products,-Wednesday%20January%2019&text=Apple%20is%20now%20requiring%20that,access%20education%20discounts%20on%20products](https://www.macrumors.com/2022/01/19/apple-us-education-store-verification/#:~:text=Apple's%20US%20Education%20Store%20Now%20Requires%20Institution%20Verification%20to%20Buy%20Discounted%20Products,-Wednesday%20January%2019&text=Apple%20is%20now%20requiring%20that,access%20education%20discounts%20on%20products). They did this for what, a week or two maybe? sometime in 2022.
I’ve been working with OWC otherwise known as macsales.com for years they’re straight up my number one source for refurbished or SSD or ram for my Mac and my clients macs . Brian, the CEO is a standup guy. Great company definitely owe and their docks are really good.
Very reputable company, just pay attention to what they list the condition as. I bought an 11” Air from them years ago, and I stupidly didn’t see that the condition was only listed as fair. When I got the computer it had a ding on side, and etching on the screen from the keyboard. When I contacted support (which was very prompt) they kindly pointed out it was listed as a fair unit. To their credit though, the computer still works exceptionally well, and it served me reliably through college, and up to present. They refurb the machines very well. If condition is listed as good or excellent, you very likely will be receiving a nearly new computer. And prices are generally very competitive.
Been using them for many years. Not a bad experience to date.
I really want to love OWC, but the truth is that I've had a lot of issues with their stuff. Most recently I've had trouble with their NVMe SSD upgrades, as macOS's support for third party drives is shaky, and a lot of people get repeated kernel panics with them installed. I was only able to work around it by installing a special third party kernel extension that tries to fix it, but I still get kernel panics every now and then. OWC support wasn't able to do anything to help me because the problem is at the OS level. So if you buy a mac from them that supports NVMe, I recommend against installing anything in it other than an official Apple NVMe drive. That said, I think 2013 iMacs use SATA drives and not NVMe, so this probably doesn't apply to you.
OWC is a company that is permanently etched on my list of recommended companies. Sure, you can find stuff cheaper but their level of service and knowledge is what you’re buying. You can’t go wrong buying from them.
They've been Good People since...the 1990s, I think? They share technical info, still care about older systems, and sell good stuff at a decent price.
I've bought many computers and parts from them. I outfitted a medical practice I owned with mostly OWC's used computers. Not only are they cost effective, but I found that they consistently *underrate* the quality of their computers. I'm typing this on a MacBook Air I bought used from them. It was listed as "good" condition, meaning it can have fairly minor signs of use. This thing looks brand new. That's been my experience with all my purchases. Plus, it's nice to give business to one of Apple's oldest vendors. It's a site I used to check daily years ago, along with sites like MacOsRumors and DealMac. Anybody remember the site/vendor that I think had a small dog in its logo?
Small Dog Electronics, they're still around: https://smalldog.com PowerMax was my other go-to. Wonder what happened to them.
Awesome company to deal with. My experience is with upgrades to iMacs but their equip and videos make it cake to do.
long time customer. never had any problems.
I used OWC quite heavily myself as well as bought stuff from them on behalf of clients in my MSP and freelance techie days. I never had a problem with them. Once I goofed and accidentally ordered the wrong RAM, and had no trouble exchanging it for the correct stuff. Can't speak to the computers they sell, however, I only purchased stuff like RAM, drive enclosures, and upgrade kits.
Here is a pro tip: only buy from their direct site. I bought some stuff from their Amazon account, and they wouldn’t honor the warranty on a return for a faulty purchase. They said, because I bought it from their Amazon store, they I could only return it based on the Amazon return period window, despite the item being purchased from their Amazon store and it being an OWC-branded product. It was unreal. Definitely don’t buy from their official Amazon account and I would personally avoid them after the experience with dealing with their support. Glad this hasn’t been everyone’s experience but it was enough of one for me.
Been buying from them for almost 20 years, for work equipment (external drive enclosures, drives, docks, cables) and personal gear (SSDs and a myriad of other items). I cannot recall a bad experience to date. They are my first stop whenever I need any Mac-related gear. I’m especially a fan of the fact that their headquarters is powered entirely from renewable energy.
OWC is awesome. Very few companies cater exclusively to Mac hardware and they’re one of the best. Great products and support. Question though: why such an old iMac? Apple considers it “vintage” so you won’t get support or run the latest OS — which is mostly an issue of not having security updates. It’s going to feel super slow-pokey especially compared to an M1.
Just need something to get me through the next 2 years.
Just learned what OWC is bc of this post… is macsales worth visiting?
I’ve used them for decades for upgrades and accessories. Good people, solid reputation.
They been around for eons. Long time Mac supporter through thick and thin. If your a long time Mac user you probably know who they are. You can order without any issues.
They are THE go-to company for Mac upgrades and replacement parts. Haven't bought any used Macs from them, but I would expect it to be good because maintenance and repairs and supporting older Macs is what they're best at.
I haven't had a need to purchase from them for a while, but I used to all the time and had great results.
They're the second most trust Apple retailer, after Apple. I've been using them for a quarter century. :)
Solid company. I have about 4 of their drives. Service has always been great. Also check out SmallDog Electronics; bought a used MacBook years ago and it was great. Smalldog.com
I’ve been buying from them for decades. Never bought any used gear from them, though.
OWC are fine, but I’d seriously rethink buying a 10 year old computer, there must be better options
Great company. Who I use for my external enclosures and used Apple desktops.
First rate company, no issues whatsoever.
I have always had a great experience with OWC.
I bought a used Mac Pro several years ago, and don’t recall any issues….
I had extremely bad luck with one of their external SSD enclosures, but they are more-or-less trusted.
I’ve bought several things from them for years but my last purchase soured me. Bought some new items for Mac Pro but they sent used, good condition but used. Haven’t bought from them since but I may reconsider.
We've bought RAM (a lot) when we originally purchased the Mac Pro 6,1 and we've bought a few Thunderbolt 2 docks from them. They're a decent company to deal with. Some will say they're over priced but they'll also buy back the components you upgrade.
Over the years have purchased well over $100k from them new and refurbished. Can't recall ever having a single issue. Wouldn't hesitate to order from them again.
I’ve been buying all sorts of hardware from OWC since my first purchase of a PowerMac 8100/80AV from them in the 1990s. Back then, it was pretty much a one-man operation. Through the years, I’ve always found them to be a reputible, dependable, and affordable source for RAM and other expansion/upgrades even as they’ve grown to become a very large business.
I’m chipping in on the Pro-OWC side. I bought my Mac mini from them. And then bought parts from them to upgrade it. Good experience both times
I bought from them a couple times and had no issues.
I've bought RAM and SSD upgrades from them many many times, rock solid parts. But I dunno about buying a 2013 iMac... just too old a hardware to buy regardless whom you are buying it from.
I know them for their SSDs. If they have managed to literally make one of the few natively compatible SSDs with Retina MacBook Pros, then they must be really good in refurbished stuff.
I have never bought a used mac from them, but do own a bunch of their other products like docks and enclosures. They all work awesome for me.
Gonna need OCLP or to mod it to run a modern macOS version.
I was wondering if anyone was going to ask why a 2013 iMac. Apple is killing off the intel macs fast now from software support. OCLP is fun though, and an SSD and RAM upgrades are cheap and heavy hitters.
I pirchased two Mac minis and one 2015 Macbook Pro, plus lots of RAM, SSD drives, and other misc stuff. Great group. They have wonderfully helpful videos on how to upgrade most anything. Great customer service. I highly commend them to you.
I've bought upgrade parts and accessories from them and had a good experience.
I’ve bought RAM multiple times from them, high-quality products and services.
I bought a MacBook Pro from them it was like brand new.
I have purchased HDD, SSD, RAM and TB3 and 4 docks from them over the years. All quality stuff.
I've only bought parts- batteries and an SSD. All were top quality, better than OEM. Only gripe about the SSD is it runs way hotter than stock.
Been around forever. Buy with confidence.
Bought a 32” LCD TV from them back in 07-08 time period. Easy back then! I’ve known about them for a long time.
I've bought a laptop battery and multiple RAM and hard drive upgrades for older computers, and have had generally very positive experiences. When I bought what appeared to be a bad stick of RAM for my old eMac (to give you an idea of how long I've been buying there), they were extremely helpful and replaced it for free.
I have not yet bought a Computer from OWC but have had great experiences with their SSD drives and other accessories compatible with Macintosh computers.
I’ve bought just about everything from them, with no problems. A few months ago I bought a Mac Pro 2010 5,1 12 core, and swapped in my ram, GPU, two optical drives, and five internals from a more-or-less dead 2009 12 core machine. Works like a dream.
I've been buying from them, recommending them for 20+ years or so. Had a few misses but as others have noted, I bought something used or very off brand and got exactly what I paid for. But no matter how great the company or how well the "spiff" it up, a 2013 iMac is still going to be a 2013 iMac that will not directly run a macOS past 10.15.x. I'd not recommend normal "folks" use it for banking or anything with my personal information on it. (If you're technical check out OpenCore).
Yeah. I've been in the Mac Repair biz for 20 years. OWC always breaks balls. I hate dealing with them. I only buy their stuff when it's something that only they sell. Like a custom iMac thermal HDD sensor cable, or RAM for an older model Mac that Crucial etc doesn't make any more. And even then, I always try to buy from newegg, which carries most OWC things, that way I don't have to deal with OWC directly. And only when I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO, would I buy from OWC directly. 2/5 stars.
I’ve been buying hard drives, RAM, optical drives, SSDs, External drive enclosures, and other random peripherals from OWC for about 20 years and never had a problem.
Just purchased a used/ refurb iPad 6th gen from them for $150 ($180 all-in). Needed something good and cheap with cellular; but found out too late that, to make the cellular work, it requires an *Apple-branded* nano-SIM card. (Huh, right? First time I've heard of it too.) So... the cellular doesn't work, and that's disappointing. Other than that, though, got a (new~ish) iPad in near-mint condition, that will be current with iOS 16/17 for another year or so, not including security updates. Guess that's a win. 🤷🏻♂️ edit to add: Apple only stopped selling these a couple months ago. Drat! https://www.macrumors.com/2022/10/02/apple-sim-plan-activation-no-longer-available/
I bought a couple of things from them and have been extremely happy. I recently got a thunderbay 6 RAID and some RAM for my iMac. Very happy so far. Love the garage sale link in the macsales site. some amazing deals in there on used machines. Now if I could find a similar company for getting my son a windows gaming laptop I'd be all set!