iMac RepairIntel, Apple Silicon & iMac Pro

Yes. Apple classifies iMac models from late 2013, mid 2017, and earlier as vintage or obsolete — meaning iStore and Apple-authorised service providers will refuse to repair them. We service every Intel iMac generation back to 2012, and almost every fault is repairable at component level. Common older-iMac repairs include Fusion Drive failure, GPU artefacts, power supply faults, and thermal service. Bring it in for a free diagnostic — we'll tell you honestly whether repair is worthwhile.

Yes — and this is one of the most popular services we offer for older iMac owners. We use OpenCore Legacy Patcher (OCLP) to safely install the latest macOS on iMacs Apple no longer supports. A 2014 iMac can run macOS Sonoma. A 2015 iMac 5K can run Sequoia. A 2017 iMac can run Tahoe. The process takes 4–24 hours depending on your model, includes a full backup before any work begins, and is backed by our 6-month warranty. Most clients combine OCLP with an SSD upgrade — the result is an iMac that's faster than new and runs the latest software.

Almost certainly yes if your iMac is from 2012–2019. Apple's Fusion Drive paired a small SSD with a mechanical hard drive — the SSD portion typically fails between year 5 and year 7 of use. Symptoms: 5+ minute boot times, beach balls, kernel panics, won't boot at all. We either repair the failed SSD portion (R2,500–R4,500) or upgrade your iMac to a full SSD (R3,500–R6,500) which makes it faster than it ever was new. Most Fusion Drive repairs are completed within 24–48 hours.

iMac screen repair pricing depends on the model and screen size. 21.5" Retina replacements range R3,500–R7,500. 27" 5K Retina ranges R6,500–R12,000. 24" Apple Silicon iMac (M1/M3/M4) ranges R7,500–R14,000 due to the bonded panel design. We confirm exact pricing in writing after your free diagnostic before any work begins.

Yes — and this is where we stand apart. Apple Silicon logic board repairs are turned away by most repair centres in South Africa because they require chip-level microsoldering expertise. Our technicians are trained in component-level board repair, meaning we diagnose and fix faults at the chip level rather than replacing the entire board. This is significantly cheaper than Apple's out-of-warranty replacement quote — and your data stays intact throughout.

Yes — data preservation is our first priority on every iMac repair. We will never wipe your drive, reinstall macOS, or replace storage without your written approval. Even on no-boot iMacs we attempt full data extraction first. If your repair requires drive replacement (for example a complete Fusion Drive failure), we discuss options for migrating your data to the new drive before any work begins.

For business clients with deadlines we offer a priority service tier (R500 surcharge): 4-hour diagnosis, same-day written quote, and repair completion within 24 hours where parts are in stock — covers screen, SSD, thermal, and most board-level faults. Standard turnaround is 1–3 business days. Complex board work or sourced parts may take 3–5 days. We confirm the timeline at the time of your free diagnostic and update you throughout.

Yes. We offer specialist iMac collection and delivery across Gauteng for R500 (vs our standard R300 for smaller devices) because iMacs require careful transport — the larger 27" models are heavy and the screen panels are fragile. We bring appropriate transport packaging if you no longer have the original box. WhatsApp us to arrange a collection time. For nationwide service we work with The Courier Guy.

Yes — this is one of the most common iMac issues we see, particularly on Intel models 4+ years old. The cause is almost always dried-out thermal paste on the CPU and GPU combined with dust buildup in the fans and heatsinks. We perform a full thermal service: clean the internal components, apply fresh premium thermal paste to CPU and GPU, and clean the fan assemblies. Most customers notice an immediate dramatic drop in fan noise and operating temperature.

Yes. The AMD Radeon GPUs in 27" 5K iMacs from 2014–2020 are prone to failure under sustained graphics load — particularly during 4K video editing in Premiere or Final Cut, 3D rendering, or extended gaming. iStore quotes full logic board replacement (often R20,000+). We perform GPU re-ball or chip-level replacement at significantly lower cost. Repair takes 3–5 business days and is backed by our 6-month warranty.

Honest answer: it depends on your iMac's age and what's wrong with it. For most Intel iMacs less than 8 years old with a single fault (Fusion Drive failure, screen damage, thermal issues), repair is dramatically cheaper than replacement and gives you another 3–5 years of life. An OCLP install can also extend the life of an older iMac significantly by getting the latest macOS running on it. For an older iMac that needs multiple repairs (screen + SSD + thermal + GPU), a new iMac M4 may be the better investment. We give you a straight assessment during the free diagnostic — if a repair isn't worth it for your situation, we'll tell you, not take your money.

Yes — all iMac repairs at iAssist are covered by a 6-month warranty on both parts and labour. If the same fault recurs within 6 months, we fix it at no charge. Our warranty applies to every repair type, from thermal service to GPU re-balling and component-level board work.

Yes. We work with several Gauteng-based design agencies, accounting firms, and schools on multi-iMac fleet servicing — typically batch thermal service, SSD upgrades, and rolling repairs. Volume pricing applies to fleets of 5+ iMacs. WhatsApp us with the details of your fleet (models, ages, common faults) and we'll provide a tailored quote.