2017 iMac SSD Slower than 2015 for small files

[Taz Mangus]

Many thanks for the benchmarks. That is 2,718 MB/s read & 2,126 MB/s write for iMac 2017. Apple should have chosen (or at least allow user upgrades) a much better and cheaper disk like:

Samsung 960 PRO Series - 2TB PCIe NVMe - M.2 Internal SSD (MZ-V6P2T0BW)
Sequential R/W (read/write) speeds up to 3,500/2,100 MB/s and random R/W speeds up to 440/360K IOPS, respectively.
http://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/ssd/product/consumer/960pro.html
https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-960-PRO-Internal-MZ-V6P512BW/dp/B01LY3Y9PH

The SSD in the 2017 iMac is from Samsung. Speculation is that it is a 960. This has been discussed in previous threads already.

 

[Marx55]

The SSD in the 2017 iMac is from Samsung. Speculation is that it is a 960. This has been discussed in previous threads already.

Thanks. Samsung 960 Evo or 960 Pro inside iMac Retina 5K 27-inch (mid 2017)? I cannot find such threads searching Google for
site:forums.macrumors.com "iMac" "Samsung" "960" "SSD"

 

[Abazigal]

Sure thing, buddy. I'll just let you go on your way thinking Apple cut $300 off their margin per computer.

The MacBook Air got cheaper year after year even as its specs got better. Using the same design means Apple saves in this area. Parts get cheaper over time. Manufacturing processes get more efficient. It's not hard to see how Apple can cut the price while still maintaining its margins.

 

[killhippie]

Sure thing, buddy. I'll just let you go on your way thinking Apple cut $300 off their margin per computer.

When I bought the 2015 iMac with the i7 CPU 1TB SSD 16GB ram and M395X when it was released it cost just under £3000 with Apple care. Later that year the price went up after Brexit in the UK as the pound fell against the dollar, the same iMac went up to over £3300.

Now I sold that iMac for pretty much what I paid minus a few hundred pounds and grabbed a 2017 iMac i7 CPU 1TB SSD 16GB ram, Pro 580. Now apart from the mic change, its now a single mic without beamforming (which sounds just as good) and the ports the biggest change is probably the casing now does not have perforations for the two mics on the top and back, I imagine that probably saves Apple some money per unit. How much obviously I have no idea. The speakers sound exactly the same as the 2015 model as I had them side by side for a few days in my home and I could not hear a difference. The SSD is listed as a SM1024 which I believe is Samsung, but does not tell us much else.

This iMac came to about £3308 with Apple care. Just because the iMac is cheaper in some markets does not mean Apple cut corners. My screen is better than my 2015 for light bleed (luckily mine has none to speak of) prices for components do fluctuate, parts may have been cheaper this time around as has been said. Ram prices vary, SSD's are possible cheaper than they were two years ago. Also this time round the CPU is modular not soldered, so maybe that saved Apple some money too. All I can say is its a great machine, faster and just as quite and it fulfils my needs perfectly. I really cant see what the issue is with trying to find these cost cutting measures with the new iMac over the older one, apart from a case of sour grapes perhaps.