2017 Imac ?

[Timpetus]

Not sure why I am seeing a disk0 and a disk1 but this is the info terminal shows

It says disk1 is synthesized and it's listed under disk0 as well as the APFS container. You just have a 256GB PCIe SSD, no spinner currently.

As far as internal upgrades go, take a look at OWC to see what's possible for your particular machine. They're at macsales.com.

 

[jrjr2u]

It says disk1 is synthesized and it's listed under disk0 as well as the APFS container. You just have a 256GB PCIe SSD, no spinner currently.

As far as internal upgrades go, take a look at OWC to see what's possible for your particular machine. They're at macsales.com.

Thanks, I know of them

 

[JustAnExpat]

Accordign to MacTracker, the 2017 iMac 21" model number MHK03LL comes with a 256GB SSD drive. I think that's the model of your Mac.

 

[AppleTO]

I've upgraded spinning disks and fusion drives to SSDs in dozens of 2013-2019 21.5" iMacs. It's easy but you do need to stick the screen back on. iFixit has bundles of everything you need.

If the Mac came with a Fusion Drive, it will have both the PCIe and SATA connectors. If the Mac came with only a spinning drive, it will only have the SATA connector. I've never seen an iMac without the SATA connector.

They were still selling 1TB spinners in 2019 with the 4K base models. My company had a bunch. Okay with Catalina, but practically unusable when Big Sur came along.

 

[jrjr2u]

Accordign to MacTracker, the 2017 iMac 21" model number MHK03LL comes with a 256GB SSD drive. I think that's the model of your Mac.

MNE02LL/A is mine

 

[jrjr2u]

I've upgraded spinning disks and fusion drives to SSDs in dozens of 2013-2019 21.5" iMacs. It's easy but you do need to stick the screen back on. iFixit has bundles of everything you need.

If the Mac came with a Fusion Drive, it will have both the PCIe and SATA connectors. If the Mac came with only a spinning drive, it will only have the SATA connector. I've never seen an iMac without the SATA connector.

They were still selling 1TB spinners in 2019 with the 4K base models. My company had a bunch. Okay with Catalina, but practically unusable when Big Sur came along.

Connector on the board, check. How about the drive caddy and cable if it came with only a pcie drive? Mine's running Ventura

 

[AppleTO]

Connector on the board, check. How about the drive caddy and cable if it came with only a pcie drive? Mine's running Ventura

I can't say for sure. I've never had a stock SSD machine fail so I've never needed to take one apart. Sorry.

 

[jrjr2u]

I can't say for sure. I've never had a stock SSD machine fail so I've never needed to take one apart. Sorry.

Seems to be a bit of a rarity. Time will tell

 

[drrich2]

My iMac 2017 27" 5K had Fusion Drive failure; I stick an on-sale $200 Samsung T7 4-TB external bus-powered SSD on a USB-C port and it's snappier than it was with the internal Fusion Drive. Opening the Photos library of a Blurb BookWright large photo book is noticeably faster.

I think you have the option of USB-C (cheaper, like what I went for) or Thunderbolt 3 (faster) external SSD options to make your new start up disc.

Is it really worth the hassle of getting an internal SSD into that thing?

 

[jrjr2u]

My iMac 2017 27" 5K had Fusion Drive failure; I stick an on-sale $200 Samsung T7 4-TB external bus-powered SSD on a USB-C port and it's snappier than it was with the internal Fusion Drive. Opening the Photos library of a Blurb BookWright large photo book is noticeably faster.

I think you have the option of USB-C (cheaper, like what I went for) or Thunderbolt 3 (faster) external SSD options to make your new start up disc.

Is it really worth the hassle of getting an internal SSD into that thing?

Well, it already has an ssd in the pcie slot so any additional would be for extra storage. It is fast enough now. I will do it, ahhhh, just because I can I guess. Why not.... gotta have something to do in my retirement and I have chosen to delve into the dark side
But you are correct on the ports and option of external storage.

 

[jrjr2u]

I can't say for sure. I've never had a stock SSD machine fail so I've never needed to take one apart. Sorry.

One thing I have noticed from watching videos is that the memory location is different in the boards with a pcie slot and boards without. The ones with a pcie slot can access the ram without removing the logic board but the ones without a pcie slot have the ram slots 90 degrees and located mid board. This confirms that the spinner only models do not have a pcie slot.

 

[JustAnExpat]

MNE02LL/A is mine

I brought up the specs for that machine. It originally came with a Fusion Drive (https://everymac.com/systems/apple/...1-inch-aluminum-retina-4k-mid-2017-specs.html) . It seems like the drive failed and was replaced later.

 

[jrjr2u]

I brought up the specs for that machine. It originally came with a Fusion Drive (https://everymac.com/systems/apple/...1-inch-aluminum-retina-4k-mid-2017-specs.html) . It seems like the drive failed and was replaced later.

This is what Everymac says so its kind of confusing -

This model has a 1 TB "Fusion" Drive, which combines a 32 GB SSD and a 1 TB hard drive. It has a Serial ATA (6 Gb/s) connector for a 2.5" hard drive and a PCIe connector for the SSD. At the time of purchase, Apple also offered a 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB SSD for an extra US$100, US$300, and US$700, respectively.

- Apple offered an SSD, but for what? To upgrade the PCIE drive or the spinner? If it doesn't specifically state something then I cannot be sure. In videos I have seen this model that has no pcie connector - mid 2017 21.5" - there is more than one video showing this so there definitely are different variations of logic boards in these things.

Check out this video around the 9:40 mark