2019 iMac internal fusion replacement vs X5

[tomscott1988]

Few flaws with the logic, how big is X5.

Your backup should be 30-50% larger because as it backs up it will archive older backups so if you need to go back and pick certain files up you can. Therefore if its the same size as the target drive it will fill twice as fast.

The other flaw with partitioning a drive is you have both back ups on one drive so if it fails you loose both. I would convert the drive back to 1tb have one back up there, probably TM and buy another external 1Tb because they are like £40 and have you CCC back up externally.

 

[CheesePuff]

Thank you all for the advice. I am set up and booting from the external X5 and it works flawless.

My internal drive usage/backup strategy is this: I split the internal fusion to the 24GB nvme and 1TB drive. Partitioned the 1TB drive to two 500GB. One 500GB partition is a time machine backup and the other is a carbon copy backup.

What did you do with the 24 GB partition?

 

[Dvr6]

What did you do with the 24 GB partition?

Nothing special, It's just mounted for general use.

 

[Fishrrman]

Dvr6 wrote (about the 24gb SSD portion of the "fusion" drive?):
"Nothing special, It's just mounted for general use."

I'd strongly suggest doing this:
1. Erase it (so that nothing's on it)
2. Install a clean copy of the OS onto it
3. Get it set up as an "alternative boot volume".
4. After doing so, just "let it be".

WHY do this?
Because if you ever have a problem booting from your external drive, you have an IMMEDIATELY-ACCESSIBLE "second boot drive" just ready-and-waiting to go.

This could save you A LOT of trouble someday.
(But you know just as well as I that the external drive is NEVER going to give you a problem, right? RIGHT....?)

 

[nemoryoliver]

Hi guys I'm thinking of buying the X5 as well. I have some questions: What are the write/read speeds you get using X5 as the external boot drive? What if it is already 50-70% full? Will the speed be affected? How fast does it boot? Any other issues/regrets? Thanks in advance.

 

[tomscott1988]

i get 1800 writes 2300 reads currently 60% full takes less than 10 seconds to boot.

I also have the 2019 iMac i9 vega 1tb and the difference in ssd performance is non existent.

 

[nemoryoliver]

i get 1800 writes 2300 reads currently 60% full takes less than 10 seconds to boot.

I also have the 2019 iMac i9 vega 1tb and the difference in ssd performance is non existent.

Impressive to hear how it performs even 60% full.. How about throttling issues do you experience any of this on the X5 as others have mentioned? Also does it overheat?