A list of successful iMac 27" (2012-2019) SSD upgrades

[zeratul75]

Which os version? Which firmware version?

 

[ethan870]

Which os version? Which firmware version?

iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017) -

4.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 Still using Big Sur and my Samsung 970 Evo plus is 3B2QEXM7.
I manage to temporary fix it with preventing the imac from sleeping but as soon as I put the imac to sleep, after 1min it shuts down

 

[mbosse]

iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017) -

4.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 Still using Big Sur and my Samsung 970 Evo plus is 3B2QEXM7.
I manage to temporary fix it with preventing the imac from sleeping but as soon as I put the imac to sleep, after 1min it shuts down

And which firmware does the iMac have?

 

[icemantx]

Successfully upgraded my late 2014 iMac yesterday from the 3TB Fusion to a 2TB Crucial MX500 SSD. This should give it a little more life until I decide on what to do for my next iMac.

I will say, putting the screen back on is a PITA. I did not line up the screen just right the first time putting it back so I had to remove it again. However, the "LeFix" tape from Amazon was awful and took 2 hours to remove from the screen and the iMac frame. I then bought the iFixit tape and very carefully made sure it was all lined up before closing again.

All good now and boot up time is roughly 22 seconds. Apps are snappy to open including iMovie which was notoriously slow to startup. Not too bad. Oh, I also used SuperDuper to make a clone of the Fusion before the install of the SSD.

 

[Backslashnl1]

[..]
2. The Samsung EVO 970 Plus that I purchased has a manufacturing date of November 2021, so no firmware update was needed. I did not seek out a late model 970, I just ordered whatever was currently in stock. I took it from the box and plugged it into the adapter and then into the machine. That's it. Also, the iMac was updated to the most recent version of Monterey before the procedure. I reused the Apple OEM blade screw. I did not use a heatsink.

[..]

I've had absolutely no issues with the machine since (although limited runtime so far), including OS reinstallation, booting, Time Machine data transfer, and general usage. No issues with sleep. Boot time is about 20-30 seconds.

[..]

I have performed the same upgrade with the exact same SSD 4 months ago. I read some advices against a Samsung SSD becauses boot times were measured of 3 minutes.
I was sceptic against it, and had great experiences with Samsung in the past, so I ordered one anyway. At first I thought exactly the same like you. Great speed, boot times comparable like yours. I didn't understand the negative advice for a Samsung NVME SSD.

However, now 4 months after the installation, my boot times are increasing. A SSD Trim action is performed each cold boot. For my Crucial MX500 Sata SSD, it's around 1.5 sec, but for the Samsung 970 EVO Plus it is growing. One month ago TRIM took about 30 sec only for the Samsung, which increased the total boot time of the iMac to 60 seconds in total. Currently trim takes 42 seconds for the Samsung. It's getting worse and worse.

I don't know how to fix this. At this point I'm considering to reopen the iMac and replace the Samsung 970 EVO Plus with an original Apple SSD to prevent issues again. Or maybe another brand SSD.

Has anyone had similar experiences, that the trim times increase over time? And even better, does anyone have a solution to this problem? If I understand correctly, this is only an issue for Samsung NVME SSDs.

You can look up the trim times by running the following command in Terminal:

log show --last boot | grep "trims took"

 

[Les_Garten]

I was just given a Late 2013 27" iMac. It is an i7 3.5ghz model with a 1TB Spinner hard drive and 775 graphics. Not a mark on it anywhere, doctor gave it to me.

I have a M.2 Intel 660P 1TB coming this week, the LONG adapter and a Crucial 2 TB SSD with adapter to go in it as well as 16 more GB of RAM to get to 32GB.

I just did a clean USB install of Catalina with all the updates. Was going to do the same with Open core of Big Sur and then Open Core Monterey clean install.

Then crack it open and put the new drives in. Will that work and is all that necessary to get the NVME m.2 working right?

 

[mbosse]

I was just given a Late 2013 27" iMac. It is an i7 3.5ghz model with a 1TB Spinner hard drive and 775 graphics. Not a mark on it anywhere, doctor gave it to me.

I have a M.2 Intel 660P 1TB coming this week, the LONG adapter and a Crucial 2 TB SSD with adapter to go in it as well as 16 more GB of RAM to get to 32GB.

I just did a clean USB install of Catalina with all the updates. Was going to do the same with Open core of Big Sur and then Open Core Monterey clean install.

Then crack it open and put the new drives in. Will that work and is all that necessary to get the NVME m.2 working right?

Assuming that the Crucial is a SATA drive this should work just fine. Did something similar to a 2013 recently (#750).

Good luck,
Magnus

 

[Amsterdamned]

I was just given a Late 2013 27" iMac. It is an i7 3.5ghz model with a 1TB Spinner hard drive and 775 graphics. Not a mark on it anywhere, doctor gave it to me.

I have a M.2 Intel 660P 1TB coming this week, the LONG adapter and a Crucial 2 TB SSD with adapter to go in it as well as 16 more GB of RAM to get to 32GB.

I just did a clean USB install of Catalina with all the updates. Was going to do the same with Open core of Big Sur and then Open Core Monterey clean install.

Then crack it open and put the new drives in. Will that work and is all that necessary to get the NVME m.2 working right?

Same story here. Should work a treat. That graphics card ought to run Monterey very nicely too.

 

[Les_Garten]

Same story here. Should work a treat. That graphics card ought to run Monterey very nicely too

The Crucial is a SATA drive. Was hoping it had a 780 but the price was right...

 

[Amsterdamned]

…the price was right...

No argument there ?

 

[mbosse]

... and another one successfully completed: a 27" 2019 with a WD SN 750 NVMe SSD:

Device: 2019 - 19.1 (3.1Ghz i5-8600, FusionDrive)
Blade upgrade: 32 GB Apple SSD -> 2TB WD SN 750 M.2 NVMe SSD
HDD upgrade: 1 TB SATA HDD -> none
Speed test: Blade: ca 3000 MB/s read & write
OS: Monterey 12.3
Temperature sensor: none
Location: AT, Europe
Adapter: Sintech ST-NGFF2013-C (long), newest version
SSD Heatsink: AXAGON CLR-M2L3 M.2 ALU Heatsink (3mm thick)
Issues after fresh OS install: none, no sleep/hibernation issues, no slow startup!

 

[Les_Garten]

Success!

Device: Late 2013 27" 14,2 Nvidia 775, 3.5gHz i7, RAM 32GB
Upgrade: NVME SSD Intel 660P 1TB
HDD Upgrade: Crucial MX500 SSD 2TB
Speed test: NVME in the 750s, SATA SSD 550s
OS: Monterey: 12.3.1
Temp Sensor: None
Location: USA
Adapter: USECL M.2 NVME SSD - Some Filing required + Kapton Tape
SSD Heatsink:GLOTRENDS M.2 Heatsink PS5
Issues: NONE

 

[Les_Garten]

I need to tape mine back together. Can someone point me to the best tutorial on this?

 

[Amsterdamned]

iMac Intel 27" EMC 2639 Adhesive Strips Replacement

Removing the display on a Late 2013 iMac requires cutting through the adhesive around the perimeter of the screen. After the adhesive is cut, it...

www.ifixit.com

I believe the above is best practice but for the 2013 and the 2012 I did, I attached the strips then peeled the backing off all at the same time and went that way. The strips that are used to attach the bottom of the screen I actually attached directly to the screen and it worked well but couldn’t go down that path with the 2017, due to the microphone placement.

 

[mbosse]

iMac Intel 27" EMC 2639 Adhesive Strips Replacement

Removing the display on a Late 2013 iMac requires cutting through the adhesive around the perimeter of the screen. After the adhesive is cut, it...

www.ifixit.com

I believe the above is best practice but for the 2013 and the 2012 I did, I attached the strips then peeled the backing off all at the same time and went that way. The strips that are used to attach the bottom of the screen I actually attached directly to the screen and it worked well but couldn’t go down that path with the 2017, due to the microphone placement.

Exactly. For the 2017 and 2019 you could mark the position of the microphone on the strips and cut them accordingly.

 

[Amsterdamned]

Exactly. For the 2017 and 2019 you could mark the position of the microphone on the strips and cut them accordingly.

Didn’t think of that I used the OEM tape, so it had the correct cutout, but this would still have worked.

 

[Jonny AA]

First up I want to thank everyone on this thread, amazing stufff!
I have just completed the upgrade on a late 2015 27", I replaced the sata disc with a Crucial 2tb SSD. I also changed the blade to a Samsung970 Evo Plus.
On going to disc utility via Cmnd+R I can only see the Crucial drive? I have taken it all apart and made sure the blade is correctly inserted in the socket of the adaptor and that the adaptor is inserted correctly also?
What am I missing?

Many thanks

 

[Jonny AA]

First up I want to thank everyone on this thread, amazing stufff!
I have just completed the upgrade on a late 2015 27", I replaced the sata disc with a Crucial 2tb SSD. I also changed the blade to a Samsung970 Evo Plus.
On going to disc utility via Cmnd+R I can only see the Crucial drive? I have taken it all apart and made sure the blade is correctly inserted in the socket of the adaptor and that the adaptor is inserted correctly also?
What am I missing?

Many thanks

So I have just fixed it, had a bootdrive kicking around so booted up using that. In Disc utilities Both SSD and Blade appeared, have now just formatted them! SOrted

 

[baddogs]

Try reseating the blade drive into its slot. I recently did this upgrade on my late 2015 27" iMac (will post full results soon) and after inserting the blade on the logic board, I found that I really needed to give it a firm push while wiggling slightly to engage it completely. You really shouldn't be able to see any of the metal on the "teeth" of the blade drive once it is properly inserted.

View attachment 1781195

I did not preformat my blade drive (I used OWC Aura X2 Pro). After I completed the work, I restarted with a USB boot drive that I had created previously. I then used Disk Utility to format both drives and install Big Sur onto the blade drive. Good job not closing up Mac right away. Mine is still sealed only with blue painters tape all around the perimeter and thick towels under the front of the screen (just in case); once I am completely convinced everything is working (drives, iSight camera, speakers, all I/o ports, fan, etc...) then I will apply new adhesive and reseal up the iMac.

I have a Late 2015 27" Retinal iMac and my Fusion drive, well the SSD portion, died. I have been running off the hard drive but not very fast at all, so, just upgraded to a 2TB OWC Mercury Extreme Pro which I am hoping will address the speed issues. I like you have just installed it and am running some tests before resealing the panel onto the iMac.

Here are my questions:
I saw the reference to the blade drive and assume that is installed where the ram is located?
How much does using something like the blade drive accelerate my iMac over just running the Extreme Pro SSD?

I have seen the performance on my wife's MBP M1 Pro and am thinking of saving my dollars to upgrade to an M1 or M2 and just use the iMac as a monitor. Thanks for your support.

 

[Backslashnl1]

I have a Late 2015 27" Retinal iMac and my Fusion drive, well the SSD portion, died. I have been running off the hard drive but not very fast at all, so, just upgraded to a 2TB OWC Mercury Extreme Pro which I am hoping will address the speed issues. I like you have just installed it and am running some tests before resealing the panel onto the iMac.

Here are my questions:
I saw the reference to the blade drive and assume that is installed where the ram is located?
How much does using something like the blade drive accelerate my iMac over just running the Extreme Pro SSD?

I have seen the performance on my wife's MBP M1 Pro and am thinking of saving my dollars to upgrade to an M1 or M2 and just use the iMac as a monitor. Thanks for your support.

Yes, the slot for the blade is next to the memory. You have to fully dissemble the mainboard to access it.

If I understand correctly you have installed a 2TB SATA SDD. This will be faster in booting up the iMac and launching programs compared to the Fusion Drive.

A NVME blade drive can be even more fast for big file coping work or 1-2 seconds faster in booting programs. However, in day to day work I don't really notice a speed difference between a SATA SSD or a NVME drive (I have both a SATA SSD + Blade SSD in my iMac 5K Late 2015).

Remember the MBP M1 Pro is much faster than a 2015 iMac because of all of it's hardware is faster. It has a faster CPU + memory + faster SSD. However, you can't use your iMac 5K as a monitor. You will have to switch to an Apple Studio + Studio display (or LG UltraFine 5K) if you want to go 5K on M1, or buy a 24" iMac with M1.

 

[skaterstan]

Hi everyone,

I've just come across this thread as thinking of doing some upgrades to my iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015). I already have increased the RAM and now thinking of other options.

It currently has a 1tb fusion drive (24GB NVME and 1 TB HDD) so am thinking of both a NVME and SSD upgrade. Possibly a processor (i7) aswell if I find one for the right price, but not a priority.

I think I am pretty comfortable with the process (will come back here if not!) but I have a question relating to how to setup the drives afterwards.

I currently have the 1tb fusion drive (startup disk) and a 2tb external HDD for time machine backup.

I was thinking of a 1tb NVME and a 2tb SSD upgrade to replace the fusion drive. After the upgrade is it recommended to keep these drives separate, or reconstitute them into a 3tb fusion drive? I would guess it is best to keep them separate?

1tb is plenty for what I use the iMac for, so I was then thinking I could use the 1tb NVME as the main drive (startup disk) and then use the 2tb SSD for time machine backup. This would then keep everything neat and remove the need for an external HDD. If I needed the 2tb internal SSD space in the future, I could just invest in a external SSD for time machine backup.

What are peoples thoughts on this?

Thanks in advance!

 

[mbosse]

[…] 1tb is plenty for what I use the iMac for, so I was then thinking I could use the 1tb NVME as the main drive (startup disk) and then use the 2tb SSD for time machine backup. This would then keep everything neat and remove the need for an external HDD. If I needed the 2tb internal SSD space in the future, I could just invest in a external SSD for time machine backup. […]

One thing to consider is that if you have your backup in an internal drive you’d need to open the iMac and take out the backup drive should the machine fail and you need to migrate to another one.

Given the age of the iMac and the fact that 1TB seems enough for you: why now simply take out the entire FD and only replace the blade with a 2TB NVMe drive?

That way you (i) have a single physical drive, (ii) high speeds and (iii) still spare space should you needs increase.

Best,
Magnus

 

[skaterstan]

One thing to consider is that if you have your backup in an internal drive you’d need to open the iMac and take out the backup drive should the machine fail and you need to migrate to another one.

Given the age of the iMac and the fact that 1TB seems enough for you: why now simply take out the entire FD and only replace the blade with a 2TB NVMe drive?

That way you (i) have a single physical drive, (ii) high speeds and (iii) still spare space should you needs increase.

Best,
Magnus

Yes, very good point about acessing the time machine backup in the event of machine failure. I will keep that on an external drive.

I will have a think about my current and future space requirements. If I do go for just a single NVME then yes that is a nice simple soution.

If I do choose to go for an NVME and SSD, are these kept separate or joined as a single fusion drive?

 

[Amsterdamned]

If I do choose to go for an NVME and SSD, are these kept separate or joined as a single fusion drive?

27” iMacs that are Late 2015 and newer are able to use the full speed of an NVME drive so you’d get better system performance keeping them separate.

 

[skaterstan]

27” iMacs that are Late 2015 and newer are able to use the full speed of an NVME drive so you’d get better system performance keeping them separate.

Thank you for this information. Sounds like keeping them separate is the way to go.