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

[Ciderspace666]

If you work with a lot of media I would instead install a large (8TB or more) HDD instead and create a huge Fusion Drive with the 128GB blade SSD instead. That would give you much better resale value and you will not not see much of a difference, if any, because the blade SSDs you have are significantly faster than a SATA SSD.

In my late 2012 iMac I have a 1TB blade SSD and the hard drive is 8TB. It’s a beast. I only wish it had PCIe SSD speeds for the blade SSD slot.

I have a large NAS for main storage so this is just for getting faster speeds. May then sell on the iMac with its 1.12GB of SSD storage, assuming I go with a 1TB SATA SSD. Will see how it performs post surgery

 

[Ciderspace666]

@mbosse The 2015 128SSD is still inside its Early 2015 MBP, along with warranty until later this year so presumably, removing it will invalidate that? I was going to upgrade that too but think I’ll pass now.

Im left with the Mid 2014 MBP Sandisk model I mentioned. I'd replaced this with a 500GB Crucial P1 following the other upgrade thread on MBPs on here.

Before that upgrade I did a Blackmagic speed test and got 310 Write/675 Read so presumably Id get the same when fitted to the iMac? Its not much better than the standard 24GB Fusion part (300W/610R) but at least it’s larger capacity however, Ive got my eye on a 512 SSUBX which I may use instead. Do you know what sorta speeds I should expect from that when inside the 2015 iMac? Im going to swap out the 1TB HDD to a 1TB Crucial MX500 so hope to have 1.5TB SSD split into the two separate drives..

Also, If a Blade SSD is labelled as SSUBX (in whatever capacity), will it always be the better option speed wise no matter what model year it’s from?

Thanks again.

 

[mbosse]

@mbosse The 2015 128SSD is still inside its Early 2015 MBP, along with warranty until later this year so presumably, removing it will invalidate that? I was going to upgrade that too but think I’ll pass now.

I have limited experience with Apple warranty if you exchange the hard drive. So far, in my two cases they honoured the warranty but just not on the drive.

Im left with the Mid 2014 MBP Sandisk model I mentioned. I'd replaced this with a 500GB Crucial P1 following the other upgrade thread on MBPs on here.

Please be aware that your 2014 MBP will suffer hibernation issues with an NVME SSD such as this Crucial. I'd recommend getting an Apple PCIe drive (either Samsung SSUBX or SSUAX, or a Sandisk).

Before that upgrade I did a Blackmagic speed test and got 310 Write/675 Read so presumably Id get the same when fitted to the iMac? Its not much better than the standard 24GB Fusion part (300W/610R) but at least it’s larger capacity however, Ive got my eye on a 512 SSUBX which I may use instead. Do you know what sorta speeds I should expect from that when inside the 2015 iMac? Im going to swap out the 1TB HDD to a 1TB Crucial MX500 so hope to have 1.5TB SSD split into the two separate drives..

Also, If a Blade SSD is labelled as SSUBX (in whatever capacity), will it always be the better option speed wise no matter what model year it’s from?

The larger capacity of the 128 GB might indeed be felt. As for the speeds of a 512 GB SSUBX, expect something between 1300-1400. Its always faster than a SSUAX (its Samsung predecessor), but not as fast as SSPoalris (its Samsung successor). SSUBX and SSPolaris will be speed-limited, as far as I know, in a pre-2015 Mac.

Best,
Magnus

 

[RxJemm]

I have the same question. Hope someone can answer this.

Hi, I did a search but could not find a definitive answer ..

Does the iMac perform a bootrom update with these aftermarket NvME SSDs? I had a Samsung 960EVO that prevented my trashcan from doing this. Ultimately I removed it as it was too much of a hassle.

Target Machine : 2019 iMac (27")

Thanks in advance.

Any answers to this question? This problem was a deal breaker on my Mac Pro 6,1 ...

 

[nemoryoliver]

Intel SSD 660p : https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1437035-REG/intel_ssdpeknw010t8x1_660p_1tb_ssd_pci.html

I booted from the T5 I had been booting from for the past year or so. then installed Mojave 10.14.4 on it.
Migrated all my info and files from the T5 to the SSD blade.
It booted up just fine, then updated to mojave 10.14.5 via software update.

After doing this, I regret not getting the 2TB blade.

no problems.

Hi mdelrossi! Where'd you buy the SSD Blade? Also, how was your experience using the T5 as the boot drive?

 

[mdelrossi]

B&H photo (in the link).
The T5 worked very well. If the internal 3tb hadn’t failed, I’d probably still be running it that way.

 

[Ciderspace666]

I have limited experience with Apple warranty if you exchange the hard drive. So far, in my two cases they honoured the warranty but just not on the drive.



Please be aware that your 2014 MBP will suffer hibernation issues with an NVME SSD such as this Crucial. I'd recommend getting an Apple PCIe drive (either Samsung SSUBX or SSUAX, or a Sandisk).



The larger capacity of the 128 GB might indeed be felt. As for the speeds of a 512 GB SSUBX, expect something between 1300-1400. Its always faster than a SSUAX (its Samsung predecessor), but not as fast as SSPoalris (its Samsung successor). SSUBX and SSPolaris will be speed-limited, as far as I know, in a pre-2015 Mac.

Best,
Magnus

Thanks again mate
I’ve gotten hold of a few 256GB SSUBX blades so planning to fit one to my iMac in the next week or so.. Might even put one in the MBP and return the crucial P1..

 

[mbosse]

Thanks again mate
I’ve gotten hold of a few 256GB SSUBX blades so planning to fit one to my iMac in the next week or so.. Might even put one in the MBP and return the crucial P1..

Good luck! The SSUBX is definitely the sweet spot in terms of speed, power efficiency and lack of issues.

 

[nemoryoliver]

I can confirm the new 2019 iMac 27” works with a 2TB Samsung 970 EVO NVMe and 1TB Samsung 840 EVO SATA SSD.

To add to the compatible list:
Device: Early 2019 iMac 27” - 19,1 (base model 6-Core 3.0GHz i5 with 1TB Fusion Drive)
Blade upgrade: 32GB Blade -> 2TB Samsung 970 EVO NVMe SSD
HDD upgrade: 1TB SATA HDD -> 1TB Samsung 840 EVO SATA SSD (old model)
Speed test: 2900 MB/s read, 2520 MB/s write
OS: Mojave 10.14.5
Adapter: Sintech ST-NGFF2013-C
Location: Sydney, Australia
Temperature sensor: none
Issues after fresh OS install: none, sleep/wake works fine, no loud fans


Here’s some details of my experiences in case someone else wants to do this:

Parts I used / installed:
2TB Samsung 970 EVO NVMe SSD
1TB Samsung 840 EVO SATA SSD (old model)
Sintech ST-NGFF2013-C long black adapter
EK-M.2 NVMe Heatsink - black
2.5” to 3.5” Metal Bracket
Replacement Adhesive Strips
2x 8GB Crucial 2666MHz SODIMM Memory

Notes:
- The iMac came preinstalled with 10.14.4, Boot ROM version 220.250.368.0.0, SMC version 2.46f12. Before pulling apart I upgraded to 10.14.5 using the combo installer and the Boot ROM version increased to 220.260.170.0.0, SMC remained the same at 2.46f12. Blackmagic reported speeds of 1450MB/s read and 880MB/s write with the Apple blade.

- Removing the screen adhesive was a lot harder than previous models, the bond is much stronger, it took about twice as long to get the screen off... probably because I was being extra cautious.

- I used genuine Apple adhesive strips meant for the 2012-2013 models (I already had them). They fit ok but I did cut them a little to fit perfectly.

- Screws and cable positions were mostly the same as the iFixit guide for 2014-2015 iMacs, but there were a few small differences. You shouldn’t have any troubles finding them.

- I attached a heatsink to the Samsung 970 as I read they get quite hot. The front clip went on easy, the rear clip required a bit of bending with pliers to make it fit as the 970 is a little thicker towards the back. I’ve been monitoring the temperature and so far it hasn’t passed 50 deg C under heavy load, mostly 46-48 deg. Currently idling at 37 deg.

- The Apple screw that holds the blade to the logic board wasn’t long enough to handle the Sintech + Samsung blade, nor was the screw that came with the Sintech adapter, probably because I added a heatsink. Had to rummage through my spare screws to find a longer one. This is very important as without a proper length screw the blade may flick up.

- There is a very thin black cable that comes from the chin of the iMac and attaches to the logic board, approx 2-3 inches to the right of the Apple logo when viewed upright. Be sure to detach and reattach when putting back together. I don’t know what it does but it’s easy to miss.

- I installed my old 1TB SATA SSD using a cheap 2.5” to 3.5” metal bracket. I drilled the side screw holes to make them a little bigger. You don’t have to do this but the Apple screws fit better this way.

- I formatted the 970 drive as APFS (Encrypted)... essentially this is FileVault, so if you format as APFS (what most people would use) your speeds may be slightly higher than mine. In theory I could've created a fusion drive, but I chose to keep them separate as a fusion drive doubles your chances of total data loss in the event of drive failure.

- Installing the memory was a little tricky. You need to push them in quite firmly, and when you put the carriage back in, push the memory in firmly once more. Moving the carriage out again sometimes makes the modules come loose.

- The 970 shows as a grey hard drive icon when holding down Option at startup, so it sees it as an internal drive.

- TRIM is enabled by default for the 970 (NVMe) but not enabled for the 840 (SATA SSD).


Just wanted to say a big thank you to all contributors, the information here has been invaluable. I hope this post helps someone else.

Hi macmanss! Great job on this upgrade to your 2019 iMac and thanks for all the information. I as well ordered a 2019 iMac 27 with 1TB Fusion Drive and I regretted it so much. I'm from the Philippines so returning it is a miracle to happen here so I'm just going to upgrade it after the warranty expires next year.

May I know how is this upgrade working for you these days? Does it still work good without any issues? Also, if you don't mind giving your opinion: Would you recommend upgrading the SSD internally with your setup or should I just buy a Samsung X5 and make it my main boot drive? Thanks a lot.

 

[nemoryoliver]

↑
Does the iMac perform a bootrom update with these aftermarket NvME SSDs? I had a Samsung 960EVO that prevented my trashcan from doing this. Ultimately I removed it as it was too much of a hassle.

This is the response I got from "hatssd" on Ebay.

They said the BootROM isn't updatable when a 3rd party nvme ssd is used.

 

[nemoryoliver]

So I think it's official? The OWC Aura Pro X2 and N is officially compatible with the 2019 iMacs which is good news! Great for people who don't want to DIY!

Here's their latest YouTube video on how to install the Aura SSD on the iMac 2019

 

[RxJemm]

This is the response I got from "hatssd" on Ebay.

They said the BootROM isn't updatable when a 3rd party nvme ssd is used.

Thanks nemoroliver!

I contacted OWC about their X2 Pro SSD, and they were unable to say if this new SSD of theirs would prevent the bootroom update either!

 

[nemoryoliver]

Thanks nemoroliver!

I contacted OWC about their X2 Pro SSD, and they were unable to say if this new SSD of theirs would prevent the bootroom update either!

I got the same response from OWC. BootROM not updatable. Attached is the chat transcript. I am not really sure what is the disadvantage if the bootrom is not updatable. Can anyone explain?

 

[RxJemm]

I got the same response from OWC. BootROM not updatable. Attached is the chat transcript. I am not really sure what is the disadvantage if the bootrom is not updatable. Can anyone explain?

The BootRom contains the EFI firmware so you can think of it as the BIOS in a PC. Updating it will bring you bugfixes for the hardware and potential security updates for the CPU via microcode updates.

I have a feeling the iMac will update the BootRom with an aftermarket SSD, after all it does this with just a sata drive present when there were no Fusion drive models.

I guess when 10.14.6 comes out, we might find out... (if the iMac follows the MacPro 6,1 .. there are Bootrom updates in the 10.14.6 DPs).

 

[Zen_Arcade]

Successfully updated a 27” Mid-2015 base to a 1 TB WD Blue SSD.

 

[nemoryoliver]

Successfully updated a 27” Mid-2015 base to a 1 TB WD Blue SSD.

SATA 3 SSD? How's the performance now?
[doublepost=1563143322][/doublepost]

The BootRom contains the EFI firmware so you can think of it as the BIOS in a PC. Updating it will bring you bugfixes for the hardware and potential security updates for the CPU via microcode updates.

I have a feeling the iMac will update the BootRom with an aftermarket SSD, after all it does this with just a sata drive present when there were no Fusion drive models.

I guess when 10.14.6 comes out, we might find out... (if the iMac follows the MacPro 6,1 .. there are Bootrom updates in the 10.14.6 DPs).

Thanks for explaining and hopefully you're right Apple will eventually update the bootroms for 3rd party ssds. It will be a pain if we have to open the iMac and switch to the original blade just to keep the bootrom updated.

Can we know if the OS Update require certain BootROM Versions?

 

[B1G]

Hi guys, i have a 2019 27" iMac with 1TB Fusion drive and i would like to update the blade ssd with a Crucial P1 1TB. Is it compatible?

 

[Ciderspace666]

All done - very pleased and very impressed I never intended to fully secure the display immediately (testing period) but in any case, rather irritatingly I completely forgot to replace the CMOS battery!! Bought a pack in preparation but in my eagerness to get it up and running again, forgot to do it - grrrr! Anyways, some details -

Blade + HDD upgrade

Device: Late 2015 27" - 17.1 - (3.2Ghz i5 - 1TB Fusion - 32GB RAM)
Blade upgrade: 24/32GB -> 256GB Samsung SSUBX
HDD upgrade: 1TB HDD -> 1TB Crucial MX500
Speed test: 1185MB/s read, 1825MB/s write
OS: Mojave 10.14.6
Location: UK
Issues after fresh OS install: None (as expected as replaced with 'Apple' Blade)

Nothing shows up in NVMExpress (pretty sure the 32GB Blade did?!) but this in SATA/SATA Express -

Apple SSD Controller:
Vendor: Apple
Product: SSD Controller
Physical Interconnect: PCI
Link Width: x4
Link Speed: 8.0 GT/s
Description: AHCI Version 1.30 Supported

APPLE SSD SM0256G:
Capacity: 251 GB (251,000,193,024 bytes)
Model: APPLE SSD SM0256G
Revision: BXW1SA0Q
Native Command Queuing: Yes
Queue Depth: 32
Removable Media: No
Detachable Drive: No
BSD Name: disk0
Medium Type: Solid State
TRIM Support: Yes
Bay Name: SSD
Partition Map Type: GPT (GUID Partition Table)
SMART status: Verified
Volumes:
EFI:
Capacity: 209.7 MB (209,715,200 bytes)
File System: MS-DOS FAT32
BSD Name: disk0s1
Content: EFI
Volume UUID: 0E239BC6-F960-3107-89CF-1C97F78BB46B
disk0s2:
Capacity: 250.79 GB (250,790,436,864 bytes)
BSD Name: disk0s2
Content: Apple_APFS

Leaving the drives separate as 256GB is more than enough for my needs (Synology NAS for everything else) but figured it was worth replacing the 1TB HDD for future use and possible added resale value.

 

[nemoryoliver]

All done - very pleased and very impressed I never intended to fully secure the display immediately (testing period) but in any case, rather irritatingly I completely forgot to replace the CMOS battery!! Bought a pack in preparation but in my eagerness to get it up and running again, forgot to do it - grrrr! Anyways, some details -

Blade + HDD upgrade

Device: Late 2015 27" - 17.1 - (3.2Ghz i5 - 1TB Fusion - 32GB RAM)
Blade upgrade: 24/32GB -> 256GB Samsung SSUBX
HDD upgrade: 1TB HDD -> 1TB Crucial MX500
Speed test: 1185MB/s read, 1825MB/s write
OS: Mojave 10.14.6
Location: UK
Issues after fresh OS install: None (as expected as replaced with 'Apple' Blade)

Nothing shows up in NVMExpress (pretty sure the 32GB Blade did?!) but this in SATA/SATA Express -

Apple SSD Controller:
Vendor: Apple
Product: SSD Controller
Physical Interconnect: PCI
Link Width: x4
Link Speed: 8.0 GT/s
Description: AHCI Version 1.30 Supported

APPLE SSD SM0256G:
Capacity: 251 GB (251,000,193,024 bytes)
Model: APPLE SSD SM0256G
Revision: BXW1SA0Q
Native Command Queuing: Yes
Queue Depth: 32
Removable Media: No
Detachable Drive: No
BSD Name: disk0
Medium Type: Solid State
TRIM Support: Yes
Bay Name: SSD
Partition Map Type: GPT (GUID Partition Table)
SMART status: Verified
Volumes:
EFI:
Capacity: 209.7 MB (209,715,200 bytes)
File System: MS-DOS FAT32
BSD Name: disk0s1
Content: EFI
Volume UUID: 0E239BC6-F960-3107-89CF-1C97F78BB46B
disk0s2:
Capacity: 250.79 GB (250,790,436,864 bytes)
BSD Name: disk0s2
Content: Apple_APFS

Leaving the drives separate as 256GB is more than enough for my needs (Synology NAS for everything else) but figured it was worth replacing the 1TB HDD for future use and possible added resale value.

I'm not sure. Did you basically just upgraded the blade ssd to higher capacity 256GB? Where did you buy this samsung ssubx blade ssd and how much? So your setup is still fusion drive?

 

[Ciderspace666]

I'm not sure. Did you basically just upgraded the blade ssd to higher capacity 256GB? Where did you buy this samsung ssubx blade ssd and how much? So your setup is still fusion drive?

Yes, just upgraded the stock 32GB Apple Blade to a 256GB SSUBX taken from a MacBook Pro circa 2015. Bought from eBay for around £80. No Fusion, keeping separate. With the stock 32GB and Fusion setup, I got circa 300MBs and 600MBs so am very pleased.

 

[nemoryoliver]

Yes, just upgraded the stock 32GB Apple Blade to a 256GB SSUBX taken from a MacBook Pro circa 2015. Bought from eBay for around £80. No Fusion, keeping separate. With the stock 32GB and Fusion setup, I got circa 300MBs and 600MBs so am very pleased.

I see. That's great working for you. I wish I could find cheap blade ssds that ship to Philippines

 

[nemoryoliver]

Anyone here using an NVMe SSD on an External USB 3.1 Gen 2 enclosure with 10Gb speeds?

 

[ash06]

Upgraded my 2015 machine with a ADATA 512GB SSD, however I'm getting poor write performance, can anybody help diagnose please? 2789MB/s READ - 591MB/s WRITE ?

 

[rbart]

HDD upgrade to SSD

Device: Late 2015 - 17.1 - (3,2 GHz Intel Core i5, Fusion Drive 1To)
Blade upgrade: None
HDD upgrade: 1Tb HDD -> 1TB Samsung 860EVO SATAIII
Speed test: 510 MB/s read, 470 MB/s write
Adapter: Sabrent conversion Kit (BK-PCBS) 3.5 -> 2.5
Location: France, Europe
Temperature sensor: works fine without, thus not required
Issues after fresh OS install: No issue


I have upgraded without any problems, but I am wondering how I can use my 24Gb SSD bald.
It's faster for reading but slower for writing (800 read, 350 write)
I have tried to make a FD with it, the overall results are more or less 800 read, 350 write.
For the moment, it's separated, but it's useless to have 24Gb of SSD. What kind of usage ? Possible to move swap on it ?
Any ideas ?

 

[nemoryoliver]

Upgraded my 2015 machine with a ADATA 512GB SSD, however I'm getting poor write performance, can anybody help diagnose please? 2789MB/s READ - 591MB/s WRITE ?

Can you tell your overall setup? machine specs and the adapter, heat sink you used?