How big a HDD can go in a new iMac?

[danielwsmithee]

I've currently got a 4TB hard drive in a 2013 27" iMac and it's only got about 750GB left on it unused. Never had a SSD before so don't know how to use it (i.e. assign certain files to it and other files to an internal let alone external hard drive.) Haven't seen a website or video explaining how to do that, so thinking of just using a good old fashioned internal hard drive (easy to upgrade to a 4TB from the 1TB that comes with a new iMac) and sacrifice some speed for simplicity and reliability. Since I am regularly backing up with Time Machine, in the unlikely event the internal hard drive gives up in less than 3 years (when I will likely get a new iMac) I can easily have a new drive installed and restored from the backup.

For the SSD size you (and others in this thread) mention 1TB but the biggest that Apple offers is 512GB so how would I upgrade to 1TB and at what cost? Someone mentioned that I should get Apple to upgrade (they have a proprietary SSD) but doubt that they would upgrade to 1TB since it's not even mentioned as a possibility. With a hard drive I don't have to think about what goes where, it all happens automatically which is one of the main advantages of a Mac IMO. On the one hand I'm a bit scared of using a SSD in combination with an internal (de-fused) or external hard drive, but on the other hand I was a bit scared to use the OS X system at first only to find that the change was quickly understood. If I get my Apple third party repair person to de-fuse a fusion drive to make the computer super fast, how does it work to allocate files to the SSD vs. the now-defused hard drive?

Apple offers 1TB but it is only in the higher end models I believe, I'm not sure which model you are considering basing this on. In my opinion the 1TB option costs too much currently, the 512 is more reasonable.

For me I place my iTunes library, old Movie projects, and old photo libraries on the external drive.

The system, applications, home directories, documents, virtual machine images, current photo libraries, and any current video projects I'm working on stay on the SSD.

Everything is backed up via Time Machine to a NAS.

 

[tillsbury]

OP:
Why are you making things so difficult?

Buy the largest "internal configuration" that you can.
The 3tb fusion drive sounds about right.

Then add additional EXTERNAL storage as needed.

If you want FAST performance, "de-fuse" the 3tb fusion drive into 128gb SSD and 3tb HDD "standalone" drives.
Doing this will guarantee that the internal SSD -always runs at its best-.

Be mindful of what you put on the SSD: OS, apps, and "slimmed down" home folder.
Keep large libraries elsewhere.
This will maintain a good area of "free space" at the back end of the SSD, and keep it running fast.

Again, why are you making things so difficult?

The LAST THING I would do with a new, expensive iMac is open it up and start re-configuring the innards.
I would wait until the warranty was done, at least.

Exactly this. Especially since you're talking about external drives already, why on earth would you do this. You have noted that only un-authorised repair shops are really interested in adding non-Apple drives. Needless to say you have a warranty issue with taking the iMac apart for this (modern iMacs are really not designed to be taken apart, unlike the earlier ones).

Get the largest SSD you can afford -- whether 512Gb or 1Tb. Get a good quality external Thunderbolt enclosure such as LaCie or similar and put 4, 8, or whatever TB in it. Store your apps and things that matter on the SSD. Store your video, music, pictures and the large stuff on the external drive. Result: an in-warranty un-broken un-fiddled-with iMac that you can resell when you want, and most of your data on the external drive that you can simply plug into your next iMac when you get it. Your machine will be much faster as it is running almost everything SSD-only.

We only went down the taking-apart route as OP was absolutely insistent that the storage had to be internal. Unless there's a reason you haven't told us about, this is not the best solution.

 

[tubeexperience]

You have noted that only un-authorised repair shops are really interested in adding non-Apple drives. Needless to say you have a warranty issue with taking the iMac apart for this (modern iMacs are really not designed to be taken apart, unlike the earlier ones).

Upgrading/adding an internal hard drive does not void the warranty.

Also, I don't like the term "un-authorised repair shops" because it sounds like they are doing something they are not allowed to do. It would be like calling an independent auto repair shops, "un-authorized auto repair shops".

I prefers the term "third-party repair shops" or "independent repair shops".

 

[danielwsmithee]

I approve of this message. Needlessly opening up a brand new iMac is not something I would recommend. Can it be done, sure. Should it be done, no.

Especially since you're talking about external drives already, why on earth would you do this. You have noted that only un-authorised repair shops are really interested in adding non-Apple drives. Needless to say you have a warranty issue with taking the iMac apart for this (modern iMacs are really not designed to be taken apart, unlike the earlier ones).

Get the largest SSD you can afford -- whether 512Gb or 1Tb. Get a good quality external Thunderbolt enclosure such as LaCie or similar and put 4, 8, or whatever TB in it. Store your apps and things that matter on the SSD. Store your video, music, pictures and the large stuff on the external drive. Result: an in-warranty un-broken un-fiddled-with iMac that you can resell when you want, and most of your data on the external drive that you can simply plug into your next iMac when you get it. Your machine will be much faster as it is running almost everything SSD-only.

We only went down the taking-apart route as OP was absolutely insistent that the storage had to be internal. Unless there's a reason you haven't told us about, this is not the best solution.