How much will an SSD speed up my iMac?

[TonyLaccetti]

Anyone have any experience running a SSD drive externally as the startup disk? I’ve heard its easy to set up with the same result and then the internal drive can be used for back up or long term storage.

I am going to give it a try as I just purchased the samsung T5 portable SSD and adapters for thunderbolt-3 (USB-C) to thunderbolt-2 for my 2011 27” iMac

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

It is but with my 2011 iMac with no USB3 I used a Silicon Power 240GB SSD Thunderbolt drive and it flew.

Hook up externally and format. Clone operating system over with SuperDuper or CCC. Into System preferences > Startup Disk and select as boot drive and violá!

 

[Fishrrman]

Tony asked:
"Anyone have any experience running a SSD drive externally as the startup disk? I’ve heard its easy to set up with the same result and then the internal drive can be used for back up or long term storage."

Of course.
This is CHILD's PLAY on the Mac.
I can't understand why more folks don't try it.

I have a 2012 Mac Mini that I've been booting and running from an SSD in a USB3/SATA dock for more than FIVE YEARS now. Set it up that way right out of the box in January 2013. Still running, and it runs GREAT.

Put the OS, your apps, and your accounts on the SSD.
BUT... leave "the large libraries" (movies, music and pics) on the internal HDD. These are things that don't require "speed" to access. They just eat up space sitting on the SSD.

The idea is to keep the SSD "lean, clean and mean".
Do it this way, and you will be VERY happy with the results.

Try it, and please post back here with your impressions afterwards.

 

[zorinlynx]

Tony asked:
"Anyone have any experience running a SSD drive externally as the startup disk? I’ve heard its easy to set up with the same result and then the internal drive can be used for back up or long term storage."

Of course.
This is CHILD's PLAY on the Mac.
I can't understand why more folks don't try it.

I have a 2012 Mac Mini that I've been booting and running from an SSD in a USB3/SATA dock for more than FIVE YEARS now. Set it up that way right out of the box in January 2013. Still running, and it runs GREAT.

Put the OS, your apps, and your accounts on the SSD.
BUT... leave "the large libraries" (movies, music and pics) on the internal HDD. These are things that don't require "speed" to access. They just eat up space sitting on the SSD.

The idea is to keep the SSD "lean, clean and mean".
Do it this way, and you will be VERY happy with the results.

Try it, and please post back here with your impressions afterwards.

Not only that, but there are USB thumbdrives now that are basically SSDs internally, and extremely fast and capable as boot devices on Macs.

https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-SDCZ...pID=31G6uqUrGWL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

That is one example. It's a fast, cheap way to upgrade an older iMac to SSD performance without even opening it up. Of course, you'll benefit most if the iMac has USB 3.0 ports.

 

[TonyLaccetti]

I didn’t have success running a USB-C SSD drive through the apple thunderbolt 3 to 2 adapter. I think it has something to do with the adapter not running power through the cable to the USB-C drive. Instead I ended up removing my optical drive and putting an internal SSD in its place. I also swapped the cables for the drives so the SSD is connected to the faster SATA cable and the old drive is on the SATA I (3gps). It all worked out and I am very glad I did this, it is a brand new computer, better than the day I bought it!

 

[Seamus Warren]

It will make it seem like a new computer. I put an ssd into my old 2007 iMac a couple years ago and it literally transformed it into a mini speed demon, relatively speaking.

If you have never experienced ssd, then you are going to be very, very happy. If the new ones are out next month, then just wait, but it's not going to make a massive difference.

The massive difference is ssd from hdd in general.

[doublepost=1541655311][/doublepost]

It will make it seem like a new computer. I put an ssd into my old 2007 iMac a couple years ago and it literally transformed it into a mini speed demon, relatively speaking.

If you have never experienced ssd, then you are going to be very, very happy. If the new ones are out next month, then just wait, but it's not going to make a massive difference.

The massive difference is ssd from hdd in general.

My 2009 iMac with SSD is faster than the 2012 iMac I recently bought off eBay.

I hoped the 2012 iMac would process images and videos faster than the 2009 iMac, but it cannot even load applications in a timely fashion.

OWC has an 1TB SSD and installation kit for around $300 I considered for the 2012 iMac, but I might just reset and repost the 2012 iMac on eBay as I already spent $350 buying it off eBay.

 

[mikehalloran]

I didn’t have success running a USB-C SSD drive through the apple thunderbolt 3 to 2 adapter.

You won't. It has everything to do with the fact that, though USB-C can support TB, if Thunderbolt isn't part of the spec, it won't work. USB-C requires a USB 2 adapter to be seen by a 2011 iMac. If you didn't pay $150 or more for the housing/dock without the SSD, it doesn't support TB-anything.

USB-C is a plug. Apple has USB-C MacBooks that don't support TB at all. My wife's MB Air supports TB 1 or 2 and my daughter's MB Pro supports 2 or 3 — I'd have to look up the exact model years.

The massive difference is ssd from hdd in general.

Absolutely.

I have a job that requires me being logged into 120–150 web sites on three monitors on my 27" 2010 i7. When I was on an HDD, I'd boot in the morning, get my coffee and breakfast and hope that I'd be logged into everything and ready to work 20 minutes later. Now, having installed an 850 EVO 2TB SSD, it takes 45 seconds to a minute and a half and I wish it would hurry up!

I do a lot of work in Digital Performer and some in Final Cut Pro. Faster. Way, way faster. Doesn't matter the task, load, bounce to disk, rendering wave forms... I can't imagine ever going back.

I need a newer iMac as one of the apps I use will require Mojave. It isn't because my 2010 isn't fast enough to do what I need. OK, I'd like to decrease my load and render times in FCPx but I don't really need to.
[doublepost=1541657027][/doublepost]

My 2009 iMac with SSD is faster than the 2012 iMac I recently bought off eBay.

I hoped the 2012 iMac would process images and videos faster than the 2009 iMac, but it cannot even load applications in a timely fashion.

OWC has an 1TB SSD and installation kit for around $300 I considered for the 2012 iMac, but I might just reset and repost the 2012 iMac on eBay as I already spent $350 buying it off eBay.

Makes sense but that's too much money. The kit with a temp sensor, tape and as guitar pick is $50.
https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/DIYIMACHDD12/
An adapter is $12.
https://www.amazon.com/Fenlink-Inte...57380&sr=8-14&keywords=ssd+adapter+2.5+to+3.5

A 1T SSD with a 5 year warranty is $150–$169 (Toshiba 3D under many brands or Samsung 860 EVO); $315–$359 for 2T.

OWC is selling ancient history SSDs and charging way too much.

 

[marosa32]

Hello! I installed an SSD in a 2006 24" iMac, when I tried to install the operating system with bootable USB 2.0 it said it took 2 hours and 30 minutes. Is this normal? I don't remember it taking that long with the old HDD. The SSD is crucial 500gb from the official page but I did put a 3.5 adapter on it, could that adapter slow it down or is it normal for it to take so long? Thanks. Best regards.