iMac 2019 i3 256 GB NVMe SSD: a place for a SATA drive?

[crystalidea]

Hello, going to upgrade the base i3 model with i7 & 16GB RAM and wondering if I could also expand the storage.
The iMac has factory blade 256GB ssd thus the question: does it also have a SATA-connection?

Thanks

 

[TwoH]

It will have the connectors on the board for SATA, however there will be no SATA cable inside of the machine - you would have to purchase it

 

[crystalidea]

Thanks for the reply. I also suppose there are no retaining brackets nor rubber enclosure though I don't see a problem using a double-sided type for an ssd

 

[TwoH]

No worries - the plastic bits for the SSD will be inside, but yeah you won’t have the rubber parts included

 

[Fishrrman]

I WOULD NOT recommend replacing the Apple factory-installed SSD with a SATA drive (even if it's possible).

Reason why:
SPEED.

A SATA SSD (2.5") will "max out" around 600MBps.

The factory SSD is MUCH faster.

Download Blackmagic Speed Test (free) and post the numbers it gives you RIGHT NOW, with the factory SSD.

Are you just "running out of space"?
Then there are other, BETTER WAYS to "get more storage space".

Something like the Samsung t7 "Shield" in a 1tb size, plugged into one of the USBc ports on the back, will become "just what you need".

Yes, you will have to get used to "managing" where stuff goes, with two drives on the desktop.
That's trivial. You will master that within 3 days.

 

[crystalidea]

Not planning to replace the NVMe ssd but to add a second SATA drive

 

[crystalidea]

i7 8700 + 16GB RAM + extra 1 TB sata SSD = success.
GeekBench 5 results

 

[RenatoFa]

Hi @crystalidea, I have an imac just like yours. Can you tell me how the temperatures of the i7 8700 were? Did the upgrade present any problems? What brand of memory did you upgrade to?

sorry for English :/

 

[crystalidea]

No issues with cooling because i7 8700 was installed by Apple as well, any ram should work but we used Crucial