Mid 2011 iMac 21.5" Samsung PM983 1.92TB U.2 2.5" PCIe NVMe SSD question?

[PID]

Apologies, I'm not very technical hence what may be a very basic question.

I'm looking to repurpose a Samsung PM983 1.92TB U.2 2.5" PCIe NVMe SSD to upgrade my old 21.5" mid 2011 imac. firstly, is this compatible? If so, what cable do I need to plug it in the spare Sata port on the motherboard (thus retaining the orig. HDD for additional storage)?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Amethyst1]

You cannot connect a NVMe PCIe SSD to a SATA port/controller.

 

[PID]

You cannot connect a NVMe PCIe SSD to a SATA port/controller.

Thanks for your quick reply.

Is there any other way internally or externally to utilise this ssd with my Imac? The purpose being to speed up the Imac vs running the OS on HDD.

 

[Amethyst1]

There are Thunderbolt 3 (or USB-C) enclosures that hold an NVMe SSD.

Your iMac doesn’t have USB 3/USB-C, so a Thunderbolt 3 enclosure plus Apple’s bidirectional Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 1/2 adapter is the way to go.

Thunderbolt 3 M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosures

Thunderbolt 3 / 4 / USB 4 NVMe Enclosures The best enclosures for high speed transfers (2.5GB/s+) usually have one of these 2 chipsets: Thunderbolt 3: Intel's JHL7440, e.g. Acasis TBU-401 / 405 Orico TB3-S2 USB 4: Asmedia ADM2464PD Jeyi TB-2464 Maiwo 2464 ( NewEgg / AliExpress) Satechi Pro...

forums.macrumors.com

Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter

Effortlessly connect your Mac to a Thunderbolt 2 device with the Apple Thunderbolt 3 Adapter. Buy now at apple.com

www.apple.com

 

[PID]

There are Thunderbolt 3 (or USB-C) enclosures that hold an NVMe SSD.

Your iMac doesn’t have USB 3/USB-C, so a Thunderbolt 3 enclosure plus Apple’s bidirectional Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 1/2 adapter is the way to go.

Thunderbolt 3 M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosures

Thunderbolt 3 / 4 / USB 4 NVMe Enclosures The best enclosures for high speed transfers (2.5GB/s+) usually have one of these 2 chipsets: Thunderbolt 3: Intel's JHL7440, e.g. Acasis TBU-401 / 405 Orico TB3-S2 USB 4: Asmedia ADM2464PD Jeyi TB-2464 Maiwo 2464 ( NewEgg / AliExpress) Satechi Pro...

forums.macrumors.com

Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter

Effortlessly connect your Mac to a Thunderbolt 2 device with the Apple Thunderbolt 3 Adapter. Buy now at apple.com

www.apple.com

Thanks very much I'll take a look at those.

 

[Amethyst1]

Thanks very much I'll take a look at those.

I forgot: the Thunderbolt 3 to 1/2 adapter cannot supply power to the enclosure, so you need an enclosure with an external power supply (most are bus-powered and won’t work) or add a powered Thunderbolt 3 dock or other device between the adapter and enclosure to power it.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

You can also upgrade the HDD to an SSD, or just add a second SSD using the spare internal SATA port.

 

[Amethyst1]

You can also upgrade the HDD to an SSD, or just add a second SSD using the spare internal SATA port.

OP already have an NVMe SSD they’d like to use. And even via Thunderbolt 1 it’ll be faster than an internal SATA SSD.

 

[PID]

I forgot: the Thunderbolt 3 to 1/2 adapter cannot supply power to the enclosure, so you need an enclosure with an external power supply (most are bus-powered and won’t work) or add a powered Thunderbolt 3 dock or other device between the adapter and enclosure to power it.

Thanks.

Seems impossible to find a U.2 to TB3 enclosure/adapter. Plenty of M.2 or sata to TB3 but can't find a U.2.

 

[atonaldenim]

Two TB3 U.2 NVMe options from OWC are the OWC Mercury Pro U.2 Dual TB enclosure, or the Helios 3S with the U.2 Interchange System add-on. (I haven’t tried either myself.)