Replacing internal HD

[sdweller]

I have a 2011 27" iMac.... I want to replace the internal SATA HD with an SSD. I am wondering if just using the new SSD externally instead of opening up this thing would work? Right now I am using it this way but it is very slow? It is hooked up with a USB 2 ... prob why it is so slow?

Can I hook this SSD up using Thunderbolt port and cable? I assume this would make it faster?

Would it be faster if I installed it into the machine (replace the old HD)? Or would a Thunderbolt connection and use it externally be best?

 

[Juicy Box]

I have two of the Mid 2011 27" iMacs, and this is by far my favorite iMac to do mods to. So many options to do for internal and external drives too.

This is the only non-Mac Pro Mac that you can have three internal SSDs. I installed a SW RAID0 in one of them, with a third SSD for Windows, all internal.

One of the few Mac models that you can swap the GPU in.

Fast, great display, and just a really good Mac.

Get rid of that HDD. They run hot, and many people believe that the heat from the HDDs contribute to the high GPU failure rate for the Late 2009 - Mid 2011 models.

As for a SSD boot drive, you have so many options with this Mac:

USB2 - Slower than internal. about 40MBps max speeds. No TRIM support. Really cheap option.

SD Card - I think this is connected via USB2 IIRC, SD cards expensive, and not worth it imo, unless you already had one.

FW400 - A little slower than USB2. I wouldn't bother.

FW800 - About twice the speed of USB2 @80MBps. Not bad, and probably wouldn't feel too much different than a 10 year old HDD. Sequential speeds are much higher with a SSD via FW800 than a HDD internally.

USB3 - Get this via a TB dock. About 350MBps max. Will feel much faster than the internal HDD.

TB1 - A SATA SSD would be about the same speed as a USB3 SSD, but you get TRIM support. Hard to find these drives, and eBay would probably be the best way to source them.

TB2 - Basically the same as the TB1 drive on your iMac. You can also find some NVMe and AHCI TB2 SSD enclosures. They tend to be pricey, but you could see speeds close to 800MBps on the NVMe TB2 drives that I have researched before.

TB3 - Requires Apple bidirectional adapter. Depending on the set up, could require a TB3 dock to power the drive. A TB3 NVMe drive is the fastest single non-RAID drive you can get for you Mac. Speeds over 900MBps, but at a cost. NVMe drives are falling in price, but between the drive, the bidirectional adapter, and maybe something to power the drive, this could be an expensive option. Also has TRIM support.

Internal - Has TRIM support (you got to enable it), fastest SSD option besides the TB3 NVMe ones. Cheapest option. Opening your iMac could be intimidating, and you could cause dmg, but it really isn't a big deal to anyone with a little computer experience. You will need a SATA temp sensor adapter or use SW to control the fan speeds. Macsfancontrol is free. I recommend a SATA 2.5-3.5" drive caddy, but not required. About 500MBps speeds.

Internal would probably be the best way to go, because not only is it cheap, but it is fast, and clean set up and has TRIM support. You can also get that hot HDD out of there as well.

I have done this many times, and no lie, I could probably do the internal HDD to SSD swap in less than 5 minutes.

I am wondering if just using the new SSD externally instead of opening up this thing would work?

Yes. Many people boot from externals. I do on one of my Macs, and have for years.

Right now I am using it this way but it is very slow? It is hooked up with a USB 2 ... prob why it is so slow?

Depending on what you are doing with your Mac, most likely yes. You are probably only getting about 30-40MBps for sequential speeds.

If you have a SATA FW 800 enclosure, that would significantly improve things over the USB2. Not as good as internal, TB 1/2/3 or USB3, though.

A SSD over USB2 should have faster random speeds over your internal HDD though.

Can I hook this SSD up using Thunderbolt port and cable? I assume this would make it faster?

Yes, but TB 1/2 drives are more expensive and harder to find. You would have an easier time getting a TB3 NVMe drive. Doing a TB3 set up might even be cheaper depending on the deals you find for he TB 1/2.

You could also get a TB 1/2/3 dock, they usually have USB3 on the dock, so you can just use that to boot from.

Would it be faster if I installed it into the machine (replace the old HD)?

Yes, much faster.

Or would a Thunderbolt connection and use it externally be best?

Better than USB, and has TIRM support, but more costly. Depending on the type of SSD and if it is TB1, TB2, or TB3, the speed could be any where from 300MBps to 900MBps max.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

HDD swapping to SSD can be done in 5 minutes.
ODD swapping to SSD can be done in 30 minutes (with a caddy bay a hand)
Adding the 3rd SSD can be done in 2 hours, provided that you already have the extra SATA cable, SATA power splitter and the metal bay to install 2 x 2.5" drive.

 

[PeteMacMan]

Could you recommend a few internal SSD's for mid 2011 imac replacement. Cheaper, midrange and above options? Just as a good guideline ? And is there much difference in the cheaper and expensive end of the market?

Is the I5 to I7 worth the upgrade also?

 

[rpmurray]

The only way you're going to get a TB3 drive to work with this is if it's in a powered enclosure. The Apple adapter does not supply power to bus powered TB3 enclosures.

I haven't been in the mood to pop off the front glass, and the LCD panel, to access the internal hard drive and replace it with an SSD. So I've temporarily installed a Samsung 860 Pro 4TB SSD in an OWC Thunderbay TB2 enclosure and boot from that. Plan on moving it internal sometime this summer when I have some quiet time. Been running Monterey this way, using OCLP to install it.

Unfortunately the Samsung 860 Pro 4TB SSD has become a little pricey as of late, when you can find one. The 2TB aren't quite so eye-watering but still much more expensive than when I first bought them a few years back. I try to stay away from the EVOs.

 

[PeteMacMan]

I think I only need 1TB - cant recall what the current Disc space is on the factory fit but Im intruiged how much approx the external option you mentioned cost.

thanks

 

[rpmurray]

I think I only need 1TB - cant recall what the current Disc space is on the factory fit but Im intrigued how much approx the external option you mentioned cost.

If this was a reply to me, then I went the cheap route and purchased the Thunderbay and the SSD on eBay, the Thunderbay 4 Thunderbolt 2 was used and was a steal at approx $250 (at the time I has wanting to install some Hitachi HDs in it), while the Samsung 860 Pro 4TB SSD was approx $600 (new in open box), both of these were purchased several years back. I was also at that time looking for the Samsung 860 Pro 2TB SSDs and managed to acquire 4 of them for $250 apiece (in the white, not for retail, boxes). Looking at eBay now, it appears that even used Samsung 850 and 860 Pros can go for substantially more than I originally paid for them.

This is probably more than you'll want to pay for adding an external SSD to the iMac 2011. If I was starting from scratch I'd scour eBay for an OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dual Drive Dock (not made anymore and rare as hens teeth), which don't show up that often, but in the last year I've found two, one for $83.20 and another for $112.50 (I must have done something extra good in a previous life). Be careful there, most of what you'll see are the USB 3.1 Gen 2, which don't have Thunderbolt, but you'd want the USB 3.1 Gen 1 with the additional 2 Thunderbolt 2 ports. They can accommodate both 3.5 inch and 2.5 inch drives. Then get a decent SSD, probably a Crucial, in your price range. Or you can look for something similar, it's just that these solutions have proven rock solid (knock on wood) for me.

I can't tell you how thrilled I was when I installed Monterey on the 2011 27 inch iMac (using OCLP) and it worked. I still even have the stock GPU in the iMac (haven't toasted it yet). I have newer iMacs, a 2017 (and the iMac Pro variant), 2019 and 2020, but have a real soft spot for the 2011. I use the 2011 at home, the others are my work machines.

For the newer iMacs, that can support Thunderbolt 3, I tend to favor the OWC Envoy FX/SX externals, although I buy the cheapest refurb models on the OWC website when they go on sale, and then replace the 240 GB or 480 GB Aura Pro blades with Samsung 970 or 980s in larger sizes. Had to spend a few days upgrading the firmware on the 980s because of the issue that was reported on the web, and also updating the firmware on the 850 and 860 SSDs for good measure.