2019 iMac i5

[Bolo4u]

Hey all, Its been a log time since Ive posted here, but I have a quick question regarding the new (refurbished) 2019 5k i5 27" iMac I just ordered, to replace my aging mid-2010 27" iMac.

Quick specs:
2019 5K 27", i5 3.7, 8 g memory, 580 video, 512 SSD (NOT a fusion drive).

Ive looked around and can't seem to get a clear answer. Will the SSD be a regular style SATA Ssd or is it the PCIe "blade" style? Thanks in advance.

Looking forward to getting more reliable speed and power back.

 

[MacManiac76]

It will definitely be the PCIe NVMe style SSD. The drive will have around 2000 MB/s read/write speeds whereas a SATA style drive would have a much slower 500 MB/s read/write speeds.

 

[Bolo4u]

Thank you! Im guessing the SATA connection would be empty, but normally used for the fusion setup? I'm planning to add additional external storage via thunderbolt 3 and upping the ram to 40GB

 

[PaulD-UK]

I have the same model with 512GB NVMe SSD (and 580X GPU) and added Crucial RAM (to match the Micron RAM Apple had fitted. As I understand it the SATA drive space is empty, and the connecting SATA/power cable not fitted.

I have connected a Glyph Thunderbolt 3 dock*, which has an NVMe slot internally into which a single-sided M.2 blade fits. I have put a 1TB WD Black into it. As the dock has DisplayPort for my external 30" Dell monitor and USB A and C ports/audio/SD (UHS-II)/Ethernet etc, the M.2 slot is only PcIe 3x2 which gives reduced speed for the M.2 drive - 1470GB/1282GB/s R/W. But because it is TB, TRIM and SMART are supported (which USB-C connectors don't).

* I came across the dock (brand new) at a very cheap price at an auction house which didn't really know what it was. Which was nice...

 

[Bolo4u]

I have the same model with 512GB NVMe SSD (and 580X GPU) and added Crucial RAM (to match the Micron RAM Apple had fitted. As I understand it the SATA drive space is empty, and the connecting SATA/power cable not fitted.

I have connected a Glyph Thunderbolt 3 dock*, which has an NVMe slot internally into which a single-sided M.2 blade fits. I have put a 1TB WD Black into it. As the dock has DisplayPort for my external 30" Dell monitor and USB A and C ports/audio/SD (UHS-II)/Ethernet etc, the M.2 slot is only PcIe 3x2 which gives reduced speed for the M.2 drive - about 1300GB/s R/W. But because it is TB, TRIM and SMART are supported (which USB-C connectors don't).

* I came across the dock (brand new) at a very cheap price at an auction house which didn't really know what it was. Which was nice...

Thank you. Which Crucial RAM did you go with? I see two different model numbers (on amazon) for memory that has the same specs as the machine requires. One is CT2K16G4S266M the other is CT2K16G4SFD8266?? The crucial website lists the CS...M as the memory for the 2019 27" 5K machines.

Also, although i'm a bit rusty, I thought USB-C is generally Thunderbolt 3?? did you mean USB-3 in your highlighted post above?

 

[PaulD-UK]

I only fitted 8GB x2 sticks, and used the ones Crucial recommended. No Thunderbolt 3 is not the same as USB-C. Same port, but everything else - cables/electronics etc has to be to the Thunderbolt 3 specs to get the 40Tb/s bandwidth (compared to the 10Tb/s bandwidth of USB-C Gen 2). The Glyph dock is TB3.
Also TB devices can be daisy-chained (which USB-C can't, one USB device blocks any further use of the channel). Which helps - given the iMac only has 2 Thunderbolt ports.

 

[Bolo4u]

I only fitted 8GB x2 sticks, and used the ones Crucial recommended. No Thunderbolt 3 is not the same as USB-C. Same port, but everything else - cables/electronics etc has to be to the Thunderbolt 3 specs to get the 40Tb/s bandwidth (compared to the 10Tb/s bandwidth of USB-C Gen 2). The Glyph dock is TB3.
Also TB devices can be daisy-chained (which USB-C can't, one USB device blocks any further use of the channel). Which helps - given the iMac only has 2 Thunderbolt ports.

Excellent info. Thank you!

 

[MacManiac76]

I only fitted 8GB x2 sticks, and used the ones Crucial recommended. No Thunderbolt 3 is not the same as USB-C. Same port, but everything else - cables/electronics etc has to be to the Thunderbolt 3 specs to get the 40Tb/s bandwidth (compared to the 10Tb/s bandwidth of USB-C Gen 2). The Glyph dock is TB3.
Also TB devices can be daisy-chained (which USB-C can't, one USB device blocks any further use of the channel). Which helps - given the iMac only has 2 Thunderbolt ports.

Excellent info. Thank you!

Good info except for one error. Thunderbolt 3 is 40 Gb/s not Tb/s. And USB C Gen 2 is 10 Gb/s not Tb/s.