Add second drive to current iMac?

[2ms]

Can anyone tell me if it is possible to add another internal disk to the current iMacs?

I have a 2TB Fusion drive but need to do some disk-intensive work in Windows (the Fusion drive is not able to use its built in SSD under Windows). I was wondering if it would be possible to just buy an inexpensive SSD for my Windows work and if it would be possible to install it anywhere inside of my iMac.

 

[redheeler]

Opening up the iMac is tricky, and the 2 TB HDD occupies the only SATA bus inside. It'd be much easier to get an external SSD, USB 3 or Thunderbolt.

 

[tubeexperience]

It is not possible to add a second drive, but you can remove the the build-in 2TB hard drive and replace it with a 2TB SSD.

That said, 2TB SSD are quite pricy. For example, Samsung 850 EVO 2TB is $630.

Read me guide here: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...e-in-your-27-imac-slim.1979747/#post-23059457

 

[2ms]

Argh, so when you order an iMac with SSD it actually comes with a big 2.5" drive rather than little sticks like in Apple laptops?

Are the prices of SSDs going to come down a lot any time soon, such as when Intel Octane or 3D or whatever comes out? $630 is brutal. About half that would be no sweat at all, though.

 

[tubeexperience]

Argh, so when you order an iMac with SSD it actually comes with a big 2.5" drive rather than little sticks like in Apple laptops?

Are the prices of SSDs going to come down a lot any time soon, such as when Intel Octane or 3D or whatever comes out? $630 is brutal. About half that would be no sweat at all, though.

A 2TB fusion drive you have is a 2TB 3.5" hard drive + 128 GB SSD blade drive (the same one used in the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air).

You can remove the 2TB hard drive and replace it with a SSD.

 

[mpainesyd]

With Thunderbolt you can boot (osx) and operate your Mac totally from an external SSD drive: http://www.mpainesyd.com/filechute/BOOT_OSX_SSD.pdf
However these tips don't cover booting to Windoze.

 

[2ms]

A 2TB fusion drive you have is a 2TB 3.5" hard drive + 128 GB SSD blade drive (the same one used in the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air).

You can remove the 2TB hard drive and replace it with a SSD.

Interesting, so when you order the SSD option instead of the Fusion drive option, you just get a bigger version of the SSD included with Fusion drive and do not get a magnetic drive?

I suppose that gives higher performance than you get installing a 2.5" SSD then, since it is PCIe instead of SATA?

I wonder if, when you replace the magnetic drive with a 2.5" SSD, OS X is able to continue to utilize the 128 GGB SSD that came with the fusion drive for enhanced speed.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Correct.

 

[tubeexperience]

Interesting, so when you order the SSD option instead of the Fusion drive option, you just get a bigger version of the SSD included with Fusion drive and do not get a magnetic drive?

Yes

I suppose that gives higher performance than you get installing a 2.5" SSD then, since it is PCIe instead of SATA?

Well, you get better Sequential speed, but not necessary Random 4K speed. In fact, newer SATA SSDs give better Random 4K speeds.

I wonder if, when you replace the magnetic drive with a 2.5" SSD, OS X is able to continue to utilize the 128 GGB SSD that came with the fusion drive for enhanced speed.

Of cause. It just sees a 128GB SSD.

 

[2ms]

Would my Mac be faster if I replaced the magnetic drive with a Samsung EVO while leaving the Fusion drive's SSD intact, or would it be faster if I just used only a Samsung EVO? What's the point of using the Fusion drive capability if SATA is basically just as fast as PCIe?

 

[tubeexperience]

Would my Mac be faster if I replaced the magnetic drive with a Samsung EVO while leaving the Fusion drive's SSD intact, or would it be faster if I just used only a Samsung EVO? What's the point of using the Fusion drive capability if SATA is basically just as fast as PCIe?

Doesn't matter. I would leave the original SSD.

You would get an extra 128GB of storage.