iMac upgrade question

[jamblo1]

Hi all, I have a mid-2011 27" iMac (2.7Ghz) which is running booting very, very slowly and, additionally, running a little slow once booted. I am looking to upgrade the original 1tb drive to a 1tb solid state with the goal of improving the speed and extending it's life a bit longer.

As a proof of concept, I loaded High Sierra (10.13.5) onto an external solid state drive and have created it as a clean boot disc. Booting from that external drive (connected through USB2), though, does absolutely nothing to better the speed of the machine to any appreciable degree.

So, the questions: what am I doing wrong? Is the problem with the USB2? Will an internal SSD via SATA give me the speed I'm not seeing now? Should I just get a new machine?

Thanks.

 

[jerwin]

Hmm. 10 Gb/s or 480 Mb/s?

Decisions, decisions.

 

[tubeexperience]

It's slow because you are running the SSD through a USB 2.0 port.

You need to connect the SSD directly to the SATA connector.

 

[jamblo1]

jerwin:
Ah. Unfortunately the external SSD only has a USB micro B out put. But thanks anyway.

Your implication is that it *would* be faster and therefore the SATA would also be faster, so thanks for that, too.

tubeexperience:
Cool, thanks.

 

[jerwin]

thunderbolt has quite the price premium.

Adapters and docks and enclosures do exist. figure on spending at least $80, and possibly as much as $250.


Here's a comparably inexpensive converter to USB 3.0/eSATA. I've never used it.

https://www.amazon.com/Kanex-Thunde...529798677&sr=8-21&keywords=thunderbolt+2+dock

Assumming that it provides the advertised thruput, you may be able to hook up a USB 3 hub and use a bunch of USB3 hard drives--in addition to an SSD.

(Oops--
Kanex says that it can;t be used as a bootable device. Oh well

http://www.kanex.com/thunderbolt-esata

 

[SaSaSushi]

thunderbolt has quite the price premium.

Adapters and docks and enclosures do exist. figure on spending at least $80, and possibly as much as $250.

Sounds about right. I have been using the Delock 42510 ($85, not including TB cable) for about 5 years now and I can vouch for it being a high quality, very reliable device.

I was using it to boot my Late 2013 iMac and I even bought the Apple TB2-to-TB3 adapter so I could continue using it with my 2017 iMac. Now it is solely used for BootCamp Windows.

If I were in your situation, however, I would just install the SSD internally. The 2011 iMac has the magnetically-attached glass panel and is comparatively easy to work with.

 

[jamblo1]

Sounds about right. I have been using the Delock 42510 ($85, not including TB cable) for about 5 years now and I can vouch for it being a high quality, very reliable device.

I was using it to boot my Late 2013 iMac and I even bought the Apple TB2-to-TB3 adapter so I could continue using it with my 2017 iMac. Now it is solely used for BootCamp Windows.

If I were in your situation, however, I would just install the SSD internally. The 2011 iMac has the magnetically-attached glass panel and is comparatively easy to work with.

I'm planning to install the SSD internally, I just thought I might be able to get an idea was I'd be looking at, speed-wise, before opening it up.

The Delock looks like a good solution for an external backup, though.

Thanks!

 

[tubeexperience]

Get the OWC upgrade kit for the 2011 iMac

https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/DIYIMACHDD11/

https://www.amazon.com/NewerTech-AdaptaDrive-Drive-Converter-Bracket/dp/B005PZDVF6

Instructions:

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+27-Inch+EMC+2429+Hard+Drive+Replacement/7555

Video:

[doublepost=1529802344][/doublepost]

I'm planning to install the SSD internally, I just thought I might be able to get an idea was I'd be looking at, speed-wise, before opening it up.

The Delock looks like a good solution for an external backup, though.

Thanks!

From my iMac after I upgraded it with an SSD