Using external SSD as boot drive late 2012 iMac

[ravinder08]

Can anyone advise on the simplest way to use an external Ssd as my main drive for my very slow late 2012 iMac? Do I connect using thunderbolt 1 lead to the SSD and do I use CCC to clone the internal? I’m sorry I’m not that technically minded and just want to get it right.
Have thought about get the new Max Studio but funds are a little tight right now so thought I’d get a Samsung T5 - 1TB SSD for under £100 and I should see a noticeable improvement.

 

[haddy]

Can anyone advise on the simplest way to use an external Ssd as my main drive for my very slow late 2012 iMac? Do I connect using thunderbolt 1 lead to the SSD and do I use CCC to clone the internal? I’m sorry I’m not that technically minded and just want to get it right.
Have thought about get the new Max Studio but funds are a little tight right now so thought I’d get a 1TB SSD for under £100 and I should see a noticeable improvement.

Do you mean you want to use an external SSD as your boot drive?

 

[ravinder08]

Do you mean you want to use an external SSD as your boot drive?

Yes exactly that

 

[haddy]

Yes exactly that

Well I don't know about Tb 1/2 or their cables. But I do know how to use a SSD Tb 3/4 in an NVMe enclosure. I have such a boot drive (2TB) controlling my 2020 27in iMac.

 

[ravinder08]

Well I don't know about Tb 1/2 or their cables. But I do know how to use a SSD Tb 3/4 in an NVMe enclosure. I have such a boot drive (2TB) controlling my 2020 27in iMac.

Did you use CCC to clone the internal? Or how do you do it.

 

[Juicy Box]

I have two Late 2012 iMacs. I have used multiple types of external drives with them, as well as replaced the internal drives.

Here are your external options for the Late 2012 iMac:

SD Card - SD cards are expensive, and not worth it imo, unless you already had one. About 250MBps with a high speed card.

USB3 - Probably the best option for most people. About 450MBps max. Will feel much faster than the internal HDD (if that is what you have). This is the cheapest option, but has the downsides of not having TRIM support and not as fast as an internal SSD or external TB2 and TB3 drives.

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. I have gotten TB1 drives with HDDs in them on eBay, and swapped the HDD for SSD. Probably not the best choice for you.

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. Probably not the best choice for you.

Can anyone advise on the simplest way to use an external Ssd as my main drive for my very slow late 2012 iMac?

A USB3 SATA drive. They are the cheapest option while still getting decent speeds. It is very easy imo, most people shouldn't have issues.

Do I connect using thunderbolt 1 lead to the SSD and do I use CCC to clone the internal?

No matter the external option, you can use CCC. It cost money, and there are cheaper and easier options.

On your current boot drive, you can download the OS you want to use (as long as it is as current or newer than the OS that is currently on your boot drive), then install it onto the external drive. When the install is done, it should boot up and look like a fresh MacOS. During the set up, you can choice the Migration Assistant option, and select your internal drive as the source. It automatically copies everything over where it should be, with all your accounts, and settings.

CCC is relatively easy as well, but cost money. I have CCC and love it for automatic back ups, and making bootable clones. But, Apple's built-in Migration Assistant is free, and simple.

very slow late 2012 iMac?

What are the specs of your iMac? Specifically, what drive do you use? SSD, Fusion, HDD, etc.

 

[Boyd01]

I booted my 2012 Mini from a 1TB USB 3 Samsung T3 for several years and it worked great (the T5 is the updated version of the T3). It is dead simple.... format the SSD for MacOS, use Carbon Copy to clone the internal disk to the SSD, select the SSD in the startup control panel.... and be happy!

BTW, yes CCC is not free but well worth the cost IMO. However, it has a pretty liberal free trial period so if you just want to use it for this one thing, it should be (effectively) free.

 

[Fishrrman]

The Samsung t5 is a USB3 drive (not a thunderbolt drive).

But that's ok. It should work fine.

First thing you need to do will be to ERASE the t5 drive using disk utility.

You didn't tell us which version of the OS you're using.
For High Sierra and earlier, erase to "Mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition format".
For Mojave and later, erase to "APFS, GUID partition format".

Now it's ready to get "cloned over" from the internal drive.

The best way to do this is with CarbonCopyCloner (which will clone the recovery partition, too). CCC is FREE to download and use for 30 days, using it for this purpose will cost you nothing.

NOTE:
Pay attention to the CCC download page:

Download CCC - Bombich Software

www.bombich.com

You want to download THE CORRECT VERSION for the version of the Mac OS that you're using.

Open CCC and accept all the defaults.
You'll see 3 "boxes" in the main window.
LEFT BOX -- this is for your source (the internal drive)
MIDDLE BOX -- this is for your target (the SSD)
RIGHT BOX -- scheduling, you can IGNORE this one.

Set it up and just "let it go". It will take a little while.

When done, quit CCC and open the startup disk preference pane.
Click the lock and enter your password.
Now select the external SSD as the new boot drive.

Close system preferences and reboot.
Do things go a little faster now? (they should).
Once you get logged in, go to "about this Mac" (Apple menu) and check to see that you are booted from the SSD.

That's really all there is to it.

TIP:
I recommend that you used the internal drive as your new "backup" to the external SSD.
You can use CCC at regular intervals to do an "incremental cloned update" to the internal drive, thus "keeping it the same as" the external boot SSD.

You ALWAYS want to maintain a SECOND bootable drive for emergencies.
ALWAYS. Even if it's the old and slower internal drive...

 

[Juicy Box]

funds are a little tight right now so thought I’d get a Samsung T5 - 1TB SSD

The T5 is a good, high quality option, but a little pricey when compared to some other USB3 options.

You could save a decent amount of money by purchasing the SATA SSD and USB3 enclosure or USB3/SATA adapter cable separately.

Enclosures and cable adapters are around $10-$15 on Amazon in the States.

I have a bunch of these cables, and am currently running one of my Late 2012 iMacs on an SSD using this cable:

SABRENT USB 3.0 to SSD / 2.5 Inch SATA I/II/III Hard Drive Adapter (EC-SSHD)

Product Description:Take advantage of the lightening speed of USB 3.0 to quickly transfer files up to 5 Gbps! Connect any 2.5'' Serial ATA (SATA) / SSD or SATA II Hard Drive to your computer through an available USB 3.0 port on your desktop or laptop. Reverse compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1, this...

www.amazon.com

I like them because the cable is longer than most USB3/SATA cable adapters.


As for 1TB 2.5" SATA SSDs, you can get them for less than $80 in the States.

Here is a ADATA 1TB SSD for $73:

ADATA Ultimate SU800 1TB 2.5 Inch Internal Solid State Drive - Newegg.com

Buy ADATA Ultimate SU800 1TB 3D NAND 2.5 Inch SATA-III Internal Solid State Drive (ASU800SS-1TT-C) with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.com

Compare the price of the cable adapter cable and ADATA SSD @ $84 to the 1TB Samsung T5 @ $140.


Another good thing about using a 2.5" SATA drive externally, is that if you have the option to install it internally later on, replacing the HDD. This would give you an even faster speed, and still maintaining TRIM.

 

[familychoice]

The Samsung t5 is a USB3 drive (not a thunderbolt drive).

But that's ok. It should work fine.

First thing you need to do will be to ERASE the t5 drive using disk utility.

You didn't tell us which version of the OS you're using.
For High Sierra and earlier, erase to "Mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition format".
For Mojave and later, erase to "APFS, GUID partition format".

Now it's ready to get "cloned over" from the internal drive.

The best way to do this is with CarbonCopyCloner (which will clone the recovery partition, too). CCC is FREE to download and use for 30 days, using it for this purpose will cost you nothing.

I've been using an external 500GB SSD to boot my MBP 2012 for a couple of years now - totally boosted the speed from the old internal mechanical HD, but space was a bit tight so I bought a second-hand Samsung t5 2TB to replace it.

I tried copying across the existing boot drive onto the Samsung t5 using CCC, but kept getting error messages, even after formatting the new drive several times. The issue was there was no option to set the drive to GUID partition when formatting, so the copy failed. I think this can be done via a command line instruction, but was nervous about doing this just in case I mucked up the main drive.

Eventually I gave up and tried a SanDisk Extreme drive instead, which eventually (CCC crashed three times during the copying process) did the job, and I'm using the Samsung drive for general storage.

It'd be useful to know why my Mac didn't provide an option to set the partition to GUID with the Samsung drive, yet did so with the SanDisk.

 

[Boyd01]

Compare the price of the cable adapter cable and ADATA SSD @ $84 to the 1TB Samsung T5 @ $140.

I am working on a project that generates terabytes of new data and was just looking to see what SSD's Best Buy has available. The 1TB Samsung T7 is now on sale for $120. It is significantly faster than the T5, but not likely that it would be much (if any) faster on a 2012 computer with USB-A. But if you ever upgrade to newer Mac, the T7 is perhaps twice as fast as the T5. They also show a 1TB T5 for $110 but apparently it is out of stock.

I see they also have "certified refurbished" SSD's. Don't know about those... but the price is good - $75 for a 1TB T5 or $104 for a 1TB T7.

 

[Juicy Box]

I am working on a project that generates terabytes of new data and was just looking to see what SSD's Best Buy has available. The 1TB Samsung T7 is now on sale for $120. It is significantly faster than the T5, but not likely that it would be much (if any) faster on a 2012 computer with USB-A. But if you ever upgrade to newer Mac, the T7 is perhaps twice as fast as the T5. They also show a 1TB T5 for $110 but apparently it is out of stock.

I see they also have "certified refurbished" SSD's. Don't know about those... but the price is good - $75 for a 1TB T5 or $104 for a 1TB T7.

Given the choice between T5 and T7, I would choose the T7, as the higher speeds could be a benefit if there is an computer upgrade in the near future.

There could be cooling benefits of the slower T5, but probably not worth the potential speed increase in the future.

You could benefit from the faster T7 speeds on the older Late 2012 iMac using a TB3 dock, but of course, that would require a big investment on top of the new drive. If one was like me and had some TB3 docks and bidirectional adapters not being used, then the T7 would be an easy choice for the Late 2012.

That said, if cost was a big issue, buying the 2.5" SATA SSD and enclosure/cable adapter is still pretty nice savings, and you can always use that 2.5" SATA SSD internally later on.

generates terabytes of new data

There are 2TB 2.5" SATA SSDs for less than $140 now, the prices have dropped a bit. If dealing with large amounts of data, maybe check out some of the larger storage 2.5". SSDs.

4TB SSDs sizes are still pretty expensive relative to the 1TB and 2TB sizes.

 

[ravinder08]

What is you opinion on this

 

[haddy]

Did you use CCC to clone the internal? Or how do you do it.

No I have always used the Macs Migration Assistant. It has worked well for me.
You have got a lot of good advice here. I think we all are trying to keep our 27" iMacs going as long as possible now that Apple has pulled the plug on them. My OS is Catalina 10.15.7.

 

[ravinder08]

No I have always used the Macs Migration Assistant. It has worked well for me.
You have got a lot of good advice here. I think we all are trying to keep our 27" iMacs going as long as possible now that Apple has pulled the plug on them. My OS is Catalina 10.15.7.

yes for sure I really like my 27" iMac, It has lasted nearly 10 years and apart from being slow due to the HDD it's been a solid machine, I am running Catalina OS

 

[McScooby]

I use one of these which is a Seagate, I only wish now I'd got a 2TB. It's the thickness of about 5 bank cards stacked & USB3.

 

[ravinder08]

The Samsung t5 is a USB3 drive (not a thunderbolt drive).

But that's ok. It should work fine.

First thing you need to do will be to ERASE the t5 drive using disk utility.

You didn't tell us which version of the OS you're using.
For High Sierra and earlier, erase to "Mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition format".
For Mojave and later, erase to "APFS, GUID partition format".

Now it's ready to get "cloned over" from the internal drive.

The best way to do this is with CarbonCopyCloner (which will clone the recovery partition, too). CCC is FREE to download and use for 30 days, using it for this purpose will cost you nothing.

NOTE:
Pay attention to the CCC download page:

Download CCC - Bombich Software

www.bombich.com

You want to download THE CORRECT VERSION for the version of the Mac OS that you're using.

Open CCC and accept all the defaults.
You'll see 3 "boxes" in the main window.
LEFT BOX -- this is for your source (the internal drive)
MIDDLE BOX -- this is for your target (the SSD)
RIGHT BOX -- scheduling, you can IGNORE this one.

Set it up and just "let it go". It will take a little while.

When done, quit CCC and open the startup disk preference pane.
Click the lock and enter your password.
Now select the external SSD as the new boot drive.

Close system preferences and reboot.
Do things go a little faster now? (they should).
Once you get logged in, go to "about this Mac" (Apple menu) and check to see that you are booted from the SSD.

That's really all there is to it.

TIP:
I recommend that you used the internal drive as your new "backup" to the external SSD.
You can use CCC at regular intervals to do an "incremental cloned update" to the internal drive, thus "keeping it the same as" the external boot SSD.

You ALWAYS want to maintain a SECOND bootable drive for emergencies.
ALWAYS. Even if it's the old and slower internal drive...

Thank you so much @Fishrrman man
Will be using these instructions this weekend. I ordered a 1TB Samsung T7 which was on offer and a couple of quid cheaper than the T5
Appreciate the detailed instructions 😊

 

[Ageing geek]

Can anyone advise on the simplest way to use an external Ssd as my main drive for my very slow late 2012 iMac? Do I connect using thunderbolt 1 lead to the SSD and do I use CCC to clone the internal? I’m sorry I’m not that technically minded and just want to get it right.
Have thought about get the new Max Studio but funds are a little tight right now so thought I’d get a Samsung T5 - 1TB SSD for under £100 and I should see a noticeable improvement.

Date- 11/09/2023
my experiences:
(30 year Apple user) 2012 iMac. Booting and operating (If you want, clone your drive with CCC or SuperDuper, but take this opportunity to do a clean install), from an external SSD is *far* faster than the internal 5400RPM
Only caveats are:
*format the SSD as APFS*
Make sure the drive interface AND cable are USB 3. Check System Reports and ensure you see "Up to 5 Gb/s"
Otherwise, it's just a fast USB2 drive (slow)


Installed it clean