Most compatible, reliable internal SSD?

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Level 1

8 points

Most compatible, reliable internal SSD?

Hi, I have a new 2019 iMac, the middle model 21.5". I want to have an authorized service provider swap out the HDD for an SSD and I'm having a hard time figuring out which one is best.

I see that the Samsung 860 EVO has great reviews for speed. On the other hand, there are SO many reviews on Amazon saying that it died after a month... or sooner. I've been reading reviews of the WD Green and have heard that Crucial is a good fit with Macs, but frankly I'm overwhelmed. Everything I read seems to be contradicted when I read more.

Is there one manufacturer that is more reliable and a better choice for Macs? I've tried calling Apple and they told me that it's a risk to install anything but Apple (that can't be true, since they don't make their own SSD drives). As for my service provider, we are in Argentina and they don't have access to most brands, so they don't really know. They use WD because it's readily available here.

Any advice would be very welcomed. Thank you!

Posted on Oct 9, 2019 8:48 AM

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Answer 1

rkaufmann87

Level 10

148,654 points

Oct 9, 2019 9:16 AM in response to marisol777

I would recommend using the OWC (www.macsales.com) SSDs. They are by far the most compatible and also have complete instructions for installation.

Please note, you will have to pay for international shipping as they are a USA based company however that may be worth the expense. They also have complete kits for doing the retrofit. For example:

https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ssd/owc/imac-21.5-inch/2013-2019

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Answer 2

rkaufmann87

Level 10

148,654 points

Oct 9, 2019 11:55 AM in response to marisol777

OWC is extremely well respected and specializes in Macs. I’m not surprised you have not heard of them as they don’t likely market in Argentina. They have been around for well over 20 Years and only provide high quality products that just work.

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Answer 3

macjack

Level 10

111,242 points

Oct 9, 2019 12:54 PM in response to marisol777

OWC is the best place for anything Mac. They stand behind their products and their support is superb.

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Answer 4

macjack

Level 10

111,242 points

Oct 9, 2019 8:52 AM in response to marisol777

WD should be fine. Their bare drives are good. If you search here you may find WD has a poor reputation but that is for its enclosures for external drives, not the drive itself.

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Answer 5

marisol777 Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 9, 2019 9:15 AM in response to macjack

Thank you. I just checked on Amazon and saw a WD Blue for not much more than the Green. Do you know this particular one and if it will be compatible?

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-NAND-1TB-SSD-WDS100T2B0A/dp/B073SBQMCX/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=wd+ssd+internal+drive&qid=1570637235&sr=8-3

The reason I'm overthinking this decision is because it's so hard to open the iMac. I don't want to have to open the screen more than once.

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Answer 6

marisol777 Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 10, 2019 8:24 AM in response to woodmeister50

This is very helpful, thank you! Apparently, the WD drive I'm looking at (https://www.amazon.com/Blue-NAND-1TB-SSD-WDS100T2B0A/dp/B073SBQMCX/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=wd+ssd+internal+drive&qid=1570637235&sr=8-3) is identical to the Sandisk Ultra 3D, so that is reassuring. My gut feeling -- based on nothing -- was that Samsung would be less focused on Mac compatibility.

I really appreciate everyone's comments!!

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