External SSD For iMac Late 2013

Hi there!

Im wanting to snag the 2013 iMac so I can use it as an external monitor.

First, it may not be possible to use a 2013 iMac as a display for another Mac. Please see this Apple Support article.

Use your iMac as a display with target display mode - Apple Support

iMac models introduced in 2011, 2012, 2013, and mid 2014

To use any of these iMac models as an external display:

* The iMac used as a display must have macOS High Sierra or earlier installed.

* The other Mac that you're connecting it to must have been introduced in 2019 or earlier and have macOS Catalina or earlier installed.

* The cable connecting the two Mac computers must be a Thunderbolt  or Thunderbolt 2  cable.

If your Mac computers aren't compatible with target display mode, Luna Display, a third-party option, may work well for you.

My question is this, could I purchase any external SSD for example with a USB-C port and plug it into the iMac thunderbolt port, using a USB-C to thunderbolt cable... would that work?

Regrettably, no. From About the Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter, it notes that:

You can also use the Thunderbolt port of this adapter to connect an external hard drive, dock, Mac, or other device that uses a Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 cable for data transfer. This adapter supports data-transfer speeds up to 10Gbps with Thunderbolt devices, and up to 20Gbps with Thunderbolt 2 devices.

This adapter is bidirectional, which means you can use it to connect Thunderbolt 3 devices to a Mac that has a Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 port. In that case, the Mac must be using macOS Sierra or later, and the device using Thunderbolt 3 must provide its own power. 👈

This means in order for the adapter to work as you would like it to, it must be Thunderbolt 3 (not USB-C) and supply its own power via. an independent power supply. Unfortunately, most (if not all) external SSD options are bus-powered, meaning they get their power from the Mac. Therefore, the adapter won't be able to function.

However, using an external USB 3 SSD connected to a standard USB port would still be an improvement over an internal hard disk. An external USB SSD will be able to provide transfer rates up to 425MB/s, which can be 5x quicker than an internal hard disk.

Hope this helps!

Jack

A 2013 iMac can only run as high as 10.15.7///

MacOS Catalina 10.15.7 - Technical Specifications

General Requirements

OS X 10.9 or later

4GB of memory

12.5GB of available storage (OS X El Capitan 10.11.5 or later)*

Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.

Some features require a compatible internet service provider; fees may apply.

Mac Hardware Requirements

For details about your Mac model, click the Apple icon at the top left of your screen and choose About This Mac. These Mac models are compatible with macOS Catalina:

MacBook (Early 2015 or newer)

MacBook Air (Mid 2012 or newer)

MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 or newer)

Mac mini (Late 2012 or newer)

iMac (Late 2012 or newer)

iMac Pro (2017)

Mac Pro (Late 2013 or newer)

How to download macOS - Apple Support

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/macos-catalina/id1466841314?ls=1&mt=12

macappstores://apps.apple.com/app/macos-catalina/id1466841314?ls=1&mt=12

How to upgrade to macOS Catalina – Apple Support

And caution on 10.15 or higher, to see which Apps will no longer work in 10.15 get Go64...

https://www.stclairsoft.com/Go64/