Hi guys
I am buying an iMac 2019 A2115 for my son and it has a 2TB fusion drive. I wonder if I can replaced with PCIe 4.0 NVME M.2 SSD (Samsung 980 PRO). I can remove it (done that before on a iMac 2015, using a Crucial SSD) and use a StarTech M.2 NGFF SSD to 2.5in SATA Adapter Converter.
Is it compatible? Will it loose some speed using that converter?
Cheers
Why use an NVMe SSD if you are just going to hamstring it with a SATA adapter? To use the NVMe SSD to its full potential requires removing the entire Logic Board IIRC which is a major undertaking as it also requires removing everything else as well since the SSD connector is on the back side of the Logic Board. May as well save some money and go with a 2.5" SSD instead.
As the others have mentioned, using an external USB3 or Thunderbolt 3 SSD will be the easiest option and will perform at least as well as hamstringing the NVMe SSD by restricting it to SATA III speeds (500MB/s)...actually some external SSDs will perform much faster than your proposed configuration.
Be careful purchasing a used Mac from an unknown source. Many Macs today are being managed so the previous owner must remove the Mac from any MDMs and their AppleID. Plus you must make sure there is no firmware password lock enabled. Only the original owner can remove either of these things as you won't have acceptable proof of purchase to have Apple remove them.
Why use an NVMe SSD if you are just going to hamstring it with a SATA adapter? To use the NVMe SSD to its full potential requires removing the entire Logic Board IIRC which is a major undertaking as it also requires removing everything else as well since the SSD connector is on the back side of the Logic Board. May as well save some money and go with a 2.5" SSD instead.
As the others have mentioned, using an external USB3 or Thunderbolt 3 SSD will be the easiest option and will perform at least as well as hamstringing the NVMe SSD by restricting it to SATA III speeds (500MB/s)...actually some external SSDs will perform much faster than your proposed configuration.
Be careful purchasing a used Mac from an unknown source. Many Macs today are being managed so the previous owner must remove the Mac from any MDMs and their AppleID. Plus you must make sure there is no firmware password lock enabled. Only the original owner can remove either of these things as you won't have acceptable proof of purchase to have Apple remove them.
I wholeheartedly agree with rkaufmann87 on using an external SSD to boot and run from. An additional benefit is that he can easily take the EHD with him when he eventually moves on up to a newer model.
Make sure the 2019 iMac is prepared according to this Apple document: What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac - Apple Support. If it isn't you may not be able to use the machine at all.
I'm with rkaufmann87.
the 2019 innards looked a bit too daunting to me.
I boot my 2019 iMac using...
https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/TB3ENVPFX02/
And a combo of these for backup...
https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/external-drives/owc-drive-dock
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08M97SLRP?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
Rather than buying an internal SSD why not simply buy a good quality Thunderbolt 3 or USB 3 SSD and use that. Much easier, cheaper and doesn't require major surgery!!
If speed is what you are after simply buy the following:
iMac 2019 A2115 SSD compatibility
