Is it possible to upgrade my iMac with an SSD?

Apple doesn't usually let you swap out hard drives.

However, that doesn't mean that you can't do it yourself, or have a qualified repairer do it for you. There's a good chance of finding a good repair person in your area. Or you can do it DIY:

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/imacdiy

http://www.cnet.com/topics/storage/best-hard-drives-and-storage/ssd/

Eddie,

In your case it would be much wiser to buy an external Thunderbolt based enclosure and then install a SSD into it. Then Install OS X on the SDD and use that as you boot drive. Then you can migrate your data onto the SSD from the internal HD and then use the Internal HD for just storage. Installing a SSD in any iMac is extremely challenging and right now the 2014 21.5" iMacs are not set up to accept a SSD of any type.

I would recommend visiting OWC (www.macsales.com) and looking at their solutions. Talk to them too if you need to.

Good luck.

Here is an installation video for your model - their general video install page mentioned "SSD coming soon", so they are apparently working on that.

http://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/imac_21inch_late_2013_hdd/

Please note that you will most likely void your warranty (if you are still covered) if you attempt this yourself. Also note that iMacs are not meant to be opened - the new models' screen are literally glued to the thin body edge.

Before prematurely concluding the problem will be solved by replacing the iMac's hard disk drive first determine if the problems also persist in "Safe Mode":



• Safe Mode or "Safe Boot" is a troubleshooting mode that bypasses all third party system extensions and loads only required system components. Read about it: Starting up in Safe Mode
• You must disable FileVault before you can start your Mac in Safe Mode.
• Starting your Mac in Safe Mode will take longer than usual, graphics will not render smoothly, audio is disabled on some Macs, and some programs (iTunes for example) may not work at all.
• Merely starting your Mac in Safe Mode is not intended to resolve the problem, it's to observe its performance without certain additional components.
• To end Safe Mode restart your Mac normally. Shutdown will take longer as well.

eddie121 wrote:

These are all very helpful tips. I have decided to take my iMac to a professional repairer and said he would do the job for $80 if I purchase the SSD. Is there any recommendations of any good drives out there?

There are many to choose from, my preference is OWC's(www.macsales.com) however Samsung, Crucial and many others are popular too.