Paul Santos

Q: SSD upgrade iMac 21.5 Late 2015 2.8GHz

Terrible 1TB stock hard drive 5400 rpm. Just a nightmare. The specs are these: MK442LL/A - iMac16,2 - A1418 - 2889.

 

I have two options: (1) SATA: best speed 550M (2) PCIe: beyond 600.

 

Yes, there is a PCIe slot but there's awful little information on the web as to what specific form I should use. Have any of you done a PCIe upgrade on this system? If so what is the fastest one out there, as well as budget conscious? Will I have any issues of overheating on this system? I would hate to hear constant fan noise after the ssd update. Looking for a 256 or 512 pcie flash from Apple or third party if any. If this is a compromise, then I would go for a Samsung 850 SATA series.

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6), null

Posted on Jul 27, 2016 9:12 AM

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Q: SSD upgrade iMac 21.5 Late 2015 2.8GHz

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  • by rkaufmann87,

    rkaufmann87 rkaufmann87 Jul 27, 2016 9:35 AM in response to Paul Santos
    Level 9 (58,135 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jul 27, 2016 9:35 AM in response to Paul Santos

    I would recommend using an Thunderbolt equipped enclosure and install a SSD into that and then begin using that approach. How I would recommend doing it is to clone your external HD to the SSD and then change the boot drive to the SSD. This will dramatically improve startup, shutdown and file retrieval times. Thunderbolt is fast, do not use USB 3.0 as the speed will likely disappoint you.

     

    I doubt you will find anyone that has successfully installed a SSD in a Late 2015 21.5" iMac, they were NEVER designed to be upgradeable.

     

    You may also want to consult with OWC (www.macsale.com) and see if they have developed a solution and also to check with iFixit.

     

    Good luck!

  • by Paul Santos,

    Paul Santos Paul Santos Jul 27, 2016 9:46 AM in response to rkaufmann87
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 27, 2016 9:46 AM in response to rkaufmann87

    I like your approach, forgot about thunderbolt. Many users have upgraded hdd to SSD with no problem in this machine though. The SATA port in it is pretty much universal. I am considering the options.

  • by Paul Santos,

    Paul Santos Paul Santos Jul 27, 2016 10:22 AM in response to Paul Santos
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 27, 2016 10:22 AM in response to Paul Santos
  • by MichelPM,

    MichelPM MichelPM Jul 27, 2016 11:37 AM in response to Paul Santos
    Level 6 (13,653 points)
    iPad
    Jul 27, 2016 11:37 AM in response to Paul Santos

    You can't install an internal SSD without voiding your AppleCare warranty and any future extended AppleCare warranty.

    Any tampering or breaking into the iMac case, by anyone,  will void any Apple warranties and any future repairs directly by Apple.

    So, you have no choice, but to use an external SSD in an enclosure.

     

    If you had this iMac for 14 days or less, you can return this iMac for a full refund and purchase another one with the specs that meet more of your needs.

     

    Good Luck!

  • by Paul Santos,

    Paul Santos Paul Santos Jul 27, 2016 11:48 AM in response to MichelPM
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 27, 2016 11:48 AM in response to MichelPM

    I most certainly do have a choice. I don't care about the AppleCare warranty, that's why I requested my money back already. I love my iMac, but hate its stock drive. Useless.

  • by rkaufmann87,

    rkaufmann87 rkaufmann87 Jul 27, 2016 12:10 PM in response to Paul Santos
    Level 9 (58,135 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jul 27, 2016 12:10 PM in response to Paul Santos

    Useless is a strong and very subjective word, if the machine works it's not useless. However for your needs and expectations it's clear the configuration you bought is not ideal.

     

    Consider getting a Fusion drive or a straight internal SSD. There are many benchmarks available that illustrate the speeds comparing a HD to a Fusion and to a SSD.

     

    My guess is you did not do your due diligence when selecting the configuration you got. Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned there?

  • by Paul Santos,

    Paul Santos Paul Santos Jul 27, 2016 12:19 PM in response to rkaufmann87
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 27, 2016 12:19 PM in response to rkaufmann87

    There is no lesson to be learned here. I bought this unit semi-new from a friend, saved hundreds. Yes, there are many options for SSD, but my preference is for PCIe, as the original question points to. Thanks for your input though, appreciated. By the way, even if I had bumped up the model of the iMac I would still end up with a useless, stock 5400 rpm that Apple persists on keeping. That's why I keep using the word "useless".