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Upgrading a 2017 iMac's RAM and storage (was Re: [macsupportcentral] Question for SEE Finance users?) #Upgrading

 

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On Oct 23, 2019, at 12:12 PM, Jim Saklad via Groups.Io <jimdoc@...> wrote:

If you replaced the HDD with a SATA SSD (e.g.,?an?OWC Mercury Extreme?Pro 6G) in 1- or 2-TB size,?I don’t know how you would tell?the OS to NOT try to make it a fusion drive.

Or maybe, while you’re in there, you also replace the small blade SSD with a not-quite-so-small super-fast SSD, and let the 2 be a fusion pair.

!st, apologies for not starting a brand new message thread. Some of the hardware issues were in the original topic discussion, so I’ve decided to (I hope) let the server software keep them linked.

Continuing various tests on launch times for SEE Finance related to last restart of my iMac, number of other applications open, etc., I’ve decided that, when I have time, I’m going to replace my Fusion Drive with a PCI-e express 1 TB SSD as my boot volume, possibly replace my 1 TB 5800 RPM internal drive with a SATA SSD, and boost the RAM to 32 GB. The SSD-SATA drive decision isn’t firm yet, with the greatest incentive being never to have to do this again.

I’m thinking this will extend the useful life of my iMac for many years, although I know I’ll miss 10 Gbit Ethernet, next gen WiFi, and possibly other advances.

OWC’s instructional videos are quite detailed, and also quite reassuring as regards my ability to do the work.

I may partition the SATA-SSD into either a native Windows boot version or install the deeply discounted version of Parallels that OWC sells there along with Mojave.

I’m assuming that if I install a SATA 2.5” form factor SSD where the rotating platter drive is now, the iMac will recognize it as bootable.

Have any list members done this surgery themselves? It looks tedious, but not dangerous (but then, I’ve never priced replacement iMac display modules from Apple).

If any of you have done a rotating platter to SATA SSD upgrade, how would you characterize the performance boost?

Thanks so much,
Jim Robertson
 

On Thu, 24 Oct 2019 at 19:18, jimrobertson via Groups.Io <jimrobertson=[email protected]> wrote:

!st, apologies for not starting a brand new message thread. Some of the hardware issues were in the original topic discussion, so I’ve decided to (I hope) let the server software keep them linked.

Continuing various tests on launch times for SEE Finance related to last restart of my iMac, number of other applications open, etc., I’ve decided that, when I have time, I’m going to replace my Fusion Drive with a PCI-e express 1 TB SSD as my boot volume, possibly replace my 1 TB 5800 RPM internal drive with a SATA SSD, and boost the RAM to 32 GB. The SSD-SATA drive decision isn’t firm yet, with the greatest incentive being never to have to do this again.

I’m thinking this will extend the useful life of my iMac for many years, although I know I’ll miss 10 Gbit Ethernet, next gen WiFi, and possibly other advances.

OWC’s instructional videos are quite detailed, and also quite reassuring as regards my ability to do the work.

I may partition the SATA-SSD into either a native Windows boot version or install the deeply discounted version of Parallels that OWC sells there along with Mojave.

I’m assuming that if I install a SATA 2.5” form factor SSD where the rotating platter drive is now, the iMac will recognize it as bootable.

Have any list members done this surgery themselves? It looks tedious, but not dangerous (but then, I’ve never priced replacement iMac display modules from Apple).

If any of you have done a rotating platter to SATA SSD upgrade, how would you characterize the performance boost?

I've done that with a MacBook Pro. The improvement in speed is around x6 (yes, times six) in both boot times and program loading. This is with a Samsung 840 Pro. Of course, tasks that are CPU-bound don't speed up...

If you have a Fusion Drive, I'd expect a much reduced improvement. I suspect that not many Fusion Drives get upgraded.?

Otto
 

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I may partition the SATA-SSD into either a native Windows boot version or install the deeply discounted version of Parallels that OWC sells there along with Mojave.

I’m assuming that if I install a SATA 2.5” form factor SSD where the rotating platter drive is now, the iMac will recognize it as bootable.
Jim Robertson

Are you getting an external drive case in the package, to put your existing HDD in?

Because you could put the new SATA SSD in there, connect it up, clone your fusion drive to it, test it by trying to boot from it, and only then undertake iMac surgery to switch the drives.

And you would be left with a terabyte HDD in an external box as well.

--?
Jim Saklad
jimdoc@...
 

If any of you have done a rotating platter to SATA SSD upgrade, how?would you characterize the performance boost?

I've done that with a MacBook Pro. The improvement in speed is around?x6 (yes, times six) in both boot times and program loading. This is with a?Samsung 840 Pro. Of course, tasks that are CPU-bound don't speed up…?

Years ago I replaced a 320 or 500 GB HDD in a previous (maybe 2009) MBPro with a 500 GB SATA SSD from OWC.

Really impressive speedup, but I don’t remember the numbers. Probably like Otto’s results.

When I moved to my present MBPro (late 2013), I swapped those drives back, but left the SSD in the external case, because the newer laptop came with a 500 GB blade-type SSD.

I’m now thinking of upgrading this blade-SSD to either 1 or 2 TB, and putting the original equipment 500 GB one in an external case.

Sort of your operation, but on a laptop. Simpler.

--?
Jim Saklad
jimdoc@...
 

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On Oct 24, 2019, at 1:49 PM, Jim Saklad via Groups.Io <jimdoc@...> wrote:

Because you could put the new SATA SSD in there, connect it up, clone your fusion drive to it,?test it by trying to boot from it,?and only then undertake iMac surgery to switch the drives.

I hadn’t thought about that, but it makes sense.

Thanks,
Jim Robertson
 

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On Oct 24, 2019, at 1:57 PM, Jim Saklad via Groups.Io <jimdoc@...> wrote:

Years ago I replaced a 320 or 500 GB HDD in a previous (maybe 2009) MBPro with a 500 GB SATA SSD from OWC.

OWC has “complete kit” or “just the part you want” pricing. For installing in an iMac, the ?SATA 2.5” SSD, “complete kit” includes an enclosure, although OWC’s web page doesn’t say what enclosure they provide (they do say it’s USB-3, bus powered.

If I’m purchasing a PCI-e 1 TB SSD, 32 GB of RAM, and a 2.5 in SATA module, I don’t need 3 “kits” because most of the tools in the kit are designed to remove the display from the case and would be included in each kit.

I’ve read stories from people who’ve had no luck keeping bus-powered external USB drives mounted on their Macs. Jim do you remember and problems with the enclosure that OWC provided you?

Thanks a bunch,
Jim Robertson
 

Sent from JT's Ipad - maybe using voice dictation!

On Oct 24, 2019, at 21:49, jimrobertson via Groups.Io <jimrobertson@...> wrote:


I’ve read stories from people who’ve had no luck keeping bus-powered external USB drives mounted on their Macs
No problem with my older MB Pro - usb2 - and owc enclosures for an hdd and a ssd [one time machine; one superduper. ]
 

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On Oct 24, 2019, at 9:44 PM, Julian Thomas <jt@...> wrote:

No problem with my older MB Pro - usb2 - and owc enclosures for an hdd and a ssd [one time machine; ?one superduper. ]

Thanks for that. I’ve not had personal problems myself, and I have a variety of bus-powered external drives.

Jim Robertson

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