27" Late 2013 iMac Full NVMe SSD Upgrade

[@thomasesparza9175]

During most of these iMac SSD and/or CPU upgrades, it not mentioned about replacing the clock battery while access is available during the motherboard removal. It's only a $5 or less cost for a CR2032 battery and they are normally only a 5 year shelf life on your motherboard, so replace it while you have access to it!

[@gatorcellman]

The only things I would have done while it was apart, was change the plastic tension retainers for the springs that keep the monitor at a set angle, with a metal plate (these break and the monitor droops, happened to me) and remove the CPU heat sink and clean/replace the thermal paste. Makes sense to do all these maintenance items when the machine is disassembled. Maybe would have even replaced the internal HD with an SSD for even more storage.

[@streetworthymedia]

One of the best "how to" videos i've seen in years. I have this computer. Didn't know i could put an NVME SSD drive in there. I have one and I'm going to do it. Thank you for helping me to be brave and get the job done!

[@packratswhatif.3990]

I'm in exactly the same position ....don't know about the NVME setup either. Might as will update the memory also and guess you could still use the hard drive input to another SSD module there to. Very cool !

[@stiksandstones]

Why not just put a sata SSD in here?

[@stephencawker1565]

@@packratswhatif.3990 get rid of that hd hardrive all together, get it out of the 27"...lol..Use the samsung 970 pro nvme ssd ok. trust me,,reads 1510. writes 1450.i think you can get a sata 2.5 tray like whats in the 27",from owc that fits the 970 pro nvme in it

[@thecrew8612]

How did it go?

[@ukslmaclab1611]

@@stiksandstonesThe SATA connection is a bottlekneck.

[@davidseva8394]

Very very professional demonstration. I have downloaded it and will use it as a reference guide when I upgrade my iMac.

[@gosekinz]

the micro screws in the 15:00 base of the panel are philips not torx - it is without a shadow of doubt the fiddliest thing to replace - if you can avoid removing it I'd advise you to leave it in place.

[@Gapcio23]

This adapter founded at the end of NVMe in 32:45 - what is it called? Has any symbol?

[@CoolWave888]

I noticed that at 37:37 your tech applied - what looks like to me, like some clear cellophane tape onto the back of the power supply. I can only guess that this is to prevent contact to prevent electrical shock. Will he leave this in when closing of the screen. is that safe? Considering this may melt due to heat. Or is this just placed there only while assembling? Any explanation &/or benefit derived from doing this would be appreciated.

[@doalexandre]

Really nice video, I will do the same with my iMac (same model, late 2013, 27 ″). One thing I’m a bit surprise is the way you manipulate the power supply… In many other video and text about this kind of upgrade, they say to avoid touching the power supply, because you risk taking a not funny electrical shock. I also noted that at the moment of replacing everything, there is a protective sheet on the power supply, not mentioned in the description of the video. Is it important to have it? Thanks!

[@krystiansadowski4934]

beautiful! I own this model too and highly appreciate what you've done here. Brilliant work! : )

[@-OEG]

Wonderful tutorial. Question: wouldn’t it be smart to change the thermal paste on cpu and gpu also? It’s over 10 years old

[@cerulyse]

remember having static safe work mats not that long ago lol no one seems to bother now

[@joserodriguezdeliebana9955]

Very very professional demonstration. wish to buy the same exact one for my late 2013 iMac 27. Thank You.

[@Tedroy]

I just attached a 2T External SSD and boot from that. Not as sano as opening the machine, and not as fast but much less hassle and it screams.

[@ukslmaclab1611]

It's half the speed unfortunately.

[@bangmet45]

@@ukslmaclab1611 what is the number ?

[@noRthstaR1]

I am very impressed with this video. I have an iMac 27" Late 2013 and for the longest time, I have considered upgrading the Fusion Drive to NVMe SSD. What maximum NVMe SSD storage capacity can you install?

[@Rikorg]

Yo estoy pensando poner un NVME M.2 de Silicon Power con cache y de 1TB, en Amazon por menos de 50€. "Unidad de estado sólido PCIe Gen3x4 M.2 NVMe 1TB con velocidades de lectura y escritura de hasta 3400 MB/s y 3000 MB/s (Silicon Power)".Le dejaré puesto el SSD de 500GB que lleva o tal vez se lo cambie después por uno de 2TB. El NVME de arranque con pocas cosas dentro para que sobre espacio y las copias de Time Machine no sean excesivamente grandes.

[@stefanguddat4125]

@noRthstaR1 Did you find any answer to your question? Did you go for the upgrade and was it worth it? Thanks for any reply ;)

[@thetraveler8460]

Hi , great video I’m going to give it a go , please what is the adapter you’re using and do you have a link where I can purchase! Thanks

[@Serllinho]

Hi! I'm in the same boat as you. Upgrading my iMac Late 2013 14,2 model. I have a question. What is more (efficient), or more recommended to optimice the write/read speed in SSD? In my case I use a Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVME 1TB to upgrade the iMac, mount ONLY this disk in the imac? Or it's better to use together, with the old SSD (ex-fusion drive) and this 970EVO? Thanks so much & great video

[@MezeiEugen]

Is the 2013 the first model you can install NVME or does the 2012 also have this possbility? And why remove the HDD?

[@jamespeterson8482]

What was the model SSD put in? Those are limited to PCIE 2.0 x2 lanes. Which is why those read/write speeds were in the 700s.

[@Master-qf6zw]

Good good, You can recommend to me adhesive? I will thank you very much

[@bernhardnizynski4403]

Great comprehensive presentation!

[@DTUFINOPhotography]

I'm adding both an NVMe (1TB) and an SSd with 2 TB, but running the OS off the NVMe! My issue was that while removing the left speaker i tore the power button cable, so i had to order a new one off ebay, now i'm just waiting for that!

[@bangmet45]

wow this is mind blowing for me , so all 27" mac has nvme slot ?

[@TheCroupier74]

I’m wondering why no one uses a little bit of heat to soften the adhesive?

[@beekey30]

I had a smaller version of a pizza roller. That thing gouges through the adhesive like butter. It took me a few seconds to lift the screen from the housing. The remaining tape was easily peelable. Within 5 minutes there was nothing left an I had clean surfaces.

[@alcidesmarcano]

Thank you so much for the most complete guide and very detailed on youtube... I appreciate so much... Very useful video!!!

[@linedancer111]

Thank you for that, made up my mind to just get on and do it.

[@CeesMechielsen]

Replacing the battery while you have an open iMac is an excellent idea! Google says that it is a standard 2032 Lithium battery. Thanks for showing this excellent video. I was only missing a close-up of the disconnecting of the monitor cables, but I have other videos showing this. I am planning to do this upgrade as well in the near future. I already have all the components.

[@demef758]

It is NOT a standard battery, it is the BR2032. Same size as the CR2032, but the CR2032 cannot survive the high temperatures inside an iMac!

[@rockitMiC]

@@demef758First time I heard about that. Are you sure?

[@frantzb17]

⁠ The BR2032 battery has the same dimensions, a slightly lower nominal voltage and capacity, and an extended temperature range compared with the CR2032. It is rated for a temperature range of -30 °C to 85 °C,[2] while the CR2032 is specified over the range -20 °C to 70 °C.

[@dualseven4998]

where can yun buy the adhesive. thanks

[@MrMikeBriz]

Great instructional video, thanks for posting it on to KZbin. Any reason why you didn't keep the 1TB HDD and make it a fusion drive setup?

[@ukslmaclab1611]

@MrMikeBriz Cheers, the hard disks inevitably fail and would result in the iMac being opened up again. Fusion drives are very slow and so there was no point.

[@anilranjit6209]

Great Video but I want to know which connector is that?

[@presenttense1493]

Excellent. Regarding the choice of SSD, it's rumored (not confirmed by me) that Apple has begun checking for an Apple branded SSD when reflashing the firmware, a process typically included in major OS version upgrades. These can be found on the used market. They are Samsung SSPOLARIS SSD's, and an OEM part would likely pass the relevant test. The implication is that with a 3rd party SSD you might not be able to upgrade your OS to recent versions. If anyone has any direct experience about this, please weigh in.

[@triforcelink]

Fortunately, these iMacs are no longer supported by Apple, no chance they will get any kind of firmware update.

[@presenttense1493]

Later Macs than model year 2013 contain SSPOLARIS SSD's. I personally own some 2017 and 2019 iMac 5K's which contain them.

[@triplelifecentral]

Great guide. What spec is the nvme drive screw? It’s not the standard one that PC motherboards use right?

[@MezeiEugen]

Good idea to spray the connectors with alcohol. If your intention is to have them corroded as fast as possible.

[@AindriuMacGiollaEoin]

Nice video, i didn't konw the 27" late 2013 had a nvme slot (or that it needed an extension for m.2 to fit)

[@rockitMiC]

It had to have a Fusion Drive! If not there is no NVME slot…

[@YorickPenninks]

Do all the iMac 14,2 (late 2013) models have the possibility of installing a NVMe SSD? I read online some models don’t support that on the motherboard, was the guy right or didn’t he look good on his model 😅

[@jodezza3381]

I can't imagine why it wouldn't be possible but could you use a 1tb NVME instead or is it limited for some reason? Cheers

[@josecarlos_Lino]

I'm a little disappointed with the 970 speed! I was expecting around 2500...not 750 like the SATA SSD. Is the speed of this SSD blade caused by iMac, adapter? I have a 2017 iMac... and I hope it will be faster when I do the surgery

[@6Bulletz]

Hey, What is the max nvme m.2 ssd storage compatibily ? I have 21.5 inch Imac late 2013 3.1 1tb i7, please help thank you!

[@francescoselvaggio]

sarei interessato a questo tipo di lavoro sul mio iMac 27 fine 2013, lavorate anche in Italia?

[@jaos721]

Where did you get that foil for the power supply? my display shortens the imac when i close it

[@paulkerry8915]

so I have the late 2013 imac it has a 1tb Fusion drive in it? does that mean it has a pcie drive and a hard drive inside it?

[@hastingb]

Great video! I'm getting ready to do my own upgrade on a 2019 iMac and was thinking about dropping a fresh battery on the logic board while the Mac was open. Unfortunately I haven't had much luck in finding out what kind of battery is needed. I have some spare CR2032s that I use for AirTags. Do you think those would work?

[@demef758]

The battery type is stamped into the battery itself, namely BR2032. This is a special high temperature battery that can tolerate something like 200C. It gets hot inside an iMac! The CR2032 will fit, but it is not capable of surviving elevated temps. It's a hard battery to find. Mouser and Digikey both sell it though. Pretty cheap, under $2 from them.

[@DimitriSermonti]

Thanks, i want to know: the Speed test Is on the single SSD installed or on the fusion drive?

[@beingatliberty]

do you have any sleep issues with 3rd party SSD via an adapter, had massive problems on a late 2013 macbook pro.

[@bodthemod69]

great infomative vid thanks, can you please recomend what adaptor you used or a NVMe that will plug straight in? Whats the golden flim over the power supply is that essential? and could i go all out and replace the old hard drive with another SSD for storage/back up? thanks

[@crwalter2003]

That golden film is kapton (sp) tape. It's used for different purposes, one of which is insulating electronics from shorts Which is the usage here.

[@ericdecock3687]

Thank you so much for this video, A question, can I also put in a 1TB SSD ?

[@Vinc-he8ph]

I would just like to say that I recently installed the Fusion Drive on my iMac 27" late 2015. It wasn't there for me. Only the empty slot. Built in NVMe 2.M from WD. More precisely WD SN770 1 Tb. Speed test made/measured read/write 2800 MB/s. I have of course installed the operating system and the iMac boots from the NVMe. My next attempt is to remove the 1 Tb HDD and install an NVMe 2.M with SSD adapter.

[@Ivan.Atanasov.]

Is it a m.2 or ssd slot? Is it not possible to buy the correct fitting out of the box?

[@Dark-sv5cg]

Do they make blade m.2 to 2.5 SATA adapters ? I bought the wrong one but still want to use the drive

[@nurlanuzakbaev4221]

Thanks a lot for instruction! Amazing video. I have 21.5 Imac, is it the same way as 27? Just an adapter and easily can install m2 ssd?

[@hhy2k]

The don't have M.2 ssd slots if they are not come with one AFAIK...

[@fcramos7280]

Greetings. What did you do about the hard drive heat-sensor? Did the unit make any of the internal fans run at full-blast?

[@ukslmaclab1611]

Hi! 2012+ iMacs don't have hard disk temp sensors which trigger the SMC to put the fans on full when disconnected.

[@armdm]

@@ukslmaclab1611 perfect question so if i understand correctly i don't need one i have one late 2015 correct ?

[@bangmet45]

3x the hdd speed not bad

[@GregVasquez777]

Greetings. When you change from sata drive to nvme, does the computer in lieu of changes to the fan/heat sensor automatically adjust to the new situation? I know the old drives had a sensor and now i assume not, so wondering what the system does with the lack of temperature. Thanks!

[@DELANDIGS]

there is no HDD heat sensor in a 2013

[@colinshum5216]

without the SATA HDD, do the HDD temperature sensor goes crazy and turn the fans on at full blast?

[@DELANDIGS]

Apple stopped using HDD heat sensors after 2012

[@demef758]

Seems criminal to me to toss the hard drive. These days you can easily find 2TB SATA SSDs for about $100. Pull the rotating hard drive and replace it with the SSD drive. After that, look up the steps to create a Fusion drive between the NVMe SSD and the SATA SSD. You will have to deal with Terminal, but the articles you will find only require you copy/paste a couple of short lines of code into Terminal to create the Fusion drive. Using a bootable USB drive to install the new OS, but first invoke Terminal from the installer to make the Fusion drive first, and after that, you install the OS on the Fusion drive. Alternatively, before you tear down the iMac, use a spare hard drive and make it a Time Machine drive, and back up your entire drive on it. After rebuilding the iMac, from the installer drive you can tell it to reinstall your old drive info from the Time Machine drive. Simple to do.

[@ukslmaclab1611]

A fusion drive setup is much slower, we did speed tests and it's simply much better to remove the old hard disk. Platter hard disks are incredibly slown and regularly fail and involves stripping the iMac down again.

[@rockitMiC]

It’s better to have a backup drive as an external drive for évident reasons! I even have an external startup drive and a data external hard drive!

[@mohamedrimzan3626]

Hi !!! sir, Can i upgrade NVMe SSD on 21.5 inch imac 2012 ?

[@AhmadAdam-II]

Where can we get the NVMe adaptor ?!

[@Baluchishair]

Though the video was very long to watch every second but it was also very detailed and instructive. By the way I am too interested in upgrading my same machine but I'll have to collect a lot of items from aliexpress because my local market doesn't has all necessary things to do these upgrade things. I actually have heard that we don't have those screen seals/adhesive here.

[@THEHARDSKLTR]

Hi Do you think the evo PLUS will work also?

[@rockitMiC]

The NVME slot was empty? IMPOSSIBLE!

[@pipingdogtooth]

Change Battery -31:28

[@spartiotis300]

I purchased a Samsung NVME SSD 2TB 980 Pro, upgrading my iMac Late 2013 27inch, then I came across your vid, will this SSD still be compatible with my iMac ???

[@ukslmaclab1611]

Yeah it will fit a late 2013 but you will need an Apple to NVMe adaptor for it.

[@spartiotis300]

@@ukslmaclab1611 yep got a ST-NGFF2013 SSD Adapters on the way

[@buntysimmons2565]

Will this be the same for a late 2012

[@39lloydb]

Will this work on a 21.5 in. iMac late model 2013?

[@powergenius4708]

where did un get that extra screwdriver for the extra pcie ssd?

[@diegolevett]

Can you leave the original hard drive in there as well in addition with the new one? Thanks!

[@aimekatsuva1209]

this was my question. I would think yes

[@nielsv2025]

Yes. There is no reason not to. You might even consider replacing the HDD for an SSD.

[@macguru9999]

Does your imac wake from sleep properly, or does it crash ?

[@wvsac]

I noticed you didn’t fit a thermal sensor. Your thoughts please

[@ukslmaclab1611]

HDD Thermal sensor is not used in 2012+ iMacs

[@tremu777dj]

Samsung EVO Plus is compatible?

[@johnross8939]

Very nice video. Sound track is not intrusive. Voice enunciation pleasant and understandable. Step by step instructions. Is there any reason you didn't install a 2.5" SATA III SSD as a data disk in the fusion drive cavity? Which of the 27" iMacs from 2013 to 2019 do you consider the best? Please consider the GPU as well. Very well done!

[@xperience2k12]

actually, ive been using imacs from 2011 to 2019 and the only reason using imacs are the beautiful screens buildin and the clean setup due to the case design. But technically inside of it, its a little bit overpriced for the heat and power they offer. I would consider a new generation with m1 technology. There is no reason using the older one with intel cpu. I mean, if you get them for little money due to some awkward problems like damaged fusion drive, damaged screen stand or some other typicall damage and upgrade/repair it, but if you can afford, go stick to m1/m2 imacs. I'm not impressed after repairing a lot of imacs about their price and quality after all. I mean, its much cheaper after all getting a nice 5k display and use a macbook pro m1/m2 or even a macmini.

[@hhy2k]

@@xperience2k12 It shows you a nice Windows 11 experience.... can your M1 do that?

[@daver7289]

Also using open core to Monterey with a 16/32GB ram upgrade gives a rather nice experience. If you need heavy duty then yes the m series is the way to go , other than that enjoy!

[@ronyrea2021]

It can be done with an iMac Late 2015 27inc, it starts just as the video explains! I want to do it as the video says, is there any important note that I should take into account?

[@DarthBaeza]

Which Brand, Model of SSD did you use to get these results? I wish to buy the same exact one for my late 2013 iMac 27. Thank You.

[@oxharp]

Looks like a Samsung 970 evo

[@froilancolon4637]

Well done.

[@beekey30]

Yesterday I changed acc. your Video the HDD with a ssd. The first start after reassembling was horror because the ssd and the usb stick wasn’t shown on screen. Only a blinking folder with a question mark was shown. Can you explain the cause of that? I'm using a Samsung 870evo with 1tb. But finally I brought that damn thing after 4 hours back to life. Don't ask me how. My wife was very happy. I think, I will never do that again. The replacement itself was easy although.

[@KcostaS91]

I also do not recognize the ssd nvme m.2 internally, he installed the macOS Ventura externally and if he recognizes it but at the time of installing it internally he does not recognize it, I have disassembled and assembled the iMac like 30 times, formatting the ssd in apfs, macOS extended, I have tried everything and it does not recognize me the ssd, it is an iMac 2017, I hope to have your support or the support of someone, greetings!

[@alx3550]

You have to be careful when taking of the screen. There is tension and it likes to crack very quick... BE CAREFULL with the powersupply DO NOT TOUCH the contacts with your hands...

[@KcostaS91]

Hi! I have a problem with an iMac 2017, I already did everything and I can't find the solution, at first it detected the ssd with the adapter, I have a crucial 1 TB P3, I connect it to the motherboard and when I put the bootable usb with MacOs Ventura does not recognize it internally, if that same ssd I put it externally if the iMac recognizes it, I do the format externally and at the moment of putting it internally it it does not recognize it. I already installed the macOS Ventura by external means and I put it internally and it doesn't recognize it either, I don't know what to do I've been testing for a month and I have to be assembling and disassembling the iMac, I hope someone can help me, The disk utility does not recognize it, I already made the list disk and nothing does not appear the ssd m.2 nvme, I am totally blocked, do I need to do it with high sierra and then update to Ventura?

[@andrewrodriguez6586]

with this upgrade can you update to the latest OS?

[@daver7289]

Yes, using OpenCore Legacy Patcher, although I would limit it to Monterey.

[@junior_firmino77]

Olá boa noite, como posso remover password firmware do iMac 2013?

[@edialbert8035]

In my experience the suction cups used in this video are too powerful, they will crack your screen very easily. I have done this with two double suction cups, of the same brand that's used in this video and the screen got sucked to pieces. This was done on the 27" models that have magnets attaching the glass to the chassi (A1312). I will try to attach these suction cups with the leaver starting at around half way, so only half the suction force is applied, that should be more than enough, since these suction cups are designed for removing car windows.

[@Gts2pro]

The handling of the logic board on the quilt ?….omg … and the power supply needs to be handled by its edges

[@InsideTechMx]

How much RAM support?

[@saneneweyes6189]

I have a late 2013 and it has four slots accessible from the back, for up to 32gb total.

[@mikegord]

Not just 'crack' but also 'fall off and CRACK'. While you are asleep.

[@AndreyKagar]

A very strange decision! We removed the 3.5" disk, it would not be superfluous to store files! Well, or they would have put a regular SATA SSD 2.5" and it would have a speed of 500 mb/s

[@MezeiEugen]

Wondering how many hearts stopped by removing the PS like the guy in th video does it.

[@apistosig4173]

Max Out the RAM, insert SSD and install Linux Mint - Awesome, Mint runs flawlessly on Imacs 😉 and you'll no longer be a mac hostage!

[@flamingkillermc2806]

Nah, rather erase macOS and fully install windows 11 pro and bootcamp drivers

[@christopherjames9843]

I own two of these great iMac's but it is ridiculous you have to jump thru hoops to do anything but a ram upgrade.

[@rockitMiC]

Exact! That is ridiculous! Only explication: it’s done viciously for discouraging repairing yourself…

[@wurblur9070]

Followed this step by step and now my iMac won't turn on 😭

[@Rikorg]

Algún conector suelto?

[@bo771779]

49：55 date 042114...What means？

[@kevinhansbury3629]

Will this work on a 2011 model

[@Rikorg]

Solo de 2013 en adelante

[@edialbert8035]

The 2011 model (A1312) has the screen attached with magnets. I would avoid using those suction cups at their full capacity, go for half.

[@Raven-we6dx]

Is the nvme ssd better option than ssd?

[@ukslmaclab1611]

Yes it completely cuts out the SATA bottleneck and data goes straigh into the PCIe Bus. Much faster and more efficient!

[@beekey30]

I think, I can confirm that. My mainboard in my PC can only handle SATA SSDs. The transfer rate ist roundabout 500mb/s. The nvme ssd in my wife’s mac has a transfer rate of 750mb/s (more or less). So, the Mac goes faster(datatransfer) than my computer.

[@SuperDjneil]

​e​@@ukslmaclab1611can this use pcle 4? Thanks

[@DarioushAryan]

bravoo

[@jivexero]

Did you run into any sleep or hibernation issues?

[@ukslmaclab1611]

We've done hundreds and haven't come into issues with Hibernation on iMacs. Yes we have seen issues with Pre-Big Sur on MacBooks though.

[@JoesephBidon]

Should have put in a 2TB

[@ukslmaclab1611]

The customer had a choice of sizes.

[@Rufer56]

Before looking at videos like this I had a slow but valuable iMac 27" late 2015 ... Now I have a useless no value brick!😮‍💨

[@billcollins6894]

What did you do wrong?

[@andreasmoll_0924]

"The 27-inch iMac from 2014 typically does not have a standard M.2 connector for SSD storage."

[@stephencawker1565]

Thats slow?.should have used a samsung 970 pro bud!

[@ianoliver3879]

I'm thoroughly confused. I only see one person, but the commentary refers to a plurality. What's going on here?

[@_specialneeds]

Any mac can be easily upgraded by simply inserting it into the trash can.

[@MrClamcutter]

My God it's informative, but just like watching paint dry