How to upgrade iMac 2019 from fusion HDD to SSD (4k)

Because I'm cheap, I only bought the fusion drive iMac and decided to upgrade my iMac by myself for 5th of the cost. It worked out ok!
What will you need:
Samsung 860 EVO 1TB, the bigger the faster (not worth paying more for Pro)
www.mwave.com.au/product/sams...
Link to my upgrade toolkit (cutter + adhesives)
www.ifixit.com/Store/Mac/iMac...
SSD caddy
www.newegg.com/bytecc-bracket...
Some box you can rest the screen on
iPhonedo's Samsung X5 review
• Samsung X5 - Insanely ...
Anthony's iMac screen adventure (LTT)
• Apple REFUSED to Fix o...
Music: www.bensound.com

[@juraj_b]

The Apple Fusion SSD cannot be simply replaced by your standard M.2 NVMe drive - Apple uses proprietary connectors and the drives are also longer. Each generation is also slightly different in number of pins and width and so on. You can get adapters but I haven't found one that I like. Yet. Upgrading to SATA SSD makes a massive difference though NVMe would absolutely be faster. Good luck upgrading!

[@avtosdemis]

eshop.sintech.cn/images/IMG_0870.jpg this adapter will do the job (you need high sierra an up firmware )

[@thischangeseverything972]

OWC or fledging.net - as long as your computer model number is on their list, you should be good to go. Correct if I'm wrong.

[@heythere6983]

hey guys, totally new to this, was considering building a custom PC because I thought Macs were not upgradable at a ll. But iv seen people mention updating the SSD, CPU and RAM..... So youre telling me I can get a base 27 inch, and upgrade the RAM , the CPU and the DRIVE? No issue to worry about in the future? meaning OS updates or anything like that , should be okay? Also if I opt for the fusions drive, does that mean I need to account for that? If I just want an SSD drive, would getting the SSD model make it easier/more reliable? I felt I read somone mention addicts two drives when replacing their fusion drive. Again total newbie, so maybe some understanding w this? ALSO, can this be done to the 21 inch then? If upgrading a iMac is as doable as upgrading pcs are then this seems kinda like a no brainer, any advice? One last question, can a RYZEN processor be thrown in then? Those tend to have more cores for cheaper prices. I make music so I have been using amacbook pro and it doesnt seem to be best option but dont want to go hackintosh. Id massively appreciate any help here

[@user-mx4zn8ip9e]

You don't replace the Fusion with m.2 NVME, instead you replace the 32GB ssd on the PCIe port with an M.2 NVME (1tb for $130, up to 3400MB/s). Then it is easy to find an adapter. But you need to kept tearing down the computer till the end as the PCIe port is on the back of the mother board.

[@victorhuang9128]

@@user-mx4zn8ip9e Hey man, quick question, what if my HD is broken (fusion drive, not sure if the HD failed or the SSD part failed), as I am trying to replace the thing. Do you think I can replace the whole thing with NVMe SSD and a NVMe to PCIe adapter?

[@Helloimsleepy]

Great video. Only suggestion I can add is , prior to gluing the front back to place, I would recommend a mock boot up just to make sure that all connections and the new hard drive actually works. It's nothing more frustrating then gluing all back together and realize that one connection was not ansambled well and it's not working at all. Then you will need a new set of stipes and do it all over again. Cheers.

[@harvey8695]

Before sealing up the iMac, I recommend booting it up to make sure everything works. When I replaced my drive and sealed it up, the screen would not come. I had to reopen the iMac to re-attach the cables. I'm glad I ordered a second set of the adhesive tape.

[@macyourday0]

I was thinking that during the vid. I reckon just some black tape on the top edge till you’re happy it’s all good. To bad you can’t fusion with an SSD but I’m surprised the pcie drive wasn’t replaced with at least a 512 for the system and apps. Also, don’t the 2019s have the temperature sensor problem with HDD?

[@Applecompuser]

Harvey How did it look cosmetically?I’m going back and fourth between an external SSD or an internal. bTW- I have 32 gigs of memory in a 2015 5k. I suspect that 16 gig sticks may be able to be used over the 8. Anyone have any info? Thanks for people who post and share info

[@harvey8695]

@@Applecompuser it looks like it did before I opened it because the adhesive strips are hidden inside the screen. The adhesive strips are easy to install.

[@Applecompuser]

@@harvey8695 - Thanks for reply. I will keep that in mind.

[@mihalyfreeman5928]

EXACTLY! This guy doesnt know what his doing!

[@RGV250FORSALE]

If you remove the motherboard you can remove the little ssd finger drive that apple uses as a fusion drive and replaced it with an M2-NVME drive, formatted it as a normal drive and still replaced the rotational drive with an SSD. You can keep the os and apps on the M2 drive and your data on the regular SSD. The speed increase is impressive. Also not a criticism just a tip - don't tape the screen up until you've checked everything is working.

[@frankwalker3362]

This is the best video I've seen regarding iMac SSD upgrade . Odlicno!!

[@englishtransformation1839]

Excellent. I’m going to need to watch this and follow slowly step by step if I ever attempt it.

[@dazuk1969]

Removing the screen from anything these days is a heart pounding moment...taking one off an iMac takes balls....kudos to you my friend. The hard drive swap is nothin really...even with one screw. It's all about that screen, they are soooo easy to crack/damage. Master this, and you can do anything with your iMac....please, please don't anyone get clever about soldered components, that's another issue altogether, but not insurmountable.....peace.

[@thischangeseverything972]

Yes! I cracked my screen when attempting it a couple of years ago. Fortunately the crack is just in the top right corner and most of the time you don't see it

[@CmThayer33]

I have a 2015 27in iMac with the 2tb fusion drive. It started acting up recently n I did everything to try n fix it without opening it up. I figured it was the Fusion drive. I went n bought a Samsung T5 500gb external ssd. I formatted it n then installed a bootable version of Catalina into it. It’s hooked up using just usb n it’s actually driving it at the same exact speeds as the one u installed. So basically I did what u did without opening it up n now just need to look at a external drive hooked to it. It’s not as pretty but it works great n now my machine is back operational again which I thought 2 days ago that I’d be spending another $2500 on a new one. So $86 and it’s fixed. I should be able to do without buying a new one for another year. I’m impressed tho that it’s running still so well for a 5yr old machine. Never had an issue until that fusion drive started slowing to a crawl. It wasn’t even filled up either. The 2tb fusion comes with 128gb of flash n I was only using About 90gb total n the drive just slowed until everything started making me see the spinning beach ball of death.

[@BudiDoremi]

Is it work on imac late 2015?

[@victorvlasenko9575]

Did the same thing on 2010 macbook, but to keep the same system and files, used Acronis to clone the HDD to an SSD before installing it, runs like butter for 2 years already :)

[@lokibau]

just did the upgrade with your tutorial; i didnt have the patience to "hack" the disk bracket, but i followed you to the letter and evrything gone smooth and well. Thank you Juraj!

[@jakedomoto6802]

Did you have to reinstall your operating system afterwards? I noticed in the video he didn't mention anything about having to clone his drive over etc...

[@lokibau]

@@jakedomoto6802 yes i did have, but it was no problem at all

[@davepalmer2875]

2 tips : No 1 the SSD is so light -you dont need to put it in the framework - a little bit of velcro attaches it just fine No 2) put it all back together with out the adhesive seal and put a small amount of sellotape across the top corners of the screen diagonally - this enable you to take the screen off if there is a problem and to also change the drive again if you wish, put the adhesive back in place if you sell it

[@borisrenegade9732]

Great guide !! I wanted to ask you if this update guide also applies to iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017).

[@godling_jin]

thanks for making this video. I wonder what is the best way to backup and restore the old disk? I have a bootcamp (Windows 10) on the iMac

[@LuisLopez-hb3ok]

Will the 2tb version of this samsung ssd work on a 2017 5k 27” imac ???

[@TheRealSlobo]

I have a question and I hope I get and answer. What is the difference between replacing the fusion drive and running external SSD ?

[@antonifs]

Hey Juraj, just curious, when you run the recovery was it the mouse working?

[@JustMatt01]

Hi Juraj, thank you for your video on this! I have an iMac 2013, currently also with FusionDrive setup. Now yesterday I ordered an SSD-upgrade-kit. Only later I remembered my FusionDrive Setup. Did you need to change anything else in the system in regards to FusionDrive? Or just mount the SSD, later format it in macOS, as you described and then install the complete system back from (TimeMachine-) backup? Cheers, Matthias

[@matthewdalva3127]

It is actually pretty easy to generate a fusion drive using an nvme and ssd. I just did it. Be careful this destroys all information on both disks you use to make the fusion drive. In Terminal start with determining the disk names (they both have to be GUID formatted). Then use this command - "diskutil cs create fusion disk 1 disk 2" (disk1 and disk2 are the names you go using diskutil list This will generate a new fusion volume group. Write down or copy the logical volume group name. Next you need to generate the volume - this this command: "diskutil cs createVolume (logical group volume number) jhfs+ Fusion 100%" Bingo - a new fusion drive Of course you have to boot from another drive because this process destroys all information on both the disks you are using to make the fusion drive.

[@josefdahari]

I was just thinking about this since I'm also tryi g to get rid of the HD and upgrade to an SSD instead. Now I was curious on 2 things. When I clone the drive is it going to clone both fused drives or just the HD second. Is it going to recognize both drives as ssd.

[@usuariommxxi1005]

Hi! please can u show us how to upgarde the RAM ??? in this Mac and the HDD (not fusion HDD) to SSD

[@brawn_coleman]

I put more ram and a new hard drive into my MacBook Pro mid 2012. Definitely easier due to only taking out some screws on the underside. This is a bit lengthier task. I ordered an iMac 21.5 2019 retina 4k with a base of 8 gb. Mind you it was refurbished. I want to put in an ssd hard drive and upgrade the ram from 8 gb to 64 gb. Safe to do so?

[@inkmania]

Olá Amigo ! meu iMac 27 5k 2017 trava para reproduzir videos em 4k 60fps no youtube usando qualquer navegador. Você sabe o motivo de acontecer isso ? Um amigo meu tem o imac 27 5k 2019 3 e acontece igual o problema. Abraço

[@tassiad.9137]

meu tb. Vende e compra um SSD com pelo menos 2TB pra editar 4k 60pfs

[@RodolpheJerez]

Hi, Do I have to buy an adapter for the thermal sensor?

[@BryantAvant]

Do you know if the one with a m.2 still has the sata connector for an additional drive?

[@harvesteroftone5473]

Isn't there a m.2 slot on the main board?

[@lmadsen7118]

Do the Fusion drive make more noice, or is it just about speed upgrade?

[@GeminiMotovlogsumar]

Hi I am planning to use crucial mx500 , instead of the hdd is it ok ? Will it work or not . Please advise.

[@Tengeresz1969]

Hi! We built in a 2TB Samsung SSD instead of the HDD part of fusion drive. My migrated system is on this 2TB SSD. Is there a reason to move the whole system (maybe OSX Catalina) to the faster 128GB SSD part of the fusion drive. I have some app crashes on the new iMac 27" 2019, i9 64GB Kingston RAM machine now. A clean install on 128GB install may help to get a faster, more stabile machine? THX!

[@juraj_b]

You migrated as in copied or you installed fresh system? I;d suggest fresh install or wait for some patches as there could be issues with new Catalina as it only came out. I and many of my colleagues had friends with recent iOS (13.1.2 if I’m not mistaken) but wasn’t HW issues as we individually thought at first. You can run diagnostics that will determine if there are any component issues. If not, it’s system related

[@franciscorobless.7698]

Hi how are you. A doubt the sensor does not need the new ssd? Thank you

[@gnommak]

I think that you also need temperature sensor adapter after changing hard drive in iMac. Apple HHDs have special firmware that translate SMART temperature to Apple standard. Without it fan could start blowing because can't read HDD/SSD temperature. And also Hardware test will always fail.

[@janissuipe7553]

I was thinking the same thing. In my experience the fans would blow 100% all the time. That is why I usually buy OWC SSD which have the temp sensor firmware.

[@apawstate]

I did this upgrade on my older 2013 iMac. Your video doesn't point this out, but after the SSD is installed in place of the SATA spinning drive, the PCI-E SSD portion of the Fusion drive is orphaned, but still shows up as a (very fast)volume that you can use. Mine was 120GB.

[@franbene1]

How should the 5k monitor cable be connected? my cable's damaged and had to replace it

[@walmartpimp2]

Hello, I have a 2019 27" i5 iMac with a 1TB Fusion drive. The drive is too slow and too small for my needs. Would a Samsung870 QVO SATA III 2.5" SSD 8TB (MZ-77Q8T0B) be compatible with my Mac? If not what 8TB SSD would you recommend? Thanks.

[@veennz]

for the fusion drive setup, if i upgrade the PCIe SSD to 1tb, can I remove the HDD as I have no need for the extra storage? thanks.

[@martinjosserand6451]

hey, can i do the same for the iMac 2019 I3 with the SATA 1to hard drive ?

[@Gmon750]

It's exactly the same.

[@Malandrhugo]

Does this work on a 21,5 inch 4K 2017 iMac? Thanks!!

[@Ilegator]

Is it possible to add a 2tb nvme but stick with the separate 2tb hard drive? Installing the os in the nvme? And no fusion

[@lanphanh]

Can we add the SSD as a second hard drive instead of replacing the Fusion drive? Can this model support the second hard drive for additional storage?

[@TheMatrixxandRhodesShow]

I just bought this because of this video. I'm cheap too.

[@KieranFahey]

Great video, pumped to make some upgrades

[@eliasgeekds7256]

Hello greetings from Chile. Does this ssd need a temperature sensor? I ask, since I have seen that some technicians install it. Specifically to the 2019 model

[@momoxh]

I'm a computer noob, this might be a stupid question, before you swap the ssd you need to get a copy of everything and after the swap you need to install an brand new os right?

[@BojanBojovic]

Can you say something about dark dust spots appearing on the left and right bottom of the screen, how to clean the glass from inside?

[@shawnstar86]

Bojan Bojovic it’s humidity I seen a video where someone removes the lcd opens and cleans it .

[@SteveOfTheMountains]

Some say you should upgrade the NVMe and leave the hard drive. any thoughts?

[@urielalfaro3965]

Thank you for your guidance! Now I know I can do better!

[@NikolausWut]

I swapped out the internal PCI SSD by a 1TB Transcend SSD PCI one and put in a HDD for additional storage. And everything worked just fine wir insane read and write speeds 👌🏼

[@macyourday0]

What adapter did you use? There are so many, it’s important to get one that doesn’t throttle any speed.

[@Fer-mu3yq]

Why not install an external thunderbolt 3 enclosure with NVME SSD drive (high speed) instead of having to open the screen?

[@CB-uc5yz]

Much appreciated!!! My concern is where do I get the correct adhesive to reinstall the Screen, the cutting tool and anything else I may need to do this job I definitely do not want to screw this job up!! I’m s retired US Military Pilot living on a very tight budget. Can’t afford to have to replace screen

[@TreasonsBeta]

When I formatted my SSD with APFS, my 2015 iMac running Mojave would see that it was there in a Recover boot, but I couldn't modify it, install the OS, or attempt to launch it on startup. I ended up formatting it Mac OS extended journal to get it to work. I hope there are no problems down the line.

[@TheKevdarling]

hey nice video mi 2014 mac mini has a fusion drive with much better writting and reading speed results, may be its becouse it came with 128ssd+1tbhdd .. im going to buy an imac with fd but after watching this i dont know if its the best option.. or get a newer mac mini with ssd..

[@tcbanyai]

Keeping in mind what said about he PCIeI, will swapping the drives effect the performance and functionality computer?

[@TechManZ]

Thank you! this video is amazing and very intuitive. Only thing I may have done differently before the seal is maybe turn it on until apple logo to ensure proper connection. What do you think?

[@chlins]

Hi, I bought a 2017 iMac to upgrade (I've done many), but this one is having some problems. I'm changing his intel SSD to a Samsung and 8GB RAM to 32GB. What happens is that it fires the FAN right away in installation mode and takes hours to install macOs Monterey. And then it gets super slow. What could be wrong? Note: I didn't notice the purchase, but after I disassembled and reassembled it, the RJ45 input doesn't line up.

[@OG96932]

can i put a 4 tb ssd in my 2019 imac 27

[@nickpena]

I see you didn't need the OWC temperature sensor. I see mixed information online did you have any fan problems?

[@jan-frederikstieler1242]

Is it really a good Idea to have a Apple Watch attached on your arm if you work on computer-boards or with not destatic your body? Keyword static electricity charge.

[@macyourday0]

The watch is not the problem. It’s the operator. Be very careful in dry weather and synthetic carpets and clothing. Touch the case before any electronics and unplug the power, etc. if you have any concerns or lack electrical/electronic experience, don’t do this.

[@bigcheetah]

Don't you need to attach a thermal sensor?

[@DontFuckWitDreDay]

DO I NEED TO WASTE MONEY AND BUY THE THERMAL SENSOR FOR THE SSD ? Please let me know , thank u

[@BojanBojovic]

Thanks Juraj. Interesting to hear that Fusion Drive can not be made with the SATA SSD, this is a deal breaker as the internal NV2 is only 120GB. What about the temperature sensor on the 27 inch 2019 model? It is needed for the 2017 model year.

[@vincentnnyc]

if you install a brand new hdd into the imac....how do you get mac os on the new hdd?

[@EmilioFigueroa]

It supports Internet Recovery, so when you're starting it up you hold down CMD+Option+R and it will download MacOS over the internet and install it on the drive.

[@ghislainriou9560]

Good day thank you for the explanation but where can i get a m.2 drive to buy that is compatible with my IMAC motherboard to increase the storage? Can i just remove that m.2 drive and just use an ssd 2.5 alone will it let me install the os and boot normal, i have an imac 27'' a1419 late 2015 that crashed and not booting well. i still didn't buy anything tools to open it until i finish doing further research so i can have everything i need to start to fix my imac. please kindly reply thank you.

[@ahmedsultan7308]

hi you can keep the ordinal hard drive and install m.2 at backside , however the you need special adapter to convert the apple m.2 to normal m.2. check this kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3i0iZ2dbKyInbM

[@moetezskouri2785]

Or u can find a used one on ebay especially from macbook >2013

[@jimhill5996]

The "fusion drive" on an original machine is a PCIe module clipped onto the motherboard + SATA cabled spinning hard drive. These show up as a one drive icon but in reality, are two drives working together as one. To swap-out, the PCIe module requires accessing the motherboard, which takes further disassembly. Time-consuming but easy enough. The Apple PCIe HD modules are bespoke to Mac's so are more costly than for standard PC motherboards. The interesting point that Juraj made: Fusion drive is only for PCIe + spinning disk, not PCIe + SSD. So if the OS is loaded onto the new SSD machine, it may be faster but not anywhere as quick with the PCIe For my part, I will swap-out my 125GB PCIe for 1TB where the OS and other applications will sit, and swop-out the spinning drive for a 2TB SSD for data storage. 2 HD icons will show Also: Juraj, didn't mention the temperature censor required for the new SSD; without this, the cooling fan will be at max all of the time. However, I understand there are software solutions.

[@hardlines2635]

The sensor is a scam.

[@banitosandoval5818fjri]

do you have any video how to upgrade ram memory

[@davidk7002]

Can I also replace the glass pane?

[@shaktdonikar4786]

Can we install hard drive+ssd in one imac??

[@grant1584]

Does MacOS play ball with an OWC Aura Pro X2 PCI-e SSD with a SHDD (eg FireCuda) in the SATA slot? Does the system see the SHDD as a rotational drive? I have searched in Google but I haven't found anyone who has tried that configuration.

[@juraj_b]

unfortunately I haven't tried that either...

[@gnomehole4252]

What do you do with the existing PCI SSD that was part of the fusion drive? I can swap a spinning drive with SSD, but wouldn't a PCI upgrade from Apple be much faster than doing it this way? What happens to the internal PCI SSD when you format the newly placed SSD drive and install the OS... does it sit inside unused? I'm debating the 2TB fusion vs. 2TB SSD and see videos of people tearing the entire iMac apart to get to the PCI storage... I don't want to do that.

[@JQuattro]

Same. This definitely doesn't seem like a good idea. I'm debating 1TB Fusion and 512GB SSD, but either way I'll connect an external SSD later.

[@christiandominguez1755]

I think opening the iMac is not a great idea. I bought an external case for the SSD (one on amazon that looks like aluminium so it looks like part of the iMac design) and connected it through Thunderbolt. Then with terminal in recovery mode i undid the Fusion drive between the HDD and the PCI drive (there are a lot of tutorials for this). After that I made a new fusion drive between the PCI drive and the SSD specifying that de main drive is the internal one. Now i use the ssd+pci to the OS and the HDD to store large files. It works seamlessly and fast! It's a lot easier and safer. Try it!

[@plan4studios977]

Just a question. If Im going to move away from the Fusion Drive and just use a big 1 or 2 TB SSD, what do I do with the little flash SSD thats in Mac(the one that was part of the Fusion Drive)? Is there a way to disable it so its hidden from your Mac or do you have to manually remove it? The reason I ask is because right now my Fusion Drive is split, and Im just using the 1TB Sata drive, but because the drives are split Ive run into certain issues because the Mac thinks its supposed to be a Fusion Drive. For instance, I tried to Factory Restore my Imac(the one that restores the the DAW it started life with) and I just get a Folder with a ? In it. It says that it cant restore it, and I read stuff that said you get the( ? )Folder when the drive is changed or damaged in some way, so Im guessing its because the original Fusion Drive was split. But ya, Im mainly curious what you do with the Flash SSD that was part of the Fusion? Or after you install this 1TB SSD do you still run it as a Fusion drive?

[@flex-ranger2]

Did you resolve the problem here? When I bought my 2017 mac the drive was split, I had to use terminal to get all the pieces of the drive back together. Here is a link to the video that helped me kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmOQfoGsbceSf7s From memory I had to link several parts together not just 2 but it was relatively easy to do. :)

[@nnamdiihenaka2834]

Can you help me do it when I buy ?

[@SBALKINDI]

Thanks a lot for this detailed Video and explanation. just quick Q, at 15:09 you mentioned the system will not support 2xSSD drive. So what will be the solution, since I have fusion drive? (1 TB) I should keep the rotation drive 1 TB or remove it?

[@hectorgarcia9301]

I have the same question...Can I replace the fusion with sata SSD and replace the stock pcie SSD with a larger pcie SSD? Thanks in advance!

[@ronflores7]

Same here lol

[@mje1625]

Thanks for making this video! Very informative! Couple questions: 1. In the OWC video they completely remove the screen from the housing. In your video it seems you used the bottom adhesive as a hinge so the screen would simply tip over but remain attached? If this is true, can I assume you did NOT replace the adhesive on the bottom of the screen and basically reused the existing adhesive? 2. I was a little confused by the last part of your video explaining the two drives inside the stock iMac: a smaller SSD and the larger spinning HD. So when you removed the stock HD, does that also remove the smaller stock SSD? Or by removing the larger spinning drive is the smaller SSD disconnected? If the stock SSD is still being used by the iMac after installing the new SSD, how is the stock SSD disconnected? Thanks!

[@jimhill5996]

The "fusion drive" on an original machine is a PCIe module clipped onto the motherboard + SATA cabled spinning hard drive. These show up as a one drive icon but in reality, are two drives working together as one. To swap-out, the PCIe module requires accessing the motherboard, which takes further disassembly. Time-consuming but easy enough. The Apple PCIe HD modules are bespoke to Mac's so are more costly than for standard PC motherboards. The interesting point that Juraj made: Fusion drive is only for PCIe + spinning disk, not PCIe + SSD. So if the OS is loaded onto the new SSD machine, it may be faster but not anywhere as quick with the PCIe For my part, I will swap-out my 125GB PCIe for 1TB where the OS and other applications will sit, and swop-out the spinning drive for a 2TB SSD for data storage. 2 HD icons will show Also: Juraj, didn't mention the temperature censor required for the new SSD; without this, the cooling fan will be at max all of the time. However, I understand there are software solutions.

[@michaelburne8202]

Hi, thank you for your video, just wondering if you didn't forgot to connect thermal sensor as others do, correct me if im wrong. Thank you

[@juraj_b]

There's no need for it in this version

[@iFilmHeroes]

@@juraj_b what about this version 2017 iMac 5K with a 1TB Fusion drive (1TB SATA HDD + 28GB PCIe SSD)???

[@Jhuang114]

Did you end up breaking the Fusion bond between the original HDD and original SSD? I'm ready for the physical swap part but have a few concerns with the software side!

[@josefdahari]

I am in the same boat as you want to change out to ssd and keep the ssd blade as a boot up for OS and maybe some apps like Adobe logic etc.

[@davidmelilllo6689]

What about the thermal sensor ?

[@ms72_official]

You don't need a Temperature Sensor for the SSD?

[@BriansGarageTV]

I have a pretty well equipped 2019 27" iMac, with the 2TB fusion setup. I am just learning that the "SSD" part of the fusion drive is a whole separate "drive" on the motherboard. I do a lot of video editing, so my 2TB has filled up rather quickly, but slowly (lol). I am dying to swap in an SSD as the main drive, but my computer isn't a "fresh" install of Mac OS, and I don't want to lose everything. Can I simply transfer my HDD contents onto an external drive, install the new SSD, and transfer them on to it, or will I have to basically go with a fresh install of Mac OS, and then transfer my videos/photos back onto it? I hope that makes sense. I also see people upgrading the little SSD chip on the mobo to a larger size, does that benefit anything if its only the OS on there?

[@phamtoilon]

BriansGarageTV You will have to clone your new drive before installing it. I’m not sure if cloning a fusion drive is the same as a normal drive since the OS is on the PCie chip soldered to the motherboard. Reasearch it. Don’t replace the PCie, it’s pointless. It does nothing but stores the OS.

[@jackiescum5438]

@@phamtoilon the pcie is not soldered to the motherboard. Also, it is for from pointless to replace the pcie, if you were to replace the 28, 32 or 128 gb pcie with a 1gb or 512 pcie drive you would get far faster speeds the you get with a sata drive or the 2 ssd'd drives fused. when you say research it, I think you should take your own advice. You could use the pcie drive alone for the fatsest results. You could use an upgraded pice & sata ssd for a fast fusion drive or use a ssd in the sata drive alone which would limit your read/writes to 550/550. The ultimate would be to replace the screwed in, NOT soldered on pcie on the motherboard with a 1tb or 2th pcie for blazing fast, the fastest option. That said its the most difficult option for inexperienced upgraders.

[@pilotz10]

Hi there how is the fan speeds normal?? Since you did not use the heat sensor?

[@juraj_b]

No issues at all, no increase in noise

[@sashikantanayak6354]

Do iMac has m.2 support ?

[@alcylon]

what about the fans? spinning like crazy?

[@marcuschan4799]

Sorry, could you please confirm how you managed to get the software running again because as you said towards the last bit of the video, the system cannot support 2 ssd. So what did you do? Thanks for the vid.

[@juraj_b]

Doesn't have wifi, you need to connect via cable

[@MrHeHim]

You can install a M.2 SSD which will cost about the same as a SATA SSD but that will be much MUCH faster and you will still be able to keep the original fusion drive inside the iMac. The hardest part is removing the screen so IMO removing the main logic board to get to the M.2 slot isn't that much more. SATA has a max of ~550 MBps and ~100K iops, where a "basic" $90 Intel 1TB M.2. NVMe drive will do over 2 GBps and about 200k iops. That's 2-4x faster for a little extra work and money.

[@juraj_b]

Gabriel Soria iMac unfortunately doesn’t have the same M.2 slot but they’re using their special 12x16 in this model which is wider and the card is longer. The cost for those is really high and I wasn’t able to find any adapters that would adapt to it from M.2. SATA ssd is the best choice in this case

[@Davide-oy7pp]

Hi @JurajBenak I'm curious about your black keyboard: what's her name and model, please ?

[@juraj_b]

It's Logitech G613 :)

[@Davide-oy7pp]

Juraj Benak thanks !

[@mengzaa55]

I change my iMac 2019 5k base model to ssd 1tb(WD blue) and remove the 32gb pci ssd. after changing, ssd speed result also about 500mb/s.

[@ronflores7]

Was the a special pci ssd? Where can i get one?

[@opagananstar]

I would better preffer a external usb ssd or use a hdd with a sata to usb adaptor

[@Paul_nutfrom80s]

You didn't use a heat sensor I've seen installed in other how to's is it really necessary especially with a ssd

[@juraj_b]

I haven't had any temperature warnings, neither by default or under load

[@Paul_nutfrom80s]

Juraj Benak thank you for replying it helps since I’m thinking of going without the sensor. Videos such as this are highly appreciated

[@delhodgson2616]

@@juraj_b You won't cuz your fan is running continously

[@macyourday0]

On most of these iMacs, not using an extra sensor cable results in the fans running at full excruciating speed. This was not apparent on Juraj’s video.

[@The-yb6oq]

@@macyourday0 i have been told the newer macs do not need the sensor, the guy at microcentor told me it was only the older models and mostly the 21.5

[@adultcrash13]

so you can just leave the "nvme" in there and just replace the spinner with a 2.5" sata ssd and that's it? no issues? i've heard you HAVE to remove the "blade nvme" or there can be conflicts. obviously, whether or not i plan to use the "blade" or not and just install MacOS on the new ssd - i'd prefer not to have to further disassemble to remove the blade.

[@florisverhagen6649]

I think you would be far better of with an external ssd (take PCIe type of drive) using your thunderbolt 3 connection. Your speed will be 40 Gb/s versus the maximum of your SATA bus you ate now using which is 6 Gb/s. So for those who are scared to open up... simply don’t.

[@6GSF]

Hey good video did you have to remove the internal mac ssd part of the fusion drive or do you now ignore that . My 3tb fusion drive has failed and wont respond to disk utility no surprise mac DU is useless in my experience. Thus I'm going to put a 2tb ssd drive in and go with that . What about the internal fusion ssd ?

[@6GSF]

just a quick reply to myself, i installed a 2tb samsung SSD a slight pain as i built it fresh from the internet booting from a mojave buold off a USB drive so it was a bit slow however it worked after overcoming the connection issue to the apple install server, thus installed , used a SSD tray bought from amazon although you could just tape it in place , I wondered if you could fit 2 drives in parallel but that will have to wait. The MAC now boots auto from the new SSD its not as quick as the fusion start but that may relate to Mojave , its bizarrly quiet and now no lag from spinning hard drive, i left the screen unglued and taped it back into place as I may add another SSD if i work out how. I didnt do anything with the internal fusion SSD, it seems to just ignore that good luck to all

[@JamesErb00]

Thanks for the video. Is it possible to install an SSD like this if you only ordered the 512 GB SSD from apple? (No fusion drive)

[@FritzMeister]

You'd have to go further into the iMac as the SSD is on the other side of the motherboard. OWC has a good video on this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnjOnqR3nN-gpbc

[@JamesErb00]

@@FritzMeister But can I still install an SSD like he has in this video, AND an NVMe SSD on the back of the motherboard? I'd really love the extra storage. Thanks for the link!

[@stephenprice7502]

@@JamesErb00 Yes, but you'll need an additional cable to connect from the logic board to the SSD. (www.amazon.com/Deal4GO-Replacement-2012-2017-593-1330-923-0312/dp/B081VGQV9Q/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=imac+sata+cable&qid=1590102657&sr=8-3) And there will be no mounting bracket, although you can use strong double sided adhesive to mount it

[@stephenprice7502]

Note, you should also use an OWC thermal sensor if you don't want your imac fan to run at full speed all the time!

[@usuariommxxi1005]

Is it possible to install in a external SSD the MacOS and run from it ???

[@zsombee11]

Yes! It works fine. You just have to change the startup disk after the install.

[@BUZZYBUZZIE]

Classic and easy well done

[@TheJohnMak]

Great video.

[@milkfridge]

Hello Juraj, thanks for the detailed video - much appreciated! Is it still possible to use the original PCI-E SSD as a separate drive? So I would have 2 SSDs in the Finder?

[@juraj_b]

cokefridge you can format it and then you’ll see it, yes

[@milkfridge]

@@juraj_b Perfect, thank you :)

[@josefdahari]

This is what I want to know as well as I'm trying to use let's say the PCI E just for my OS and main apps and use the Sata SSD for other applications

[@milkfridge]

@@josefdahari I did exactly that, works fine.

[@josefdahari]

@@milkfridge so. You had to split the fusion drive loosing all data obviously right then installed the ssd and installed OS on blade?

[@lukeskirenko]

Many tutorials state that a temperature sensor adapter cable is necessary to prevent the fan from constantly operating at full speed, and other tutorials say that the sensor isn't necessary. Did you research this before doing the upgrade without sensor, and how does the fan behave?

[@juraj_b]

Luke Skirenko no need. Some manufacturers like to line their pockets with unnecessary stuff

[@erfzjepacapej7648]

Definitely format to APFS. I made a mistake and made it Mac OS Extended. Now need to erase and clone my drive again (which will take 5 days for 8.9 million files) for the studio iMac. APFS, dont listen to older vids specifying HFS+ ! Edit: I'd also use Super Duper over Carbon Copy or Time Machine; Super Duper gives you info on mb/s and personally more useful, I've tried all 3. Funnily enough, Time Machine came in last place, as my drive was partially corrupt and it only successfully cloned fully using Super Duper. So there is your reason why people dont just use Time Machine, it is not full proof, even if it is easiest, until it isnt.

[@kalijasin]

@jepacapej, APFS is slower, less performance. blog.macsales.com/42901-the-speed-of-apfs-just-how-fast-is-it/ macperformanceguide.com/blog/2017/20171124_2015-macOS-HighSierra-FileCopySpeed.html www.macobserver.com/analysis/apfs-performance-lags-hfs/

[@jackiescum5438]

@@kalijasin apfs may be similar or slower when coping files, but the filesystem is far more efficient, effective and apfs was designed for the newer macOS's Why would you use Mojave or Catalina which were designed for the apfs APFS filesystem with os extended> Especially if you are using an ssd, makes no sense whatsoever, by the way if you erase a drive in os extended most times it is converted to apfs anyways, via nondestructive conversion. People who are saying don't use apfs on the newer os's written for apfs are grossly misinformed at best.

[@tbr79]

where is the SSD located in the Fusion Drive setup ? I only see the hdd part of it !?

[@xradrd]

Good question. Watched another video on how do to this and they had to take everything out of the computer and replace the ssd 128 m2 (on the login board) with a new one. I'm confused. :(

[@macyourday0]

Thanks. Saved me the trouble. Why do all these people keep thinking it’s M2? Anyway, it’s the same process as the 2013-2015 MacBook Pro/Air upgrades.

[@astrovlog]

Great tutoríal. I was expecting better speeds, those are slightly worse speeds you get form a Samsung t5... I think it is not worth it to open the iMac to get those speed, you can run the OS from an external SSD. Does anyone know a better SSD that will get me better speeds internally?

[@juraj_b]

astrovlog you won’t get better speeds as SATA interface is the limit here. Samsung T5 is quick but has its limitations like drive encryption and so on. I found it to be bit too unreliable for my liking

[@macyourday0]

Exactly. You can’t beat internal drives for system and apps. Plus you don’t lose a TB3 port.

[@chrishealy7134]

so can you leave the original 32 gb blade installed and replace the original hdd with an ssd or not ?

[@AlbertoDiGiovanni]

si

[@technofeeliak]

Why not change the cpu while you're at it?

[@huguesberger]

I have an imac 27 5K retina late 2015 I buy an Samsung Qvo 1Tb to replace the hdd, do I need the thermal sensor and cable adaptor or can just replace the drive, thank you for helping me

[@LuisLopez-hb3ok]

You don’t “need” it, but it’s highly recommended as the fan will run out of control at 100% with nothing controlling it

[@huguesberger]

@@LuisLopez-hb3ok finally didn't need the sensor evething work fine thank you for your video it help me to change my hdd to ssd