Is it possible to upgrade the 250GB to a 1TB on a Retina 5K 27" 2020 3.1 GHz ? I was told maybe not because the SSD has to match the processor of the iMac, but that seems unusual. The processor should be able to handle whatever size storage, right?
iMac 27″, macOS 11.6
What no one has mentioned is that 2020 27” iMacs SSDs cannot be upgraded as they are integrated onto the main logic board. That means the only choice is an external solution and the OWC is the best you can buy, period!
What no one has mentioned is that 2020 27” iMacs SSDs cannot be upgraded as they are integrated onto the main logic board. That means the only choice is an external solution and the OWC is the best you can buy, period!
I doubt if any external SSD will be as fast as the internal SSD but you could just keep the system and apps and Desktop on the internal SSD and put your Pictures, Music and Documents on the external SSD.
When you get the external SSD you can use the free Blackmagic Speediest app to check the speed of the internal vs external SSD.
The 2020 5K includes the same T2 chip as the 2017 iMac Pro. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208862
Regrettably as a side effect of the T2 secure hardware encryption the SSD is now device-paired and cannot be replaced by 3rd party technicians or users.
If you need extra storage you will need to use external drives.
Thanks...I'll go with an external. Are there other "pro" SSD's to consider? I've been given this iMac as a gift, or I would have ordered it with better specs for my audio recording, but it's a major upgrade to my 2010 i7 iMac, so even tho it's an i5, it should be significantly more powerful than the old one. Possibly, when the 27" M1 is released, I may sell this and go that route.
+ 1 to what Old Toad has shared.
You do not need a blazing fast external SSD to store your Music and Photos libraries on. What you do need, is one that is reliable.
For some good examples, see > https://eshop.macsales.com/search/?q=external+ssd
If you want/need a larger startup drive or more storage, then you would be better off just getting and using an External OWC Envoy Pro SSD.
Thanks…I’ll up the ram and get a 1tb owc…either the fx or sx
Upgrading SSD on 2020 iMac
