iMac 2017 is too slow!

Is it possible to make a 2017 iMac faster? Can they change out the speed parts?

iMac 21.5″ 4K, macOS 13.7

Posted on Nov 15, 2025 2:55 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Nov 15, 2025 3:14 PM

If you have the 8 GB hard disk drive configuration, yes, it is slow.


Here is why: Why is my hard disk drive iMac so slow? - Apple Community


As is linked there, here is what you can do: Use an external SSD as your startup disk … - Apple Community


If not the 8 GB hard disk configuration, there can be other causes of a slow Mac, including VPN add-on apps, add-on security, and other details.


Please download and run (free) EtreCheck, and share the results to the clipboard. Then open a new reply here, and press the Additional Text button that looks like a printed page, and paste and post the hardware and software configuration report here. From that, we can get a little more detail about what is installed and what is running here.


2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 15, 2025 3:14 PM in response to cherzart

If you have the 8 GB hard disk drive configuration, yes, it is slow.


Here is why: Why is my hard disk drive iMac so slow? - Apple Community


As is linked there, here is what you can do: Use an external SSD as your startup disk … - Apple Community


If not the 8 GB hard disk configuration, there can be other causes of a slow Mac, including VPN add-on apps, add-on security, and other details.


Please download and run (free) EtreCheck, and share the results to the clipboard. Then open a new reply here, and press the Additional Text button that looks like a printed page, and paste and post the hardware and software configuration report here. From that, we can get a little more detail about what is installed and what is running here.


Nov 15, 2025 5:47 PM in response to cherzart

That iMac came with

  • a 1 TB (5400-rpm) mechanical hard drive,
  • a 1 TB Fusion Drive that combined a slow hard drive with a skimpy, inadequate amount of SSD storage, or
  • 256 - 1 TB of flash storage (a SSD)


If this one has EITHER a mechanical hard drive or a Fusion Drive, that could be one cause of slowness. It would be useful to know if there are other causes.

iMac 2017 is too slow!

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