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Model A1419 / EMC 2806 / Late 2014 or Mid 2015. 3.3 or 3.5 GHz Core i5 or 4.0 GHz Core i7 (ID iMac15,1); EMC 2834 late 2015 / 3.3 or 3.5 GHz Core i5 or 4.0 GHz Core i7 (iMac17,1) All with Retina 5K displays

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Adding SATA drive to all-flash/SSD

I have a 1TB pure-flash/SSD (not fusion drive) Late 2014 Retina 5k iMac. I believe that the SSD in this iMac is a PCIe x2 card, not a SATA drive, it's whatever Apple put there in the factory.

I would like to add an additional 2TB Samsung 850 EVO SATA SSD. Does this iMac, ordered from apple without a SATA drive, have a place for a SATA drive with the appropriate cables? If not, can I order the necessary parts?

If there is space for a SATA drive, I believe that it fits a 3.5" drive, and that I will need a 2.5" to 3.5" adapter. Is this correct?

Thanks!

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Here's how to add a standard drive, an adapter would work: iMac Intel 27" Retina 5K Display Hard Drive Replacement

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This is a guide for a replacement, which assumes you already have a SATA hard drive in the iMac. I plan on adding one to an iMac that shipped without. Do I need to purchase a bracket? A cable? Is there a SATA plug on my motherboard? I know that the 21.5" iMacs ship (or at least shipped) with the PCIe drive connector unpopulated on the motherboard. Does my motherboard have even have a place for a SATA drive?

I have done this "replacement" a number of times and am familiar with the steps. I just need to know if I can "add" the drive to my particular iMac.

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You'll need to order the SATA/Power cable in addition to the sensor cable Mayer pointed out. I'm not sure how Apple is selling their newest systems, you may need a bracket & screw kit as well. All are available online

I would stick with a 3.5" drive Vs a 2.5" as they often run at a faster RPM.

Otherwise you can run the system in a dual drive config without any issues. Just be careful in pulling the display as you can damage it if you're not careful! Use the correct tools and follow the guide to the letter.

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