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Model A1419 / EMC 3070 / Mid 2017 / 3.4, 3.5 or 3.8 GHz Core i5 or 4.2 GHz Core i7 Kaby Lake Processor (ID iMac18,3) / Retina 5K display. Refer to the older iMac Intel 27" Retina 5K Display (Late 2014 & 2015) guides as the system is very similar.
Is it possible to update 2017 iMac 27" 5k with NMVe m.2 SSD using m.2 to Apple PCIe adapter?
I used to use SM951 AHCI in Mac Pro 5.1, 6.1, all Retina and Air 2013-2015 but what about NVMe once? Have anyone tried?
First you may want to look at this Vid: 2017 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K Display Unboxing and Teardown jump to the 10:00 time point which shows the PCIe SSD Apple is using. It's very different from the M.2 SSD's.
Apple's PCIe NVMe SSD's use a custom device driver so while you might be able to get the adapter and NVMe SSD to physically fit it won't be recognized by the OS.
While I haven't tried anything in this new iMac I can tell you I've tried the newer MacBook Pro retina series which has a 2 lane NVMe SSD and it didn't work.
Comments:
Which MacBook you tried? AHCI m.2 SSDs with adapter works fine with all late 2013-2015 MacBooks Pro/Air. Confirmed many times.
by godmanz
Don't get confused here! AHCI is not the same as NVMe! What worked in the older systems does not work in the newer systems.
Review this: SATA Express (SATAe) Your older system uses the Red path with the AHCI (SATA) the newer systems use the Yellow path with Apples PCIe (NVMe) drive.
by Dan
so lets say i install the OS on the ssd sata. and i use the nvme m.2 with adapter for storage. its working right? and do i get full speed with the m.2 adapter to 12+16pin adapter?
by peter
@blacksinner - What are we trying to do here? This makes no sense. Forget the adapter and the M.2 drive aspect. Which is the faster I/O? SATA or PCIe. So why would you put the software which ideally needs the highest I/O speed on the slowest device between the two I/O's?
As to using a M.2 NVMe/PCIe drive in a iMac I would recommend you don't.
First no one has qualified one and the adapters we tested out a few years ago when we looked at it with MacBook Pro's where just junk (AHCI/PCIe)!
The newer NVMe drives Apple uses use a custom driver so I don't know if it would even work.
by Dan
I already bought 512 GB Samsung Pro 960 M.2 SSD. After I disassembled my iMac 2017 27". I'm shock realizing the interface is different! I feel stupid.
I'm ordering the adapter which is about 1 month to arrive. =( I'll buy the adapter to SATA for now and use it as storage. Later on I'll buy the correct SSD and install the OS on it.
I believe that Samsung 960 EVO or PRO with the adapter like this one:
https://ru.aliexpress.com/item/M-key-M-2...
WILL work fine in the iMacs 2017.
All the opinions that are different - come from people who aim to earn money on you.
Comments:
Sorry this is a PCIe/AHCI SSD adapter not a PCIe/NVMe which is what you would need and a PCIe/NVMe SSD. So far I know of no one trying either adapter in the iMac's (as needed for the given model). Review the diagram here: SATA Express (SATAe)
I strongly recommend buying the system with the largest blade SSD Apple supplies. And if you need to upgrade stick with a real Apple SSD.
by Dan
It IS an NVMe adapter also, I use it with Samsung 960 EVO 500GB and it works just fine except hibernatemode 3 (I use hibernatemode 25) on my MacBook air 2017
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