Where is the original 256gb SSD located on the imac 27 i7 late 2013?

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Where is the original 256gb SSD located on the imac 27 i7 late 2013?

Hi, I want to upgrade my old (Late 2013) 27inch Imac. EMC2639, A1419.

It came with just the 256GB SSD.

Where is the original 256gb SSD Located? Is it in the Drive Bay or behind the Motherboard?

I initially thought it's behind the motherboard but having looked at the systems report it say it's connected to the SATA connectors. I'm also getting around 600m/b read/write which also suggests it's not behind the motherboard, connected to the NVME connection if it has one?

I would like to get a new ITB SSD, so it would be good to know which slot is free before I open it.

I'd like to keep original SSD if it's possible.

Thanks in advance.

Posted on Apr 27, 2020 2:06 AM

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Answer 1

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hafster Author

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May 12, 2020 3:06 AM in response to hafster

Here's an update to my original post.

I finally opened the iMac to upgrade the 256gb SSD to a 1Tb SSD.

I can confirm the SSD was situated behind the logic board so you'll have to take the board out to perform the upgrade.

I can also confirm that there are no provisions for you to attach a mechanical hard drive. Like VikingOSX suggested there are no brackets or SATA cable present in this model. So if you want to add an additional hard drive into the drive bay you'll have to purchase a data cable and brackets which I've managed to get hold of from Ebay. Hope this helps someone who's thinking of doing this upgrade. I followed the ifixit guide and various YouTube videos to help me guide through the process.

I'm getting just over 700mb/s read/write speeds on the new 1TB SSD. Not sure if it's possible to get any faster as the drive is rated 2,000mb/s. Could be restricted by the iMac's 2013 architecture. Maybe someone can confirm but it's plenty fast for me.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this post.

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Answer 2

Apr 27, 2020 4:37 AM in response to hafster

The SSD is underneath the Motherboard, requiring you to remove the screen, both speakers, the power board, and the main logic board before you can access the PCIe SSD underneath the logic board. This is a 2 hour job, according to this OWC video — with the correct tools and organization. The video doesn't state, but shows a Fusion drive configuration, because otherwise, why would Apple include a 3.5 inch drive, drive adapter, and SATA cables in an iMac that shipped with 256 GB PCIe SSD?

OWC also sells the 1TB PCIe replacement storage for the Late-2013 iMac, that includes the replacement toolkit needed to successfully complete the mission.

There is one PCIe slot. OWC sells an external enclosure to repurpose the original 256 GB PCIe SSD storage.

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Answer 3

hafster Author

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Apr 27, 2020 4:50 AM in response to VikingOSX

Thanks for the reply, I've seen this video and it's a great resource. What I'd like to know before opening the iMac, whether my SSD is connected via the PCIe connector behind the motherboard or Sata cable in the drive bay so I can order the new drive for the empty connection before I open the iMac.

My system's reporting that the SSD is connected via the SATA connection and I can confirm read/write speeds of around 600m/b.

Be good to know if anyone has the same configuration imac and can confirm the setup.

Thanks

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Answer 4

Apr 27, 2020 5:33 AM in response to hafster

I have the Late 2013 27 inch iMac with the factory 256 PCIe SSD. I am not taking it apart to be a tourist.

Apple chose to engineer the location of that PCIe flash storage behind the main logic board in this genre of iMac. This does not change when ordered with a fusion drive, where the 3.5 inch drive, its carrier, and cabling are included with the order. There is no practical reason why an iMac ordered with strictly the PCIe storage would be engineered differently to place the PCIe card connector in a different location. Financially, why include a 3.5 inch drive adapter, or any related cabling when it would not be necessary with the PCIe only option?

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Answer 5

hafster Author

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Apr 27, 2020 6:09 AM in response to VikingOSX

I’m definitely not questioning any of those things, and wouldn’t dream of asking anyone to have a look inside their mac to satisfy my curiosity.

Simply asking anyone with the same mac if they had upgraded their macs where the location of the ssd is. Because like you I suspected that it would be in the pcie slot. But what threw me was when I checked on the system profiler it said my drive was connected by SATA. Nothing is coming up the pcie or nvme section. Could you check on your machine if comes up as a sata drive if it’s not an inconvenience?

of course my mac could have been upgraded by the previous owner and is not a standard configuration.

don’t worry if you can’t help. Appreciate your response anyway. Thanks

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Answer 6

hafster Author

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Apr 27, 2020 3:19 PM in response to HWTech

So my hard drive bay should be empty?

I have to open the mac anyway to replace the iSight camera. I’ll have a look then and see if I definitely need the drive enclosure, temp sensor, etc. If I need to order new parts for the hard drive upgrade, I’ll just temporarily gaffer tape it shut as I don’t want to seal it properly until all the upgrades are done and tested. Thanks

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