iMac SSD Upgrades Dublin
Give your iMac or MacBook a New Lease of Life with our SSD Upgrade Service
Enjoy a Blisteringly Fast iMac or MacBook with one of our Professionally Installed SSDs
Benefits of an Apple SSD upgrade include:
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Accelerate your iMac or MacBook with read speeds of up to 560 MB/s – SSDs offer superlative performance compared to their mechanical counterparts. Access to mechanical disks will always be slower because they rely on read/write heads and spinning platters. With SSDs your operating system and data are stored on fast NAND chips that offer an amazing 10x speed increase. This makes applications run faster and smoother. You’ll get to browse and access documents, photos and videos in a snap. Your whole computing experience is transformed with no more spinning beachballs! |
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Faster Internet-Browsing – As well as storing your operating system and data, hard disks are also used for internet caching. Even with a fast broadband connection, your browsing can be slowed down using a mechanical hard disk. With SSDs the latency caused by disk caching is substantially reduced so your browsing speeds become noticeably faster. |
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Faster Applications – With an SSD installed, applications such as Mail App, Outlook, Photoshop, Illustrator and AutoCAD will all run smoother without those irritating lags, allowing you to get your work done faster.0 |
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Shock and Vibration Resistant – As SSDs contain no moving parts, they are substantially more resistant to shock than their mechanical counterparts. This substantially reduces the risk of hard disk failure and keeps your data more secure, especially if you move your Mac around a bit. An SSD will breathe new life into your iMac or MacBook and transform your Apple computing experience. |
Everything you Wanted to Know About SSDs (Solid State Disks) but were Afraid to Ask
Will an SSD make my iMac go Faster
Will an SSD make my iMac/MacBook go faster?
An SSD will make your iMac go blisteringly fast. The difference in speed is not just incremental – it is substantial. A quick search on Google will confirm this. Anybody who has upgraded their iMac hard disk to SSD has not looked back.
My iMac is running slow and I frequently see “spinning beachballs”, even when running basic applications such as email. Will an SSD make it faster?
An SSD will make your iMac run substantially faster and should eliminate your “spinning beachball” problem.
Why didn’t my iMac come with an SSD when I bought it? After all, I paid enough for it.
This is an answer we also want to know! Apple puts SSDs in all its top-of-the-range systems but not in all of its entry or mid-range systems. Maybe this is a form of built-in obsolescence or Apple wants you to buy their top-of-the-range systems!
Why should I upgrade my iMac to an SSD?
SSDs are ultra-fast disks that use NAND flash to store your operating system and data, as opposed to spinning platters as found on mechanical disks. This makes both data read and write speeds blisteringly fast. In terms of end-user computing, they have probably been the greatest revolution in computing in the last 10 years. Unfortunately, there are loads of iMac users out there with a great system that is being held back by the slow and lagging performance of mechanical disks. Even though you might be using the latest version of macOS, your iMac is still slow and you’re frequently seeing “spinning beachballs”. Assuming there are no underlying issues, an SSD will banish these speed-related issues. On modern operating systems like High Sierra and Mojave - the difference in overall system performance between HDD and SSD is like night and day.
I upgraded my 2012 iMac to Sierra, but the system just crawls along.
The dirty little secret of Apple is that their operating systems from (and including) macOS Sierra (10.12) onwards perform really poorly when they are used in conjunction with mechanical hard disks. This has annoyed many users. They upgrade their OS in the erroneous belief that it will make their system perform better. But if you upgrade your iMac with a recent version of macOS such as High Sierra or Mojave – without an SSD – it can make it perform worse, not better. This is because recent versions of macOS are optimised to run on SSDs and not mechanical disks. The good news is that we can solve this problem by professionally installing a new high-quality SSD along with the latest version of macOS that your system is capable of. This will breathe new life into your system and prolong its productive life.
Should I not just upgrade the RAM instead of the SSD to make my iMac faster?
You can upgrade the RAM in your iMac but unless you have an extremly small amount onboard, for example less than 8GB, the difference won’t be as noticeable as an SSD upgrade. In fact, we have often come across otherwise healthy iMac systems with 16GB of RAM onboard suffering from persistent “beachballing”. The problem only subsiding after an SSD upgrade was performed - much to the users delight! Upgrading the RAM would have been a great solution maybe 10 years ago but not in this era of solid state disks.
Is it Worth Upgrading an iMac to SSD?
Is it worth upgrading my 21.5” 2012 iMac with an SSD?
Yes. Apple Macs have much greater longevity than Windows-based systems. An SSD will transform your 2012 iMac. It will boot faster, run applications faster, enable you to access your files faster and browse the internet with greater speed. Moreover, upgrading your iMac is not only more economical, but also more environmentally friendly than buying a completely new system.
I have an 8-year-old iMac; is it even worth upgrading its SSD?
The productive lifespan of an iMac tends to be a lot longer than that of a Windows-based PC. So assuming there are no other underlying problems with your system, an SSD upgrade is a worthwhile investment that will extend the productive life of your Mac.
I don’t use my iMac for much apart from emails, photos and browsing the internet. Is an SSD still worth it?
Most definitely yes. Most of these tasks rely on your hard disk for caching and storage. Installing an SSD accelerates all of these tasks and brings the joy back to the Apple Mac experience.
Differences between a Mechanical Hard Disk (HDD) and Solid State Disk (SSD)
What is the speed difference between an HDD and SSD on an iMac?
The platters in a traditional mechanical hard disk rotate at 7200 rpm. (In fact, with Apple you don’t even get that, as a lot of iMacs still use slower 5400 rpm disks). A model such as the Seagate ST2000DX001 has read speeds of approximately 165 MB/s and write speeds of approximately 125 MB /s. While an SSD, such as the San Disk Ultra 3D, will give you read speeds of 560 MB/s and write speeds of 530 MB/s – that is a whopping difference.
How can I tell if my iMac is using an SSD already or not?
To find out whether your iMac has an SSD or not, click the Apple icon on the left-hand corner of your screen. Now click on About this Mac > System Report > Storage > Medium Type. If you see the word “rotational” listed, it means your iMac is using a conventional mechanical hard disk.
iMac SSD Installation
Is it difficult to install an SSD in an iMac?
The process of iMac disassembly can be a time-consuming and extremely delicate task. To access the disk bay, the LCD glass screen protector must be removed using specialised suction cups. Once it’s removed, torx screws must be unscrewed to remove the LCD panel. Once inside the guts of the iMac extremely fragile ribbon cables connecting the motherboard to the display panel must be disconnected. These can easily snap if removed incorrectly.
To access the hard disk bay of the 4th generation slim unibody iMac Retina Display (such as A1418 and A1419), the procedure is even more delicate. The glass LCD screen protector must be “unglued” from the body. One errant slip of the hand here and the screen can crack. Experience is paramount in performing this operation. After the new SSD has been installed, it must be sealed back using specialised adhesive. Upgrading the storage in your iMac is certainly not a job for have-a-go computer hobbyists. Ideally, it needs to be performed by a technician who has completed the job hundreds of times. Computer Ambulance has been professionally repairing and upgrading iMacs since 2003 and has well-honed processes for iMac SSD upgrades. We have performed this procedure for hundreds of satisfied customers in Dublin.
Can I use an external Thunderbolt SSD disk as a bootable drive for my iMac?
Yes, technically, you can use an external Thunderbolt SSD as a bootable drive for your iMac. This can be connected via a Thunderbolt port on your iMac. However, we do not recommend this as a solution for a number of reasons. For example, if the connected disk containing your operating system is accidentally disconnected while in use – the risk of your macOS getting corrupted and your data getting lost is extremely high. Secondly, because the disk is not connected directly to the logicboard, there will always the risk of future problems. After all this technique not officially supported or endorsed by Apple.
Can I still keep my old hard disk inside?
Unfortunately, your old hard disk must be removed from your iMac or MacBook. (You will probably have read anecdotal evidence on the internet of iMac users converting DVD bays into hard disk bays for extra storage. However, this “hack” is not supported by Apple and not recommended by us)
Is my (2012, 2013, 2014,2015,2017) iMac Compatible with an SSD?
Can you put an SSD into a 2012 iMac?
A 2012 iMac can be upgraded with an SSD as it uses a standard S-ATA 3.0 connection on its logicboard. This is compatible with a substantial number of solid-state disks.
I have a late-2013 iMac (2742) here. Will that be compatible with an SSD?
2013 iMacs have internal S-ATA 3.0 ports which are compatible with most S-ATA SSDs.
My 2014 21.5 iMac Retina is running extremely slow. Can this be upgraded with a solid-state drive?
Of course, it’s hard disk can be upgraded. A solid-state drive will breathe new life into your system
I have a mid-2014 (2805) iMac that uses a 3TB fusion disk. Can the disk in the Apple desktop be upgraded to a 1TB SSD?
The storage on your 2014 iMac can be upgraded to a solid state disk. A newer generation pure-play SSD will offer you substantially faster speeds than your fusion drive.
I have a late-2014 (2806) 5K iMac which boots up really slowly. Will an SSD upgrade make it faster?
The macOS boot-up process will be greatly accelerated with an SSD. Computer Ambulance can install a high-grade SSD for you which will not only make the boot-up process quicker but will also make your whole operating system run faster.
I have a late-2015 iMac (2899) which takes ages to start-up and shut-down. Will an SSD fix this?
Assuming you have no underlying issues with your iMac, SSDs drastically improve iMac start-up and shutdown times.
Can you upgrade my 2017 27-inch iMac to use a solid-state disk?
We can professionally install a high-quality SSD in your 27-inch iMac, which will drastically improve its performance.
The Best SSD for iMac
What is the best SSD for my iMac?
Entry-level or generic-brand SSDs do not perform as well as models from reputable manufacturers, nor are they as reliable. The two components of an SSD which determine performance and reliability are the quality of NAND that is used and the controller. NAND is a type of non-volatile storage which stores your data in transistor cells while the controller is the “brain” of the SSD, which controls the flow of data in and out of your disk. Good quality SSDs use low-defect NAND and robust controllers which use smart algorithms to manage your data. Quality SSDs also use well-matched controllers and NAND that work in harmony with each other. You will benefit from low latency, high data throughput rates, but more importantly, reliability. We only procure the very best SSDs that provide you with enhanced performance and data security.
What capacity SSD should I buy for my iMac?
This is normally dependent on what sort of files you predominantly work with. A person using their iMac for word processing, internet and email will probably get away with using a 250GB SSD. However, a professional user who works with photographs a lot or large graphic design files (such as .INDD or .PSD) might need a larger 1TB SSD.
Should I upgrade my iMac with a fusion (SSHD) disk or solid state disk (SSD)?
We recommend that you upgrade your iMac with a pure-play SSD instead of a fusion drive. A pure-play SSD will not only faster than a fusion disk, but will also be more reliable.
What is a fusion disk?
A fusion drive is a hard disk which uses both spinning platters and NAND chips for storage.
What is the maximum size SSD that will fit in my 2012 iMac?
Your 2012 iMac will accept SSDs up to 2TB in capacity. This gives you a lot of latitude for storing large files.
Buying an iMac SSD in Dublin
Can I buy an iMac SSD direct from the Apple website?
You can buy an SSD from Apple’s webstore. However, this is the most expensive way to upgrade an iMac without any quality gain. We actually use more up-to-date and higher spec’d SSDs than those sold on the Apple website and we can perform the installation and data migration for you. We make the whole process easy and hassle-free.
Where can I buy an SSD for my iMac in Dublin?
Computer Ambulance stock a range of quality high-grade SSDs. These are available as part of our Apple SSD upgrade service for iMacs and MacBooks.
Is it possible to install an SSD and do a clean install of macOS Mojave on my mid-2014 iMac?
A mid-2014 iMac is compatible with macOS Mojave (10.14) and we can professionally install an SSD for you.
Do I need to buy an iMac SSD upgrade kit?
No, we supply everything. We endeavour to make the SSD upgrade process for you as smooth and hassle-free as possible for you.
Our SSD iMac Upgrade Service in Dublin
Do you offer a pick-up and return service for iMacs in Dublin?
iMacs can be bulky and difficult to carry to a store. Computer Ambulance offers an Apple technician call-out service, which covers most areas of Dublin, including Booterstown, Ballsbridge, Blackrock, Donnybrook, Inchicore, Monkstown, Mount Merrion, Harolds Cross, Rathgar, Ranelagh, Sandymount, Stillorgan, Dun Laoghaire, Killiney, Sandycove, Dalkey and Dublin 18. On the Northside, we cover areas such as Glasnevin, Ballymun, Phibsborough, Clontarf, Raheny, Swords, Malahide and Santry. If you’re outside the Dublin-area, you can drop your system into our city-centre office in Dublin 2.
What SSD sizes do you typically install?
We keep high-grade 250GB, 500GB and 1TB SSDs in stock. Installing larger 2TB, 3TB and 4TB SSDs is possible but these will need to be ordered.
We’re a business based in Dublin and need 10 iMacs upgraded. Do you offer volume discounts?
If you’re getting 5+ iMacs upgraded with SSDs, we offer volume discounts. Please contact us for more details.
Our iMacs contain sensitive information, can you sign our non-disclosure agreement?
Of course, we deal with systems that hold sensitive information all the time and can sign your NDA.
Is your iMac repair and upgrade service compliant with GDPR?
Yes, all our work methodologies meet or exceed GDPR recommendations for the secure handling of personal or business data. Data security is our utmost priority.
Can you install an encrypted SSD in my iMac?
FileVault is a built-in feature in MacOS. This can be enabled on your new SSD, which will protect your files in the event of device theft.
Can you transfer all my old applications, such as Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator and Microsoft Office, over to my new SSD?
Yes, your old applications can be migrated over from your old system in most cases, which saves you (the sometimes exorbitant) cost of renewing licenses.
What happens to the thermal sensor that’s attached to the old disk in my iMac?
Due to the constant vibration of the spinning platters used in mechanical hard disks, some of them can overheat. For this reason, Apple installed a thermal sensor to some of their mechanical hard disks. With an SSD, this is no longer needed. Computer Ambulance uses specialised software which informs your iMac’s system firmware and system fans that the old mechanical disk has been removed.
If I go ahead with a new SSD installation, will you be able to put the latest operating system on it?
Of course, we can professionally install the latest operating system which your iMac is capable of. This is included in the price of your SSD upgrade.
Do you perform SSD upgrades on the MacMini?
Yes, we offer a complete SSD upgrade service for MacMini devices.
I need to install some applications which require APFS. Can you install this?
APFS comes as standard in all versions of macOS, from High Sierra (10.13) and higher.
SSD vs HDD
Do SSDs have a lower failure rate than HDDs (traditional disks)?
SSDs have approximately half the failure rate of traditional hard disks. This makes SSDs much more reliable and keeps your data more secure.
The iMac I use in my home-office has a really noisy hard disk, especially when I’m searching for files. Will upgrading to an SSD make it quieter?
Your iMac will be significantly quieter after an SSD upgrade because solid state disks have no moving parts. SSDs operate silently, enabling you to get your work done in peace without any noisy distractions.
If my iMac has an SSD, will I still need to perform backups?
Of course, you will still need to run backups on your iMac. Data loss can occur in various ways other than disk failure. For example, your data can get accidentally deleted or become inaccessible due to viruses, malware or it can become corrupt.
Can you recover the data from my old iMac/MacBook mechanical disk?
Yes, Computer Ambulance offers an advanced data recovery service for disks used by Apple (Seagate, Hitachi, HGST, Toshiba and WD). We recover from both mechanical and SSD disks. We recover from Apple disks with partition problems (HFS+ and APFS), firmware issues, bad sector problems, disk-head problems, spindle issues and electronic (PCB) issues. Our success rates are excellent.