It doesn't look like there's a lightning to thunderbolt cable I can find either. Yes I've verified with the chart that my model does have the required connector, however SATA SSD seems to be the way to go seeing as how I'm limited to the lightning cable's speed. The SATA SSD option will also be a lot easier to upgrade, as the PCIe route requires you to take apart the whole iMac to get at the connector.Īs for sync, you are still limited to the lightning cable, which is USB 2.0, so don't expect a significant speed-up. PCIe SSD will be the faster option while 2.5' SATA will be a bit slower but cheaper. This can be replaced with a Hard Drive or an SSD. In the 27 inch model this is a 3.5 HDD and in the 21.5 inch model this is a 2.5 HDD. Currently your only option is to replace this hard drive. The chart in the article says late 2013 27' iMac does have it, but verify you got the model right. This information provided below is based on my research done in early December 2013. I'd recommend just getting a USB 3.0 SATA enclosure and putting your SSD in that. It's slightly easier to work on the 21' iMac.

Get the adhesive kit from iFixit and read the tips in the comment section.

HDD models may be missing this connector, so you are only limited to SATA SSDs or HDDs. If done right, removing the display to upgrade the hard drive and RAM wouldn't cause any problems. According to a few sources, iMacs have to come with a 'blade' (PCIe) SSD or 'fusion' drive to have a connector for SSDs.

Ssd hard drives for imac 27 late 2013