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Fusion drive compared to SSD?

2K views 17 replies 8 participants last post by  broad 
#1 ·
I am thinking of purchasing a iMac 5K next week. The specs that I am going with are:
4.0GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 4.4GHz
8 gigs of ram - will upgrade that on my own
AMD Radeon R9 M295X 4GB GDDR5

What I am not sure of is the fusion drive. How does it compare to a full on SSD? I understand what it does, but compared to an SSD, is the speed similar or close? Currently I have a rMBP with 512 SSD and I am hooked on the speed, so I do not want to step down in that department.
 
#2 ·
The pure SSD feels a bit faster than a Fusion drive, but not by a lot in my experience. However, if you're used to a pure SSD setup, you will notice the Fusion drive being a tad less responsive than a pure SSD setup, so for you in your own words, you probably don't want one.
 
#5 ·
The main uses are Adobe Indesign, Illustrator and some photoshop now and then, main use is all indesign. I use Apple Mail as well. Is this something that can be upgraded later? So if I found a good deal on a large SSD I could have it put in at a later date?
 
#10 ·
Does it mater whether it's the 1TB of 3TB fusion? I'd think that the 3TB would use a larger SSD component, but I may be completely wrong here.
 
#12 ·
I think I am just going to go with the 1TB flash drive. I am so used to the speed in everything I do, I do not think I could go back. Looks like I will be ordering a completely maxed out iMac 5K today!
 
#15 ·
You can use any sized SSD to make your own fusion drive, you can even use external drives to do it. Hell you can technically make your own fusion drives using 2 HDDs or 2 SSDs or whatever combo you want. However, I wouldn't suggest making your own to everyone as the only way I know to do it involves the terminal and that can be intimidating/scary for some people.
 
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