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iMac 2019 21.5" SSD 500gb - $290 (Vista)
condition:
excellent
make / manufacturer:
Apple Computers
model name / number:
iMac 2019
size / dimensions:
21.5"
QR Code Link to This Post
NO FUSION DRIVES -- NO SPINNING HARD DRIVES HDD -- I just upgraded this machine with brand new premium Samsung EVO 870 SATA SSD for speed (sold/shipped by Amazon).
The new upgraded SSD is 5 TIMES FASTER than the original HDD -- this iMac is now getting sustained 500 MBs Write and Read speeds! A proper Thunderbolt 3 external enclosure will get 2500 MBs Read/Write speeds if you need the fastest SSD speeds this machine can deliver.
IF THIS AD IS UP IT IS AVAILABLE from a private local seller -- UPDATED Sept 17th.
UNIT 12 (this unit) ----- $295 Cash -- 8gb RAM -- new 500GB SATA SSD -- 100 Percent Health -- 0 Power on Hours (any additional are me installing macOS and testing it). Passes Apple's remote hardware tests.
KEYBOARD OR MOUSE NOT INCLUDED, but available.
FOR BEST RESPONSE:
---Ask me a question about my item in your initial email.
---Confirm where you are on price.
---Include a DAY AND TIME WINDOW when you can pick it up in Vista, north San Diego county (I am mapped correctly, except I am 1/4 mile off 78).
I will need to stay on Craigslist messages unless I can confirm your email or phone number, I do not communicate with 3rd-party emails or call unverified phone numbers for all the scammers.
I buy and upgrade and flip iMacs a bit over my cost FOR FUN (retired w/ time on my hands) -- and because I cannot bear to sell them in original unusable HDD configuration -- as a diehard Mac professional with some hardware skills.
These i3 iMacs are very good useful machines when not crippled with spinning HDD (hard disk drives) and minimum RAM.
It is not the i3 or i5 processors that slow iMacs down -- it's the spinning HDD that make them unbearably slow.
The 2019 iMacs have stunning Retina IPS screens and good built-in stereo speakers for watching movies and listening to music. Also built-in HD webcams and microphones for FaceTime, ZOOM calls and Podcasting.
The 3.6 GHz i3 Quad-Core Intel generation 8 processor is plenty fast for a personal computer -- I actually prefer the later generation i3 iMacs for general use over the i5, i7 and i9 iMacs because the i3 machines run a lot cooler, and use less energy.
Check out my other items if you are looking for a clean used Macintosh computer at low market prices -- I'm cleaning house.
UPGRADES:
I just swapped out the factory Apple HDD with a new Samsung SATA SSD -- this SSD is over FIVE TIMES FASTER than the original Apple HDD -- this iMac is now getting 480 MBs Write and 520 MBs Read.
Now it doesn't lag, spin color wheel and appear frozen when you use it -- for a much more pleasant user experience.
NO FUSION --- NO HDD:
Don't be fooled by base-model Macs that come with the old style spinning MECHANICAL HDD (hard disk drives) because they feel like quicksand to use and don't run smoothly at all.
If you know much about computers -- I would avoid any Apple Macintosh computer with a HDD or FUSION configuration unless you want to do the SSD upgrade.
WHAT IS A FUSION DRIVE?:
An Apple "Fusion" drive is simply a very slow large HDD formatted together with a fast tiny SSD so they work as one disk. HDD is the first thing I upgrade on a new Mac because it's too slow. You will want to beware of people listing their Fusion models as "SSD" models because they're actually only 3% SSD (and 97% HDD).
Also beware of sellers listing their SATA SSD units as "FLASH" SSD (Flash SSD is Apple's version of NVMe PCIe M.2 SSDs and flash NVMe SSDs are typically four times faster than SATA SSD.
For comparison: Mechanical HDDs, like the 2019 fusion iMacs shipped with, spin at slow 5400 RPM and max at about 80 MBs Read/Write speeds -- the SATA SSDs (the one inside this unit) get around 500MBs Read/Write -- internal PCIe NVMe M.2 SSDs achieve around 3000 MBs Read/Write sustained speeds. The faster MBs drives are significantly more desirable -- HDD are painfully slow.
USED SILICONE M1-M4 iMACS 2020-2024:
If you are looking at buying a 24-inch M1 iMac -- do a google search for IMAC SCREEN ISSUES.
There is a very high failure rate just outside of warranty and Apple is not fixing the bad units outside of warranty -- the repair cost is $650 out of pocket! -- plus most of the cheap deals are for the base models (RAM starved and small SSD). Used replacement screens will always be scarce, never cheap, and will most likely exhibit the same defect after so many hours.
Moreover, the 24” iMacs with M1-M4 Apple silicon processors have “integrated” RAM and SSD -- that means you can’t upgrade them because they are soldered to the main board -- when the SSD wears out you junk the iMac or boot from an external drive.
UNIT HISTORY:
I just bought several of these used iMacs in pristine condition from a North County school liquidation. They had between 3,000 and 7,000 Power On Hours on each unit -- this is pretty low milage -- and all of them had very little internal dust from the school environment when I opened them up to do the SSD upgrades, and internal cleaning.
FULL COMPATIBILITY WITH LATEST IPHONE AND IPAD AND APPS:
FULL COMPATIBILITY WITH LATEST IPHONE AND IPAD AND APPS:
With 2019 hardware and the latest SEQUOIA 15.7 macOS -- these machines come fully compatible with latest iPhone 16 Pro Max iPad iOS AppleTV features, and include a built in Webcam for FaceTime, Messaging/texting, iCloud, AirPods, Safari Internet browser and Security updates -- too much to list....
I like these 2019 models because they boot into MOJAVE 10.14, Catalina 10.15, Big Sur 11, Monterey 12, Ventura 13, Sonoma 14 and SEQUOIA 15 (Apple's latest operating system) -- the 2019 is also the last iMac that you can upgrade RAM and SSD -- now Apple solders their RAM and SSD "unified" to the main board and they can't be upgraded.
This Macintosh desktop computer will come with macOS SEQUOIA 15.6.1 preinstalled -- it will boot to the Apple HELLO screen like a new Macintosh or iPhone iPad -- it is ready to go and needs a new home.
Check out DRIVEDX screenshots for the brand new premium Samsung SSD, 3 POWER POWER-ON HOURS and SSD DRIVE HEALTH (100 percent health). All of the hours are me testing the units extensively after upgrading and re-assembling them.
Check out my AJA speed test on the UPGRADED SSD: 480MBs Write and 520MBs Read. These numbers sustain and are not prone to throttling down like external SSDs (if you are interested in the fastest SATA SSD this machine will accommodate).
SPECS Each Unit :
-----Has original 8GB (2 original Apple factory 4GB SO-DIMMs)
-----Has SATA SSD (480MBs WRITE and 520MBs READ -- 3 Power On Hours) -- NO FUSION HDD!
-----Has 4 fast USB-3 ports, two Thunderbolt 3 ports (USB-C), SDXC card slot
Thunderbolt 3 external M.2 SSD achieve 2500 MBs Read/Write speeds (see Aja speedtest screenshots)
-----Has FAST WIFI 802.11ac (1.3Gbps), and Bluetooth 4.2
-----Has Radeon Pro 555X 2GB Graphics, supports Metal 2
-----Has beautiful IPS Retina 4K LCD screen (4096x2304) (has a small shallow chip in glass)
-----Has great set of built-in stereo speakers
-----Has built-in HD webcam and stereo microphone for FaceTime
-----Has 3.5mm HEADPHONE jack port
-----Passed Apple's Remote hardware tests (boot holding D key to activate tests)
Specs: https://everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac-core-i3-3.6-21-inch-aluminum-retina-4k-early-2019-specs.html
BUYER'S TIPS BEWARE:
BUYER'S TIPS BEWARE:
FIRST:
Macs are referenced by model Year -- that's why sellers post the year in their titles -- if the seller is not putting the model year up front in their ad, that is usually a bad sign, a red flag on the seller.
With the model year -- you can get its system requirements (what macOS it will run).
Later model years are usually preferable unless you want to run older software.
Apple stops UPDATING older models with Operating System, Security and Web browser updates that make them vulnerable to hackers and risky for stuff like financial software.
SECOND:
iMacs fill up with dust by design and you can't blow them out without removing the screen (you have to cut the screen assembly off) -- internal dust causes them to run hot and the over-heating eventually stresses out its electronics and they fail -- in addition to bringing their internal dust, human and pet dander into your home to be recirculated into your home.
That's why it's useful to know the history of the unit because it can look brand new on the outside, but be clogged up, stressed out and failing on the inside (the real reason why they're getting rid of it). That's why I include a photo of the internal Mac to show its clean condition.
I always ask a seller if they bought the item new, where they bought it, and what environment it was used to get an idea of the Power On Hours.
If a seller dodges those questions -- or says they will look for their Apple receipt, but doesn't produce it -- I would recommend buying your used Mac elsewhere because it's a good chance they are not being truthful.
NEW OPEN BOX "only used four times" is usually not the truth either, but can be instantly verified in a utility app like DriveDX because it notes those details, including Power On Hours and Drive Health. If a seller is not giving you that information up front or a straight answer they are most likely not being truthful.
CHECKLIST (most of the business resellers will use the cheapest aftermarket and used parts available and you will have no way of knowing):
-----Confirm the BRAND of installed Memory (RAM) -- if it is the cheapest aftermarket cards or quality aftermarket.
-----Confirm the BRAND and TYPE of Storage (HDD, FUSION, SATA SSD, NVMe PCIe M.2 FLASH SSD) -- top brands are best.
-----If the item is a SALVAGE-REPAIR item you have little chance of knowing that or what was done unless the seller is honest and up front.
There is a free app for macOS called DRIVEDX -- it will give you the HEALTH percentages, Power-on-Hours, and flag any defects -- if someone claims "new" or "open box only used four times" -- and DriveDX notes it has hundreds or thousands of hours on it -- that would be useful to know up front who you are dealing with....