Firmware Update Enables 6Gb/s in 2011 iMacs

While iMac EFI Update 1.6 is described as including “fixes that improve performance and stability for Thunderbolt,” it would also seem that an unadvertised benefit is that it also unlocks the full 6Gb/s, SATA 3.0 capabilities of two of the internal drive bays. Unfortunately, the optical bay remains at 3Gb/s.

With the 2011 iMac’s EFI Update 1.6 unlocking 6GB/s SATA capabilities, you have no excuse not to plop down the cash for OCZ’s Vertex 3, a pretty monster SSD with outstanding read & write performance (taking advantage of the unlocked bandwidth). The only problem is just how to get behind that tricky panel to make the swap.

MacBooks are more easily accessible, however, and the 2011 MacBook Pros are also receiving an EFI update that’s addressing performance and Boot Camp issues. The only issue now is deciding whether you’re a desktop or laptop guy.