Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Samsung 83 or Samsung 840 Pro or OWC Mercury Extreme ?

E

elmarjazz

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 26, 2010
212
114
Samsung 830 or Samsung 840 Pro or OWC Mercury Extreme ?

Into my late 2011 MBP 17" 2.5ghz

Getting ready to make the upgrade and max it out, will be putting in 16gb of 1600 RAM from OWC, have not decided if the SSD will be in the 250GB range and move the 750GB HD over, or a 500GB SSD and keep the DVD.

Thanks!
 
Last edited:
yusukeaoki

yusukeaoki

macrumors 68030
Mar 22, 2011
2,550
6
Tokyo, Japan
OWC Mercury Extreme!
Those drives are blazing fast!
But the price is very expensive.
If I had the money, I would definitely go with OWC.
 
T5BRICK

T5BRICK

macrumors G3
Aug 3, 2006
8,313
2,387
Oregon
840 Pro all the way. OWC is overpriced most of the time.

The 830 is a good drive. If you find one for a good price I wouldn't hesitate, but the 840 Pro is better in just about every way.
 
E

elmarjazz

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 26, 2010
212
114
The OWC is 'easy', they back their products, and seem reliable, everything including a data-doubler is included in a package, although as said they are the most expensive too.

I found a 830 500GB that comes in the 'note-kit' package with the caddy for putting it in the MBP and software. I'd have to get a data-doubler and the savings would come to $70 or so for the 500GB. Still not cheap (I'm in Japan, Amazon price), and the reason I'm thinking 250GB still.

The only 840 Pro I've found does not have the caddy or other software in the kit, is this important? Do I need the caddy to install the SSD? Is the software needed?
 
B

BlaqkAudio

macrumors 6502
Jun 24, 2008
495
23
New York
elmarjazz said:
The OWC is 'easy', they back their products, and seem reliable, everything including a data-doubler is included in a package, although as said they are the most expensive too.

I found a 830 500GB that comes in the 'note-kit' package with the caddy for putting it in the MBP and software. I'd have to get a data-doubler and the savings would come to $70 or so for the 500GB. Still not cheap (I'm in Japan, Amazon price), and the reason I'm thinking 250GB still.

The only 840 Pro I've found does not have the caddy or other software in the kit, is this important? Do I need the caddy to install the SSD? Is the software needed?
Click to expand...
No, you don't need the caddy. The stock hard drive is suspended by screws in foam brackets to reduce vibrations, so a 7mm SSD will fit just fine. Just unscrew the screws from the stock HD and put them on the SSD (you'll need a T6 screwdriver). Just use Carbon Copy Cloner trial, SuperDuper!, or even Disk Utility to clone your hard drive to the SSD.
 
SDAVE

SDAVE

macrumors 68040
Jun 16, 2007
3,574
601
Nowhere
Sammy all the way. OWC is a good company, but there is no way they compare with Samsung.

Also you don't need any of those kits. Just get the bare SSD and get this caddy. Save your money!

If you can find a cheap place for the 830, that's also a good SSD (though it's being phased out by Samsung).

The 830 and 840 Pro are somewhat similar, they are both high quality. The 840 Pro is newer and will be faster, overall.
 
Hellhammer

Hellhammer

Moderator emeritus
Dec 10, 2008
22,164
582
Finland
yusukeaoki said:
OWC Mercury Extreme
Write- 527mbps Read- 559mbps

Samsung 840 PRO
Write- 520mbps Write- 520mbps

Checked my data friend :cool:
Click to expand...

Like if the sequential read/write speeds reported by the manufacturer meant something... Sequential large IO transfers are rare, what really matters are the 4KB and 8KB read/write speeds (both sequential and random). That's where the 840 Pro smokes the Mercury.
 
B

BlaqkAudio

macrumors 6502
Jun 24, 2008
495
23
New York
yusukeaoki said:
OWC Mercury Extreme
Write- 527mbps Read- 559mbps

Samsung 840 PRO
Write- 520mbps Write- 520mbps

Checked my data friend :cool:
Click to expand...
And yet, according to Anandtech, the 840 Pro beats the Mercury extreme in 35/49 tests.

Plus, at the same price points, the 840 Pro's components are all in house and power consumption is far lower.
 
E

elmarjazz

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 26, 2010
212
114
Thanks for the information about the kit being not needed.

Well, I can get a Samsung 840 PRO 512GB for $100 cheaper than an OWC, and the Samsung 830 for another $50 less. A Samsung 840 Pro 256GB is $250 which is fine for OS and applications but means the HD goes to the optical bay and buying the mount for that (OWC charges $50 for theirs).

Any recommendations and thoughts?

Thanks again,
 
ugp

ugp

macrumors 65816
Jan 7, 2008
1,223
4
Inverness, Florida
After reading some reviews the 840 Pro got rated a bit better than OWCs. I went with the 840 Pro 512GB drive and couldn't be happier with mine.
 
V

ValHeli

macrumors newbie
Dec 24, 2012
1
0
please help a newb

Hi guys, I'm new here and only had my MBP 13 for a few months. I recently started reading about upgrading to SSD and my google research led me here.

I'd like to thank everyone's input on the Samsung 840 pro vs Mercury pro. These are the 2 drives I was looking to upgrade to and you guys just made my decision a whole lot easier:)

I just have a few questions though. Will the Samsung 840 pro fit in the 2012 Macpro 13? How much battery life can I expect after the upgrade? (right now I only get about 3 hours at 40% dim, internet use). Finally, how do I clone my OS to the new drive before I install it? (do I even need to do that or just restore from timemachine?)

I'm struggling a bit here coming from a windows environment so please forgive the ultra newb questions:confused::confused:. You guys' help is greatly appreciated.
 
Weaselboy

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,137
15,602
California
ValHeli said:
Hi guys, I'm new here and only had my MBP 13 for a few months. I recently started reading about upgrading to SSD and my google research led me here.

I'd like to thank everyone's input on the Samsung 840 pro vs Mercury pro. These are the 2 drives I was looking to upgrade to and you guys just made my decision a whole lot easier:)

I just have a few questions though. Will the Samsung 840 pro fit in the 2012 Macpro 13? How much battery life can I expect after the upgrade? (right now I only get about 3 hours at 40% dim, internet use). Finally, how do I clone my OS to the new drive before I install it? (do I even need to do that or just restore from timemachine?)

I'm struggling a bit here coming from a windows environment so please forgive the ultra newb questions:confused::confused:. You guys' help is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

Yes the Samsung 840 will fit your machine. I don't think you will see any difference in battery life either way... I never have with a SSD install.

If you have a Time Machine backup to a USB drive you can option key boot to that and use Disk Util to format then do a complete restore right from Time Machine.
 
N

neroroxxx

macrumors newbie
Sep 23, 2010
15
0
Hi guys, I've been dying to an SSD on my 27" 2011 iMac, I saw the instructional video to add it on the OWC site and i had already made my mind about getting the OWC but again i didn't buy it yet because i figured i'll research for a month or 2 first before i instal a drive.

You guys have changed my mind and now i'm looking at the samsung 840 pro 512GB

If you can answer a few of my questions that'd be great, specially those of you who actually own the Samsung.

#1 is the samsung a SandForce drive? I keep reading SandForce is the best driver for the SSDs

#2 will is last on a machine used about 12 to 14 hours a day? i do graphic design and web programming 9 to 5 along with multit-racking on logic and some final cut x, also a few times a week i run windows with a flight simulator for fun

#3 can i use it with bootcamp?

#4 is it recommended to enable TRIM? i keep reading that the OWC is pretty much ready to go for mac and that you don't need TRIM because of Garbage Collection

Thanks!
 
w00t951

w00t951

macrumors 68000
Jan 6, 2009
1,834
53
Pittsburgh, PA
neroroxxx said:
Hi guys, I've been dying to an SSD on my 27" 2011 iMac, I saw the instructional video to add it on the OWC site and i had already made my mind about getting the OWC but again i didn't buy it yet because i figured i'll research for a month or 2 first before i instal a drive.

You guys have changed my mind and now i'm looking at the samsung 840 pro 512GB

If you can answer a few of my questions that'd be great, specially those of you who actually own the Samsung.

#1 is the samsung a SandForce drive? I keep reading SandForce is the best driver for the SSDs

#2 will is last on a machine used about 12 to 14 hours a day? i do graphic design and web programming 9 to 5 along with multit-racking on logic and some final cut x, also a few times a week i run windows with a flight simulator for fun

#3 can i use it with bootcamp?

#4 is it recommended to enable TRIM? i keep reading that the OWC is pretty much ready to go for mac and that you don't need TRIM because of Garbage Collection

Thanks!
Click to expand...

1) Sandforce compresses data to artificially inflate data speeds. When you have real world usage, especially random reads/writes, things get sticky for the Sandforce. The Samsung uses a superior uncompressed memory controller.

2) Yes. Although SSDs haven't been around long enough to gather comprehensive reliability rates, the failure rate is microscopic.

3) Yes. What kind of question is this?

4) Yes. Even though most drives' memory controllers do garbage collection, it's still nice when the OS can issue TRIM commands on the go. Garbage collection is initiated by TRIM. TRIM is a command for garbage collection.
 
E

elmarjazz

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 26, 2010
212
114
original poster here, thanks

Have been waiting for the new year and things to settle down to decide what SSD to get.

From the help and suggestions I've received have decided that a Samsung will be the way to go. The 830 500gb drive I had my eye on a couple weeks ago has disappeared from the seller's site, and the others I've found listed are more than a little more cost than a new 840pro. So no 830.

So its come down to a 250gb 840pro, which would be paired with moving the 750gb HD over to the optical bay. But I am having thoughts now of a 'plain Jane' 840 500gb and keeping the DVD at least for a time.

I've been reading the Samsung 840 is not as fast [as the 840pro] or the best quality [cheaper memory used], but thinking any upgrade from a HD will be great, and 500gb would be nice.

Question to any 840 users or opinions… Will the 840 be as dependable? Will I really see [feel] a difference between the 840 and 840pro? The 840 500gb is priced right in the middle between the 840pro 250gb and 840pro 500gb, good deal?

Thanks
 
E

elmarjazz

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 26, 2010
212
114
did it

So I finally did it. Bought a Samsung 840 Pro 512gb along with 16gb 1600mhz of Corsair Vengeance RAM and installed them this morning.

The 830 prices have jumped in [way up there] price, maybe because there was only a few of the new-old stock left, the OWC SSD prices are up there even if its a good drive, and the 840 Pro just seemed the best 'fit', and the larger 512gb drive was a good deal ($130 less then the 480gb OWC drive). Probably could have been fine with a 256gb drive and HD in the optical bay solution, but wanted to see if I could keep the DVD as I burn CDs and watch DVDs now and then and it would be nice to have it 'on the go' without bringing an extra something along. The MBP late 2011 shows the RAM to be running at 1600 and the speed tests are up there where they should be for the SSD.

Time will tell if I need the file storage space and move the HD over to the optical bay. For now after a clean install of Mountain Lion will just move my files over from my old computer in a orderly way and get it right.

As I was hoping and wanted; an updated last of the MBP 17" 2011 2.5ghz, big screen as my 'desk computer' to move around the house and occasional trips away, fastest I can get for what it is (plenty fast for my use for now), new (bought off the Apple refurbished store) but in a familiar way (looks the same as my 2010 17" with the difference inside).
 

Attachments

  • Screen Shot 2013-01-18 at 12.34.36 PM.png
    Screen Shot 2013-01-18 at 12.34.36 PM.png
    805 KB · Views: 309
N

nurali

macrumors newbie
May 3, 2008
4
0
optical bay kit

Hey folks,
I'm about to buy either one of the ssd's and here's a question.
Im goin to use ssd in main bay and move hdd to optical drive bay.
Where do I get an optical bay adapter for hdd if I decide to go for samsung pro?
Preferably EU, since we have high import taxes in Denmark.. :)
Thanks!

ps
will this one work?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/eSynic®-Uni...8-1&keywords=ssd+hdd+adapter+macbook+pro+2011

my MBP is early 2011.
 
Last edited:
simonsi

simonsi

Contributor
Jan 3, 2014
4,851
735
Auckland
That caddy/adapter looks fine.
My early 2011 has the SSD in the caddy as my 1TB HDD is too thick, it makes no difference as both connect to SATA at 6G...
 
Donfor39

Donfor39

macrumors 68000
Jul 26, 2012
1,896
371
Lanarkshire Scotland
Can a U.K. mac user post a link for a HDD bracket for my mcpro late 2011

macbook is flying with recently installed SSD

The original HDD is currently sitting on to of my subwoofer:D

(want to remove the super drive -no more RW DVD's -most wasted when I had windows laptop )
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom