The Samsung 840/840 Pro SSD thread

I made a bootable DVD to update the 840 pro that I bought last week.
The process was unsuccessful because the 840 pro already shipped with the latest firmware..

I'm new to the whole SSD craze so bear with me:

I have a 15" MacBoko Pro that I use for casual computer stuff - college work mostly. No heavy stuff like video and sound editing. I'm conflicted between getting the 750GB 840 EVO SSD and the 500 GB 840 EVO SSD because of the cache differences (512MB cache for the 500GB and 1GB cache for the 750GB). For what I do, will I see a noticeable difference between the two cache sizes?

Would you recommend getting the 500GB or the 750GB?

adnbek said:

New firmware available.

Is it safe to update using Magician software in Bootcamp or better to make bootable ISO?

Click to expand...

I need to update mine too, but the whole Mac OS X update process is a royal PITA. When is Samsung going to offer a Mac OS X compatible app for their SSDs?

zipur said:

I found a good deal on the Samsung 840 256 drives at Best Buy for $204 then i found a better deal on Amazon.
There may be better deals out there but I'm just passing this along.
This may be useful for a Price Match...

Click to expand...

Prices for the Samsung 840 SSD's are plummeting at the moment. They've come down 25% in price here in Denmark, over the last ~5 weeks. Lets hope it is a sign of a new model just around the corner!

Has anyone had any problems with their Samsung Pro SSD corrupting their OS?

This just happened to me yesterday, which required an OS reinstall. I will admit that I rarely reboot my MacBook though, usually opting to put it to sleep. I probably restart the computer about once a month. Perhaps that's where the problem is.

Although I have had no problems with the 840, but I have seen no speed increase at all. Since my mid 2010 MBP is running SATA II, not sure it will help.

I am debating on switching back to a mechanical drive (1TB) since I would rather have the space since I don't notice the speed.

According to Black Magic
206 Write
262 Read

jbachandouris said:

Although I have had no problems with the 840, but I have seen no speed increase at all. Since my mid 2010 MBP is running SATA II, not sure it will help.

I am debating on switching back to a mechanical drive (1TB) since I would rather have the space since I don't notice the speed.

According to Black Magic
206 Write
262 Read

Click to expand...

The speed numbers you quote are in line with SATA2 - Around 250Mb/sec.

But you mechanical drive should report ~25% of that speed, so I am quite surprised that you can't feel a difference. Even in my SATA1 MBP, I noticed a major speed increase when I shifted to an SSD.

(MacBook PRO 13/ 2011/ early / 16 ram / Core I7 )

Hi everybody. I just have bought mine SSD 840 PRO 128 Gb, so should I enable TRIM ? If so, what is the best way (CORRECT ) to enable TRIM ?

1) By terminal
2) By TRIMEnableR (what version ?) Ive heard, that it does change some important files on Mac OS ?
3) Chameleon SSD Optimizer ?
4) Else


Thanks so much in advance

Weaselboy said:

You won't get much argument from anybody that TRIM is not good to have. The issue is, do you want to hack a core OS X system file to have it? Many users here have used the TRIM hack without issue, while some do seem to have trouble with the hack enabled. You will just have to decide for yourself.

Every tool that enables TRIM does the same thing, and that is modify a system kext file. So no matter which tool you use, then end result is the same.

The free TRIM Enabler seems to work well.

Click to expand...

Thanks. Made by trimenabler, so easy, took me 5 seconds.

----------

Many users here have used the TRIM hack without issue, while some do seem to have trouble with the hack enabled. You will just have to

Click to expand...

What kind of problem ?

Hey... I've been researching this forum as I'm trying to decide what SSD to get... I have a mid-2010 MBP with a APPLE SSD TS128B (Toshiba drive right?) that came with it. I'm leaning towards the Samsung 840 series... I guess my question is, is the Pro worth it still? as I'd be using it with SATA II connection. Also been recommended the Crucial M550 series... anyone familiar with them?

Also, would I notice that much of a difference since I'm already using a SSD? I just need more capacity as I'm running out of room with the 128GB... leaning towards the 256 or 512GB drives.

For any UK buyers getting an Evo, I thought I'd point out Samsung are doing upto £50 Cashback on them until 3rd May:

http://www.samsung.com/uk/ssdevocashback

Not sure if it applies to other regions, but the offer started 30/03/14, so worth checking if one you purchased since then is eligible

I was just reading the Samsung SSD white paper on their site

http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/samsungssd/downloads/Samsung_SSD_Whitepaper.pdf

As it requires OS support, not all users will be able to use native TRIM functionality. On PCs, TRIM is supported in Windows 7 or later. On Macs, TRIM is only supported for Apple’s OEM SSDs and is not supported for Samsung’s (or any other manufacturers’) aftermarket SSDs

Click to expand...

Is this old? has it changed with the newer OSX?

5to1 said:

For any UK buyers getting an Evo, I thought I'd point out Samsung are doing upto £50 Cashback on them until 3rd May:

http://www.samsung.com/uk/ssdevocashback

Not sure if it applies to other regions, but the offer started 30/03/14, so worth checking if one you purchased since then is eligible

Click to expand...

Thanks for this, just FYI the link shows £15 for 250gb, £18-20 for 500gb and £50 for the 1tb

Jambalaya said:

Thanks for this, just FYI the link shows £15 for 250gb, £18-20 for 500gb and £50 for the 1tb

Click to expand...

Yep, Sorry I should have posted that breakdown, damn retailers/manufacturers and their "upto"

seldanne said:

Hey... I've been researching this forum as I'm trying to decide what SSD to get... I have a mid-2010 MBP with a APPLE SSD TS128B (Toshiba drive right?) that came with it. I'm leaning towards the Samsung 840 series... I guess my question is, is the Pro worth it still? as I'd be using it with SATA II connection

Click to expand...

The speed benefit in the Pro would not be noticeable over the EVO on a SATA2 connection. Save the money and buy the EVO.

Also, would I notice that much of a difference since I'm already using a SSD? I just need more capacity as I'm running out of room with the 128GB... leaning towards the 256 or 512GB drives.

Click to expand...

Most likely you will in some operations.

Using the 256gb 840 pro for a few weeks now. It came with latest firmware.
Can't imagine if I need to go back to the 5400rpm drive.

seldanne said:

I was just reading the Samsung SSD white paper on their site

http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/samsungssd/downloads/Samsung_SSD_Whitepaper.pdf



Is this old? has it changed with the newer OSX?

Click to expand...

The statement is misleading: TRIM is not enabled by default in OS X for third-party SSDs, so the statement is arguably correct. However, there are programs that can be used to enable TRIM even on third-party drives, with ChameleonSSD and TRIMEnabler being the big two. The statement makes it seem as if TRIM is completely unsupported for the drives under OS X, which isn't the case.

Just an FYI - EVO prices have been dropping for a few months.
500gb on Amazon at the moment is €201 which is a pretty decent deal !

M.

The question is if one should wait for the next generation of drives, or just snatch a cheap EVO.. Hmmm...

Thank you for the advice. That's also the reasoning I've come to, but with new drives being just around the corner, I can't help but wait just to see.

I would love to see a 840 Pro drive at 1TB, to maximize the gains and longivety of my forthcomming SSD.