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Which SSD has garbage collection and is best suitable with mac OSX?

V

Vyruz Reaper

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 23, 2009
134
0
Under 500 dollars, which is the best SSD with garbage collection and will not degrade performance over time? Im looking for 150GB+

OCZ? but i heard they have problems. Intel doesnt have garbage collection? Some help plz
 
collegembp said:
I hope someone answers this. I want to know as well...
Click to expand...

So i think I am going to buy the intel x25 160GB G2 SSD but I am very concerned about the performance loss after some use. It seems intel does not provide any help to mac osx users. Garbage collection as I understand is only available on the OCZ Vertex, and the 120GB is too small and the 250GB is too expensive.

I really dont know what to do? should I just buy macs 128GB drive and then find a external 500GB drive to store most of my other stuff?
 
TuffLuffJimmy said:
What do you use your computer for?
Click to expand...

LOTS of music, some photo and video editing. The typical web browsing(10 tabs at a time), ms office, online HW for school(very flash intensive)

I am interested in using final cut pro and aperture, well see if I get there.

I do download A LOT of music and some movies. I plan on developing some palm pre apps if i get enough time to do so.
 
Vyruz Reaper said:
Under 500 dollars, which is the best SSD with garbage collection and will not degrade performance over time? Im looking for 150GB+

OCZ? but i heard they have problems. Intel doesnt have garbage collection? Some help plz
Click to expand...

I was using a 128GB Patriot torqx m28 since June last year. Never had ANY slowdown and performance drop. 220MB/read and 180MB write.
 
I researched this same question extensively.

I ended up installing the Intel X-25 G2 160 GB (silver case). With the new firmware updates on this drive (dated Nov. 2009), it supposedly does firm-ware level cleanup and performance does not degrade with time.

By all accounts, the Intel SSD is still the performer of choice with a proven track record in the Macs.

Installed this drive, moved my 640GB main drive to the optical bay spot. My 640 GB drive was previously partioned with boot camp and Windows 7. It boots just fine into Windows from the optical bay.

I'm putting applications and the OS on the SSD, and leaving the hard drive for media and data. I've not seen a succient writeup on how to do this, so here's some general tips:

You should *keep* your /user account on the SSD. Certain library settings need to stay on this drive. You should move music, media, the itunes folder, photos, downloads, and e-mail to your data drive. This is a bit complex. itunes and iphoto allow you to specify the save directory (and itunes will copy your music). The download folder can be assigned in preferences. e-mail is the toughest. Here's the best instructions, from macperformanceguide.com

0. Quit Apple Mail, and make a backup of your mail folder.
1. Copy the Mail folder to the top level of your data drive (or elsewhere, then modify step 3 appropriately).
2. Rename the original mail folder to Mail.old as an additional backup.
3. Start a Terminal window and type:

ln -s /Volumes/Master/Mail Library/Mail

This makes a symbolic link to the folder Mail on the volume Master (type the name of your volume, and use quotes around it if the volume name contains a space character). The resulting file Library/Mail is a tiny file that says “look over there on /Volumes/Master/Mail instead”. Note: in this example, the data drive is named "Master" and the folder at the top level is named "Mail". If your's is different, adjust appropriately. This last step is essential to get mail to use an alternate drive as the storage directory. Not simple, but necessary.

Now, you've got apps and system on the SSD, data stored on the HD, and you get the best of both worlds!

I'm extremely pleased with the 160GB Intel X-25M G2. Best combination of reliability, performance, price, and size.

YMMV,

Joe M.
 
diablo2112 said:
I researched this same question extensively.

I ended up installing the Intel X-25 G2 160 GB (silver case). With the new firmware updates on this drive (dated Nov. 2009), it supposedly does firm-ware level cleanup and performance does not degrade with time.

By all accounts, the Intel SSD is still the performer of choice with a proven track record in the Macs.

Installed this drive, moved my 640GB main drive to the optical bay spot. My 640 GB drive was previously partioned with boot camp and Windows 7. It boots just fine into Windows from the optical bay.

I'm putting applications and the OS on the SSD, and leaving the hard drive for media and data. I've not seen a succient writeup on how to do this, so here's some general tips:

You should *keep* your /user account on the SSD. Certain library settings need to stay on this drive. You should move music, media, the itunes folder, photos, downloads, and e-mail to your data drive. This is a bit complex. itunes and iphoto allow you to specify the save directory (and itunes will copy your music). The download folder can be assigned in preferences. e-mail is the toughest. Here's the best instructions, from macperformanceguide.com

0. Quit Apple Mail, and make a backup of your mail folder.
1. Copy the Mail folder to the top level of your data drive (or elsewhere, then modify step 3 appropriately).
2. Rename the original mail folder to Mail.old as an additional backup.
3. Start a Terminal window and type:

ln -s /Volumes/Master/Mail Library/Mail

This makes a symbolic link to the folder Mail on the volume Master (type the name of your volume, and use quotes around it if the volume name contains a space character). The resulting file Library/Mail is a tiny file that says “look over there on /Volumes/Master/Mail instead”. Note: in this example, the data drive is named "Master" and the folder at the top level is named "Mail". If your's is different, adjust appropriately. This last step is essential to get mail to use an alternate drive as the storage directory. Not simple, but necessary.

Now, you've got apps and system on the SSD, data stored on the HD, and you get the best of both worlds!

I'm extremely pleased with the 160GB Intel X-25M G2. Best combination of reliability, performance, price, and size.

YMMV,

Joe M.
Click to expand...



thanks for the long write up! Definitely helped out a lot! I am still worried about performance loss for something i will be spending 450 dollars on.
 
diablo2112 said:
I ended up installing the Intel X-25 G2 160 GB (silver case). With the new firmware updates on this drive (dated Nov. 2009), it supposedly does firm-ware level cleanup and performance does not degrade with time.
Click to expand...

I'm glade that you mentioned that because I forgot to upgrade the firmware on the Intel X-25 G2 160GB SSD that I got last week. After reading that I went and updated the firmware. When I get home I will update the firmware on the Intel X-25 80GB SSD that is in my Mac Pro.
 
Also got the X25-M G2 80GB and dropped it into my 2008 Mac Pro, upgraded to v1.5 firmware and into the optical slot. Improvements are like night and day. Even after I updated to v1.5 there was a noticeable difference from the increased write speed.

There's no going back to magnetic platters.. not ever:eek:
 
I went with the OCZ Vertex 128gb. It has native GC with the latest v1.5 firmware. Well actually it was a G.Skill Falcon but I flashed its firmware so that now it is a OCZ Vertex.......same drive and what not.

So far I love it, my Optibay comes in tomorrow so I will install the 500gb HDD there. I would really recommend you to go with an optibay like solution unless you use the ODD constantly.
 
brand said:
I'm glade that you mentioned that because I forgot to upgrade the firmware on the Intel X-25 G2 160GB SSD that I got last week. After reading that I went and updated the firmware. When I get home I will update the firmware on the Intel X-25 80GB SSD that is in my Mac Pro.
Click to expand...

the information is wrong. Intel SSD does not have any type of garbage collection, even with the latest firmware. the firmware only enables TRIM support, which is only available under windows. therefore, performance will still degrade over time when used on a mac and there's really nothing we can do about it except format, install the ssd into a pc, and run the intel ssd optimizer
 
fuzzielitlpanda said:
the information is wrong. Intel SSD does not have any type of garbage collection, even with the latest firmware. the firmware only enables TRIM support, which is only available under windows. therefore, performance will still degrade over time when used on a mac and there's really nothing we can do about it except format, install the ssd into a pc, and run the intel ssd optimizer
Click to expand...

Is it not possible to just format the MBP, install Windows on it and then do the SSD optimizer?
 
fuzzielitlpanda said:
the information is wrong. Intel SSD does not have any type of garbage collection, even with the latest firmware. the firmware only enables TRIM support, which is only available under windows. therefore, performance will still degrade over time when used on a mac and there's really nothing we can do about it except format, install the ssd into a pc, and run the intel ssd optimizer
Click to expand...

Yet there is a lot of information floating around saying that it does have garbage collection. Do you have a recent source to show that it definitely does not have garbage collection?
 
spooky69 said:
Yet there is a lot of information floating around saying that it does have garbage collection. Do you have a recent source to show that it definitely does not have garbage collection?
Click to expand...

yes i do and it was posted in another thread. do you have any solid info. that it does?
 
Searched but couldn't find it. Do you have a link? There are a few places that say it has garbage collection and many that say the opposite, hence my question.
 
You're all thinking too much

Just get a drive and use it.

Seriously, lots of people here are laboring under SSD myths and misconceptions.

If you get a modern SSD - i.e. any current model from any brand - just *use* the darn thing. Don't fret over all this nonsense.

First-gen SSDs, like any first-gen technology, had some rough edges. But those rough edges have mostly been smoothed out now that we have third-generation products.

OP, you are spending more time reading this thread and fretting about it than you will save by doing all of this research and all of these "optimizations". Just get the SSD that has the price/performance/capacity you want.
 
mattrothcline said:
Just get a drive and use it.

Seriously, lots of people here are laboring under SSD myths and misconceptions.

If you get a modern SSD - i.e. any current model from any brand - just *use* the darn thing. Don't fret over all this nonsense.

First-gen SSDs, like any first-gen technology, had some rough edges. But those rough edges have mostly been smoothed out now that we have third-generation products.

OP, you are spending more time reading this thread and fretting about it than you will save by doing all of this research and all of these "optimizations". Just get the SSD that has the price/performance/capacity you want.
Click to expand...

spend 500$ blindly! yeah good idea!

f*** apple.. no bluray no Trim...
 
thinkbig12 said:
spend 500$ blindly! yeah good idea!

f*** apple.. no bluray no Trim...
Click to expand...

Did I say to spend the money blindly? No, I said to get the cost/performance/capacity that you want. This is not spending money blindly.

Look, does it make sense to choose which car to buy based on whether it has gremlins or not? Of course not, because gremlins aren't real. Neither are the pseudo-technical SSD performance factors that people in this thread have been throwing around, without really knowing how the technology works.
 
fuzzielitlpanda said:
the information is wrong. Intel SSD does not have any type of garbage collection, even with the latest firmware. the firmware only enables TRIM support, which is only available under windows. therefore, performance will still degrade over time when used on a mac and there's really nothing we can do about it except format, install the ssd into a pc, and run the intel ssd optimizer
Click to expand...

You're wasting more time by doing these steps than you will gain by any increase in performance.

SSDs do get a bit slower over time. In 5 years, your drive may be 10% slower. *Maybe*.

But even if that does happen, you won't notice it.

Really, you won't.

If you want to spend your time wisely, then be more productive with your SSD and spend the time you save by going outside, or playing with your dog, or reading a book.
 
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