SSD Buying Guide

[ron1004]

Samsung 840 EVO 750GB for a low $359.99

Samsung 840 EVO MZ-7TE750BW 750GB 2.5" Internal SATA III TLC Solid State Drive (SSD) for a low $359.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...hBargains-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16820147250

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8466639&CatId=5300

 

[carlili4190]

Hey guys. I bought a samsung 840 evo 750gb around Christmas and absolutely love it. Everything is perfect. I'm getting write speeds of 450+ and read speeds of 500+ mb/s. Boot time is insanely fast too.

However, I've had one problem ever since I installed the ssd and it's finally starting to bug me and I have no idea how to fix it.
When I installed the ssd it was a fresh install. Everything was put on new and nothing was restored from a backup. (Just some background info)
Now my problem is the time. Whenever my computer backs up or has to report the time such as when a file is created or modified it only shows "today, 3: pm". It doesn't show the minutes! On the menu bar it shows the minutes. In the settings it is set to " set time and date automatically: Apple Americas/US(time.apple.com)
And the time zone is set to automatic so I have no clue what is wrong. Does anyone have a clue as to why it wouldn't display the minutes and only the hour?

 

[Hexley]

Update your SSD's firmware and use OS X 10.9.x

 

[alex0002]

Why buy M500 when you can buy EVO ?

Right now there are some good discounts on the M500, but there is also the new Crucial M550 coming. Main change over the M500 appears to be different size NAND die in the small sizes (240/256GB and smaller) gives improved performance. Some reviews are out now:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7864/crucial-m550-review-128gb-256gb-512gb-and-1tb-models-tested
http://www.storagereview.com/micron_crucial_m550_ssd_review

If you want the fastest, then there are others, but most people will not notice the difference except for benchmark bragging rights.

 

[81Tiger04]

Right now there are some good discounts on the M500, but there is also the new Crucial M550 coming. Main change over the M500 appears to be different size NAND die in the small sizes (240/256GB and smaller) gives improved performance. Some reviews are out now:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7864/crucial-m550-review-128gb-256gb-512gb-and-1tb-models-tested
http://www.storagereview.com/micron_crucial_m550_ssd_review

If you want the fastest, then there are others, but most people will not notice the difference except for benchmark bragging rights.

Would I see these improvements of the M550 on my mid-2010 MBP? Or does the M500 give me what I can get?

 

[bayourock]

Would I see these improvements of the M550 on my mid-2010 MBP? Or does the M500 give me what I can get?

I have a mid 2010 MBPS as well. I just purchased the Samsung 840 EVO MZ-7TE750BW 750GB ssd, my MBP is like a whole new machine. The difference is night and day.

I strongly suggest you make a move to ssd, cheaper than buying a whole new machine, but you get comparable results.

 

[alex0002]

Would I see these improvements of the M550 on my mid-2010 MBP? Or does the M500 give me what I can get?

This is on a late 2011 MBP 13 inch with Crucial M500 240GB SSD:

$ dd if=/dev/zero of=temp256m bs=1024k count=256 conv=notrunc,sync
256+0 records in
256+0 records out
268435456 bytes transferred in 0.970369 secs (276632320 bytes/sec)

Since the 2011 MBP has SATA-III there might be an advantage for me to step up to the M550 or the Samsung 840 EVO, as SATA-III can support better than the 263 MB/s write speeds seen here. Since sequential write speeds aren't a huge part of the disk workload for me (or most people), I'm not too worried. If I was buying new again, I'd get the M550 256GB or perhaps the M500 480GB which is faster than the smaller M500 240GB.

For someone with a 2010 MBP which is SATA-II there is even less reason to get a faster drive, unless you were looking at the 120/128GB size drives.

For most people, the difference between the M500, M550 and 840 EVO is quite small, while the difference between an older mechanical hard disk and any of these SSDs is very noticeable. If cost is the major factor stopping you from getting a more expensive SSD, don't hesitate - just get the cheaper M500 and enjoy the improved performance.

Like most people, once you install an SSD you'll wish you did it sooner.

 

[jalyst]

Would I see these improvements of the M550 on my mid-2010 MBP? Or does the M500 give me what I can get?

Read what Kristian (guy who started this thread) wrote for Anandtech, last page at the very least:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7864/crucial-m550-review-128gb-256gb-512gb-and-1tb-models-tested

 

[Hexley]

Skip that and go straight to the "Final Word".

M550 to me appears to be the successor of the mainstream/value SSD. For those who value $/GB over speed. Perfect match for SATA I and SATA II links.

For SATA III I'd go with the Evo or Pro depending on how paranoid you are.

I hope this year means we will see 600MB/s reads and writes on the top end SSD.

 

[jalyst]

Skip that and go straight to the "Final Word".

M550 to me appears to be the successor of the mainstream/value SSD. For those who value $/GB over speed. Perfect match for SATA I and SATA II links.

For SATA III I'd go with the Evo or Pro depending on how paranoid you are.

It makes pretty clear that if performance is paramount, even if it's only SATA III, then Evo or Pro isn't "king dick".
If value is paramount (which prolly should be the case if it'll only be used on SATAI/II), then Evo/500 is "king dick".

The Samsung 840 Pro absolutely isn't the number one performing 6G SSD overall any more...
Compared to the best performing SSD's it often has an edge in $/GB (not always, depends on your locale/research).
So if he wants something that's "among the best" whilst being slightly better value than the "best", then it's prolly it.
Leads change, I'm sure there'll be something from Samsung soon which smashes the current performance leaders.

 

[Prof.]

Buying a Samsung 840 EVO SSD for my 2012 MacBook Pro. What do I need to do to install the SSD and have the software/OS run smooth?

Step by step is appreciated. This is my first time

 

[ecschwarz]

Buying a Samsung 840 EVO SSD for my 2012 MacBook Pro. What do I need to do to install the SSD and have the software/OS run smooth?

Step by step is appreciated. This is my first time

I'm sure there's a post somewhere else on this forum, but here's what you need to do:

1) Download the Samsung SSD Firmware update for yours from this site and burn it to a DVD-R (the Mac and PC ISO versions are the same - some weird Linux-wrapped DOS executable): http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/samsungssd/downloads.html

2) Install the drive in your computer using these basic steps (it's the same size and fit as a hard drive, although might be a bit thinner): http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Mid+2012+Hard+Drive+Replacement/10378

3) Boot from the firmware DVD you made and follow the on-screen prompts to make sure you're running the latest firmware (it's always easier to do this first)

4) Once that's done, you'll need to erase and either install a fresh copy of the OS, or clone your other drive to the new one. I recommend booting off your old drive externally using a SATA-to-USB adapter (Amazon sells these for $20-$30) - you can pick your old drive while starting up and holding down the Option key.

5) Erase your SSD using Disk Utility - make sure you partition it using GUID and format as Mac OS Extended (Journaled): http://www.macworld.com/article/2055589/how-to-format-a-startup-drive-for-a-mac.html

6) For creating a bootable clone of your original drive, I recommend using Super Duper: http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html - you may even want to install this before you start the project so it's already on your old drive.

7) Reboot from your SSD and make sure everything works.

8) Enable TRIM, which will allow your drive to run using its built-in garbage collection tools - I like TRIM Enabler: http://www.cindori.org/software/trimenabler/ In free mode, it will enable TRIM, which is enough - the extra features are available if you buy the full version. Keep in mind that with every major OS update (10.9.0->10.9.1->10.9.2), you'll need to re-enable TRIM each time.

 

[jalyst]

I read somewhere recently that from ML onwards, using stuff like TRIM Enabler isn't necessary for 3rd-party SSD's.
This is because TRIM will kick-in regardless, it didn't smell quite right to me, is this correct? (ideally Kristian or an OSX guru like John Siracusa can weigh-in!)

 

[jbachandouris]

Is the 840 EVO any good? It's $139 for 250GB. Not a bad price.

 

[jalyst]

It's not the best performing 6G SSD, but it & the M500 are the best value*, if you have a machine w/a 6G interface, & you want the best performance (even if you won't notice the difference between the top-end & the bottom-end SSD's in many instances), then you need to look at others.

But for many users it's plenty good, do some reading at all the main tech sites that cover this area heavily, some of the prominent ones are: StorageReview/Anandtech, some lengthy time spent Googling is worthwhile.

*the M550 will supplant the M500 eventually, if the M500's dropped, or if the M550's price gets closer to the M500's

 

[jbachandouris]

I have a mid 2010 MBP, I'm guessing the features of the high end ones won't benefit me.

Googling? Seriously? All I wanted to do is find a hard drive as quiet as the stick Hitachi that's in it. Did Google help? Nope. Seagate noisy. Western Digital is supposed to be cool and 'quiet.' It's not. I trust MR above all.

 

[jalyst]

I have a mid 2010 MBP, I'm guessing the features of the high end ones won't benefit me.

Googling? Seriously? All I wanted to do is find a hard drive as quiet as the stick Hitachi that's in it. Did Google help? Nope. Seagate noisy. Western Digital is supposed to be cool and 'quiet.' It's not. I trust MR above all.

It's not "features" so much that make them stand-out (although 1-2 do have some features that add to the overall appeal), it's performance. Find out if your machine uses SATAIII (OTTOMH I think not), if it does, then you can benefit from the performance of the top-end ones. If you don't care about absolute best perf. & you want bang for buck, then the bottom-end ones are fine, the bottom-end ones will still be vastly faster than your machine's HDD. I found a bucket-load of reviews/articles with some Googling, LOTS of data/angles, but, each to his own.

 

[Weaselboy]

Is the 840 EVO any good? It's $139 for 250GB. Not a bad price.

I have a mid 2010 MBP, I'm guessing the features of the high end ones won't benefit me.

Googling? Seriously? All I wanted to do is find a hard drive as quiet as the stick Hitachi that's in it. Did Google help? Nope. Seagate noisy. Western Digital is supposed to be cool and 'quiet.' It's not. I trust MR above all.

The EVO would be perfect for your machine. You can drive (pun ) yourself completely ******* insane trying to read all the reviews on these SSDs.

 

[jbachandouris]

I found a bucket-load of reviews/articles with some Googling, LOTS of data/angles, but, each to his own.

Agreed. There's soon much our there that it can get overwhelming. Thanks for your input.

Sorry if I came across wrong. I'm on my second noisy hard drive in the last few days, so I'm not too excited for a third. From what I've read so far, an SSD upgrade is the best option.

 

[jalyst]

You can drive (pun ) yourself completely ******* insane trying to read all the reviews on these SSDs.

I quite enjoy that part of it , can spend wks reading & collating data points before deciding, but I realise not everyone has that luxury, or wants to. In the past I've occasionally researched for many months, but that was more for tech that doesn't advance as rapidly, e.g. casing/cooling.

Agreed. There's soon much our there that it can get overwhelming. Thanks for your input.
Sorry if I came across wrong. I'm on my second noisy hard drive in the last few days, so I'm not too excited for a third. From what I've read so far, an SSD upgrade is the best option.

That's cool, if you look up, I have a bigger post than the one you responded to...

 

[jbachandouris]

I quite enjoy that part of it , can spend wks reading & collating data points before deciding, but I realise not everyone has that luxury, or wants to. In the past I've occasionally researched for many months, but that was more for tech that doesn't advance as rapidly, e.g. casing/cooling.



That's cool, if you look up, I have a bigger post than the one you responded to...

Thing is, I don't mind the reach either. It's just that part of my brain that can make a decision from all that data is the part that doesn't work so well.

 

[jalyst]

You just take notes as you go along & merge/refine etc, but it is a skill, one normally fully honed at tertiary level.
Can be time consuming too (depending on how pedantic you want to be), & not everyone has the time/interest.

 

[Hexley]

I mention the "Pro" because some have reservations with the tech used by the "Evo".

True, pricing varies from place to place for any number of reasons.

It is a given technology will improve. I wouldnt be surprised that the next Samsung SSD will target the top end yet again but I hope for 600MB/s reads and writes.

It makes pretty clear that if performance is paramount, even if it's only SATA III, then Evo or Pro isn't "king dick".
If value is paramount (which prolly should be the case if it'll only be used on SATAI/II), then Evo/500 is "king dick".

The Samsung 840 Pro absolutely isn't the number one performing 6G SSD overall any more...
Compared to the best performing SSD's it often has an edge in $/GB (not always, depends on your locale/research).
So if he wants something that's "among the best" whilst being slightly better value than the "best", then it's prolly it.
Leads change, I'm sure there'll be something from Samsung soon which smashes the current performance leaders.

 

[Prof.]

I'm sure there's a post somewhere else on this forum, but here's what you need to do:

1) Download the Samsung SSD Firmware update for yours from this site and burn it to a DVD-R (the Mac and PC ISO versions are the same - some weird Linux-wrapped DOS executable): http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/samsungssd/downloads.html

2) Install the drive in your computer using these basic steps (it's the same size and fit as a hard drive, although might be a bit thinner): http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Mid+2012+Hard+Drive+Replacement/10378

3) Boot from the firmware DVD you made and follow the on-screen prompts to make sure you're running the latest firmware (it's always easier to do this first)

4) Once that's done, you'll need to erase and either install a fresh copy of the OS, or clone your other drive to the new one. I recommend booting off your old drive externally using a SATA-to-USB adapter (Amazon sells these for $20-$30) - you can pick your old drive while starting up and holding down the Option key.

5) Erase your SSD using Disk Utility - make sure you partition it using GUID and format as Mac OS Extended (Journaled): http://www.macworld.com/article/2055589/how-to-format-a-startup-drive-for-a-mac.html

6) For creating a bootable clone of your original drive, I recommend using Super Duper: http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html - you may even want to install this before you start the project so it's already on your old drive.

7) Reboot from your SSD and make sure everything works.

8) Enable TRIM, which will allow your drive to run using its built-in garbage collection tools - I like TRIM Enabler: http://www.cindori.org/software/trimenabler/ In free mode, it will enable TRIM, which is enough - the extra features are available if you buy the full version. Keep in mind that with every major OS update (10.9.0->10.9.1->10.9.2), you'll need to re-enable TRIM each time.

Thank you so much! How do you burn the firmware to a DVD-R?

I think I found out how - Right click "Burn to DVD"?

 

[ron1004]

Buying a Samsung 840 EVO SSD for my 2012 MacBook Pro. What do I need to do to install the SSD and have the software/OS run smooth?

Step by step is appreciated. This is my first time

The simplest method is to get a USB to SATA connector and then using Disk Utility do a restore from your current HD to the SSD.
https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=18127037#post18127037
Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility
http://eshop.macsales.com/tech_center/index.cfm?page=/manuals/mac/clon_data.html

Thank you so much! How do you burn the firmware to a DVD-R?

I think I found out how - Right click "Burn to DVD"?

I found the instructions in this thread quite easy to follow:
https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=18890099#post18890099