SSD Buying Guide

[tightwad1027]

Frits48, thank you so much for the info. I will definitely look into this Transcend 720 960GB SSD. It's good to know it work on your Mac as it is the same model as mine.

mafaky, at the time I purchase this MBP, 768GB was not an option.

 

[theBostonian]

I've been researching SSD upgrades/optibays to improve my mid-2012 cMBP 15" for the last few days before taking the plunge. I just had a few questions I was hoping someone might help me with and whose answers others might find helpful:

This optibay http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A26S1IMFVEEDLD says it runs with SATA III yet I was given to understand the negotiated link speed is based on the chipset/logic board controllers. Would it be better to buy any old optibay or for maximum performance should I get the aforementioned?

I'm torn between getting the Samsung 840 EVO (Amazon has a great deal on it at the moment) or the Toshiba THNSNJxxxGBSU / THNSNJxxxGCSU https://storage.toshiba.eu/cms/en/hdd/product_overview/product_detail.jsp?productid=615 . I've heard a lot of great things about both, the only reason I would go with the Toshiba is it's newer technology having been released earlier this year.

Finally, in order to get the best benefits of using my mechanical drive and the SSD in tandem, would it be best to keep the mechanical HDD in the HDD bay so that I can take advantage of the Sudden Motion Sensor and the SSD in the optibay, or should I put the SSD in the HDD bay so that I get the maximum read/write speeds?

I know this was an issue in the 2011 MBPs but I've heard for the 2012s both SATA links run at 6GBps.

Phew! If anyone could give insight into any or all of these questions I'd be much obliged.

 

[davidlv]

I've been researching SSD upgrades/optibays to improve my mid-2012 cMBP 15" for the last few days before taking the plunge. I just had a few questions I was hoping someone might help me with and whose answers others might find helpful:

This optibay http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A26S1IMFVEEDLD says it runs with SATA III yet I was given to understand the negotiated link speed is based on the chipset/logic board controllers. Would it be better to buy any old optibay or for maximum performance should I get the aforementioned?

I'm torn between getting the Samsung 840 EVO (Amazon has a great deal on it at the moment) or the Toshiba THNSNJxxxGBSU / THNSNJxxxGCSU https://storage.toshiba.eu/cms/en/hdd/product_overview/product_detail.jsp?productid=615 . I've heard a lot of great things about both, the only reason I would go with the Toshiba is it's newer technology having been released earlier this year.

Finally, in order to get the best benefits of using my mechanical drive and the SSD in tandem, would it be best to keep the mechanical HDD in the HDD bay so that I can take advantage of the Sudden Motion Sensor and the SSD in the optibay, or should I put the SSD in the HDD bay so that I get the maximum read/write speeds?

I know this was an issue in the 2011 MBPs but I've heard for the 2012s both SATA links run at 6GBps.

Phew! If anyone could give insight into any or all of these questions I'd be much obliged.

That link shows the product is not available now. Some of the 2011 models had link issues, some had shielding issues, and ASFAIK so did some 2012 models. Check this site out for properly shielded bays. http://store.mcetech.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=OBSXGB-XTRM
As far as the SSD goes, I personally would never support a company like Samsung with a purchase, even though their products get good reviews (especially on this forum). The company just has a terrible reputation, google it if you fell like you need a good dose of depression; child labor, financial connections with strange religious organizations, dubious business practices, and so on.
Luckily there are many other good SSDs available, including Plextor, SanDisk, Crucial, etc. etc. Google SSD reviews for a long list. In actual practice, your local dealer, net shop etc. will have a good deal on an SSD that will get you by for years with performance that screams compared with a standard HDD!
If you can afford a big SSD, forget the optibay idea and save on energy consumption too (your battery will applaud that decision).

 

[theBostonian]

That link shows the product is not available now. Some of the 2011 models had link issues, some had shielding issues, and ASFAIK so did some 2012 models. Check this site out for properly shielded bays. http://store.mcetech.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=OBSXGB-XTRM
As far as the SSD goes, I personally would never support a company like Samsung with a purchase, even though their products get good reviews (especially on this forum). The company just has a terrible reputation, google it if you fell like you need a good dose of depression; child labor, financial connections with strange religious organizations, dubious business practices, and so on.
Luckily there are many other good SSDs available, including Plextor, SanDisk, Crucial, etc. etc. Google SSD reviews for a long list. In actual practice, your local dealer, net shop etc. will have a good deal on an SSD that will get you by for years with performance that screams compared with a standard HDD!
If you can afford a big SSD, forget the optibay idea and save on energy consumption too (your battery will applaud that decision).

I don't really hold with tribalism and company loyalty, blame my millennial upbringing I guess.

I decided to go for a 1TB Samsung 850 Pro, the 3D NAND technology and 10 year warranty I find incredibly appealing (it was FAR cheaper to buy it from Germany than here in the UK and Greece).

I assume then that the only thing which'll fry first in this macbook pro is the GPU (knock on wood) but with luck I can get by with the IGPU.

 

[hod]

I was looking at crucial ssd. Why is the MX100 so much cheaper than the other two, when it is no slower, in the 500gb size?

 

[Weaselboy]

I was looking at crucial ssd. Why is the MX100 so much cheaper than the other two, when it is no slower, in the 500gb size?

Because the MX100 uses 16nm NAND chips inside and those will not last as many write cycles as the 20nm chips used in other drives. You can read about it in this review. Unless you are doing some heavy lifting there that results in hundreds of GB of drive writes per day, the MX100 will very likely last longer than your computer and this is not an issue.

 

[hod]

Because the MX100 uses 16nm NAND chips inside and those will not last as many write cycles as the 20nm chips used in other drives. You can read about it in this review. Unless you are doing some heavy lifting there that results in hundreds of GB of drive writes per day, the MX100 will very likely last longer than your computer and this is not an issue.

You're everywhere! (Not a bad thing I may add). Thank you for clarifying.

 

[Ak907Freerider]

Well my upgrade went pretty smooth. Ended up getting a Samsung 840 evo 250gb SSD, Samsung 2tb hdd, and 16gb ram. I got everything installed and did a Fusion drive with the 250gb SSD and 2tb HDD. Works so good I love it. I bought the Seagate Backup Slim and pulled it apart and installed the original 750gb Apple HDD in place of the Samsung 2tb HDD that came with the enclosure. I have a lot of media and do a lot of video editing so constantly having external HDD dangling off my laptop got very old. Now I have just a laptop with plenty of room to go crazy with video. I would highly recommend this setup cost $218 total for 2tb hdd ($100) and 250gb SSD ($118), then $35 for the OWC Data Doubler. I would recommend the OWC just for it gives you every tool you need along with new screws should any get lost or stripped out.

This all went into a 2011 15-inch Macbook Pro with the 2.2 i7. Very happy!

 

[studyplenty]

Well my upgrade went pretty smooth. Ended up getting a Samsung 840 evo 250gb SSD, Samsung 2tb hdd, and 16gb ram. I got everything installed and did a Fusion drive with the 250gb SSD and 2tb HDD. Works so good I love it. I bought the Seagate Backup Slim and pulled it apart and installed the original 750gb Apple HDD in place of the Samsung 2tb HDD that came with the enclosure. I have a lot of media and do a lot of video editing so constantly having external HDD dangling off my laptop got very old. Now I have just a laptop with plenty of room to go crazy with video. I would highly recommend this setup cost $218 total for 2tb hdd ($100) and 250gb SSD ($118), then $35 for the OWC Data Doubler. I would recommend the OWC just for it gives you every tool you need along with new screws should any get lost or stripped out.

This all went into a 2011 15-inch Macbook Pro with the 2.2 i7. Very happy!

Is this the HDD you got?: http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Momen...1410557909&sr=1-1&keywords=samsung+2tb+laptop

I'm running the same machine with now-old Crucial M4 256GB and the original 500GB HDD in a caddy in the optical drive bay.

What RAM are you running? I'm considering moving to a 1TB SSD (likely 840 Samsung) and the 2TB HDD spinner and a move to 16GB of RAM.

I am currently on 8GB at 1600MHz, but curious if anyone's had luck trying Corsair Vengeance's 1867MHz RAM?

 

[Ak907Freerider]

Is this the HDD you got?: http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Momen...1410557909&sr=1-1&keywords=samsung+2tb+laptop

I'm running the same machine with now-old Crucial M4 256GB and the original 500GB HDD in a caddy in the optical drive bay.

What RAM are you running? I'm considering moving to a 1TB SSD (likely 840 Samsung) and the 2TB HDD spinner and a move to 16GB of RAM.

I am currently on 8GB at 1600MHz, but curious if anyone's had luck trying Corsair Vengeance's 1867MHz RAM?

Yes that is the hdd, but don't buy that one. Buy a seagate backup plus slim external and pop it open. You get same hdd inside so you can pop ur old hdd in their so it's cheaper and you get a free enclosure.

I'm running the corsair 1600mhz ram 16gb

 

[alex0002]

Because the MX100 uses 16nm NAND chips inside and those will not last as many write cycles as the 20nm chips used in other drives. You can read about it in this review. Unless you are doing some heavy lifting there that results in hundreds of GB of drive writes per day, the MX100 will very likely last longer than your computer and this is not an issue.

It would be interesting to see a study of SSD endurance comparing 16nm MLC NAND with 21nm TLC NAND (Samsung 840) and 19nm TLC NAND (Samsung 840 EVO).

I suspect that in moderate consumer usage, there is little chance of seeing a failure due to NAND wear in any of these drives, although some people have suggested that performance might reduce prior to actual NAND failure.

 

[kyussmondo]

http://www.amazon.com/review/R2ZT71QCCIQ0XK/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R2ZT71QCCIQ0XK

Are you using a 2011 MBP? I was just about to pull my trigger on a crucial mx 100 512 GB for my 2012 MBP, but looks like Evo would be a safer/faster option. I've also read about people having issues with crucial m4 in 2011 MBPs.

2012 MacBook Pro. First one with USB 3.0.

 

[theBostonian]

In case anyone was interested, I have some Black Magic disk test results for my new Samsung 850 Pro SSD:

Boy, what a difference! Like being back on Snow Leopard... I boot up in about 3-6 seconds (although I haven't enabled FileVault yet, that's sure to take a toll) and shutdown in about 10.

Strangely, the touchpad also seems a lot more responsive too. Before there'd be an ever so slight delay from tapping to a response but now it seems almost instantaneous.

Are any of these pointers worth doing or more trouble than they're worth:

http://blog.alutam.com/2012/04/01/optimizing-macos-x-lion-for-ssd/

Also, my kernel_task seems to be stuck on 20% CPU usage, is my SSD to blame? It's unusual behaviour in that it's not happened before with my HDD.

 

[Weaselboy]

Are any of these pointers worth doing or more trouble than they're worth:

http://blog.alutam.com/2012/04/01/optimizing-macos-x-lion-for-ssd/

Other than enabling TRIM, there is no need to mess with any of those tweaks on that page.

Also, my kernel_task seems to be stuck on 20% CPU usage, is my SSD to blame?

Is Spotlight done reindexing since you installed everything?

 

[theBostonian]

Is Spotlight done reindexing since you installed everything?

It seems to be done, yes.

The only thing I did was to test the "sleep" mode by shutting the lid to make sure there were no wake issues. Next thing, I noticed kernel_task doing something at 20%.

 

[Hellhammer]

It seems to be done, yes.

The only thing I did was to test the "sleep" mode by shutting the lid to make sure there were no wake issues. Next thing, I noticed kernel_task doing something at 20%.

Have you just tried a simple reboot?

 

[theBostonian]

Have you just tried a simple reboot?

Yep, it's fine now but it seems if I close the lid and open it again things go funny. I did change the hibernatemode to 0 and removed the sleepimage but surely that shouldn't affect anything?

 

[homervanderjazz]

Macbook Pro Retina 11.1 late 2013 model

Hi,

I was looking into upgrading the SSD in this laptop however I have been advised that this will never be possible as the SSD in this model is soldered on and cannot be upgraded.. Is this information accurate? Thanks for any help.

Homer

 

[alex0002]

Hi,

I was looking into upgrading the SSD in this laptop however I have been advised that this will never be possible as the SSD in this model is soldered on and cannot be upgraded.. Is this information accurate? Thanks for any help.

Homer

From my understanding and ifixit.com teardown of the late 2013 rMPB, the SSD is removable, but uses a unique to apple form factor and PCIe interface.

https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Retina+Display+Late+2013+Teardown/18695

There might be replacement O.E.M. SSDs on eBay and if you currently have a small SSD that would be one upgrade option. There are no third party SSDs available for the late 2013 rMBP yet.

 

[mafaky]

Hi,

I was looking into upgrading the SSD in this laptop however I have been advised that this will never be possible as the SSD in this model is soldered on and cannot be upgraded.. Is this information accurate? Thanks for any help.

Homer

No joyful news, yet and in my opinion nothing for the foreseeable future:

See: https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/161961/Still+no+news+SSD+upgrade+for+MBP'13+Late+2013

Sorry!...

 

[homervanderjazz]

From my understanding and ifixit.com teardown of the late 2013 rMPB, the SSD is removable, but uses a unique to apple form factor and PCIe interface.

https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Retina+Display+Late+2013+Teardown/18695

There might be replacement O.E.M. SSDs on eBay and if you currently have a small SSD that would be one upgrade option. There are no third party SSDs available for the late 2013 rMBP yet.

Thanks for your input, will need to wait a good while by looks of it if I want a 3rd party SSD.

----------

No joyful news, yet and in my opinion nothing for the foreseeable future:

See: https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/161961/Still+no+news+SSD+upgrade+for+MBP'13+Late+2013

Sorry!...

Thanks for your info.

 

[theBostonian]

Can someone help me with an issue?

I have my HDD in the default bay and my SSD in the optibay, I boot from the optibay and have the HDD as a spare drive.

How can I take the HDD offline? In terminal I try

diskutil eject disk1

This unmounts the drive but I can still hear it spinning.

I then try

hdiutil eject disk1

Which actually powers down the HDD from what I can hear.

How can I make it so that the HDD doesn't draw any power or spins up in Mavericks? Is it a case of setting sudo pmset -b disksleep 1 and then unmounting with hdiutil?

 

[wytwolf]

I'm not sure if it's been posted yet but samsungs 840's and 840 Evo's that use the TLC chips will suffer slow read speeds on old data. I.E. if a program is not moved/written or altered in any way reading or transferring that data will slow down. Samsung is looking into this and should release a firmware once they fix it. This is not a TRIM issue as it's not a slow write speed. For instance if a file is written and then SSD is placed in storage for a period of time the read time will still drop down.

http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Editorial/Samsung-840-840-EVO-susceptible-flash-read-speed-degradation-over-time

 

[alex0002]

I'm not sure if it's been posted yet but samsungs 840's and 840 Evo's that use the TLC chips will suffer slow read speeds on old data. I.E. if a program is not moved/written or altered in any way reading or transferring that data will slow down. Samsung is looking into this and should release a firmware once they fix it. This is not a TRIM issue as it's not a slow write speed. For instance if a file is written and then SSD is placed in storage for a period of time the read time will still drop down.

http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Editorial/Samsung-840-840-EVO-susceptible-flash-read-speed-degradation-over-time

I was just about to mention this. Two messageboard threads here with benchmarks, but probably nothing that hasn't already been covered in the link above.

http://www.overclock.net/t/1507897/samsung-840-evo-read-speed-drops-on-old-written-data-in-the-drive
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18615995

It would be interesting to see how well any firmware fix works and if there are any downsides. For example, one way to 'fix' the problem would be to periodically rewrite all the old data, before it gets to the point where read speeds are significantly degraded. But that would add additional wear on TLC NAND and I'm wondering if these extra reads/write could have an impact on power consumption and other factors.

Meanwhile the new Sandisk Ultra II is using TLC NAND with an SLC cache:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8520/sandisk-ultra-ii-240gb-ssd-review

 

[alex0002]

More info on the slow Samsung 840 and 840 EVO issue:

http://anandtech.com/show/8550/sams...40-evo-read-performance-bug-fix-is-on-the-way

New firmware should be coming 15 October, but I'm not sure if there is any official announcement from Samsung yet. It will be interesting to see the performance and endurance tests with the new firmware.

The 840 Pro and 850 Pro remain unaffected and still give great performance.