13" Mbp Only 1.5gb Sata ? - SOLVED!!!!!!!!!

[JMBrown]

Looks like Gizmodo has picked up the story:

http://gizmodo.com/5291042/did-apple-downgrade-the-hard-drive-controller-in-the-new-macbook-pros

Hopefully we'll get some official word from Apple soon

i agree, which could cause a class action lawsuit in some cases.

I don't really see how this could result in a credible class action suit. Apple never guaranteed or even alluded to providing SATA2 support. You'd have trouble suing a company for not providing something they never claimed to provide.

 

[Dwalls90]

I agree. There's also the fact that Apple uses SSDs that don't come close to saturating SATA 1.5 Gb/s even in the best circumstances, so there's no reason to use SATA 3 Gb/s short of upgradeability.

Actually, there have been instances where build-to-order 15" MBP's have received 3.0Gb/s. That said, I would say those with the SSD do have the faster transfer rate.

 

[MagicBoy]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't you have to have a BIOS in the first place to clear its memory?

Yep

 

[aleksandra.]

Actually, there have been instances where build-to-order 15" MBP's have received 3.0Gb/s. That said, I would say those with the SSD do have the faster transfer rate.

Can you elaborate on these instances? I didn't notice anyone saying they already received new MBP with SSD and 3 Gb/s. Or do you know someone who got one (if so, can you post exact configuration)?

All jokes about BIOS aside... some of you with fast SSDs did try resetting PRAM, right?

 

[Richard1028]

i agree, which could cause a class action lawsuit in some cases.

Yeah, I don't get this comment either. Are there specs implying SATAII is supposed to be in the machine?

 

[iomatic]

Just got my 2.53 13 umbp bto today with the 256 ssd and I was shocked to see that its sata I 1.5mbps. I had no idea of this issue and in googling it I found this thread. VERY DISAPPOINTED to say the least. Ive been waiting on the 13(well 12 really) since my 12 powerbook and have been using this big 15 ever since waiting patiently for the update. Now that its here I feel gyped. $800 bucks down the drain is what Im thinking to myself right now. I was a long time lurker here a while back and I had a few posts, Im sad that I didnt see this issue sooner. I mean yea its fast but I want this thing to last 5 years and not be worthless because the next gen ssd's will be choked out with a sata I. I havent done the research on it yet but CAN I even return this thing because its a build to order? Might have to cut my throat and put it on sleezebay for a 500 loss. What a let down.

When I read posts like this, I just have to ask-- what is it you do every day that saturates this bus so much that it cuts into your productivity? And moves you to an emotional response, rather than a rational one?

 

[MacModMachine]

Yeah, I don't get this comment either. Are there specs implying SATAII is supposed to be in the machine?

no there are not, but limiting a chipset thats suppose to do 3.0 to 1.5 and then letting customers who purchase SSD drives from you get the 3.0,

this is all assuming that the ssd models have 3.0 sata 2

 

[Joruus]

When I read posts like this, I just have to ask-- what is it you do every day that saturates this bus so much that it cuts into your productivity? And moves you to an emotional response, rather than a rational one?

Its quite simple, you pay a premium price and get shafted, when you want to replace the notebook in one year, fine, get one of those, i still have the same pb 12" i bought 6 years ago and will use it one more year until arrandale comes out, if that one doesnt have Sata III ill be disappointed and maybe even use the PB 8 years.
Its like saying, here our UDMA chipset can do 166mb/s but we limit it to 66mb/sec because we dont offer you any hdds that are faster than 50mb/sec. I just simply want to be able to get a faster hdd in 3-4 years to make the notebook that much faster, ram and cpu don't limit you much these days anymore, its the frigging HDD that makes it so slow at times.

 

[Shao]

When I read posts like this, I just have to ask-- what is it you do every day that saturates this bus so much that it cuts into your productivity? And moves you to an emotional response, rather than a rational one?

Er...if that the case, let me ask you how often you run your CPU at 100% load constantly? lets say u have 2.4 ghz cpu...core2duo...and time that you run your cpu at 100% constantly? ...i would say less than 10% of the whole time you use ur computer also..

So how about let apple just disable one core and cap other one at 50% ?

Since it only effect you 10% of ur total computer usage time it really doesn't matter to you anyway right?

 

[Richard1028]

this is all assuming that the ssd models have 3.0 sata 2

You guys crack me up.

Why don't you all wait and see before bringing in the Lawyers, ACLU, PETA, etc...

My guess is the BTO SSD's are also capped at 1.5 gb/s. Do you think Apple's stupid? They typically punish people fairly, across the board.

 

[MacModMachine]

You guys crack me up.

Why don't you all wait and see before bringing in the Lawyers, ACLU, PETA, etc...

My guess is the BTO SSD's are also capped at 1.5 gb/s. Do you think Apple's stupid? They typically punish people fairly, across the board.

im just saying, at this stage in the game apple has to play its card's carefully.

lawsuit aside, you can only screw everybody over once....when you run out of people you have no more sales.

it just sucks that they will take 6 months to acknowledge this like the nvidia 8600GT problem...and by that time there rolling out another notebook.

 

[OmegaF]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't you have to have a BIOS in the first place to clear its memory?

They call it EFI and there are instructions how to clear CMOS on Apple Support site. I think it is worth a shot. You will find it under clearing NVRAM or PRAM or something like that. I saw it a couple of days ago as I was going through my market research for a laptop.

It's just another one of those stupid koolaid things that Apple does. Nobody in the whole industry likes EFI but hey we gotta use it because it is cooler than saying we use BIOS.

 

[iomatic]

Er...if that the case, let me ask you how often you run your CPU at 100% load constantly? lets say u have 2.4 ghz cpu...core2duo...and time that you run your cpu at 100% constantly? ...i would say less than 10% of the whole time you use ur computer also..

So how about let apple just disable one core and cap other one at 50% ?

Since it only effect you 10% of ur total computer usage time it really doesn't matter to you anyway right?

Easy there, tiger. I was not being sarcastic; I was seriously asking. Also, in what real-world scenario would your HDD bus be saturated to the point of being a serious issue? This question still has not been answered by anyone bitching about it.

I actually do saturate my CPU quite often— there is never enough CPU power to render graphics, 100+ layer Photoshop files, etc. RAM is always nice, too.

Here is my XBench.

 

[Wild-Bill]

Easy there, tiger. I was not being sarcastic; I was seriously asking. Also, in what real-world scenario would your HDD bus be saturated to the point of being a serious issue? This question still has not been answered by anyone bitching about it.

render graphics, 100+ layer Photoshop files, etc. RAM is always nice, too.

And it won't be answered until MORE people bitch about it and it gets even more coverage, even beyond MacNN, 9to5Mac, here, Digg, and Gizmodo. The more bitching that is done, the more implied pressure it put on Apple to pull their heads out of their asses & stop hamstringing the machines for the sake of price/battery life.

 

[zsnow]

just forward a post of AHCI 1.2 manual from another post
http://download.intel.com/technology/serialata/pdf/rev1_2.pdf

on page 15 xlii found there is a register which can swith between sata speed

Interface Speed Support (ISS): Indicates the maximum speed the HBA can support
on its ports. These encodings match the system software programmable
PxSCTL.DET.SPD field. Values are:
Bits Definition
0000 Reserved
0001 Gen 1 (1.5 Gbps)
0010 Gen 2 (3 Gbps)
0011 Gen 3 (6 Gbps)
0100 - 1111 Reserved

if you do a search through the doc with keyword "speed" you can find there are several place need to be change.
anyone know how to mod the bios?

 

[bugout]

SMC reset:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1411

One of the first things I did when I installed the vertex in my 13" MBP. It made no difference. It's still at 1.5

 

[aleksandra.]

They call it EFI and there are instructions how to clear CMOS on Apple Support site. I think it is worth a shot. You will find it under clearing NVRAM or PRAM or something like that. I saw it a couple of days ago as I was going through my market research for a laptop.

It's just another one of those stupid koolaid things that Apple does. Nobody in the whole industry likes EFI but hey we gotta use it because it is cooler than saying we use BIOS.

I did mention resetting PRAM as it's where SATA configuration should be stored (it's roughly equivalent to CMOS), no one answered yet whether they tried it - but I suspect someone did.

And find out more about BIOS, EFI and their advantages/disadvantages as well as reasons for using them before you make such statements.

 

[mac jones]

I'm fairly confident that this is simply a few engineers way of showing off the new battery life (which is very impressive, actually)

This may not even need a firmware update but a simple patch.

 

[aleksandra.]

SMC reset:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1411

One of the first things I did when I installed the vertex in my 13" MBP. It made no difference. It's still at 1.5

SMC is responsible for power management, it's in PRAM that - among other things - SATA configuration is probably stored. At least I think it's so. Try resetting it if you haven't yet - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379 . I'd be surprised if it worked, however.

 

[OmegaF]

I did mention resetting PRAM as it's where SATA configuration should be stored (it's roughly equivalent to CMOS), no one answered yet whether they tried it - but I suspect someone did.

And find out more about BIOS, EFI and their advantages/disadvantages as well as reasons for using them before you make such statements.

oh yea of course I should read more because after 3 years learning computer architectures and now going for PhD I am clueless... Perhaps you should cut down on the koolaid. There is a reason EFI is not popular.

 

[NintendoFan]

Engadget has picked it up:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/15/new-macbook-pros-shipped-with-hdds-only-have-1-5gbps-sata-chips/

 

[iAlex]

Crippled SATA

And it won't be answered until MORE people bitch about it and it gets even more coverage, even beyond MacNN, 9to5Mac, here, Digg, and Gizmodo. The more bitching that is done, the more implied pressure it put on Apple to pull their heads out of their asses & stop hamstringing the machines for the sake of price/battery life.

Please make your voices heard by telling Apple what you think about the crippled SATA MBP here: http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html

--

 

[sam10685]

I'm confused-- will I benefit from upgrading to a 7200 RPM hard drive (not SSD) or will it be a waste of money and should i get a 5400 RPM?

 

[bugout]

SMC is responsible for power management, it's in PRAM that - among other things - SATA configuration is probably stored. At least I think it's so. Try resetting it if you haven't yet - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379 . I'd be surprised if it worked, however.

Oops, sorry about that.. I just did it, and of course, no difference.

 

[bcaslis]

Actually, there have been instances where build-to-order 15" MBP's have received 3.0Gb/s. That said, I would say those with the SSD do have the faster transfer rate.

Please provide a link. I've not seen one new 13" or 15" that has 3.0Gb. The only thing I've seen is people being told over the phone that this would happen. I'd bet a lot that is not correct at all.