Experience with SSD & Optibay Mod

[ssn637]

Why do you have a 250gb SSD for Windows may I ask? As said put both operating system on one and if your that die hard for space on the SSD move the home folder to the HDD.

OK, that sounds like the best way to go. I've got my SSD divided into three partitions, one which includes the Windows 7 x64 Ultimate ISO installation files so I can perform clean installations without need for an external DVD drive. But there's plenty of room left for the Mac OS X installation so long as I use the HDD for all my home folder data. I'll go ahead and reinstall Mac OS X on the current Windows partition and then use Boot Camp to set aside some room on the same partition for the Windows system (which only needs around 25 GB of space).

 

[tjb1]

OK, that sounds like the best way to go. I've got my SSD divided into three partitions, one which includes the Windows 7 x64 Ultimate ISO installation files so I can perform clean installations without need for an external DVD drive. But there's plenty of room left for the Mac OS X installation so long as I use the HDD for all my home folder data. I'll go ahead and reinstall Mac OS X on the current Windows partition and then use Boot Camp to set aside some room on the same partition for the Windows system (which only needs around 25 GB of space).

FYI you dont have to use boot camp to do that, just use disk utility and format the partition any way you want and you will be able to format it to NTFS with the Windows installer.

 

[ssn637]

FYI you dont have to use boot camp to do that, just use disk utility and format the partition any way you want and you will be able to format it to NTFS with the Windows installer.

OK, great, I've got a backup image of my Windows 7 x64 installation and can restore to the resized partition afterwards. I appreciate all your help...

Just one more question, though, before I proceed. The main reason I've got Mac OS X installed on the HDD is due to lack of trim support. Is this still an issue with solid state drives or can it be ignored or circumvented in some way? My current configuration is fine for my needs (no disabling of hibernation necessary, no re-mapping of my home folder required) and if the only issue I'm having is losing the SSD upon resuming from sleep mode I'd prefer that over lack of trim support in Mac OS X if it's serious.

 

[Mikey7c8]

Haven't read the thread, but there are known issues with WD scorpio blues - it's likely that's your problem.

Do a search, I bought a seagate and it's fine though I believe scorpio blacks were fine as well. I don't recall the reason.

gl !

 

[tjb1]

OK, great, I've got a backup image of my Windows 7 x64 installation and can restore to the resized partition afterwards. I appreciate all your help...

Just one more question, though, before I proceed. The main reason I've got Mac OS X installed on the HDD is due to lack of trim support. Is this still an issue with solid state drives or can it be ignored or circumvented in some way? My current configuration is fine for my needs (no disabling of hibernation necessary, no re-mapping of my home folder required) and if the only issue I'm having is losing the SSD upon resuming from sleep mode I'd prefer that over lack of trim support in Mac OS X if it's serious.

I cant really tell if it runs sandforce but if it does this is what you need to check, see the revision number in my screenshot. If yours doesn't begin with 310, then avoid putting OS X on it and im not sure but that 343 may also cause the problem your having now. I know I say avoid SSD in optibay but im doing testing now with mine because im having problems getting the HDD to sleep in the optibay and its killing my battery.

My pmset -g looks like this if anyone is wondering and I have no problems at all.


Active Profiles:
Battery Power -1
AC Power -1*
Currently in use:
womp 0
halfdim 0
sms 1
hibernatefile /var/vm/sleepimage
gpuswitch 2
disksleep 10
sleep 10
hibernatemode 0
ttyskeepawake 0
displaysleep 0 (imposed by 677)
acwake 0
lidwake 1

 

[ssn637]

I cant really tell if it runs sandforce but if it does this is what you need to check, see the revision number in my screenshot. If yours doesn't begin with 310, then avoid putting OS X on it and im not sure but that 343 may also cause the problem your having now. I know I say avoid SSD in optibay but im doing testing now with mine because im having problems getting the HDD to sleep in the optibay and its killing my battery.

My pmset -g looks like this if anyone is wondering and I have no problems at all.


Active Profiles:
Battery Power -1
AC Power -1*
Currently in use:
womp 0
halfdim 0
sms 1
hibernatefile /var/vm/sleepimage
gpuswitch 2
disksleep 10
sleep 10
hibernatemode 0
ttyskeepawake 0
displaysleep 0 (imposed by 677)
acwake 0
lidwake 1

My Crucial C300 256 GB SSD doesn't seem to have a Sandforce controller. Here's a quote from a Bit-Tech article describing the drive:

"While almost every SSD manufacturer has opted for a SandForce drive controller SSD for this generation of drives, Crucial has gone elsewhere for its next-gen controller. It's agreed an exclusive deal with Marvell for use of the 88SS9174 BJP2 controller"

Since you've recommended Sandforce, I'll keep Mac OS X on the Western Digital HDD. When SSD prices come down and Mac OS X supports trim (Lion?), it'll be time for a dual SSD configuration.

 

[tjb1]

My Crucial C300 256 GB SSD doesn't seem to have a Sandforce controller. Here's a quote from a Bit-Tech article describing the drive:

"While almost every SSD manufacturer has opted for a SandForce drive controller SSD for this generation of drives, Crucial has gone elsewhere for its next-gen controller. It's agreed an exclusive deal with Marvell for use of the 88SS9174 BJP2 controller"

Since you've recommended Sandforce, I'll keep Mac OS X on the Western Digital HDD. When SSD prices come down and Mac OS X supports trim (Lion?), it'll be time for a dual SSD configuration.

I only recommend Sandforce because of the speed difference between it and ones like Intel, I dont know much about the controller the Crucial uses but you could test it by installing it and keep your old one for a while to make sure no problems arise. And I only say about the 310 because I know its a problem So if you want to try and be the first to let the forum know about any problems, we can help troubleshoot.

 

[Newfiejudd]

I'm using an optibay as well, and have had no issues. I have an OCZ vertex 2 120gb in the optibay with Windows X64 for on it for work puposes. Yes I know why would I do that. Simple OSX isn't dog slow like Windows and I have 500 GB drive with 2 partitions. One for OSX and one for a storage drive.

I have no issues with sleep, have had zero issues once I put the SSD in the optibay and the HDD in the regular spot. The other way I did have the beach ball issues alot. Move teh laptop too fast and it would lock up.

And I use rEFIT for my boot up sequence.

Works quite well, now if the price of SSD's would drop this HDD woudl be gone.

 

[ssn637]

I'm using an optibay as well, and have had no issues. I have an OCZ vertex 2 120gb in the optibay with Windows X64 for on it for work puposes. Yes I know why would I do that. Simple OSX isn't dog slow like Windows and I have 500 GB drive with 2 partitions. One for OSX and one for a storage drive.

I have no issues with sleep, have had zero issues once I put the SSD in the optibay and the HDD in the regular spot. The other way I did have the beach ball issues alot. Move teh laptop too fast and it would lock up.

And I use rEFIT for my boot up sequence.

Works quite well, now if the price of SSD's would drop this HDD woudl be gone.

I went ahead and repartitioned the SSD this week before reinstalling Mac OS X 10.6.6 and Windows 7 x64 Ultimate on the same drive. Remapped the home folder to the Western Digital HDD and have had no more issues with improper disk ejects.

 

[piperguy]

Dual SSDs Optibay

All OK here after 17" Unibody MacBook Pro surgery to install twin SandForce SSDs (128 GB Zalmans) in RAID0 with Optibay mod. But it's only been a few days.

Local non-corp Apple shop did a good job.

It's backed-up with a RAID1 external drive, so no need for the usual warning of disasters - I learned that lesson long ago.

Paul

 

[johnnj]

All OK here after 17" Unibody MacBook Pro surgery to install twin SandForce SSDs (128 GB Zalmans) in RAID0 with Optibay mod. But it's only been a few days.

Local non-corp Apple shop did a good job.

It's backed-up with a RAID1 external drive, so no need for the usual warning of disasters - I learned that lesson long ago.

Paul

I've been running a similar config for almost 2 years without any problems. At one point I partitioned the drives with a 2nd pair of partitions outside of the members of the RAID volume so that I could run XP. I do recall that Windows would only boot if I installed it to the partition on the Optibay instead of the regular bay because of the way the drives were ordered on the controller.


John

 

[piperguy]

I'm still wondering if I'll be able to boot Windows 7 from the SSD drive in the ExpressCard slot.

 

[piperguy]

Sorry to reply twice, but that sequence of startup (looking for the optical drive first) kind of makes sense. I'm thinking of when booting from a live Linux CD, for example. Or am I just imagining things again?

Here's the Xbench results for the machine:

http://opti-grab.ca/diagnostics/dual_zalman_sandforce_ssd_macbookpro.jpg

Paul

 

[Algaeman]

Optibay drive as boot

Can someone explain what the problem is with using an optibay mounted SSD as your boot drive?

I've been searching through the forums and haven't found a clear answer... Thanks.

 

[tjb1]

Can someone explain what the problem is with using an optibay mounted SSD as your boot drive?

I've been searching through the forums and haven't found a clear answer... Thanks.

Im testing now on 310 Sandforce and I have no problems yet, had to switch because HDD wouldnt sleep in optibay...would sleep then wake up 2 seconds later with nothing accessing the drive, even unmounted.

 

[johhnyflash]

I know this thread is getting old, but I ran across this while searching for a solution for exactly the same problem of freezes and beachballs with a OCZ Vertex2 and a WD Scorpio Blue.

The problem seems to be the SATA Connection in the mid 2009 MBP. With the EFI Update to 1.7 there was an upgrade to SATAII that doesnt work properly in some MBPs.

Check this two discussion on the Apple Page to get the details:
Topic : Firmware update and SATA II hard drive
Topic : Firmware update and SATA II hard drive (continued)

Here is the link for instructions to downgrade to EFI 1.6
https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=8414998&posted=1#post8414998

After I did the downgrade I had no more problems. The SSD and the HDD are running just fine.

Good Luck!