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Intel SSD in 2010 MBP

The 13" uses the GT320M and the 15" uses the GT330M. Historically there have been a few issues on Macs with NVIDIA controllers and the negotiated link speed with SandForce controlled SSDs (which I think the Intel 540 is...?) In such cases, it would be recommended to get a Samsung EVO instead.

However I'm not sure if this Mac would be affected.

I'll need to ask an expert to confirm. @Weaselboy, sorry to bug you again -- would you be happy to verify if that Intel SSD would support the full 3Gb/s on their 2010 MacBook Pro, or would it be negotiated to 1.5Gb/s? Not sure at all. Sorry to cause you more work. :)
 
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That Intel 540 uses an Silicon Motion controller, so should not have the issue the Sandforce controller drives do with the NVidia controllers. That said, I can't say I have read much about that particular drive with this chipset.... so who knows. It should be okay though.
 
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I use an older Intel (530 series) in my 2010 MacBook Pro.
Runs great, no problems.
 
BrianBaughn said:
It's fine but you can probably get a cheaper one that'll be just as good.
Click to expand...
Yeah... probably in the US. I notice the Intel SSDs come up a lot with International forum members since Intel seems to have a more broad geo presence than other brands. Intel may be readily available to OP where other brands aren't (just a guess).
 
Is another drive an option? Against Intel's historical track record, this drive uses TLC NAND, and is priced so high that quite a few MLC drives are actually less expensive. The MLC SanDisk Extreme Pro (recently discontinued) and MLC Transcend 370 come to mind. (The SanDisk uses a Marvell controller.) I've always justified Intel's pricing with their tendency of using top-quality NAND, but now it could be argued that, in regards to the 540, superior products are available for less money.


Fishrrman said:
I use an older Intel (530 series) in my 2010 MacBook Pro.
Runs great, no problems.
Click to expand...

It's a shame the 540 doesn't follow in the footsteps of those before it. The 530 was an outstanding SSD, as was the 520 and 510 IMO.
 
anr2000 said:
Hi folks,

I'm looking at replacing the HD in my mid 2010 MBP with a SSD, and am looking at the Intel 540s 2.5" one. Am I right that this should work with no issue?

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/solid-state-drives/solid-state-drives-540s-series.html

Thank you
anr
Click to expand...

If you can go for a Samsung evo or a mx300 crucial drive your speeds are SATA 2 limited on that machine so your speeds are limited by that just buy the cheapest one you can from the reliable vendors Samsung, crucial or sandisk. (Avoid the crucial bx200 it's garbage)
 
I want to upgrade my Mid 2010 13" MacBook Pro too. So which Samsung EVO is good?
 
Sounds good. Thank you so much for your input. Will probably go for the Intel as the prices are similar here in Denmark.
 
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