MBP 2021 - SSD Speed Comparison - Please Contribute!

[bluegt]

From some of the YouTube reviews, it looks like there are SSD chip configuration differences between the 14" and 16" models and significant speed differences across SSD sizes.

Can I please get everyone's help to run Blackmagic speed tests - only takes 2 minutes. Please use 5GB stress file size (default I think).

Click here: https://apps.apple.com/sg/app/blackmagic-disk-speed-test/id425264550?mt=12

14" - M1 Pro 8/14 16GB 512GB (Base)
Write: 4300-4700 MB/s
Read: 5200-5500 MB/s
(bluegt)

Write: 4314 MB/s
Read: 5480 MB/s
(waquzy)
(cababah - same)

16" - M1 Pro 10/16 16GB 512GB (Base)
Write: 4400 MB/s
Read: 5137 MB/s
(muasachi)

Write: 4770 MB/s
Read: 5448 MB/s
(Matck06)

16"- M1 Pro 10/16 1TB
Write: 5224 MB/s 🔥
Read: 5154 MB/s
(macnmac)

16"- M1 Max 64GB 1TB
Write: 5700-5900+ MB/s 🔥
Read: 5100-5300 MB/s
(nikhsub1)

14" - M1 Max 10/32 64GB 2TB
Write: 6100-6400 MB/s 🔥🔥
Read: 5300-5450 MB/s
(chengengaun)

16" - M1 Max 10/32 64GB 2TB
Write: 6300 MB/s 🔥🔥
Read: 5450 MB/s
(radus)

Write: 6360 MB/s 🔥🔥
Read: 5410 MB/s
(iClarified YouTube, thanks theorist9)

16" - M1 Max 10/32 64GB 4TB
Write: 6626 MB/s 🔥🔥🔥
Read: 5652 MB/s
(vivid.gear71)

Write: 7305 MB/s 🔥🔥🔥🧨
Read: 5753 MB/s
(sanandreas1234)
(albertjs)

16" - M1 Max 64GB 4TB
Write: 7398 MB/s 🔥🔥🔥🧨
Read: 5855 MB/s
(alfogator)

16" - M1 Max 64GB 8TB
Write: 7292 MB/s 🔥🔥🔥🧨
Read: 5519 MB/s
(nethead)

Please indicate your MBP screen size, specs and SSD capacity.

From MaxTech:

 

[metapunk2077fail]

The 4-8 TB has the fastest speeds for obvious reasons. It scales up with density but tops out with the 4TB version because the bus becomes saturated at this point.

 

[bluegt]

The 4-8 TB has the fastest speeds for obvious reasons. It scales up with density but tops out with the 4TB version because the bus becomes saturated at this point.

Yes, completely agree. However it’s not so obvious given some of the YouTubers as chip configuration varies even with the same SSD capacity. Would be good to get some quantitative benchmarks!

 

[idntknw]

So the 1TB will have around the same R/W speed as the 512GB?

I have the base 16” 512GB and am getting around the same as the 14” mentioned.

 

[baummer]

So the 1TB will have around the R/W speed as the 512GB?

I have the base 16” 512GB and am getting around the same as the 14” mentioned.

1TB should be higher

 

[nikhsub1]

16"- M1 Max 64GB 1TB SSD
Write: 5700-5900+ MB/s
Read: 5100-5300 MB/s

 

[chengengaun]

14" - M1 Max 32-Core, 64GB 2TB SSD
Write: 6100-6400 MB/s
Read: 5300-5450 MB/s

 

[waquzy]

Base 14" model:

 

[bluegt]

Thanks for the replies, please keep them coming.

So far, looks like the 512GB, 1TB and 2GB have the similar read speeds but write speeds increase quite substantially with more capacity. However, we don't know if the big bump from 512GB to 1TB is due to 16" (chip config difference between 14" and 16") or SSD size.

Anyone have a 14" 1TB to test?

 

[bluegt]

Anyone else with more benchmarks? Would be good to get more data points!

 

[vivid.gear71]

16" Max 32/64 4TB

 

[cababah]

Base 14" model:

View attachment 1899324

Basically same as mine for 14" base

 

[vivid.gear71]

wondering if 14" has 4 SSD slot and 16" has 8 SSD slot. If it is true then each slot on 14" can accommodate up to 2TB while 16" can handle up to 1TB on each SSD slot ?
Then that would explain speed diff ?

 

[bluegt]

wondering if 14" has 4 SSD slot and 16" has 8 SSD slot. If it is true then each slot on 14" can accommodate up to 2TB while 16" can handle up to 1TB on each SSD slot ?
Then that would explain speed diff ?

I think so, at least partly. I also saw one YouTuber who got significantly higher scores on a 10-cpu/16-gpu vs 8-cpu/14-gpu. Either a fluke or something more going on here.

 

[pokryfka]

Thank you for sharing.

Could you also measure speeds of RAM disks?

I use it occasionally (for example for Xcode derived objects). I am quite curious if there is any difference between Pro and Max here.

One can create a RAM disk using Terminal, example:

diskutil erasevolume HFS+ "RAMDisk" `hdiutil attach -nomount ram://2097152`

For reference an article about RAM disks: https://eshop.macsales.com/blog/463...e-a-ram-disk-with-your-mac-warnings-included/

 

[bluegt]

Updated the first post to include everyone's results. A few more data points would be great - please test and contribute your numbers!

 

[radus]

M1 Max 64GB 2TB
Disk 2TB: Write 6300 Read 5450
Ram Disk 2GB: Write 3870 Read 12387

 

[albertjs]

Wondering if the 8tb on the M1 Max 16” is faster than the 4tb ssd…

 

[bluegt]

M1 Max 64GB 2TB
Disk 2TB: Write 6300 Read 5450
Ram Disk 2GB: Write 3870 Read 12387

Thanks for sharing! Do you have the 14" or 16" and is it the 24-core or 32-core GPU?

 

[sanandreas1234]

I have the 16 inch M1 Max/ 32cores/ 64GB/ 4TB SSD and these are the results I got with the 4TB SSD

 

[bluegt]

I have the 16 inch M1 Max/ 32cores/ 64GB/ 4TB SSD and these are the results I got with the 4TB SSD

View attachment 1900393

Wow, that is blazing fast. Thanks for sharing.

 

[daniel.dawson.397]

The 4-8 TB has the fastest speeds for obvious reasons. It scales up with density but tops out with the 4TB version because the bus becomes saturated at this point.

Can you share the reasons why the speed scales up with density (for the uninitiated, like me)?

 

[albertjs]

I have the 16 inch M1 Max/ 32cores/ 64GB/ 4TB SSD and these are the results I got with the 4TB SSD

View attachment 1900393

I’ve got the same model and got similar results… wondering if the 8tb ssd are faster than the 4tb… anyone here with the 8tb?

 

[radus]

Thanks for sharing! Do you have the 14" or 16" and is it the 24-core or 32-core GPU?

16" 32Core 64GB 2TB SSD

 

[piconeeks]

You might be interested in this other thread comparing internal SSD read/write speeds on the new M1 Macbook Pros.