OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD Problem

[Guy Mancuso]

FYI they are saying after last Friday all there drives are fixed.


OWC SSD Firmware Updated
Monday, March 21st, 2011 | Author: OWC Grant
Good news! After nearly two months of testing, we’re pleased to announce we’ve approved a new updated SandForce firmware version for our SSDs.

Now every drive that ships from OWC as of last Friday will have that new firmware which 100% resolves any hibernation issue you may have experienced.

While this issue only affected around 10% of all our SSD customers, we’re 100% committed to everyone’s satisfaction.

So, you can get this new firmware update in one of two way

 

[luchazo]

FYI they are saying after last Friday all there drives are fixed.


OWC SSD Firmware Updated
Monday, March 21st, 2011 | Author: OWC Grant
Good news! After nearly two months of testing, we’re pleased to announce we’ve approved a new updated SandForce firmware version for our SSDs.

Now every drive that ships from OWC as of last Friday will have that new firmware which 100% resolves any hibernation issue you may have experienced.

While this issue only affected around 10% of all our SSD customers, we’re 100% committed to everyone’s satisfaction.

So, you can get this new firmware update in one of two way

that's right, but it seems they are planning a new one... that's what they told my by chat (ML are the initials of the representative that chatted with me, who mentioned that a new F/W that he named 4.00 was going to be available).

Later, another person from this post, confirmed they plan to get it online in 1 or 2 days... a couple of posts above.

 

[barmann]

Quotes from OWC :

*An OS independent update solution, which is expected to be compatible with Mac and Linux, is reportedly in development by SandForce, but there is no availability date at this time.

OWC used to claim they were developing a Mac firmware updater, what happened to that ?

I like OWC, but when it comes to their SSDs, I think they simply have no clue, and are completely at the mercy of Sandforce for firmware development, and then they go and post some BS on their blog to look good.

At least that's my impression after dealing with them re. the sleep issues for a while.

 

[KnurledKnob]

FYI they are saying after last Friday all there drives are fixed.


OWC SSD Firmware Updated
Monday, March 21st, 2011 | Author: OWC Grant
Good news! After nearly two months of testing, we’re pleased to announce we’ve approved a new updated SandForce firmware version for our SSDs.

Now every drive that ships from OWC as of last Friday will have that new firmware which 100% resolves any hibernation issue you may have experienced.

While this issue only affected around 10% of all our SSD customers, we’re 100% committed to everyone’s satisfaction.

So, you can get this new firmware update in one of two way

Really, it only says that "hibernation" issues are fixed. There are two issues, right? The beach ball upon waking from a timed sleep, and a crash in conjunction with a hibernation. I have both issues (version 340 firmware) and can replicate them 100% of the time. I don't have a copy of Windows so I cannot downgrade to the 310 firmware. I also believe the claim that it affects only "10% of all our SSD customers" is misleading -- they are counting PC users, users with 310 firmware and users that haven't noticed and/or reported the problem to OWC. I'd bet that a huge percentage of MBP users with 340 firmware or above have the sleep and hibernation issue.

 

[endless17]

Quotes from OWC :



OWC used to claim they were developing a Mac firmware updater, what happened to that ?

I like OWC, but when it comes to their SSDs, I think they simply have no clue, and are completely at the mercy of Sandforce for firmware development, and then they go and post some BS on their blog to look good.

At least that's my impression after dealing with them re. the sleep issues for a while.

indeed. they try to differentiate themselves as something beyond a traditional Sandforce-based SSD to justify their markup, but it ends up looking a bit too much like snake oil.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

well there right on the heels of announcing the new sata 3 drives so we are seeing dropping sata 2 prices

 

[fdeldongo]

Really, it only says that "hibernation" issues are fixed. There are two issues, right? The beach ball upon waking from a timed sleep, and a crash in conjunction with a hibernation. I have both issues (version 340 firmware) and can replicate them 100% of the time. I don't have a copy of Windows so I cannot downgrade to the 310 firmware. I also believe the claim that it affects only "10% of all our SSD customers" is misleading -- they are counting PC users, users with 310 firmware and users that haven't noticed and/or reported the problem to OWC. I'd bet that a huge percentage of MBP users with 340 firmware or above have the sleep and hibernation issue.

Exactly.
OWC only talks about the hibernation issue solved, which is only half of the problem.
The wake from automatic sleep is a bug for all mac users, including desktop owners with no hibernation, with no known solution as of today...

 

[spooky69]

Just to confirm - is it the case that the Intel drives do not have any sleep or hibernation issues?

 

[Weaselboy]

Just to confirm - is it the case that the Intel drives do not have any sleep or hibernation issues?

I have an Intel 510 SSD in my 2011 13" MBP and it does not have the sleep issue. I have not run down the battery to test the hibernation problem.

 

[timyu]

Exactly.
OWC only talks about the hibernation issue solved, which is only half of the problem.
The wake from automatic sleep is a bug for all mac users, including desktop owners with no hibernation, with no known solution as of today...

Actually, while the OWC blog only mentions the firmware fixing the hibernation issue, the actual update page claims that it fixes "all known sleep and hibernation issues":

http://eshop.macsales.com/Customized_Pages/Framework.cfm?page=sf_firmware.html

Note that this doesn't seem to fit the experience of at least two prior posters in this thread, however.

How about a different line of questioning:
1. Do any of you have a Sandforce (or more specifically, OWC branded) SSD installed in a Macbook Pro that does NOT cause sleep or hibernation issues? Or, do you know of anyone who is issue-free? Exactly how sporadic (10% like OWC says? More? Less?) is this problem?
2. Have any of you seen this new firmware FIX the sleep/hibernation issues that you are having?

If you can't tell, I'm anxious to buy a large SSD for my Macbook Pro, but concern about this issue is keeping me from pulling the trigger. I am looking for data!

Thanks...

 

[kierennyc]

Funny how members 'fdeldongo' and 'timyu' only joined the forum March 2011 and have ONLY posted in this thread.

Makes you wonder. Do they really have issues with OWC or perhaps ther'yre from another manufacture thats got a lot of negative press lately?

We'll never know!

So can any longstanding members confirm if the update worked or not?

Also does anybody know the situation with the newly priced (and marked lower capactity) drives from OWC? Are they still made with the 32nm chips? and not the cheaper less powerful ones that OCZ silently (and dishonestly) slipped into its drives without altering price or packaging?

 

[kierennyc]

oh and add member 'endless17' to that as well! Missed him/her/bot

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Funny how members 'fdeldongo' and 'timyu' only joined the forum March 2011 and have ONLY posted in this thread.

Makes you wonder. Do they really have issues with OWC or perhaps ther'yre from another manufacture thats got a lot of negative press lately?

We'll never know!

So can any longstanding members confirm if the update worked or not?

Also does anybody know the situation with the newly priced (and marked lower capactity) drives from OWC? Are they still made with the 32nm chips? and not the cheaper less powerful ones that OCZ silently (and dishonestly) slipped into its drives without altering price or packaging?

Looks like two of there drives got lowered price and also the 25nm controllers in them so far but they are still Sata II drives. Looks like the 480 and 115 are 25nm now. At least that is the way i am reading this quote. Myself it is meaningless i am after Sata III

Now listed on the OWC site is the new 25nm based 480GB SSD for about $920 for the 480GB OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD as I write this. Shipping is noted as “5 Days”. This 480GB drive is what will ship at the high-capacity end, up from the 400GB as noted a few days ago.

The 480GB has 32GB of over-provisioning (7%) using Tier 1 flash memory chips, for long term reliability. and is a SATA II 3Gbps drive. See the other technical specifications on the OWC info page.

OWC is also listing the new 25nm-based 115GB model for $229.99, with availability “5 days”.

 

[timyu]

Funny how members 'fdeldongo' and 'timyu' only joined the forum March 2011 and have ONLY posted in this thread.

Makes you wonder. Do they really have issues with OWC or perhaps ther'yre from another manufacture thats got a lot of negative press lately?

We'll never know!

So can any longstanding members confirm if the update worked or not?

Also does anybody know the situation with the newly priced (and marked lower capactity) drives from OWC? Are they still made with the 32nm chips? and not the cheaper less powerful ones that OCZ silently (and dishonestly) slipped into its drives without altering price or packaging?

My, conspiracy theories now... FYI, I've been a happy OWC customer dating back at least to the late 1990s buying RAM and expansion bays for my Lombard PowerBook. Perhaps another alternate explanation to my joining the conversation now is that, following SSD developments closely, I was excited when a purported firmware fix for this problem was released, and then subsequently disappointed when two members of this thread reported that it did not make the sleep issues go away. Of course I have no way of knowing if those two members who reported problems are not actually lurking OCZ reps masquerading as real people, which is why I am asking for credible counterexamples. And that makes me suspicious? I have also asked OWC to provide a little more of a description of the testing they have done, and hope to get a reply. I have also sent them a link to this thread, to invite them to help clear up any misconceptions.

I am a scientist by profession and a little data for me would go a long way. I am already troubleshooting a battery calibration issue now with my MBP and don't want to add any more headache to my life... Besides, I am supposed to be doing real work with my machine, and I can't afford any more downtime (the time I've wasted obsessing over this the last two or three days certainly is not helping.)

 

[aa521490]

Ordered an OWC SSD supposedly with the new firmware. Will try it out and see if there will be any problems with my 2010 MBPro `15".

 

[kappaknight]

I'm thinking about ordering the new Micron C400. Is it safe? It's running off of the same controller right?

 

[RainCityMacFan]

I'm thinking about ordering the new Micron C400. Is it safe? It's running off of the same controller right?

No it's running off a Marvell controller and it should be safe. Although I'm not sure if the performance is as good as a SandForce driven SSD.

 

[kappaknight]

No it's running off a Marvell controller and it should be safe. Although I'm not sure if the performance is as good as a SandForce driven SSD.

It's not as good but it's way better than a standard HD. I am seeing some horror stories with the C300's as well. It seems like every SSD has its quirks with the MBP - just gotta figure out which one you want to tackle.

 

[fdeldongo]

Looks like two of there drives got lowered price and also the 25nm controllers in them so far but they are still Sata II drives. Looks like the 480 and 115 are 25nm now. At least that is the way i am reading this quote. Myself it is meaningless i am after Sata III

Now listed on the OWC site is the new 25nm based 480GB SSD for about $920 for the 480GB OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD as I write this. Shipping is noted as “5 Days”. This 480GB drive is what will ship at the high-capacity end, up from the 400GB as noted a few days ago.

The 480GB has 32GB of over-provisioning (7%) using Tier 1 flash memory chips, for long term reliability. and is a SATA II 3Gbps drive. See the other technical specifications on the OWC info page.

OWC is also listing the new 25nm-based 115GB model for $229.99, with availability “5 days”.

Funny how some people don't seem to check facts.
Just try to install an OWC Mercury Pro in your mac and tell us ;-)

 

[johnnyturbouk]

This thread is very interesting!

Just ordered an owc 120gb for $214- bargain
It's been opened/like new, but assures by owc that it's has latest 400 f/w and as new! Atto will confirm in a few days!

My dream is to get a vertex 3, but, the pre-order prices in uk are extortionately high in uk!

I will put this ssd in my parents machine in 3-6 months. When I upgrade to vertex 3.


I intend to install smart sleep, turn off hibernation + sleep and only manually let machine sleep! I also plan to turn off SMS
Would these measures be ok?

Just widh I could get my mits on a v3 now!

 

[fdeldongo]

Funny how members 'fdeldongo' and 'timyu' only joined the forum March 2011 and have ONLY posted in this thread.

Makes you wonder. Do they really have issues with OWC or perhaps ther'yre from another manufacture thats got a lot of negative press lately?

We'll never know!

So can any longstanding members confirm if the update worked or not?

Also does anybody know the situation with the newly priced (and marked lower capactity) drives from OWC? Are they still made with the 32nm chips? and not the cheaper less powerful ones that OCZ silently (and dishonestly) slipped into its drives without altering price or packaging?

I bought my 240 OWC Mercury Pro based on a very good review from
macperformanceguide.com, especially concerning performance/reliability over
time.

Performance wise, I don’t complain, it works like a charm.
The wake from sleep issue is the only I have.

What seems to cause the problem, and need to be further tested :

- SSD Mercury Pro (mine is 240GB version with 7% overprovisionning)
- With 343 or later Firmware version (310 seems OK)
- Let your Mac go to sleep by itself after the time indicated in your Energy prefs settings (10 mins for me)
- Click on your mouse or keyboard to let it wake :
- Then try to launch/quit an app or anything :

- What happens ?
- for me beachball, hard reboot necessary​

​

As a sidenote, I didn’t reinstall Snow Leopard (10.6.6) from scratch, I did a
clone with Carbon Copy Cloner from my previous install (same machine of course). Have to try a clean install.

Btw, instead of questioning the sincerity of recent posters, ask yourself a simple question : why all these "new" posters only for this thread ?
Maybe because they all have the same issue that was not addressed elsewhere ?

Regards,

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Funny how some people don't seem to check facts.
Just try to install an OWC Mercury Pro in your mac and tell us ;-)

You obviously can't read. I have a OWC 200gb Extreme Pro running in my system and at one time I actually ran Raid O with another 200gb extreme. What facts am I looking for here a sleep issue , yea had it since day one. What is your point. I quoted a new sale they have introduced so just quoting there new price and 25nm on some of there drives.


I never use sleep on any computer I have owned or relied on it.

 

[fdeldongo]

You obviously can't read. I have a OWC 200gb Extreme Pro running in my system and at one time I actually ran Raid O with another 200gb extreme. What facts am I looking for here a sleep issue , yea had it since day one. What is your point. I quoted a new sale they have introduced so just quoting there new price and 25nm on some of there drives.


I never use sleep on any computer I have owned or relied on it.

I quoted you instead of kierennyc, who was questionning the sincerity of posters that had problems with the drive, sorry.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

No problem was actually wondering sounded strange to be honest. No worries. I own a forum so i know sometimes things get misinterpreted all the time.

 

[timyu]

I intend to install smart sleep, turn off hibernation + sleep and only manually let machine sleep! I also plan to turn off SMS
Would these measures be ok?

FYI, an OWC representative has reported that these alterations (sleep, hibernation, and SMS settings) shouldn't be necessary with the new firmware. I'm looking forward to receiving my drives (ordered today) so that I may test this.