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SSD Buying Guide
- Thread starter Hellhammer
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Crucial does not use the Sandforce controller.
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Go through and read HellHammer's posts in this thread. The guy knows what he is talking about.
I took his advice and got the Crucial M4 256gb when NewEgg had it on sale for $279 last week. I installed it a few days ago with no hitches and it works great. For me, reliability far outweighs speed and the M4 looks to be one of the most reliable out there right now.
Actually, Fedex just dropped a Plextor M3 for me earlier today. Should have a review up in a week or so
I look forward to it. All I have managed to do in the last week is get the drive in and Lion installed, then swap it back out. I did that in an evening. My doubler bay hasn't arrived yet and I NEED the secondary drive for business stuff.
Hopefully this week I'll get to put it through its paces. It did install Lion faster than hell though. That was nice at least
OMG, my late 2011 15" MBP used to be really fast with the Intel 510 SSD (120 Gb)
now with the Samsung 830 (256 GB) instead, it's screaming
i love it even more and more
now with the Samsung 830 (256 GB) instead, it's screaming
i love it even more and more
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OMG, my late 2011 15" MBP used to be really fast with the Intel 510 SSD (120 Gb)
now with the Samsung 810 (256 GB) instead, it's screaming
i love it even more and more
Do you mean Samsung 830? Yeah that thing is so friggen fast and stable. I went round and round with Intel, Crucial, OWC, etc but I bought the Samsung. Everything they make is great!
oops sorry, yes 830
i was happy with the intel
nothing to complain about
0 issue at all, great compatibility, no beachball, no freeze
but i also get the same with the samsung and even better performance
just judging the product from the case: wow !
superb case for the samsung SSD, probably the best i've seen so far
no waste in extra packaging, very simple too
it could have been an Apple product considering the overall quality
nice job Samsung
the Sata to USB cable provided is very convenient to connect a 2.5" drive externally without using an enclosure
i was happy with the intel
nothing to complain about
0 issue at all, great compatibility, no beachball, no freeze
but i also get the same with the samsung and even better performance
just judging the product from the case: wow !
superb case for the samsung SSD, probably the best i've seen so far
no waste in extra packaging, very simple too
it could have been an Apple product considering the overall quality
nice job Samsung
the Sata to USB cable provided is very convenient to connect a 2.5" drive externally without using an enclosure
btw, how can i update the firmware of the samsung, using a mac only ?
does it work it i virtualize a Windows session ?
does it work it i virtualize a Windows session ?
Can't do it in Mac. Has to be in Windows, however, the firmware that comes with it should be fine for now.
Virtualization may not be a good idea. A dual booted mac might work, but give it a shot in the Virtual Machine. Just backup your data first. Caution, if hose the drive, you might need a Windows machine to fix it.
I just recently got the Corsair Force 3 series GT 120gb.
It is really fast (as far as i have noticed), and i dont have any problems with it whatsoever.
My friend also has one in his MBP and is happy.
About to buy a Crucial M4 SSD from Alternate in the Netherlands. However they have 2 different types in stock, one of 9.5mm and another of 7mm in height.
The 'normal' 9.5mm:
http://www.alternate.nl/html/produc...sks&l2=Solid+State+Drives&l3=SATA&l4=2,5+inch
And the slim:
http://www.alternate.nl/html/produc...sks&l2=Solid+State+Drives&l3=SATA&l4=2,5+inch
Which of the two would you recommend for a 2011' MBP? Does the 2.5mm height make any difference whatsoever? When I look at the Crucial firmware updates, they do offer different firmware updates for both of them.
The 'normal' 9.5mm:
http://www.alternate.nl/html/produc...sks&l2=Solid+State+Drives&l3=SATA&l4=2,5+inch
And the slim:
http://www.alternate.nl/html/produc...sks&l2=Solid+State+Drives&l3=SATA&l4=2,5+inch
Which of the two would you recommend for a 2011' MBP? Does the 2.5mm height make any difference whatsoever? When I look at the Crucial firmware updates, they do offer different firmware updates for both of them.
The 9.5mm is what apple is using for the HDD and it is what I put in from Crucial. The newest firmware revision for this is 309. You can update the firmware on a Mac only with Crucial via their website. I would go with the 9.5mm as I did.
Thanks for the response
Will make sure to check the firmware before installing anything. The last firmware updates seems to have been a nice fix performance wise.
Samsung 400 write 500 read
Keep in mind that especially write speed is up to the capacity. 256GB and 512GB versions of Samsung 830 achieve up to 400MB/s write, but the 64GB model is good for only 160MB/s.
The only difference is that the 9.5mm model has a bigger casing to fit better in some laptops, the actual drives are the same (different part numbers, hence two links in firmware sections, although the FWs are the same). Apple uses 9.5mm drives so that would be a safe bet.
Intel 320 Series is a safe bet but not available in the capacities you would prefer. Crucial M4 or Samsung 830 Series are probably your best options as SATA 3Gb/s drives are harder to find and cost more due to older process node.
FYI, 7mm SSD fit perfectly in our Macs because there are 4 "screws" holding the SSD on the sides
Hellhammer, i wanted to personally thank you for your previous advices
i got an Intel 510 SSD and finally sold it to get a Samsung 830
your feedback about the Samsung was very useful
i'm really happy and my MBP works like a charm
so, thank you
i got an Intel 510 SSD and finally sold it to get a Samsung 830
your feedback about the Samsung was very useful
i'm really happy and my MBP works like a charm
so, thank you
Hard drive upgrade (Disk or SSD)
Here is how the hard drive is mounted using the 4 post screws. It doesn't screw down to the case, rather it is suspended by 4 horizontal screws along a rail. The rail is exposed by removing a couple screws on the rail cap:
Screw locations:
Screw example:
Video explaining it:
Hard Drive Install MBP (Unibody)
Therefore, any thickness hard drive will fit (assuming it is using standard form factors).
Here is how the hard drive is mounted using the 4 post screws. It doesn't screw down to the case, rather it is suspended by 4 horizontal screws along a rail. The rail is exposed by removing a couple screws on the rail cap:
Screw locations:
Screw example:
Video explaining it:
Hard Drive Install MBP (Unibody)
Therefore, any thickness hard drive will fit (assuming it is using standard form factors).
I only have one 256 GB drive. I don't think the size determines reliability much where as the maker can very much so. The Samsung, Crucial, and Intels all have excellent ratings across the boards on all of their available sizes. I went 256 for the Crucial M4 because its write speed is significantly higher than on the 128. Also, the cost is really appealing. The 128 Intel (in reference to their performance models) and Samsung both are faster at the 120/8 size IIRC than the Crucial. My 120 GB 510 has about the same write speeds as my 256 M4.
Samsung 830 256 Gb on a late 2011 15" MBP i7 2.2 w/ 8 Gb Ram
after a few minutes, the read speed can reach 500 mb/s but write speed does not go beyond 401
which is already more than twice the results i got with my Intel 510 120 Gb
after a few minutes, the read speed can reach 500 mb/s but write speed does not go beyond 401
which is already more than twice the results i got with my Intel 510 120 Gb
Samsung 830 256 Gb on a late 2011 15" MBP i7 2.2 w/ 8 Gb Ram
after a few minutes, the read speed can reach 500 mb/s but write speed does not go beyond 401
which is already more than twice the results i got with my Intel 510 120 Gb
Just remember, depending on what you are writing(video, music, file, etc) the speeds will be different. The firmware uses different algorithms for different media.
NOTE: Heavy usage, such as video editing, where huge swap files are being written to/deleted from the disk, will eventually cause a massive slow down since the available space on the disk will get full and the free space will be required to be 'freed' before it can be written to. The garbage collection in the firmware is designed to be ran ONLY when there is little SSD activity (idling) or when free space gets low. This requires 2 operations for each write, thus slowing it down.
However, the damn thing kicks a$$!
Samsung 830 256 Gb on a late 2011 15" MBP i7 2.2 w/ 8 Gb Ram
Image
after a few minutes, the read speed can reach 500 mb/s but write speed does not go beyond 401
which is already more than twice the results i got with my Intel 510 120 Gb
Nice speeds! The 830 looks like a really nice drive! Here is a shot of my Crucial M4 256 GB for comparison. It looks like the Crucial is a wee bit quicker on read but the Samsung is a lot bit quicker on write. For those who do large/heavy writes, the Samsung is likely a better choice (although I love my M4
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