SSD temp

[jb60606]

So I just installed the new 200GB OWC Mercury Extreme SSD (SandForce Chip) in my 2008 Penryn (non-Uni) MacBook-Pro.

Seems pretty fast and all, but iStat is displaying a temperature of 263 degrees?#!#$%@@#

Anyone with similar setups have temps they can share with me? This is ridiculous.

I know this thing can't be operating at 263 degrees, though I placed the temp monitor at the exact same location it resided on my prior 5400 RPM hard drive. Not sure what the problem could be.

 

[Transporteur]

I'm not sure if any, but at least the SSDs I'm using (Intel and OCZ) don't seem to have an integrated heat sensor that would be readable via SMART.
They don't produce much heat (5W max) hence you shouldn't be worried about the value iStat is reporting. My SSDs aren't even listed in the iStat overview.

 

[jb60606]

I spoke with OWC and they said other users are reporting the same insane temps with their Mercury Extreme SSD. They're working on a fix.

I know SSDs run significantly cooler, but the real temperature is still important to me

 

[spaceballl]

Glad to hear you got the issue solved. I've had a chance to play around with the OWC SSD, and it does run very cool. The newer SSDs, like yours, run VERY cool. I have an older SSD (the G. Skill Titan 256GB), and it runs a bit warmer than the HDD before it did. Somewhat annoying!!

 

[jb60606]

There's also a problem with the "sleep" function. Your Mac typically won't 'awaken', thus forcing a manual reboot.

I believe this is a problem with the SandForce chip, and not unique to the OWC Mercury Extreme because I'm seeing similar complaints from Mac Users on Newegg regarding OCZ's equivalent of the SandForce drive (OCZ Vertex - Limited Edition).

OWC directed me to an application that will force the computer into hibernation, instead of sleep mode.

It'll do for now, but SandForce and OWC really need to work this out.

 

[jb60606]

Removed it from my early 2008 Penryn MacBook Pro and dropped it in my Harpertown Mac Pro. I don't know what's restricting the speed in my MacBook Pro, but it couldn't eclipse 170 (overall) in Xbench. That's not terrible, but I would have sent the SSD back...

My old Raptor could barely break 100. I unleashed the beast! The Mercury Extreme cracks 350!

 

[dyn]

Removed it from my early 2008 Penryn MacBook Pro and dropped it in my Harpertown Mac Pro. I don't know what's restricting the speed in my MacBook Pro, but it couldn't eclipse 170 (overall) in Xbench.

That's very simple: the early 2008 MBP has a sata speed of 1.5 Gbps. Your Mac Pro obviously does 3.0 Gbps. It's the sata speed that is restricting the ssd in your MBP.

 

[jb60606]

That's very simple: the early 2008 MBP has a sata speed of 1.5 Gbps. Your Mac Pro obviously does 3.0 Gbps. It's the sata speed that is restricting the ssd in your MBP.

figured as much, though assumed the mbp, being newer than the mac pro, would also have sata 300

 

[dyn]

I have one too and it most definitely is just sata 150 (however the chipset could do sata 300 but I'm guessing it is too unreliable so it got resstricted to sata 150). Check system profiler, it will tell you what speed it can run.

 

[jb60606]

I have one too and it most definitely is just sata 150 (however the chipset could do sata 300 but I'm guessing it is too unreliable so it got resstricted to sata 150). Check system profiler, it will tell you what speed it can run.

doh! I guess that limits my choice of SSDs.

 

[dyn]

doh! I guess that limits my choice of SSDs.

Hardly. The most important thing with ssd's and desktop usage is not the sequential speeds but the random speeds. Those random speeds do not exceed the 1.5 Gbit/s so you won't notice it. It's only when you do a lot of sequential filetransfers that you may notice it (like when using a ssd in a fileserver).

 

[breathesrain]

Wasn't there an upgrade that removed the 1.5 limit on MBPs? I'm not positive if it applies to your computer, but I know I read about something of that sort- the MBPs had a software limitation on the SATA interface, or something, and an upgrade removed the limitation.

 

[jb60606]

Wasn't there an upgrade that removed the 1.5 limit on MBPs? I'm not positive if it applies to your computer, but I know I read about something of that sort- the MBPs had a software limitation on the SATA interface, or something, and an upgrade removed the limitation.

I slightly remember that, but I believe it was a limitation of the unibody MB & MBP.

EDIT:

Here's the firmware update. It looks like it only affected early-2009 Unibodies.

 

[yashrg]

If someone ended up really finding out what kind of temperatures the SSD generates could you please share? I am wondering if it will significantly heat up my macbook pro or actually cool it down in comparison to what I currently have.
istat reports a temperature of 104ºf on my HDD. while the ambient temperature of the room is ~75ºf.