Two and four channel PCIe SSD ...

[takosan]

Looking to when Apple compatible PCIe SSD becomes available from third parties, in particular is the rMBP from mid-2014 capable of using four channels?

In general is this technology a function of (1) PCIe controller on the motherboard (2) the SSD itself or (3) both?

Reading about the double the throughput in the newer early-2015 rMBP and was wondering.

 

[yjchua95]

Looking to when Apple compatible PCIe SSD becomes available from third parties, in particular is the rMBP from mid-2014 capable of using four channels?

In general is this technology a function of (1) PCIe controller on the motherboard (2) the SSD itself or (3) both?

Reading about the double the throughput in the newer early-2015 rMBP and was wondering.

It's the SSD itself.

Late-2013/mid-2014 ones all can support 4 lanes, but the XP941-based SSDs are only 2 lanes with 512GB and smaller sizes, and 4 lanes with 1TB capacities.

The early-2015 ones with SM951-based SSDs have 4 lanes across all capacities.

It's either the SSD itself, or the SSD controller on the drive (and not the motherboard).

 

[magbarn]

It's the SSD itself.

Late-2013/mid-2014 ones all can support 4 lanes, but the XP941-based SSDs are only 2 lanes with 512GB and smaller sizes, and 4 lanes with 1TB capacities.

The early-2015 ones with SM951-based SSDs have 4 lanes across all capacities.

It's either the SSD itself, or the SSD controller on the drive (and not the motherboard).

Assuming it's the same connector, theoretically you could put a 2015 SSD in a 2013-2014 rMBP and get the speed boost?

 

[thadoggfather]

Assuming it's the same connector, theoretically you could put a 2015 SSD in a 2013-2014 rMBP and get the speed boost?

I'd be curious about this too (for curiosity purposes, I have a 2015 rMBP)

 

[yjchua95]

Assuming it's the same connector, theoretically you could put a 2015 SSD in a 2013-2014 rMBP and get the speed boost?

The connector is identical, and the form factor looks to be the same as well according to the iFixit teardown of the Broadwell 13" rMBP.

 

[takosan]

Thank you for the education folks!

It is good to know that the controller on the more expensive side of the equation can accommodate a SSD with a controller that uses four channels.

Actually now that I reread the thread ... I may have read somewhere that someone put a Mac Pro's SSD into rMBP and the result was an I/O boost ...