Vertex 3 or Crucial M4 for new MBP 13"?

[Legion93]

Hi, i am very stuck in choosing the right SSD to suit my needs. before i go on let me just get this clear I've searched all around this forum and other review sites for people with experience with these two drives using Macs and did not receive a clear answer (most sites being outdated)..

i will be ordering my new MacBook Pro (13" 2.8GHz, i7 to be exact) soon and will upgrade to 8GB RAM (Crucial brand). i will put the SSD into the main HDD bay to act as the boot drive and to benefit from the SATA III speeds, in the optical drive's location will be the Momentus XT hybrid 500GB for storage purpose.

Now that I have explained my setup i am stuck on one major decision, which SSD to buy. Since i will be using the Momentus XT as a storage drive, i was going to get either the 60GB Vertex 3 (for £99) or the 64GB Crucial M4 (for £80). i know that both use SATA III however benchmarks prove the Vertex drive reaching speeds of up to 500mb/s. i actually have the Vertex 3 ordered so i was wondering whether to exchange it for the Crucial or if it isn't worth the change.

I wanted to know which offers the best compatibilty with OS X and Lion. Can anyone speak from experience any of these drives? I've heard OCZ has the highest failure rates and a lot of known problems. In addition updating the firmware on a drive is important to me and i read that updating the firmware on Crucial drives are easy and can be achieved using a Mac, whereas you need a Windows PC to update on the Vertex 3? Which offers best reliabality and speed?

Thanks very much

 

[deafgoose]

Hi, i am very stuck in choosing the right SSD to suit my needs. before i go on let me just get this clear I've searched all around this forum and other review sites for people with experience with these two drives using Macs and did not receive a clear answer (most sites being outdated)..

i will be ordering my new MacBook Pro (13" 2.8GHz, i7 to be exact) soon and will upgrade to 8GB RAM (Crucial brand). i will put the SSD into the main HDD bay to act as the boot drive and to benefit from the SATA III speeds, in the optical drive's location will be the Momentus XT hybrid 500GB for storage purpose.

Now that I have explained my setup i am stuck on one major decision, which SSD to buy. Since i will be using the Momentus XT as a storage drive, i was going to get either the 60GB Vertex 3 (for £99) or the 64GB Crucial M4 (for £80). i know that both use SATA III however benchmarks prove the Vertex drive reaching speeds of up to 500mb/s. i actually have the Vertex 3 ordered so i was wondering whether to exchange it for the Crucial or if it isn't worth the change.

I wanted to know which offers the best compatibilty with OS X and Lion. Can anyone speak from experience any of these drives? I've heard OCZ has the highest failure rates and a lot of known problems. In addition updating the firmware on a drive is important to me and i read that updating the firmware on Crucial drives are easy and can be achieved using a Mac, whereas you need a Windows PC to update on the Vertex 3? Which offers best reliabality and speed?

Thanks very much

From what I have been reading, the Crucial drives are more reliable and it sure is nice to update the firmware. It is also cheaper. Win-win.

The only thing the OCZ has going for it is speed.

With all that being said, I have the OCZ Vertex 3 in my mac mini.

 

[PAPO]

I'd hold off for now OCZ is launching a new SSD at the end of the month with up to 1TB capacities and better prices but it needs to be seen how the new controller goes 'cause it's not using SandForce it's using something new

 

[Legion93]

I'd hold off for now OCZ is launching a new SSD at the end of the month with up to 1TB capacities and better prices but it needs to be seen how the new controller goes 'cause it's not using SandForce it's using something new

I think I'll pass on that... I heard about them but I don't really need an SSD with insane capacity, it's just unnecessary (well at least for me) as I will be using it only as the boot drive.

Say, do you have any idea on how to update the firmware on the Vertex 3? I heard that you need a windows PC and stuff. Crucial provides a download to a CD and you are able to update from your Mac if I'm correct? My Vertex 3 just arrived and don't know whether to open it or exchange it for a Crucial M4 64GB...

 

[GermanyChris]

I think I'll pass on that... I heard about them but I don't really need an SSD with insane capacity, it's just unnecessary (well at least for me) as I will be using it only as the boot drive.

Say, do you have any idea on how to update the firmware on the Vertex 3? I heard that you need a windows PC and stuff. Crucial provides a download to a CD and you are able to update from your Mac if I'm correct? My Vertex 3 just arrived and don't know whether to open it or exchange it for a Crucial M4 64GB...

you have SATA 3 in both the optical and HDD port so put the SSD in the optical..

 

[oxfordguy]

you have SATA 3 in both the optical and HDD port so put the SSD in the optical..

BTW this only works in the 13" MBP, SATA III in the optibay is nerfed on the current 15" and 17" models

 

[GermanyChris]

BTW this only works in the 13" MBP, SATA III in the optibay is nerfed on the current 15" and 17" models

The OP has a 13..

and the 15/17 only early production had the SATA 2 optical and SATA 3 HDD

 

[oxfordguy]

The OP has a 13..

I know, I was just saying in case other users thought you could get SATA 3 working properly in the optibay

and the 15/17 only early production had the SATA 2 optical and SATA 3 HDD

Indeed - which in some ways was actually better, because at least a SATA 3 SSD drive would work in the optibay (albeit at SATA 2 speeds), in the later production MBPs (at least up to the October 2011 release - I don't know if they fixed things in this) they're fitted for SATA 3 in optibay, but it doesn't work properly :-(

 

[GermanyChris]

I know, I was just saying in case other users thought you could get SATA 3 working properly in the optibay



Indeed - which in some ways was actually better, because at least a SATA 3 SSD drive would work in the optibay (albeit at SATA 2 speeds), in the later production MBPs (at least up to the October 2011 release - I don't know if they fixed things in this) they're fitted for SATA 3 in optibay, but it doesn't work properly :-(

no they were both SATA 3 on the 15/17 starting in early summer 2011..

 

[oxfordguy]

no they were both SATA 3 on the 15/17 starting in early summer 2011..

Yes, but my point is SATA III does not work properly for these models, despite the fact they are fitted for SATA III - follow the links on my original post

Maybe this is fixed in the October 2011 model, but I doubt it

 

[GermanyChris]

Yes, but my point is SATA III does not work properly for these models, despite the fact they are fitted for SATA III - follow the links on my original post

Maybe this is fixed in the October 2011 model, but I doubt it

I did..but these are forum posts..

and EFI 2.2 fixed that for most people..

 

[jgz]

vertex3 120gb fw 2.15 works like a charm in my mbp 13.3 i7.... Even with Trim enabled (Terminal-method) !

Only thing, which is very very annoying, is updating firmware, especially with an extra hdd in optibay slot..... Anyone got a working method, updating vertex3 fw without superdrive?

 

[oxfordguy]

I did..but these are forum posts..

and EFI 2.2 fixed that for most people..

No, this post on OWC explicitly states that the EFI 2.2 update does not fix the SATA III optibay problems for the 15" and 17" Macbook Pros, only in the main HDD bay:

#2 – For those with a MacBook Pro 15″ or 17″ model that has SATA 3.0 6Gb/s link capability reported, it is very important to note that this EFI update does not appear to have resolved reliability of using a 6Gb/s drive in the optical bay. If you have a 6Gb/s optical drive bay connnection and are using a product like our Data Doubler, we still recommend only using a SATA 2.0 3Gb/s drive in that bay. MacBook Pro 13″ owners who find 6Gb/s links in their optical bay are not experiencing issues with 6Gb/s drives and this update doesn’t affect that usage.

I have not heard anyone else report differently, though would be pleased if this was fixed in the October 2011 model.

 

[GermanyChris]

No, this post on OWC explicitly states that the EFI 2.2 update does not fix the SATA III optibay problems for the 15" and 17" Macbook Pros, only in the main HDD bay:

[/COLOR]

I have not heard anyone else report differently, though would be pleased if this was fixed in the October 2011 model.

I will not continue to argue this point..on that google search stating on page 2 about halfway down you're going to start finding that it did..

With OWC it didn't fix the issues with their Sandforce drives in the optical..

Maybe it's all of them I dunno..but OWC and Mac forums are not really the end..try it..you'll notice really fast if it's not right...

Did you got your computer fixed? or did you pick up a new one?

 

[oxfordguy]

I will not continue to argue this point..on that google search stating on page 2 about halfway down you're going to start finding that it did..

With OWC it didn't fix the issues with their Sandforce drives in the optical..

Maybe it's all of them I dunno..but OWC and Mac forums are not really the end..try it..you'll notice really fast if it's not right...

I guess!

I don't have a 2011 MBP, so couldn't tell you...

Anyway, I think if you're going to put an SSD in a MBP its best in the HDD bay anyway, as there's less potential for problems with hibernation if you're using the SSD as the boot drive (which you should).

Did you got your computer fixed? or did you pick up a new one?

Thanks for asking - its with the Apple Store in Covent Garden, they said they would replace the main logic board for free! Haven't got it back yet, though am hoping its all going to be okay! I have a 256Mb Crucial M4 SSD sat here waiting to be installed... If not, the October revision MBPs may start to look more appealing! I'm hoping to be able to hold until until the 2012 MBP, though, and to donate my current one to my wife then.

 

[GermanyChris]

I guess!

I don't have a 2011 MBP, so couldn't tell you...

Anyway, I think if you're going to put an SSD in a MBP its best in the HDD bay anyway, as there's less potential for problems with hibernation if you're using the SSD as the boot drive (which you should).



Thanks for asking - its with the Apple Store in Covent Garden, they said they would replace the main logic board for free! Haven't got it back yet, though am hoping its all going to be okay! I have a 256Mb Crucial M4 SSD sat here waiting to be installed... If not, the October revision MBPs may start to look more appealing! I'm hoping to be able to hold until until the 2012 MBP, though, and to donate my current one to my wife then.

I used on in the optical with no issues for quite some time..

Thats great! I'm headed back to the states for a couple weeks for work starting next weekend so my intent is to pick up a 256 hyperX and pay in USD instead of EURO..

 

[oxfordguy]

I used on in the optical with no issues for quite some time..

Glad to hear it! Is this on a 13" MBP?

Thats great! I'm headed back to the states for a couple weeks for work starting next weekend so my intent is to pick up a 256 hyperX and pay in USD instead of EURO..

One of these? Nice! Pretty expensive (I think about £365 is the cheapest I've see) in Europe at the moment, so if you can pick one up at more reasonable prices in the US, sounds like a good plan!

----------

BTW you can do a comparison of the Crucial M4 and Kingston Hyper X SSD (or compare with OCZ drives) here. The Hyper X SSD looks impressive!