Got it. I'm thinking to install bootcamp and wonder if it will work on the APFS drive.
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MP All Models Bootable PCI SSD Cards/Drives for Mac Pro (NVMe M.2, U.2, EDSFF E3.S, etc.)
- Thread starter ZombiePhysicist
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So one thing I cannot tell is if this drive has TRIM support. I suspect it does, but how do I tell if a) it does, and b) if it's enabled?
SystemProfiler.app under storage shows the Medium Type: SSD. I could swear it used to have an entry for TRIM yes/no? But looks like they took that out of system profiler as it doesn't even show it for the apple SSD.
Does anyone know how to tell if the drive supports trim and how to tell if its enabled or not? This is obviously under the latest version of Catalina. 10.15.2
Thanks!
SystemProfiler.app under storage shows the Medium Type: SSD. I could swear it used to have an entry for TRIM yes/no? But looks like they took that out of system profiler as it doesn't even show it for the apple SSD.
Does anyone know how to tell if the drive supports trim and how to tell if its enabled or not? This is obviously under the latest version of Catalina. 10.15.2
Thanks!
Awesome setup with that big u.2 ssd. And fanless. And bootable as a whole.
Another fanless (by means of removing fans with partial blessing from the card manufacturer) config was showed in the latest 9to5mac video. Not bootable (as a whole 24TB volume) though.
If fanless Squid works (i.e. doesn’t get too hot), it could be endgame in terms of non-bootable and cable-less setups.
Another fanless (by means of removing fans with partial blessing from the card manufacturer) config was showed in the latest 9to5mac video. Not bootable (as a whole 24TB volume) though.
If fanless Squid works (i.e. doesn’t get too hot), it could be endgame in terms of non-bootable and cable-less setups.
Wow only 7-8GB/sec read writes with 6 sticks. Wonder why the performance is such poop on that squid? It should easily be pushing past 12GB/sec read write?
He went for max capacity with those Sabrent, probably 6 x 970 Pro would do better..
Or maybe the controller is actually limited to that...if it works fanless reliably, I would happily live with that speed nonetheless...
By the way even the 970 Pro successor, the 980 Pro, will top at 1TB...so it’s 970 Evo or Sabrent for serious capacity..
Or maybe the controller is actually limited to that...if it works fanless reliably, I would happily live with that speed nonetheless...
By the way even the 970 Pro successor, the 980 Pro, will top at 1TB...so it’s 970 Evo or Sabrent for serious capacity..
To me the speed would be the only advantage over getting the 7120. And you could always raid 4 of the Micron 9300 15.36TB drives together, get the speed, and on top of it get a crazy 60TB of SSD space. And the 7120 is fanless.
It's weird but none of the cards are getting anywhere near their potential on the MacPro and I haven't seen anyone do a hardware raid yet (meaning set up the raid using the manufacturers RAID configuration on the card in windows or something, and not use software raids like SoftRaid or Apple's Disk Utility.app raid).
It's weird but none of the cards are getting anywhere near their potential on the MacPro and I haven't seen anyone do a hardware raid yet (meaning set up the raid using the manufacturers RAID configuration on the card in windows or something, and not use software raids like SoftRaid or Apple's Disk Utility.app raid).
Not sure what you mean. But I put the secure boot up to max level after install. Obviously I had to keep the allow to boot from external drive selected since it's not a T2 drive.
BTW @tsialex suggested a way easier way to use a u.2 drive if you only want to use one is just use an adapter like this:
Then all you need is that PCI slut, no brackets, nothing else fancy, and you get 15.36TB of SSD in one slot.
Super easy that way!
StarTech.com U.2 to PCIe Adapter - x4 PCIe - For 2.5" U.2 NVMe SSD - SFF-8639 PCIe Adapter - U.2 SSD - PCIe SSD - U.2 drive (PEX4SFF8639)
"Get ultra-fast data access by adding an NVMe U.2 SSD to your computer. This U.2 to PCIe adapter lets you add a high-speed, U.2 (4-lane PCIe) 2.5"" NVMe SSD, such as the Intel 750 Series drive, to a PC with an available x4 PCI Express expansion slot. You can mount the PCIe U.2 drive directly onto...
www.amazon.com
Then all you need is that PCI slut, no brackets, nothing else fancy, and you get 15.36TB of SSD in one slot.
Super easy that way!
I have four EVO 970 Pros in a HighPoint 7101A-1 and using the raid on the card I'm getting 12,000+ read/write on very large files. First lesson I learned was don't use APFS + encryption. The encryption slows it way down to the 6-8K range.
6 M.2 Squid just has a heat sync on the PCIe switch?
Faster NVMe devices would give more speed. Amfeltec with 6 fast NVMe devices is the only one that can max a PCIe slot's write speed (12 GB/s). 4 fast NVMe devices is enough to max the read speed.
2019 Mac Pro with PCIe-based flash RAID
real world speed test results for performance minded Macintosh users
barefeats.com
fast: Samsung 970 Pro 512 MB.
not fast: Sabrent 4TB.
Thanks Zombie. When I originally set up using the Highpoint driver, I had to turn off secure boot to get the system to recognize the Highpoint Mac driver. Based on your reply, I should be able to reenable secure boot without adverse consequence.
I reenabled secure boot on 7.1 Mac Pro with Highpoint 7102. After restart system no longer recognized Highpoint raid array. Had to turn off secure boot and restart. Seems that to use Highpoint driver to setup raid, secure boot has to be permanently turned off, not just for initial installation.
I never installed the driver. It works native. But then again, I never tried it's web interface to setup a RAID.
Zombie, to setup your raid did you use disk utility or Softraid? I found using the Highpoint driver I got faster read/writes using the Highpoint driver and GUI setup.
I did not set up a RAID. Right now I have just one u.2 drive plugged in as a single drive. No setup required. No driver required. I suspect that is why I was able to re-enable full security on it.
See this note related to secure boot and "external" drives. This specifically notes USB, but there are early reports of similar with PCIe drive in MP7,1 not reporting correctly with DriveDx. (MP7,1 is not officially listed as compatible or in the T2 devices, yet.)
binaryfruit.com
Unfortunately there is a BUG in the mac OS related to “secure boot”:
User needs to always disconnect external drives before starting up. Or otherwise, Apple’s default USB driver will override any 3rd party driver on (secure) boot any time a USB device is attached.
Workaround:
try physically disconnect external drives and then connect again.
try to physically disconnect external drives before (re)boot.
FYI, I did run into issued getting the driver installed with MBP16,1 (has T2) and trying to recognize an external USB-C SATA array within DriveDx, but finally did get that resolved and everything now reports correctly.
binaryfruit.com
Knowledge base « BinaryFruit
binaryfruit.com
Unfortunately there is a BUG in the mac OS related to “secure boot”:
User needs to always disconnect external drives before starting up. Or otherwise, Apple’s default USB driver will override any 3rd party driver on (secure) boot any time a USB device is attached.
Workaround:
try physically disconnect external drives and then connect again.
try to physically disconnect external drives before (re)boot.
FYI, I did run into issued getting the driver installed with MBP16,1 (has T2) and trying to recognize an external USB-C SATA array within DriveDx, but finally did get that resolved and everything now reports correctly.
DriveDx - external USB and FireWire drive diagnostics support
binaryfruit.com
This isn’t an issue with my pci drive. Knock wood.See this note related to secure boot and "external" drives. This specifically notes USB, but there are early reports of similar with PCIe drive in MP7,1 not reporting correctly with DriveDx. (MP7,1 is not officially listed as compatible or in the T2 devices, yet.)
Knowledge base « BinaryFruit
Unfortunately there is a BUG in the mac OS related to “secure boot”:
User needs to always disconnect external drives before starting up. Or otherwise, Apple’s default USB driver will override any 3rd party driver on (secure) boot any time a USB device is attached.
Workaround:
try physically disconnect external drives and then connect again.
try to physically disconnect external drives before (re)boot.
FYI, I did run into issued getting the driver installed with MBP16,1 (has T2) and trying to recognize an external USB-C SATA array within DriveDx, but finally did get that resolved and everything now reports correctly.
DriveDx - external USB and FireWire drive diagnostics support
Any more updates on how this is working? Did you install the heat sink? Is it getting too hot without it? that is kind of tipping me over the edge on trying this solution otherwise.
It's working GREAT! *knocking wood* The drive is generally at 127F so frankly it's fine. That said I did order the heat sink and got it, I just need to get some thermal pads. If it goes down under 120F that will be nice, but either way, Im not sweating it.
This is, I think, the first time EVER that I've been able to put all my stuff on a single drive. I still have over 6TB free which is really great for scratch space. Super happy with the capacity and speed.
For those that need extreme speed (this does around 2.5-2.8GB/s in APFS Encrypted, and around 3.5GB/sec unencrypted) beyond this drive, there may be other form factors.
But I don't think anything competes with this on the extreme end. One could put 4 of these drives together on the Highpoitn card and have 60TB of SSD storage. Not clear if it will boot in a RAID (my guess is not but who knows until you try), but even if you make one drive your boot drive, and raid the other 3, you're going to have CRAZY speed and capacity.
I posted this in another thread, but a way cheaper solution to getting the Highpoint card, if you want only one drive, was noted in this thread:
forums.macrumors.com
All you need is a card like this, cheaper, way easier, no wires etc. required:
Suggestions for best bootable PCI NVMe card for 2019 nCMP 7,1 Mac Pro
BTW @tsialex suggested a way easier way to use a u.2 drive if you only want to use one is just use an adapter like this: https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-U-2-PCIe-Adapter-PEX4SFF8639/dp/B072JK2XLC?tag=macrumors-20&th=1 Then all you need is that PCI slut, no brackets, nothing else fancy, and...
forums.macrumors.com
All you need is a card like this, cheaper, way easier, no wires etc. required:
StarTech.com U.2 to PCIe Adapter - x4 PCIe - For 2.5" U.2 NVMe SSD - SFF-8639 PCIe Adapter - U.2 SSD - PCIe SSD - U.2 drive (PEX4SFF8639)
"Get ultra-fast data access by adding an NVMe U.2 SSD to your computer. This U.2 to PCIe adapter lets you add a high-speed, U.2 (4-lane PCIe) 2.5"" NVMe SSD, such as the Intel 750 Series drive, to a PC with an available x4 PCI Express expansion slot. You can mount the PCIe U.2 drive directly onto...
buy.geni.us
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[EDIT] Sorry! I’ve just seen that the question was already answered above, but I do not know how to delete my post … [/EDIT]
Could I use this adaptor to install the Micron 9300 Pro 15.36 tb in an Mac Pro 7,1?
www.startech.com
Thanks for your feedback!
Could I use this adaptor to install the Micron 9300 Pro 15.36 tb in an Mac Pro 7,1?
Adapter, U.2 to PCIe - 2.5' U.2 NVMe SSD - Drive Adapters and Drive Converters | Hard Drive Accessories | StarTech.com
U.2 to PCIe Adapter for 2.5' U.2 NVMe SSD - SFF-8639 - x4 PCI Express 4.0
Thanks for your feedback!
Last edited:
Ok so I got the heatsink for the old velociraptor. Thanks so much @tsialex.
So the old system would run somewhere between 136-144F when it was being very taxed (like indexing the drive), and mostly run at 136F at boot. It would then cool down to about 125-127F when it's being used normally but not battered.
With the new heatsink the absolute maximum temp I get is 122F when it's really being hit hard indexing. Most of the time it sits at 115F. So around a 10-20F lowering, which is great.
I got .5mm and 1.5mm thermal pads from here:
I cut the 1.5mm thermal pad to basically be the size of the entire drive. The Velociroaptor heat sink has 2 20mm square upward protrusions to help dissipate the heat, so I cut squares out of the 1.5mm pad to let those protrude through. Then I cut two 20x20m squares of the .5mm thermal pads to sit atop those protrusions (and holes out by the screws). That way all the thermal pads sat flush. Screwed it in snug to hopefully get a little compression of the thermal pads and I was done. I didn't use any thermal paste or other things. I'm sure you could drive down the temps even more if you want to get fancy, but we are now at a very comfortable temp range, so that's good enough.
A few shots of what it looks like now.
So the old system would run somewhere between 136-144F when it was being very taxed (like indexing the drive), and mostly run at 136F at boot. It would then cool down to about 125-127F when it's being used normally but not battered.
With the new heatsink the absolute maximum temp I get is 122F when it's really being hit hard indexing. Most of the time it sits at 115F. So around a 10-20F lowering, which is great.
I got .5mm and 1.5mm thermal pads from here:
ARCTIC TP-2 (APT2560): Economic Thermal Pad, 145 x 145 x 1.5 mm (1 Piece) - Thermal pad, Excellent Heat Conduction, Low Hardness, Ideal Gap Filler, Easy Installation, Safe handling - Blue
ARCTIC offers innovative solutions incessantly - changing impossible user requirements into new. Always focused on our customers, ARCTIC is devoted to deliver excellence through a strong dedication and a high sense of commitment. In light of the ever-changing consumer landscapes, we aspire to con...
www.amazon.com
I cut the 1.5mm thermal pad to basically be the size of the entire drive. The Velociroaptor heat sink has 2 20mm square upward protrusions to help dissipate the heat, so I cut squares out of the 1.5mm pad to let those protrude through. Then I cut two 20x20m squares of the .5mm thermal pads to sit atop those protrusions (and holes out by the screws). That way all the thermal pads sat flush. Screwed it in snug to hopefully get a little compression of the thermal pads and I was done. I didn't use any thermal paste or other things. I'm sure you could drive down the temps even more if you want to get fancy, but we are now at a very comfortable temp range, so that's good enough.
A few shots of what it looks like now.