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NVMe with ST-NGFF2013-C; Vega Internal GPU; Mac Pro 2013 (6,1)

Hi Guys!

Thank you to everyone who has been taking part in this thread. I have been reading it for a while now and decided to install a NVME SSD in my Mac Pro (Late 2013).

I tried this Adapter so far...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/QNINE-Convert-Adapter-MacBook-Upgraded/dp/B07RR86LSB

I have applied Kapton Tape to the area of the Adapter outlined earlier in this thread.

I was already on the latest macOS 10.14.5 Mojave and have the latest firmware updates installed so I just created a Bootable USB Mojave Installer.

The drive is detected and I performed the installation of macOS without a hitch. The NVME drive boots, restarts and sleeps correctly.

The issue I am having however is with performance speed. I have tested two NVME SSDS (Samsung EVO 970 1TB/Crucial P1 1TB) with the same Adapter and they are both producing very low results in BlackMagic Disk Speed Test.

780 Read
700 Write

Can anyone help with this? Or point me in the right direction?

I have also ordered the short black Sintech Adapter from Amazon UK however it is still yet to arrive.

Thanks!
 
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Earlier in the thread somewhere it has been mentioned that lower speeds can be a symptom that the adaptor is not making full contact with the connector on the board and needs to be pushed in further/realigned, perhaps that's the issue?
 
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th0masp said:
Earlier in the thread somewhere it has been mentioned that lower speeds can be a symptom that the adaptor is not making full contact with the connector on the board and needs to be pushed in further/realigned, perhaps that's the issue?
Click to expand...


Hi! Thanks, yes I think I remember reading something about that. However, I’m quite confident that the Adapter is firmly in place but it won’t hurt to remove it and place it again.

Perhaps also reapply the Kapton Tape if that’s necessary?

Is there anything else that could be causing the lower speeds?

Also, one other question guys...

The NVME is showing as INTERNAL in Disk Utility and System Report. However, when booting with ALT/OPTION held the drive is showing an Orange Disk Icon. I think I’ve read that means that the Mac Pro is seeing the drive as EXTERNAL. Anything to be concerned of there?!?

Thanks Again!
 
Miscellaneous said:
Hi Guys!

Thank you to everyone who has been taking part in this thread. I have been reading it for a while now and decided to install a NVME SSD in my Mac Pro (Late 2013).

I tried this Adapter so far...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/QNINE-Convert-Adapter-MacBook-Upgraded/dp/B07RR86LSB

I have applied Kapton Tape to the area of the Adapter outlined earlier in this thread.

I was already on the latest macOS 10.14.5 Mojave and have the latest firmware updates installed so I just created a Bootable USB Mojave Installer.

The drive is detected and I performed the installation of macOS without a hitch. The NVME drive boots, restarts and sleeps correctly.

The issue I am having however is with performance speed. I have tested two NVME SSDS (Samsung EVO 970 1TB/Crucial P1 1TB) with the same Adapter and they are both producing very low results in BlackMagic Disk Speed Test.

780 Read
700 Write

Can anyone help with this? Or point me in the right direction?

I have also ordered the short black Sintech Adapter from Amazon UK however it is still yet to arrive.

Thanks!
Click to expand...


The Samsung SSD should be getting about 1400 MB read write speeds. I have a 960 Pro, and those are the speeds I am getting. If most likely is the adapter, either being the wrong type or as th0masp said the adapter not being fully seated. The adapter that most people have been using is this one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sintech-NG...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

This is the adapter that I am using with 0 problems. I would also suggest getting a heat sink. The first post in the thread has links to several good heat sinks.
 
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cgscotto said:
The Samsung SSD should be getting about 1400 MB read write speeds. I have a 960 Pro, and those are the speeds I am getting. If most likely is the adapter, either being the wrong type or as th0masp said the adapter not being fully seated. The adapter that most people have been using is this one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sintech-NGFF-M-2-nVME-SSD-Adapter-for-Upgrade-of-2013-2017-Macs-ST-NGFF2013C/223219347660?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

This is the adapter that I am using with 0 problems. I would also suggest getting a heat sink. The first post in the thread has links to several good heat sinks.
Click to expand...

Hey!

I have the short version on order, ST-NGFF2013.

I have just tried to reseat the Qnine Adapter and Samsung EVO 970 and ran a quick speed test. Pretty much the same story. When placing the Adapter in the Mac Pro connector I heard an audible click, and then I even applied a little more gentle pressure.

Here’s a photo of how my drive is seated...
 

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I’ve taken out the NVME SSD and QNINE Adapter, reinstalled the original Apple SSD and will wait for the Sintech Adapter to arrive and give it another go.

I’ve also ordered this one as suggested just in case...

http://eshop.sintech.cn/ngff-m2-pcie-ssd-card-as-2013-2014-2015-macbook-ssd-p-1229.html

Has anyone bought one of these Sintech adapters recently?!? Do they need to have the Kapton Tape applied to them?

I went for an Akasa heatsink...

http://www.akasa.com.tw/search.php?seed=A-M2HS01-BK

Thanks again peeps!
 
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Hi everyone.

I recently installed a Samsung 970 Evo Plus (with new firmware) in my 6,1 Mac Pro with a Sintech ST-NGFF2013-C adapter. It works great so far but has been running very hot so I just ordered the EKWB heat sink recommended on the first page of the thread. Are there any issues installing the EKWB heat sink with the ST-NGFF2013-C adapter? The non "C" Sintech adapter doesn't have a backing plate like the "C" and seemingly would be more suitable for sandwiching an M.2 SSD between the front and back of an EKWB heat sink, no?
 
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armpro said:
Hi everyone.

I recently installed a Samsung 970 Evo Plus (with new firmware) in my 6,1 Mac Pro with a Sintech ST-NGFF2013-C adapter. It works great so far but has been running very hot so I just ordered the EKWB heat sink recommended on the first page of the thread. Are there any issues installing the EKWB heat sink with the ST-NGFF2013-C adapter? The non "C" Sintech adapter doesn't have a backing plate like the "C" and seemingly would be more suitable for sandwiching an M.2 SSD between the front and back of an EKWB heat sink, no?
Click to expand...

The heat sink attaches very easily to the blade and the adapter. The only issue I ran into was I found the original screw a little short for the extra width of the blade with adapter. I found a longer screw, but because the blade does not sit flush against the screw post, it bends the blade a bit when you tighten it . Next time I take the drive out, I will add a small plastic spacer, which will make the drive sit flush on the screw post.
 
Hi guys,

my Mac Pro 2013 says BOOT ROM VERSION 130.0.0.0.0.
Will a Western Digital Black SN750 and Sintech adapter work and do I need a heat sink? Or would you recommend another SSD?

Thanks!
 
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thomasjans said:
Hi guys,

my Mac Pro 2013 says BOOT ROM VERSION 130.0.0.0.0.
Will a Western Digital Black SN750 and Sintech adapter work and do I need a heat sink? Or would you recommend another SSD?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

BOOT ROM 131.0.0.0.0 is only for the developer preview of Catalina, 10.15. It depends which Sintech adapter. Look a few post back and o the first page for links to the adapters that have proven to work at the correct speed. Most people have been using Samsung SSD either Pros or EVOs, 960 or 970. I stuck with those because they are similar to Apple's original drive (same manufacturer). I don't know how the WD will do.

EDIT: I forgot to add that I think a heatsink is necessary. The one listed in the first post works really well. This one, which is the one I am using:

https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-m-2-nvme-heatsink-black
 
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thomasjans said:
Hi guys,

my Mac Pro 2013 says BOOT ROM VERSION 130.0.0.0.0.
Will a Western Digital Black SN750 and Sintech adapter work and do I need a heat sink? Or would you recommend another SSD?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Hi @thomasjans

I have recently upgraded the internal storage in my Mac Pro (Late 2013) 6,1 using a Sintech ST-NGFF2013 adapter. It came with tape pre applied to it and required no further modification.

My BOOT ROM is also 130.0.0.0.0 and everything is working nicely with a Samsung EVO 970 1TB NVMe.

I don’t feel qualified to say if the Western Digital Black SN750 will be compatible or whether or not you need a heatsink.

I bought a cheap Akasa M.2 Heatsink and attached it to the SSD just to be on the safe side.

I have only been using it for a few days now but everything seems to be stable.

All The Best!
 
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Hi

Thanks for all the work done before. If I can confirm a couple of things before I make the plunge and buy a new Samsung 1TB 970:

1) Moving my bootcamp onto the new NVME in my Mac Pro is still unadvisable due to the NTFS caused Kernal panics? (i've seen nothing to suggest that Mojave or recent firmware updates have resolved this)

2) You must keep the original Apple SSD and swap this back in to do any firmware updates (OS updates e.g. 10.14.1 to 10.14.2 would be ok on the NVME drive)

I'm looking at the additional space to dual boot High Sierra and Catalina (Mojave in the meantime). I'd like my bootcamp on there too but doesn't seem possible.

Many thanks again.
 
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Hi Guys! Quick Update...

It's been almost 2 months now with the new Samsung NVME installed in my Mac Pro 6,1 and everything has been going great.

I'm currently on macOS Mojave 10.14.6 but I am still yet to install the latest supplemental update.

Does anyone know if the latest Mojave supplemental update includes a BOOT ROM update for the Mac Pro 6,1?

Can anyone advise me why it is that when booting the Mac Pro and holding Alt/Option that my internal NVME startup drive is displayed with an orange icon rather than a grey icon?

Thanks Again Peeps!
 
Miscellaneous said:
Hi Guys! Quick Update...

It's been almost 2 months now with the new Samsung NVME installed in my Mac Pro 6,1 and everything has been going great.

I'm currently on macOS Mojave 10.14.6 but I am still yet to install the latest supplemental update.

Does anyone know if the latest Mojave supplemental update includes a BOOT ROM update for the Mac Pro 6,1?
Click to expand...

No new firmware updates for MP6,1 with 18G85, still 132.0.0.0.0, see here #3872

Can anyone advise me why it is that when booting the Mac Pro and holding Alt/Option that my internal NVME startup drive is displayed with an orange icon rather than a grey icon?

Thanks Again Peeps!
Click to expand...

Maybe the non Apple blades using the external icon?
 
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MP6,1 EFI firmware got updated to 133.0.0.0.0 with today's Catalina DP8:
Code: 
$IBIOSI$ MP61.88Z.F000.B00.1907241309
Copyright (c) 2005-2019 Apple Inc.  All rights reserved.
Apple ROM Version
  Model:        MP61
  EFI Version:  133.0.0.0.0
  Built by:     root@saumon
  Date:         Wed Jul 24 13:09:53 PDT 2019
  Revision:     133 (B&I)
  ROM Version:  F000_B00
  Build Type:   Official Build, Release
  Compiler:     Apple clang version 3.0 (tags/Apple/clang-211.10.1) (based on LLVM 3.0svn)
 
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Finally done the NVME update after following the thread from the start. All working perfectly (Samsung 970 Evo). Big thanks to CodeJingle and the others for their work and generosity!
 
Cross posting from the generic nvme thread:

Ive got a Samsung 970 EVO Plus (fw updated to 2B2QEXM7) in a Sintech ST-NGFF2013-C adapter in my 2013 Mac Pro. I'm now running Catalina and my Boot ROM is 133.0.0.0.0.
So far everything should be good, but in the last month or so my Mac has been kernel panicking nearly every day. Sometimes two or three times in a row. Always with a panic in the IONVMeController.cpp.

Any idea what could be going wrong? It's incredibly frustrating.

Code: 
panic(cpu 0 caller 0xffffff7f8a8184a7): nvme: "Fatal error occurred. CSTS=0xffffffff US[1]=0x0 US[0]=0x19 VID=0x144d DID=0xa808
. FW Revision=2B2QEXM7\n"@/BuildRoot/Library/Caches/com.apple.xbs/Sources/IONVMeFamily/IONVMeFamily-470.40.4/IONVMeController.cpp:5258
Backtrace (CPU 0), Frame : Return Address
0xffffff83b029b9e0 : 0xffffff8008b39a3b
0xffffff83b029ba30 : 0xffffff8008c70fe5
0xffffff83b029ba70 : 0xffffff8008c62a5e
0xffffff83b029bac0 : 0xffffff8008ae0a40
0xffffff83b029bae0 : 0xffffff8008b39127
0xffffff83b029bbe0 : 0xffffff8008b3950b
0xffffff83b029bc30 : 0xffffff80092d17f9
0xffffff83b029bca0 : 0xffffff7f8a8184a7
0xffffff83b029bcc0 : 0xffffff7f8a80347a
0xffffff83b029be20 : 0xffffff8009244f79
0xffffff83b029be90 : 0xffffff8009244e99
0xffffff83b029bec0 : 0xffffff8008b7b625
0xffffff83b029bf40 : 0xffffff8008b7b151
0xffffff83b029bfa0 : 0xffffff8008ae013e
      Kernel Extensions in backtrace:
         com.apple.iokit.IONVMeFamily(2.1)[B8EE9C14-90EE-39E2-8565-0B00AC09499B]@0xffffff7f8a7f5000->0xffffff7f8a837fff
            dependency: com.apple.driver.AppleMobileFileIntegrity(1.0.5)[180FC5AB-0E47-35BC-91DF-609EBE8ED4A5]@0xffffff7f89583000
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.9)[AA7C7A4F-9F5D-3533-9E78-177C3B6A72BF]@0xffffff7f896f4000
            dependency: com.apple.driver.AppleEFINVRAM(2.1)[A86937B2-6177-3699-BE65-6762DDC120C6]@0xffffff7f898e6000
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily(2.1)[A9967DFD-FCB3-3536-B071-F8B46494895B]@0xffffff7f89465000
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOReportFamily(47)[2CCA7DD3-C33F-3CA4-A213-BC83D3D997B0]@0xffffff7f89624000
 
I read somewhere EVO 970 plus isn't compatible with macs. You'll get any kind of problems. Get a 970 or a 970 pro. But maybe it was about Macbook pro only, I picked up an EVO 970.
 
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