PCIE M.2 NVMe on MacPro

[armdn]

I've done with success booting NVMe drive (Intel 750 SSD U.2 400GB) in Mac Pro 3,1. Cheers!

Here is the output of the EFI Shell - list of devices. NVM Express Controller is the Intel 750 NVMe SSD. macOS High Sierra 10.13.3 was installed via Restoring image of installed system.

 

[jdryyz]

So wait....you've done what couldn't be done? You have a bootable NVMe or am I seeing a "hand-off" boot process?

I've done with success booting NVMe drive (Intel 750 SSD U.2 400GB) in Mac Pro 3,1. Cheers!

Here is the output of the EFI Shell - list of devices. NVM Express Controller is the Intel 750 NVMe SSD. macOS High Sierra 10.13.3 was installed via Restoring image of installed system.

 

[hc10m]

I have found someone used silverstone m2 pciex4 and samsung 960evo to create a fusion disk with internal bay sata harddisk and restore the mac os high sierra from recovery hd partition as follows:

Please confirm if it is true as I dont know how to make a fusion drive so unable to verify it. Thank you very much for all your help.

 

[armdn]

So wait....you've done what couldn't be done? You have a bootable NVMe or am I seeing a "hand-off" boot process?

Read there: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...o-on-high-sierra.2054356/page-3#post-25865289
[doublepost=1520957071][/doublepost]We

I have found someone used silverstone m2 pciex4 and samsung 960evo to create a fusion disk with internal bay sata harddisk and restore the mac os high sierra from recovery hd partition as follows:

Please confirm if it is true as I dont know how to make a fusion drive so unable to verify it. Thank you very much for all your help.

Well, it could be done, but this is not true booting off the nvme drive.

 

[superparati]

Hello,

Yesterday while editing my pictures I found my MP very slow. Any modification of my picture was taking ages to be applied.
I did a speed test and I was surprised to see that write speed was going down ending the test at 300MB/s instead of 1450MB/s.

Is it because the SSD is getting hot and slow down the transfer?
Is there any easy fix or should I consider to update my PCI NVMe card with a more appropriate?

Who try to combine the Lycom DT-120, Samsung SSD M2 and a heatsink such as the one below?



Thanks

 

[h9826790]

Hello,

Yesterday while editing my pictures I found my MP very slow. Any modification of my picture was taking ages to be applied.
I did a speed test and I was surprised to see that write speed was going down ending the test at 300MB/s instead of 1450MB/s.

Is it because the SSD is getting hot and slow down the transfer?
Is there any easy fix or should I consider to update my PCI NVMe card with a more appropriate?

Who try to combine the Lycom DT-120, Samsung SSD M2 and a heatsink such as the one below?
View attachment 761836


Thanks

If only write speed is affected, may be TRIM is disabled.

 

[superparati]

If only write speed is affected, may be TRIM is disabled.

Trim is enabled.
I try this evening just after a boot and the ssd reaches 1400MB/s write and read without any issue.
I think working with heavy files on lightroom affects the ssd performance.
I'll test the cooling solution as per indicated above and share my thought.

Thanks!

 

[Squuiid]

Hello,

Yesterday while editing my pictures I found my MP very slow. Any modification of my picture was taking ages to be applied.
I did a speed test and I was surprised to see that write speed was going down ending the test at 300MB/s instead of 1450MB/s.

Is it because the SSD is getting hot and slow down the transfer?
Is there any easy fix or should I consider to update my PCI NVMe card with a more appropriate?

Who try to combine the Lycom DT-120, Samsung SSD M2 and a heatsink such as the one below?

Thanks

This is your best option IMO.
I had the same issue as you and solved it with the PX1.
https://www.angelbird.com/prod/wings-px1-1117/?category=1

 

[crjackson2134]

This is your best option IMO.
I had the same issue as you and solved it with the PX1.
https://www.angelbird.com/prod/wings-px1-1117/?category=1

Nice find. I’m using a sintech generic card for my SSUBX. Does the PX1 have any advantage aside from the heat Sink?

 

[MIKX]

Picked up an "Ainex AIF-08" M.2 NVMe PCIe adapter ( with a HEATSINK ) here in Japan today for ¥2,500 including sales tax. It also has 6 sexy blue LEDs but they're just for show - they don't show activity.
T
he heatsink is what attracted me. It seems to be a well thought out kit with extra screws and extra varying size heat transfer pads.

 

[JedNZ]

Hey, just saw your specs and thought I'd check System Information myself to see if PCI info shows up, and am astonished that I can now see PCI info listed again after upgrading to HS 10.13.4. Since 10.11, all that's been displayed is an error message saying it couldn't provide any info. Not sure if it's the 85.B00 firmware upgrade or the macOS upgrade to 10.13.4 that has fixed it.

Slot 1: R9 380X - only shows 2.5 GT/s.

All the other slots are 5 GT/s:
Slot 2: Accelsior S PCI SATA III adapter - holds my Samsung 850 EVO 500GB boot/apps drive
Slot 3: NVMe in a PCI M.2 adapter - a Samsung 960 EVO 500GB blade
Slot 4: GT120

 

[Jjosland]

This may seem like a bit of a simple question. But I obviously don’t know which is why I’m asking.

I have a cMP 3,1 patched running high Sierra with a Samsung 970 nvme in pcie card. I’m getting speeds of around 740mbps. Should it not be higher than this? What do I need to do?

 

[expede]

What slot is your Samsung Blade? If I put mine in slot 2, I will get around 700, but now when it is in slot 3 (PCIe Switch) I am getting around 1400.

/Per

This may seem like a bit of a simple question. But I obviously don’t know which is why I’m asking.

I have a cMP 3,1 patched running high Sierra with a Samsung 970 nvme in pcie card. I’m getting speeds of around 740mbps. Should it not be higher than this? What do I need to do?

 

[Jjosland]

What slot is your Samsung Blade? If I put mine in slot 2, I will get around 700, but now when it is in slot 3 (PCIe Switch) I am getting around 1400.

/Per

Its in the 3rd lane. X16

 

[expede]

Ok this is what the PCIe slots I talking about, slot 3 and 4 are 4x and slot 1 and 2 are x16. But you will not get the right amount of speed in slot 2. You have to search the forum for why this PCIe Switch make the blade faster. It just do.

And there is a layout of the motherboard; (EDIT THIS IS WRONG BORD, cMP5.1 Sorry)

So go for slot 3 or 4

/Per

Its in the 3rd lane. X16

 

[Jjosland]

I’ll give it a go!

 

[expede]

h9826790 wrote ;

So far, the evidence point to that the PCIe switch is a requirement to let any PCIe 3.0 device correctly negotiate at PCIe 2.0 speed.

Without the switch, the device will automatically fall back to PCIe 1.0 speed.

And you won't get anything faster than PCIe 2.0 x4 for a single SSD. Even with the switch, it can only allow the PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD negotiate at PCIe 2.0 x4. But won't re-allocate other lanes' bandwidth to let it run at PCIe 3.0 x4.

 

[owbp]

So go for slot 3 or 4

IIRC, 3rd and 4th PCIe slots in cMP 3.1 are x4 1.1 Gen PCIe.
What are you talking about is true for 4.1 and 5.1 Mac Pro.

 

[h9826790]

Ok this is what the PCIe slots I talking about, slot 3 and 4 are 4x and slot 1 and 2 are x16. But you will not get the right amount of speed in slot 2. You have to search the forum for why this PCIe Switch make the blade faster. It just do.

And there is a layout of the motherboard;

So go for slot 3 or 4

/Per

That's a 5,1 block diagram, not for 3,1.

3,1's PCIe slots config / spec are very different.

 

[expede]

Sorry for if I have offended som cMP3.1 owners. It was not my attention. You are absolute right. I arrest my attempts to help.

/Per

IIRC, 3rd and 4th PCIe slots in cMP 3.1 are x4 1.1 Gen PCIe.
What are you talking about is true for 4.1 and 5.1 Mac Pro.

That's a 5,1 block diagram, not for 3,1.

3,1's PCIe slots config / spec are very different.

 

[handheldgames]

Hello,

Yesterday while editing my pictures I found my MP very slow. Any modification of my picture was taking ages to be applied.
I did a speed test and I was surprised to see that write speed was going down ending the test at 300MB/s instead of 1450MB/s.

Is it because the SSD is getting hot and slow down the transfer?
Is there any easy fix or should I consider to update my PCI NVMe card with a more appropriate?

Who try to combine the Lycom DT-120, Samsung SSD M2 and a heatsink such as the one below?



Thanks

M.2 PCIe SSD Thermal scaling is definitely an issue. The combination of a good heat-sink and proper cooling can go a long way to preserve performance. If you already have a lycom dt-120, there are better m2 adapters with integrated cooling to buy that are cheaper than stand alone heat-sinks. In my case, this was not a option.

Although the smc control of the PCIe bay fans doesn't account for the needs of m.2 SSD's to maintain performance, you can adjust this setting with free app - SMC Fan Control.

 

[crjackson2134]

So now is a good time for me to ask a question about cooling.

Although, I've not actually noticed any issues with regards to heat, recent awareness encouraged my to buy a Snitch Adapter for my SSUBX that comes WITH a heatsink.

So I got the thing, looks quality made, and even fits my PCIe slot better than the original Sintech w/o heatsink (PCB was bit warped, but worked well once installed).

So, the thermal pad that came with the HS... I really didn't relish the idea of permanent attachment to the SSUBX as I'm planing in a different Adapter altogether, in the near future. So.... I put the thermal pad sticky side up on the heatsink instead. It's absolutely perfectly aligned with the SSD.

Did I cause a problem with heat transfer by flipping it the sticky-side-up? I didn't really think much about it at first, but now I'm wondering if that was a mistake.

Opinion...

 

[handheldgames]

So now is a good time for me to ask a question about cooling.

Although, I've not actually noticed any issues with regards to heat, recent awareness encouraged my to buy a Snitch Adapter for my SSUBX that comes WITH a heatsink.

So I got the thing, looks quality made, and even fits my PCIe slot better than the original Sintech w/o heatsink (PCB was bit warped, but worked well once installed).

So, the thermal pad that came with the HS... I really didn't relish the idea of permanent attachment to the SSUBX as I'm planing in a different Adapter altogether, in the near future. So.... I put the thermal pad sticky side up on the heatsink instead. It's absolutely perfectly aligned with the SSD.

Did I cause a problem with heat transfer by flipping it the sticky-side-up? I didn't really think much about it at first, but now I'm wondering if that was a mistake.

Opinion...

If your silicon is not completely covered, it was a mistake that can be easily adjusted.. The heat transfer properties of thermal pad material is not directional and it's sticky surface is for installation , helping to ensure placement.

 

[crjackson2134]

If your silicon is not completely covered, it was a mistake that can be easily adjusted.. The heat transfer properties of thermal pad material is not directional and it's sticky surface is for installation convenience.

That's what I was hoping to here. It is completely covered. I put some very thin, low adhesive tape on the ends of the silicon chips to hold the thermal pad in perfect alignment, then I pulled off the plastic covering the adhesive on the thermal pad, and carefully lowered the HS into place. No misalignment at all. Once the pad was thoroughly stuck to the HS from light thumb pressure, I removed the HS and the place-holder tape let go easily without causing issue to either the pad, or the silicon. Reinstalled HS as normal and put it all back in the machine.

Alignment is definitely not an issue. I just wanted to make sure that NOT being stuck to the chips themselves didn't somehow create a poor transfer condition.

Thanks, just looking for confirmation...

 

[sirroderick]

I'm new to NVMe tech and have just installed a 256GB WD Black M.2 NVMe on a Lycom 120 in slot 3 (x4) of my 2009 Mac Pro (flashed to 5,1). According to Black Magic my write speeds are close to spec but reads are a dismal 200MB/sec. I understood that trim was a non-issue in High Sierra but I tried switching trim on from the terminal. No difference.
Can anyone offer any advice please?