MP All Models PCIe SSDs - NVMe & AHCI

[tsialex]

Is there some way of knowing in advance if a particular NVMe will work in a Mac Pro, based on its specifications? The wiki on the first page lists a handful of "known to work" SSD drives, but it would be really helpful if people could make an educated guess on different models instead of being limited to those on page 1 or ignorantly rolling the dice and just buying something. Do we know why certain models don't work?

Any SSD that depends/need an option ROM to work, won't work into a Mac Pro, it's the case of Samsung 950 PRO and some Intel/Micron ones. Some WD and Plextor models that use PCIe 3.0 with only 2 lanes works only up to 750MB/s.

Every blade that is PCIe 3.0, use 4 lanes and don't have an option ROM, should work.
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What about NVMe Crucial P1 in combination with Aquacomputer kryoM.2 card for my MP 5,1 (upgraded from 4,1) using Mojave 10.14.1 and BootROM: 140.0.0.0?

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-500G...id=1542742698&sr=8-1&keywords=crucial+p1+nvme

Aqua Computer kryoM2 evo: Aqua Computer kryoM.2 evo PCIe 3.0 x 4, adapter

Price is cheaper than Samsung EVO 970 in both 500Mb and 1TB

Should work, but Micron usually don't have public firmware updates. Samsung consumer models have frequent firmware updates.

 

[JeDiGM]

Don't worry with a week. I bought my SSD7101A October 23, arrived only yesterday…

Hey tsialex, how is your performance with the Highpoint? You're running 1 NVME blade? 970 you said correct?

 

[tsialex]

Hey tsialex, how is your performance with the Highpoint? You're running 1 NVME blade? 970 you said correct?

I did not have time to do the fine tuning yet, I’m using it with one 970PRO 512GB, one SM951-AHCI 512GB and one PM961-128GB. With the 970PRO I get the maximum throughput possible into every benchmark, but I’m seeing low rsync throughput (~220MB/s) when copying big files (5GB+) from the SM951-AHCI to the 970PRO, still don’t know what’s the motive.

 

[1151105]

installed WD Black NVMe 500GB [WDS500G2X0C on Lycom DT-120]. running win10 on it. i use gt120 to boot screen between mojave and win10. here are some benches:

 

[zoltm]

Clean install of 10.14.1 with a 480GB ADATA XPG SX8200 with a super-generic $4 adapter from Aliexpress in slot 4. Don't think I have the ability to add to the first post.

Hi Eric,

I have just recently bought the 512GB HP EX920 NVMe blade on a Black Friday deal with Newegg. I am looking for a generic adapter that would work with cMP 5,1.

Could you please share the link for your Aliexpress found. I am based in HK it would be cheaper for me to buy that Aliexpress card locally than getting the Lycom from Amazon.

Thanks and best.

E

 

[thitluoc]

I have ADATA SX8200NP 480GB, can boot off High Sierra (ROM: 140.0.0.0) but it is shown as an external drive. Is there any way to make it internal? Thank you

 

[tsialex]

I have ADATA SX8200NP 480GB, can boot off High Sierra (ROM: 140.0.0.0) but it is shown as an external drive. Is there any way to make it internal? Thank you

This was answered repeatedly…

All PCIe drives are external to the Mac Pro firmware.

If you want a workaroud, you could test Innie: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/innie-a-fix-for-pci-drives-seen-as-external.2136229/

 

[alphaod]

Check out Innie; it can fix this.

If someone's concern is just about the icon of the boot drive showing up as the orange external drive, just change the volume icon file on the root of the boot drive to the icon of an internal drive

 

[trifero]

This was answered repeatedly…

All PCIe drives are external to the Mac Pro firmware.

If you want a workaroud, you could test Innie: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/innie-a-fix-for-pci-drives-seen-as-external.2136229/

It´s a `pity, cause Bootcamp Assistant doesn´t allow external drives.

 

[zozomester]

I bought a Toshiba XG5 1TB NVME SSD. Its Speed: 3000mb / 2000mb.
In Mac Pro 5.1-140.0.0.0.0 Bootrom, the Angelbird PX1 card only runs at 1500/1500Mb. This is normal?
I read that someone with a ssd card (Samsung 970 EVO With High Point Card) reached the speed of 3000mb / sec.

 

[TheStork]

I bought a Toshiba XG5 1TB NVME SSD. Its Speed: 3000mb / 2000mb.
In Mac Pro 5.1-140.0.0.0.0 Bootrom, the Angelbird PX1 card only runs at 1500/1500Mb. This is normal?
I read that someone with a ssd card (Samsung 970 EVO With High Point Card) reached the speed of 3000mb / sec.

The first paragraph in Post #1 and the last section of Post #1 provide the needed information. I, too, have the Angelbird adapter card and get 1500/Mbs, and this is normal for this type of card. You'll have to spend $400+ to get an adapter card that will get you the 3000mbs speed that you desire.

 

[zozomester]

Ok, Thank!

 

[BelgianBoy]

Stupid question: if I upgrade to Mojave one my internal SATA SSD to get the 140 bootrom. Will I be able to run my other system disc in Sierra and still have the bootrom 140?

 

[tsialex]

Stupid question: if I upgrade to Mojave one my internal SATA SSD to get the 140 bootrom. Will I be able to run my other system disc in Sierra and still have the bootrom 140?

BootROM is stored into a SPI flash memory into the backplane, not into a disk.

Once upgraded to 140.0.0.0.0, you can run Sierra with a SATA or an AHCI drive, but not with a NVMe, unless you have a rare 4096 bytes/sector drive.

 

[chrissomos]

Anyone using the Apple SSUBX: Based on Samsung SM951 with UBX controller (S4LN058A01): AHCI drive and suffered a loss of speed with the new bootROM? I was getting ~1400mb/s and now I'm down to about 500. Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[tsialex]

Anyone using the Apple SSUBX: Based on Samsung SM951 with UBX controller (S4LN058A01): AHCI drive and suffered a loss of speed with the new bootROM? I was getting ~1400mb/s and now I'm down to about 500. Any insight would be appreciated.

Read speed or write speed? If write speed, just boot single user mode and force TRIM with "fsck -fy".

 

[Pval]

It´s a `pity, cause Bootcamp Assistant doesn´t allow external drives.

Windows doesn’t allow installation an external drive, not bootcamp.

 

[BelgianBoy]

BootROM is stored into a SPI flash memory into the backplane, not into a disk.

Once upgraded to 140.0.0.0.0, you can run Sierra with a SATA or an AHCI drive, but not with a NVMe, unless you have a rare 4096 bytes/sector drive.

How come? So I do have to upgrade to HS to have a bootable PCI with NVMe?

 

[tsialex]

How come? So I do have to upgrade to HS to have a bootable PCI with NVMe?

Only Sierra, High Sierra and Mojave have support for NVMe protocol. Sierra support is partial.

NVMe support was added by Apple into Sierra for OEM drives into MBP/iMacs. The original Apple blades are 4096 bytes/sector and Apple only supported those. Blades that you buy on the retail market are usually 512 bytes/sector, only some rare Toshiba and Intel ones are 4096 bytes/sector like the Apple original NVMe blades.

With High Sierra, Apple started supporting 512 bytes/sector blades. So, if you buy any of the common NVMe blades into the market, you need High Sierra.

With a Mac Pro, until Mojave 10.14.1 native firmware NVMe support with 140.0.0.0.0, you couldn't boot a NVMe blade, but you could use it as a non-bootable drive with Sierra (4096 bytes/sector)/HighSierra (512 and 4096 bytes/sector).

If you upgrade your Mac Pro to 140.0.0.0.0 firmware, you can boot Sierra with a 4096 bytes/sector NVMe blade, but not a 512 bytes/sector one.

 

[BelgianBoy]

OK, thks tsialex. You realy rock.

I might upgrade to HS, I''l have to check my Adobe software for compatibility. Still running CS6 apps. Never went for "renting" apps.

 

[BelgianBoy]

Succesfully upgraded to Mojave and 104 bootrom. Am trying out my apps and if those work out I will consider to upgrade my main System to Mojave after cloning it to an PCI with SSD NVMe blade of 1 or 2 TB. How I get more than 1500MB/sec?

 

[tsialex]

Succesfully upgraded to Mojave and 104 bootrom. Am trying out my apps and if those work out I will consider to upgrade my main System to Mojave after cloning it to an PCI with SSD NVMe blade of 1 or 2 TB. How I get more than 1500MB/sec?

Read the first post, answer is there.

 

[startergo]

Windows doesn’t allow installation an external drive, not bootcamp.

I got Windows 10 enterprise to go let me see if I can boot it on the cMP

edit:
it boots perfectly on the cMP

 

[Pval]

I got Windows 10 enterprise to go let me see if I can boot it on the cMP

edit:
it boots perfectly on the cMP

This is not what I said, the Windows installer won’t permit you to install it to an external drive. It’ll install just fine on an internal drive or even a SATA SSD drive on a PCI-card, just not M.2 blades.
I haven’t had the time to cc my Windows installation to a M.2 to verify if it’ll boot. But most Windows guides to installing on an external drive say this should work.

 

[Macschrauber]

Anyone using the Apple SSUBX: Based on Samsung SM951 with UBX controller (S4LN058A01): AHCI drive and suffered a loss of speed with the new bootROM? I was getting ~1400mb/s and now I'm down to about 500. Any insight would be appreciated.

Have seen someone with similar speeds. Trim was deactivated in that case.