I got one of recent ones and it's working perfectly with 970 EVO (boot drive) and HP EX950 (data). Solid 2400/2900 W/R from HP, didn't bother with measuring 970, but I could if someone's interested.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
MP All Models PCIe SSDs - NVMe & AHCI
- Thread starter MisterAndrew
- WikiPost WikiPost
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
- Status
I got one of recent ones and it's working perfectly with 970 EVO (boot drive) and HP EX950 (data). Solid 2400/2900 W/R from HP, didn't bother with measuring 970, but I could if someone's interested.
Maybe they have fixed the change they made? First ones worked like a charm. Then, something was changed, lots of reports that were not working.
Just for fun as I wait for a decent price for a Highpoint (still ~€540 here ) card I striped 2 x Sabrent Rocket 1T NVMs just using the 2 cheap Sabrent PCIe adapters.
Pretty impressive
As I'm using this for primarily scratch disk for After Effects and Photoshop I set the Chuck Size to 128k....think that's what I should have done? Default was 32k and I don't do lots of DB work.., so.
Pretty impressive
As I'm using this for primarily scratch disk for After Effects and Photoshop I set the Chuck Size to 128k....think that's what I should have done? Default was 32k and I don't do lots of DB work.., so.
Finally exceeded the speed on the internal slot today with my cheap used parts RAID today! Blackmagic benchmarks:
MacPro 6,1 -> ST-NGFF2013-C NGFF M.2 PCIe SSD Card -> Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus = 1216.9 MB/s / 1300.9 MB/s
MacPro 6,1 -> OWC Mercury Helios TB2 -> HLT NGFF M.2 Adapter -> LITEON EP1-KB480 AHCI SSD = 746.3 MB/s / 492.0 MB/s
MacPro 6,1 -same bus-> 2 x OWC Mercury Helios TB2 -> 2 x HLT NGFF M.2 Adapter -> 2 x LITEON EP1-KB480 AHCI SSD = 1050.3 MB/s / 731.2 MB/s
MacPro 6,1 -different buses-> 2 x OWC Mercury Helios TB2 -> 2 x HLT NGFF M.2 Adapter -> 2 x LITEON EP1-KB480 AHCI SSD = 1350.5 MB/s / 933.2 MB/s
MacPro 6,1 -different buses-> 3 x OWC Mercury Helios TB2 -> 3 x HLT NGFF M.2 Adapter -> 3 x LITEON EP1-KB480 AHCI SSD = 1816.2 MB/s / 1339.2 MB/s
On a side note, I stupidly bought some Samsung PM981 SSDs and they are useless. Lock up doing pretty much anything. Unfortunately, they don't seem to get Samsung's various firmware updates that Samsung makes available for their consumer line like the 2B2QEXM7 firmware update for the SSD 970 EVO Plus that fixed a lot of Mac issues. I was reading up on Apple OEM drives and saw they were often by Samsung, so thought any Samsung would work, but Samsung has apparently used 4 or 5 different controllers for various SSD products and an OEM part made for Lenovo/HP/Dell will likely never get a firmware update needed for a Mac.
MacPro 6,1 -> ST-NGFF2013-C NGFF M.2 PCIe SSD Card -> Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus = 1216.9 MB/s / 1300.9 MB/s
MacPro 6,1 -> OWC Mercury Helios TB2 -> HLT NGFF M.2 Adapter -> LITEON EP1-KB480 AHCI SSD = 746.3 MB/s / 492.0 MB/s
MacPro 6,1 -same bus-> 2 x OWC Mercury Helios TB2 -> 2 x HLT NGFF M.2 Adapter -> 2 x LITEON EP1-KB480 AHCI SSD = 1050.3 MB/s / 731.2 MB/s
MacPro 6,1 -different buses-> 2 x OWC Mercury Helios TB2 -> 2 x HLT NGFF M.2 Adapter -> 2 x LITEON EP1-KB480 AHCI SSD = 1350.5 MB/s / 933.2 MB/s
MacPro 6,1 -different buses-> 3 x OWC Mercury Helios TB2 -> 3 x HLT NGFF M.2 Adapter -> 3 x LITEON EP1-KB480 AHCI SSD = 1816.2 MB/s / 1339.2 MB/s
On a side note, I stupidly bought some Samsung PM981 SSDs and they are useless. Lock up doing pretty much anything. Unfortunately, they don't seem to get Samsung's various firmware updates that Samsung makes available for their consumer line like the 2B2QEXM7 firmware update for the SSD 970 EVO Plus that fixed a lot of Mac issues. I was reading up on Apple OEM drives and saw they were often by Samsung, so thought any Samsung would work, but Samsung has apparently used 4 or 5 different controllers for various SSD products and an OEM part made for Lenovo/HP/Dell will likely never get a firmware update needed for a Mac.
Attachments
Did you finally get your Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus, to boot on your MBP?
I've been considering buying that for a MBP 2015 with PCI3.0 which is a little upgrade from your PCI2.0
Back in the beginning of this thread, the Riptide adapter <https://www.riitop.com/products/pci...m-key-2230-2242-2260-2280mm-ssd-with-heatsink> was listed as compatible. VERY cost conscious card! From everything I have read, with a decent blade (like a 970 EVO Samsung) it should get into the 1500 range for i/o in a 4 lane PCI slot in a 2010 cMP (5,1, 140.0.0 bootrom).
HOWEVER, one thing the manufacturer says gave me pause. "Mac Pro 2009, 2010 and 2012 models support PCIe-AHCI SSD only." Is not AHCI and older, slower interface than MVMe? One that was designed for spinners? Most of the "blades" everyone is talking about are NVMe ones. AND this particular card is called a NVMe adapter. AND another tidbit from the manufacturer "DO NOT support PCI-e M Key AHCI SSD." Seems it is saying this card does NOT work with my cMP UNLESS I get a "M.2 AHCI blade..." which the card does not support??
What am I missing here?
HOWEVER, one thing the manufacturer says gave me pause. "Mac Pro 2009, 2010 and 2012 models support PCIe-AHCI SSD only." Is not AHCI and older, slower interface than MVMe? One that was designed for spinners? Most of the "blades" everyone is talking about are NVMe ones. AND this particular card is called a NVMe adapter. AND another tidbit from the manufacturer "DO NOT support PCI-e M Key AHCI SSD." Seems it is saying this card does NOT work with my cMP UNLESS I get a "M.2 AHCI blade..." which the card does not support??
What am I missing here?
They talk about ahci blades as not every mac pro has a compatible OS nor a compatible firmware.
as all low cost adapters are passive I wouldn’t mind what they write.
as all low cost adapters are passive I wouldn’t mind what they write.
Most manufacturers will not claim support for newer unsupported configurations like Catalina or Big Sur, many don't even acknowledge the Mojave capability on a cMP. I use the RIITOP adapter under Big Sur, it works fine on my 2012 cMP with an NVMe SSD. I like it for the cost and size, wasn't interested in spending the $$ on a x8 or 16 interface since my machine is only for home use. It fits nicely in the number 2 slot above my RX 580 without blocking the fans (I used a small strip of foam tape on the adapter's underside to maintain a comfortable spacing between the two devices). And it runs the expected x4 speed of 1500-1600MB/s, which is why I bought a cheap 1TB NVMe rated at those speeds, saving even more money.
Last edited:
cMP didn't have the firmware to boot NVMe natively, but the NVMe efi driver can be added to the firmware or to the Driver#### list or it can be loaded by a boot loader before the boot loader boots macOS.
The latest firmware for 2009, 2010, 2012 Mac Pros does boot NVMe - so maybe they wrote that before the new firmware existed.
Where does it say "DO NOT support PCI-e M Key AHCI SSD."? It's PCIe so it should work. The product page says "Support Key-M M.2 NVME or AHCI SSD".
Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus runs fine on the internal slot in Mac Pro 6,1 with the Sintech-C adapter and Catalina OS. Showing x4 5.0 GT/s which is as fast as it gets on this machine (PCIe 2.0).
Returned the Sabrent Rocket 4 I was trying to get running in an OWC Mercury Helios Thunderbolt 2 enclosure. Never got it to run more than x4 2.5 GT/s there (PCIe 1.0). Ran fine at x4 8.0 GT/s in a Glortrends Thunderbolt 3 enclosure. So I imagine you would get that speed with PCIe 3.0.
Interesting arrival from China today:
Mac Pro 6,1 -> Apple Thunderbolt 2 to 3 Adapter -> JEYI ThunderDock -> Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 1TB = 1217.8MB/s | 1287.7 MB/s
Mac Pro 6,1 -> Apple Thunderbolt 2 to 3 Adapter -> JEYI ThunderDock -> XPG SX8200 Pro 256GB = 382.6 MB/s | 1259.1 MB/s
Much cheaper and more compact than my previous Kensington SD5000T + Glortrends Thunderbolt 3 Enclosure approach with nearly the same speed. The adapter can't power a bus powered enclosure, so normally needs an extra dock, but the JEYI has a PD input.
Mac Pro 6,1 -> Apple Thunderbolt 2 to 3 Adapter -> JEYI ThunderDock -> Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 1TB = 1217.8MB/s | 1287.7 MB/s
Mac Pro 6,1 -> Apple Thunderbolt 2 to 3 Adapter -> JEYI ThunderDock -> XPG SX8200 Pro 256GB = 382.6 MB/s | 1259.1 MB/s
Much cheaper and more compact than my previous Kensington SD5000T + Glortrends Thunderbolt 3 Enclosure approach with nearly the same speed. The adapter can't power a bus powered enclosure, so normally needs an extra dock, but the JEYI has a PD input.
Attachments
Has anyone tried this card from China? "Debroglie" brand?
Will I be getting what I pay for? ie sub US$50... No mention of speeds in the description. AliExpress has the same card, with feedback saying it "just works", bootable... (of course, we can all trust reviews online)
Any improvement over it being in the normal drive bays? Worse?
Raid Adapter Card PCI-E to Dual 2.5' SATA III SSD Slot bootabe for PC Window XP | eBay
PCIe to Dual 2.5' SATA III SSD Adapter Card. Support : Install Dual SSD. NOTE : Not including SSD. Make Raid 0/1. Dual SATA III to PCI-E X4 adapter 1pcs. Support : Window 7/8/10,XP. Warranty :1years.
www.ebay.com.au
Will I be getting what I pay for? ie sub US$50... No mention of speeds in the description. AliExpress has the same card, with feedback saying it "just works", bootable... (of course, we can all trust reviews online)
Any improvement over it being in the normal drive bays? Worse?
MacPro5,1 drive bays are SATA II (3 Gb/s).Raid Adapter Card PCI-E to Dual 2.5' SATA III SSD Slot bootabe for PC Window XP | eBay
PCIe to Dual 2.5' SATA III SSD Adapter Card. Support : Install Dual SSD. NOTE : Not including SSD. Make Raid 0/1. Dual SATA III to PCI-E X4 adapter 1pcs. Support : Window 7/8/10,XP. Warranty :1years.www.ebay.com.au
Will I be getting what I pay for? ie sub US$50... No mention of speeds in the description. AliExpress has the same card, with feedback saying it "just works", bootable... (of course, we can all trust reviews online)
Any improvement over it being in the normal drive bays? Worse?
If this is SATA III (6 Gbps) then it will be faster for SSDs (up to 450 MB/s? since this is only a PCIe x1 card) but not faster for HDs.
It doesn't say what chip it uses.
It won't be useful for RAID since the card is only x1.
it can't give max performance to an SSD since the card is only x1.
Looks like a 10Gbps connection at TB1 speeds, but TBH I'm not experienced with thunderbolt and only just starting to look at that. It would be real nice if you could pull 20Gbps speeds.
Did you update the Apple adaptors firmware? On my searching, I found this tidbit buried in one manufactures description:
- If you have access to a Thunderbolt 3 Mac, the next time you update the OS, make sure the TB3 to TB2 adapter is connected to your computer, so that the firmware of the adapter can be updated simultaneously.
Edit: just found a good article by Anandtech on the chipset in that dock ... https://www.anandtech.com/show/12228/intel-titan-ridge-thunderbolt-3
Last edited:
400 MB/s is near the top end of USB 3.0.
500 MB/s is beyond top end of USB 3.0.
750 MB/s is near the top end of Thunderbolt 1 speed.
1000 MB/s is near the top end of USB 3.1 gen 2.
1200 MB/s means at least Thunderbolt 2 speed (up to ≈1600 MB/s).
Thunderbolt 3 speed is expected to start at 2000 MB/s.
The in-between speeds cannot be used to make a definitive conclusion on the connection type.
20 Gbps is definitely beyond Thunderbolt 2 speed.
Haven't heard about the adapter having a firmware to be updated. Is there a link to more info about that? Does the adapter info even appear anywhere in macOS or ioreg?
The USB 3.1 gen 2 port is a separate USB port connected to the USB 3.1 gen 2 controller of the Titan Ridge chip in the JEYI. That USB controller is not connected to the NVMe. That USB controller will appear as a separate USB 3.1 Bus in the USB section of System Information.app. It can connect USB 3.x and USB 2.0 (and earlier) devices. The JEYI does not have a USB to NVMe chip to support non-Thunderbolt hosts (the ACASIS has a JMS583 for when its Thunderbolt controller cannot be used).
joevt is right. You should think of this JEYI as a Thunderbolt dock that happens to have a NVME slot. The only connection back to the computer is Thunderbolt 3. That's the only access to the NVME. In system diagnostics it looks like:
If you plug a USB drive into it, you can use both the NVME drive and the USB drives at the same time, though. E.g. here's a 2GB USB key stuck in it:
Whereas the NVME drive looks like:
Latest benchmark for my RAID array (APFS encrypted):
Mac Pro 6,1 ->
3 x Helios -> 3 x LITEON EP1-KB480
1 X JEYI -> Rocket 4 Plus 1TB
1 x SD5000T -> Glortrends -> SX8200 Pro 256GB
= 2,314.8 MB/s / 2,163.9 MB/s
Code:
Thunderbolt Bus 0:
Vendor Name: Apple Inc.
Device Name: Mac Pro
UID: 0x0001000E01AD9E30
Route String: 0
Firmware Version: 19.2
Domain UUID: 40645F84-4600-1250-88CB-7B3D297E2DCF
Port:
Status: Device connected
Link Status: 0x2
Speed: Up to 20 Gb/s x1
Current Link Width: 0x2
Receptacle: 6
Cable Firmware Version: 1.0.16
Cable Serial Number: C4M032504FLF798AT
Link Controller Firmware Version: 0.13.0
Port:
Status: No device connected
Link Status: 0x7
Speed: Up to 20 Gb/s x1
Current Link Width: 0x1
Receptacle: 5
Link Controller Firmware Version: 0.13.0
Thunderbolt3 SSD Dock:
Vendor Name: Guangzhou JEYI Information Technology CO., LTD
Device Name: Thunderbolt3 SSD Dock
Vendor ID: 0x265
Device ID: 0x1
Device Revision: 0x1
UID: 0x02654DFC28085300
Route String: 1
Firmware Version: 59.1
Port (Upstream):
Status: Device connected
Link Status: 0x2
Speed: Up to 20 Gb/s x1
Current Link Width: 0x2
Cable Firmware Version: 1.0.16
Cable Serial Number: C4M032504FLF798AT
Link Controller Firmware Version: 1.42.0
Port:
Status: No device connected
Link Status: 0x7
Speed: Up to 40 Gb/s x1
Current Link Width: 0x1
Link Controller Firmware Version: 1.42.0If you plug a USB drive into it, you can use both the NVME drive and the USB drives at the same time, though. E.g. here's a 2GB USB key stuck in it:
Code:
pci8086,15f0:
Type: USB eXtensible Host Controller
Driver Installed: Yes
Tunnel Compatible: Yes
Pause Compatible: No
MSI: Yes
Bus: PCI
Slot: Thunderbolt@236,0,0
Vendor ID: 0x8086
Device ID: 0x15f0
Revision ID: 0x0006
Link Width: x4
Link Speed: 2.5 GT/s
USB 3.1 Bus:
Host Controller Driver: AppleUSBXHCITR
PCI Device ID: 0x15f0
PCI Revision ID: 0x0006
PCI Vendor ID: 0x8086
Mass Storage:
Product ID: 0x6387
Vendor ID: 0x058f (Alcor Micro, Corp.)
Version: 1.12
Serial Number: 8C652D54
Speed: Up to 480 Mb/s
Manufacturer: Generic
Location ID: 0x02100000 / 1
Current Available (mA): 500
Current Required (mA): 200
Extra Operating Current (mA): 0
Media:
Flash Disk:
Capacity: 1.99 GB (1,993,342,976 bytes)
Removable Media: Yes
BSD Name: disk9
Logical Unit: 0
Partition Map Type: MBR (Master Boot Record)
S.M.A.R.T. status: Verified
USB Interface: 0
Volumes:
USB_KEY:
Capacity: 1.99 GB (1,989,558,272 bytes)
Free: 1.95 GB (1,950,240,768 bytes)
Writable: Yes
File System: MS-DOS FAT32
BSD Name: disk9s1
Mount Point: /Volumes/USB_KEY
Content: DOS_FAT_32
Volume UUID: 21398E5F-BEE2-3AE2-B206-39E7AF6BA1BBWhereas the NVME drive looks like:
Code:
pci1987,5018:
Type: NVM Express Controller
Driver Installed: Yes
Tunnel Compatible: Yes
Pause Compatible: Yes
MSI: Yes
Bus: PCI
Slot: Thunderbolt@237,0,0
Vendor ID: 0x1987
Device ID: 0x5018
Subsystem Vendor ID: 0x1987
Subsystem ID: 0x5018
Revision ID: 0x0001
Serial Number: 6D12070B14A292137352
Link Width: x4
Link Speed: 8.0 GT/s
Sabrent Rocket 4.0 Plus:
Capacity: 1 TB (1,000,204,886,016 bytes)
TRIM Support: Yes
Model: Sabrent Rocket 4.0 Plus
Revision: RKT4P1.1
Serial Number: 6D12070B14A292137352
Link Width: x4
Link Speed: 8.0 GT/s
Detachable Drive: No
BSD Name: disk4
Partition Map Type: GPT (GUID Partition Table)
Removable Media: No
S.M.A.R.T. status: Verified
Volumes:
EFI:
Capacity: 209.7 MB (209,715,200 bytes)
File System: MS-DOS FAT32
BSD Name: disk4s1
Content: EFI
Volume UUID: 0E239BC6-F960-3107-89CF-1C97F78BB46B
disk4s2:
Capacity: 999.86 GB (999,860,912,128 bytes)
BSD Name: disk4s2
Content: Apple_RAID
Boot OS X:
Capacity: 134.2 MB (134,217,728 bytes)
File System: Journaled HFS+
BSD Name: disk4s3
Content: Apple_Boot
Volume UUID: 00F42A10-7C1D-3C9B-926F-31FE3C0853E8Latest benchmark for my RAID array (APFS encrypted):
Mac Pro 6,1 ->
3 x Helios -> 3 x LITEON EP1-KB480
1 X JEYI -> Rocket 4 Plus 1TB
1 x SD5000T -> Glortrends -> SX8200 Pro 256GB
= 2,314.8 MB/s / 2,163.9 MB/s
Attachments
I'm attempting to install an Adata SX8200 with a Sintech adapter into my 2013 Mac Pro. My Boot ROM is 426.0.0.0 but the drive is not recognized for formatting by Disk Utility. Have ensured the blade and the adapter are properly seated but it is still not recognized. NVMExpress reports the computer doesn't have any NVMExpress devices.
Have tried booting from Catalina, a USB install drive with the Big Sur installer and Recovery mode. and it is not recognized by any of them.
Is this setup completely incompatible with the trashcan?
Have tried booting from Catalina, a USB install drive with the Big Sur installer and Recovery mode. and it is not recognized by any of them.
Is this setup completely incompatible with the trashcan?
Last edited:
You mean the Sintech-c adapter, right? The one with the long carrier board? I tried the short one first myself with no luck either. Same boot rom here, Mac Pro Late 2013, so that's not your issue. Although I use a Sabrent Rocket 4, so can't speak for the boot-ability of an internal SX8200.
It's the long board. NGFF M.2 nVME SSD adapter for 2013-2015 Macs. Bought off Amazon where it claims to support the SX8200. Could be a bad board but it sounds like you have a similar issue.
Ah, long board works fine for me. You might want to try a drive from page 1 someone has tested already. I had to return 2-3 SSDs to amazon myself. The SX8200 Pro is listed, for example, but not non-pro.
MP5,1/MP7,1 compatible, not MP6,1. Some blades simply don't work with adapters or when installed in a MP6,1. Always use the search to see if someone got it working with a MP6,1.
There are other users who've reported using it successfully including a writeup at this link
blog.greggant.com
Are you aware of any brands that work better with the Sintech adapters in a 6,1?
The Definitive Trashcan Mac Pro 6.1 (Late 2013) Upgrade Guide
A guide with every conceivable Mac Pro 2013 upgrade, from SSD hacks, CPU upgrades, to eGPUs.
blog.greggant.com
Are you aware of any brands that work better with the Sintech adapters in a 6,1?
Yeah, I definitely regret trying to do anything with the internal slot on the MP6,1. The most I ever got out of it was 1216.9MB/s / 1300.9 MB/s blackmagic benchmark with a Sabrent Rocket 4.
Meanwhile my thunderbolt array is pulling 2314.8MB/s / 2163.9 MB/s. Anandtech's system charts do seem indicate the internal slot has much less bandwidth than the PCIe switch in front of the Thunderbolt buses. I suppose I could toss the internal slot into the array next. Or try putting an array on the internal slot via an Angelshark.
Other regret is going with NVME cards and blades in my OWC Helios enclosures. It's easy to get a dual blade SATA card for cheap, and cheap SATA blades. I could have just had twice as many SATA blades instead of half as many NVME blades, and probably been far more compatible. E.g.:
StarTech.com 2x M.2 SATA SSD Controller Card - PCIe - PCI Express M.2 SATA III Controller - NGFF Card Adapter (PEX2M2), Red
add Two Next Generation Form Factor (ngff) M.2 Sata Ssds To Your Computer Through Pci Express. This M.2 Ssd Controller Card Lets You Install Two M.2 Sata Solid-state Drives (ssd) Into Your Pc Through Pci Express. You Can Mount Virtually Any M.2 Drive Directly To The Card, Giving You A Convenient ...
www.amazon.com
Kingston A400 240G Internal SSD M.2 2280 SA400M8/240G - Increase Performance
Kingston’s A400 solid-state drive dramatically improves the responsiveness of your existing system with incredible boot, loading and transfer times compared to mechanical hard drives. Powered by a latest gen controller for read and write speeds up to 500MB/s and 450MB/s 1 , this SSD is 10x faster...
www.amazon.com
