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SM951 Alternative for Mac Pro 5.1
- Thread starter Alexey Ischenko
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I have a Predator X as replacement for my dead SM951 (which now does 100MB/s read and 5MB/s write...) - 512GB.
Slot 2 via Amfeltec adapter, seems as good as it gets - note this system is FileVault enabled which can reduce speeds.
Slower than the SM951 for sure.
Slot 2 via Amfeltec adapter, seems as good as it gets - note this system is FileVault enabled which can reduce speeds.
Slower than the SM951 for sure.
Code:
Kingston SHPM2280P2H/480G:
Capacity: 480,1 GB (480.103.981.056 bytes)
Model: Kingston SHPM2280P2H/480G
Revision: 0C4005T2
Serial Number:
Native Command Queuing: Yes
Queue Depth: 32
Removable Media: No
Detachable Drive: No
BSD Name: disk1
Medium Type: Solid State
TRIM Support: No
Partition Map Type: GPT (GUID Partition Table)
S.M.A.R.T. status: VerifiedAttachments
The controller is broken, SMART still reports fine but in access tests i can see half the chips fail to respond to anything, did not try to recover/need data but i doubt it would be complete still (Filevault would not boot anymore either).
Nice try, but no - not the issue. The Kingston has it not enabled yet though my SM951 had.
I asked you 2 post above if you have spotify or "soft raid" (i mean the application) installed on that SM951. please reply me because it is in common with the damage you had.
I'm not using Spotify or SW RAID (OSX)/soft raid (application) at all, further the stick also has the same issues after low level format/reset in an entirely different system (an HP server and an Ivy Bridge i7, Linux/Windows) and when then re-attached to the same Mac Pro and reformatted as HFS+ (not encrypted, not OS).
This SSD is just broken, i would replace it but as OEM drive Samsung does not do this.
Did you ever try a "secure erase" ? A secure or safe or shredder erase destroys SSDs
To comply with wear levelling, the SSD must constantly move data around the drive to ensure all blocks are worn at an equal rate. Using a secure “file shredder” to overwrite a specific file or folder many numbers of times is not going to work, because the drive writes all new incoming data to various different blocks, depending on its needs. Only the drive knows where this data is written, so secure deletion tools actually harm SSDs by performing an unnecessary number of additional writes.
You’re probably wondering how data is ever deleted from an SSD, particularly if data is constantly moved. Thankfully the TRIM command is designed to solve such a conundrum by marking blocks of data the drive no longer considers in use to be wiped internally. Simply put, your discarded data will eventually vanish into thin nothing and be irretrievable, but only your drive really knows when that will be.
To comply with wear levelling, the SSD must constantly move data around the drive to ensure all blocks are worn at an equal rate. Using a secure “file shredder” to overwrite a specific file or folder many numbers of times is not going to work, because the drive writes all new incoming data to various different blocks, depending on its needs. Only the drive knows where this data is written, so secure deletion tools actually harm SSDs by performing an unnecessary number of additional writes.
You’re probably wondering how data is ever deleted from an SSD, particularly if data is constantly moved. Thankfully the TRIM command is designed to solve such a conundrum by marking blocks of data the drive no longer considers in use to be wiped internally. Simply put, your discarded data will eventually vanish into thin nothing and be irretrievable, but only your drive really knows when that will be.
Yes, this is what a low level format (from magnetic HDD times) is, might not have been clear 
I know how Trim works and run more than 150TB magnetic and 30TB SSD storage across Europe - This SSD is simply broken, which is not THAT rare, i replaced countless similar behaving SATA SSDs over the years and a bunch of NVMe ones as well.
I know how Trim works and run more than 150TB magnetic and 30TB SSD storage across Europe - This SSD is simply broken, which is not THAT rare, i replaced countless similar behaving SATA SSDs over the years and a bunch of NVMe ones as well.
According to your great experience, i want to ask you a semi off-topic(?) question. Which brand of HDDs and which brand of SSDs is the most reliable according to your experience?
2,5" SATA and M.2 SATA based on the cheap side Sandisk (especially Ultra II), Samsung on more expensive, Corsair in middle (eg. Force GT). Old (1.5/3Gbit) Intel, older OVZ (sandforce) and Crucial *2xx (not *3xx) are bad. We use a lot of Sandisk and Crucial just fine both server and normal usage wise.
2,5" PCIe/U.2 and M.2 PCIe based Samsung SM961 and Intel 750/P3700/3600 for NVMe - Kingston Predator X and still the SM951 for AHCI, there are some other options but these are generally slower. We have Samsung 960 Pro's in our gaming setups, no issues.
3,5" HDDs... depends on size and usage - 8TB Seagate SMR drives (but only V2) are no doubt the best GB/$, the Helium based 10TB Seagates are also very cheap. 2TB WD and Hitachi drives are cheap on ebay from Asia at times.
WD Red for cheaper builds (these are NAS HDDs w/ 24hr certification), Seagate SV35 and WD RE3/4 if you buy used/overstock and max. 2TB.
2,5" not much choice - use laptop drives or buy the server (SAS) ones, Seagate is major there as is WD in the 15mm market. Laptop Hitachi and Seagate (3 and 4TB even).
----
HDD wise very bad experience with 15k HP SAS drives, any WD SATA Raptor drives (heat) and V1 of the 8TB Seagate SMR drives (slow). Missing TLER especially in SMR drives might cause confusion in crappy benchmarks.
SSD wise Intel 1.5Gbit/3Gbit SSDs (any, dead sectors and broken SMART), Curtiss-Wright RAM based PCIe modules (specific defense targeted "zero access time" PCIe x4 modules based on battery backed RAM and SLC solid state) and anything sandforce based from OCZ.
2,5" PCIe/U.2 and M.2 PCIe based Samsung SM961 and Intel 750/P3700/3600 for NVMe - Kingston Predator X and still the SM951 for AHCI, there are some other options but these are generally slower. We have Samsung 960 Pro's in our gaming setups, no issues.
3,5" HDDs... depends on size and usage - 8TB Seagate SMR drives (but only V2) are no doubt the best GB/$, the Helium based 10TB Seagates are also very cheap. 2TB WD and Hitachi drives are cheap on ebay from Asia at times.
WD Red for cheaper builds (these are NAS HDDs w/ 24hr certification), Seagate SV35 and WD RE3/4 if you buy used/overstock and max. 2TB.
2,5" not much choice - use laptop drives or buy the server (SAS) ones, Seagate is major there as is WD in the 15mm market. Laptop Hitachi and Seagate (3 and 4TB even).
----
HDD wise very bad experience with 15k HP SAS drives, any WD SATA Raptor drives (heat) and V1 of the 8TB Seagate SMR drives (slow). Missing TLER especially in SMR drives might cause confusion in crappy benchmarks.
SSD wise Intel 1.5Gbit/3Gbit SSDs (any, dead sectors and broken SMART), Curtiss-Wright RAM based PCIe modules (specific defense targeted "zero access time" PCIe x4 modules based on battery backed RAM and SLC solid state) and anything sandforce based from OCZ.
I'm using this one:
Syba PCI-Express-Karte (2 SATA-Ports mit 6 Gbit/s, PCI Express 2.0, PCIe x1)
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B005B0A6ZS/ref=pe_386171_37038021_TE_M3T1_dp_1
Together with two Samsung SSD850Pro drives.
Cheap, bootable, no problems.
Getting r/w at about 370 MB/s. If you are not working with huge files all day long and already have some SSDs, this is one of the best combinations.
Syba PCI-Express-Karte (2 SATA-Ports mit 6 Gbit/s, PCI Express 2.0, PCIe x1)
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B005B0A6ZS/ref=pe_386171_37038021_TE_M3T1_dp_1
Together with two Samsung SSD850Pro drives.
Cheap, bootable, no problems.
Getting r/w at about 370 MB/s. If you are not working with huge files all day long and already have some SSDs, this is one of the best combinations.
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
Cheap solution, yea, but not really scope of this thread which is geared to the high end...
The x1 connector also wastes 3 PCIe lanes minimum, ideally you want a card that runs on x4 and has 2+ 6Gbit connectors as this will guarantee 550MB/s per SSD dedicated with reserves.
Starts at like 50EUR, i personally would not buy it but rather get one that fits 2 MSATA or M.2 SATA modules and has x4 as this has zero cabling then and is setup wise very similar to this SM951/PCIe SSD ones.
The x1 connector also wastes 3 PCIe lanes minimum, ideally you want a card that runs on x4 and has 2+ 6Gbit connectors as this will guarantee 550MB/s per SSD dedicated with reserves.
Starts at like 50EUR, i personally would not buy it but rather get one that fits 2 MSATA or M.2 SATA modules and has x4 as this has zero cabling then and is setup wise very similar to this SM951/PCIe SSD ones.
Hey guys,
So I've been offered a Samsung 512GB MZ-VLV512HCJH. The seller claims it is AHCI, however reported that during the test the machine wont wake from sleep - at least with a macbook pro. Any tought? Shall I go for it and hope it will work in a 5.1 MP?
So I've been offered a Samsung 512GB MZ-VLV512HCJH. The seller claims it is AHCI, however reported that during the test the machine wont wake from sleep - at least with a macbook pro. Any tought? Shall I go for it and hope it will work in a 5.1 MP?
^^^^Does this answer your question:
https://www.cnet.com/products/samsu...d-state-drive-512-gb-pci-express-3-0-x4-nvme/
Looks like NVME to me.
Lou
https://www.cnet.com/products/samsu...d-state-drive-512-gb-pci-express-3-0-x4-nvme/
Looks like NVME to me.
Lou
^^^^Yes!!!! Later SM951s were NVME. The PN you posted is AHCI. See this for explanation:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-sm951-nvme-versus-ahci-sata,4137.html#p1
You will need a PCI card to carry it.
Lou
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-sm951-nvme-versus-ahci-sata,4137.html#p1
You will need a PCI card to carry it.
Lou
Yep, read that article, thanks for the help. I'll check it today and see it for myself. Would be 140 bucks, so I hope it is the one.
According to the sleeping issues: I guess macboocs are pretty different at hw level, which may cause the problem.
I am also worried as Mercury Accelsior E2s had some glitches as well.
Update: it was a 2015 Air which did not like it.
According to the sleeping issues: I guess macboocs are pretty different at hw level, which may cause the problem.
I am also worried as Mercury Accelsior E2s had some glitches as well.
Update: it was a 2015 Air which did not like it.
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Why not go for the Angelbird Wings PX1 instead of the Kingston?
I have this in my cMP with an SM951 mounted to it, works great, benchmarks at 1500+ MB/s. Just sayin'.
Barefeats tested it, which is how I found out about it originally IIRC. You can check out his review here.
One thing that really stood out to me about this card was its excellent thermal throttling protection via its heatsink (I'm paraphrasing Barefeats findings).
EDIT -- Unless, of course, one is going for the convenience of not having to search for an available M.2...
I have this in my cMP with an SM951 mounted to it, works great, benchmarks at 1500+ MB/s. Just sayin'.
Barefeats tested it, which is how I found out about it originally IIRC. You can check out his review here.
One thing that really stood out to me about this card was its excellent thermal throttling protection via its heatsink (I'm paraphrasing Barefeats findings).
EDIT -- Unless, of course, one is going for the convenience of not having to search for an available M.2...
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This one just $10 and also has a very good cooler.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/JEY...32756588642.html?spm=2114.01010208.0.0.r8nwmX
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/JEY...32756588642.html?spm=2114.01010208.0.0.r8nwmX