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Upgrade SSD, Mid 2015 MacBookPro 15" (final solution Samsung 970 Pro NVMe M.2)
- Thread starter mikzn
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Thankyou SO MUCH.
BTW, do you think the upcoming macOS releases might make that third party SSD unstable, e.g., heat, battery drain and sleep issues?
I am still undecided if to buy 2015 15" MBP, given the ~100 pages thread
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/upgrading-2013-2014-macbook-pro-ssd-to-m-2-nvme.2034976/
My gut feeling is it might work but not without a lots of efforts and risks.
I don't think you can buy a new 2015 15" MBP - you would have to buy a used one if you want that model.
I am very happy with mine - works great - great keyboard and with 16g mem is very fast - the 970 PRO is awesome - I don't think apple will purposely disable the support for the 970 PRO ssd
Have there been any adapters that work for upgrading a mid 2015 25” MBP that have shown up as more available? I was getting longer timeframes looking for one. Who has these in stock in the US?
I’ve had excellent experiences with a variety of the Samsungs in older MBPs and externals, so I figure to stick with them. I appreciate what I’ve glommed here on that front, especially Mikzen’s thorough updates, but wondering if there’s a summary anywhere of the compatibility of the Samsung line as far as adapters and this MBP. I want to go for cost efficiency, so if it’s only the 970pro that is smooth sailing I’ll echo gerbilbox in that that version may be out of budget.
Can anyone clue me in how the lower rungs of Samsungs are doing here? Better than my own “I read that someone heard that a friend thought they read that xx was crashing” : ) Best speed isn’t the criteria, just want best compatibility, least sleep issues, temperature issues etc.
Thanks for any update on this scene.
r
I’ve had excellent experiences with a variety of the Samsungs in older MBPs and externals, so I figure to stick with them. I appreciate what I’ve glommed here on that front, especially Mikzen’s thorough updates, but wondering if there’s a summary anywhere of the compatibility of the Samsung line as far as adapters and this MBP. I want to go for cost efficiency, so if it’s only the 970pro that is smooth sailing I’ll echo gerbilbox in that that version may be out of budget.
Can anyone clue me in how the lower rungs of Samsungs are doing here? Better than my own “I read that someone heard that a friend thought they read that xx was crashing” : ) Best speed isn’t the criteria, just want best compatibility, least sleep issues, temperature issues etc.
Thanks for any update on this scene.
r
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I also have a mid-2015 15" MBP (quite the screen upgrade you got there
). I upgraded the SSD with the ADATA SX8200 960GB about two weeks ago, using the short black Sintech adapter which arrived within days after ordering from Amazon. It's been great so far, no stability issues. Temperature is similar to the original SSD, but there appears to be a modest dent on battery life, but it's hard to tell considering that the battery is over 3.5 years old (I still get 5 hours of use). None of the 2015 MBPs are supposed to have sleep issues, at least after updating to High Sierra or higher to get the appropriate bootrom.The Samsung EVO SSDs are high performance but there are reports of a lot of heat and greatly reduced battery life. People here often to recommend the Intel 760p and ADATA SX8200 for good performance and less impact on battery life. Have you checked out the posts from gilles_polysoft? They've done a lot of testing of M.2 NVMe SSDs looking at performance and power usage:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ssd-to-m-2-nvme.2034976/page-88#post-26667554
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...sd-to-m-2-nvme.2034976/page-100#post-26819852
Yeah, the info is extensive but scattered. I was reading posts for a week before placing my order, and since then I still find more info. The speed of my drive is very good and on par with the original, but it appears to be under performing compared to what others have reported. I'm going to experiment with kapton tape and the short green rev. B Sintech adapter to see if that makes a difference.
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I have done this upgrade only 2 times - so it is what is is and FWIW
But here are a few points that I can offer from my experience on both upgrades
Sure a lot of happy mac users on the 970 pro purchases on Amazon ( not many negatives) - this was my reason to dive in and do it.
My experience after the upgrade to the 970 pro is (now after several months)
Lower temp values after upgrade to 970 pro
Much faster performance - you will notice it
Battery lasts way longer after upgrade - like 30 to 40% longer
I know it is more $$ but it was worth every $$ IMHO
[doublepost=1543179833][/doublepost]
On an earlier post you (Quite Correctly) pointed out the difference on my posts where I did not clarify the EVO (960?) vs PRO (970) versions of the SSD
I am wondering if this is the difference in battery life and temperature? and the wake issues - which did not happen with my upgrades with the 970?
[doublepost=1543180095][/doublepost]
But here are a few points that I can offer from my experience on both upgrades
Sure a lot of happy mac users on the 970 pro purchases on Amazon ( not many negatives) - this was my reason to dive in and do it.
My experience after the upgrade to the 970 pro is (now after several months)
Lower temp values after upgrade to 970 pro
Much faster performance - you will notice it
Battery lasts way longer after upgrade - like 30 to 40% longer
I know it is more $$ but it was worth every $$ IMHO
[doublepost=1543179833][/doublepost]
On an earlier post you (Quite Correctly) pointed out the difference on my posts where I did not clarify the EVO (960?) vs PRO (970) versions of the SSD
I am wondering if this is the difference in battery life and temperature? and the wake issues - which did not happen with my upgrades with the 970?
[doublepost=1543180095][/doublepost]
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Looks like it's my turn to get confused. Sorry about that. I never really looked into the 970 PROs because of the cost, but from re-reading your earlier posts, the 970 PRO may be a totally different (and more efficient) beast than the EVO versions. Gilles_polysoft doesn't have 970 PRO power consumption data (yet).
Yeah that is an interesting point
TBH - I did the Mojave update at close to the the same time as the SSD / 970 update and was at the beta stage at that time, but am certain about the battery increase and the lower temerature ( hovers around 30 - 40 degrees)
I am leaning toward the 970 PRO hardware being the difference and the read / write speeds are pretty awesome.
Hey, thanks gerbil box and mikzn! Good info and thanks for the links as well, I really appreciate it.
It's unfortunate it has to be so complicated when all one wants to do is swap in a larger drive, but ce la vie : )
It's unfortunate it has to be so complicated when all one wants to do is swap in a larger drive, but ce la vie : )
I also have a mid-2015 15" MBP (quite the screen upgrade you got there
The Samsung EVO SSDs are high performance but there are a report a lot of heat and greatly reduced battery life. People here often to recommend the Intel 760p and ADATA SX8200 for good performance and less impact on battery life. Have you checked out the posts from gilles_polysoft? They've done a lot of testing of M.2 NVMe SSDs looking at performance and power usage:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ssd-to-m-2-nvme.2034976/page-88#post-26667554
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...sd-to-m-2-nvme.2034976/page-100#post-26819852
Yeah, the info is extensive but scattered. I was reading posts for a week before placing my order, and since then I still find more info. The speed of my drive is very good and on par with the original, but it appears to be under performing compared to what others have reported. I'm going to experiment with kapton tape and the short green rev. B Sintech adapter to see if that makes a difference.
Hi mikzn, I know it's two years later and you may have upgraded your mbp, but I was just curious if you had any issues (setbacks) with the 970 PRO from 2018 until now?
Also, for the adapter, was the brand Tekit? (https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B073F9LDD5?tag=macr05-20&geniuslink=true).
thanks,
Also, for the adapter, was the brand Tekit? (https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B073F9LDD5?tag=macr05-20&geniuslink=true).
thanks,
LOL - been a while - August 2018 since I upgraded the SSD - now I am a little sorry I did not go for 1TB - LOL
But yes it still works great ? and was a significant performance boost over the Apple SSD, ran cooler, and battery lasts longer than the Apple SSD that came with the MBP - "To be fair" the firmware update might have helped too - and the Original Apple SSD was 4 years older
Still running great and I still have over 250g free since all my media is on external drives
the adapter was a Tekit 12+16pin 2014 2015 MacBook to M.2 NGFF M-Key SSD - see my post #36 - yes your link looks the same
Also did the exact same upgrade for a friend of mine / same MBP 2015 - it was much quicker the second time - since I knew what I was doing the second time - lol - see post 39 His is fine too and no problems ?
But yes it still works great ? and was a significant performance boost over the Apple SSD, ran cooler, and battery lasts longer than the Apple SSD that came with the MBP - "To be fair" the firmware update might have helped too - and the Original Apple SSD was 4 years older
Still running great and I still have over 250g free since all my media is on external drives
the adapter was a Tekit 12+16pin 2014 2015 MacBook to M.2 NGFF M-Key SSD - see my post #36 - yes your link looks the same
Also did the exact same upgrade for a friend of mine / same MBP 2015 - it was much quicker the second time - since I knew what I was doing the second time - lol - see post 39 His is fine too and no problems ?
Thanks for the quick reply mikzn! Your (and your friend's) first hand experience over a reasonable length of time is very promising.
Another update - battery replacement aug 2020 - very swollen battery on my rMBP 2015 - see pictures below . . .
After 5 years of heavy use and travel - my 2015 stopped working (Aug 2020) - I kind of knew the battery was swelling since the lap top would not sit on a flat surface without rocking and was freezing frequently - I stupidly kept "putting off" doing anything and it finally quit and would not start - luckily I had a CCC clone from the day before and copied my clone into a MBP 2012 and was quickly back up and running.
I was worried that the keyboard or PC board was damaged from the swollen battery but went ahead and ordered a replacement on Amazon and recieved it from Amazon 2 days later ?
I read and watched quite a few "How To Replace Battery for MBP 2015" which was helpful - but removing the battery was not easy with any of the advice from the articles - including iFixit and several posts here on MR
Here is what worked for me - YMMV - disclaimer "it may not work for you" - first I tried string and floss to separate the battery from the MBP frame - no joy - I then ended up trying a plastic spoon from Macdonalds and gently prying and pushing the spoon between the battery and the frame - it worked great and I had the battery removed in less than 1 min with the plastic spoon ?
The new battery kit from Amazon worked perfectly and 9 months later still holds a charge like new - and of course - I was very lucky the mother board was not damaged by the swelling battery - see pics - it was really swollen ?
Old batteries - above
New Battery From Amazon
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Another update to this thread - Same rMBP 2015 - new upgrade SSD to 1TB - replacing 500g SSD on my rMBP 2015 - see pictures below
Getting my "Monterey rMBP" ready for prime time, I decided to upgrade the SSD from 500g to a 1TB Samsung 970 PRO 1TB
1) Updated my back-up clone of the existing Monterey rMBP 2015 using CCC to an external enclosure, 2) Booted the clone to make sure it was working - it was fine, 3) then swapped the internal 500g drive with the external 1TB in the enclosure, 4) Boot MBP with the "new" 1TB drive installed in the rMBP and tested - all good
Took less than 30 min - one of the "take aways" this confirmed for me is that CCC 6 clones work not only in the external enclosure but also when when that clone is installed as the replacement of the existing internal drive (in this case a 500g dive)
I don't know if this post helps anyone - despite many posts that supposedly "Monterey and CCC cannot produce a clone" - they can - I have had not had cloning issues since the first beta of Monterey and swapping the drives and using the clone as the new internal now just reconfirms it
Getting my "Monterey rMBP" ready for prime time, I decided to upgrade the SSD from 500g to a 1TB Samsung 970 PRO 1TB
1) Updated my back-up clone of the existing Monterey rMBP 2015 using CCC to an external enclosure, 2) Booted the clone to make sure it was working - it was fine, 3) then swapped the internal 500g drive with the external 1TB in the enclosure, 4) Boot MBP with the "new" 1TB drive installed in the rMBP and tested - all good
Took less than 30 min - one of the "take aways" this confirmed for me is that CCC 6 clones work not only in the external enclosure but also when when that clone is installed as the replacement of the existing internal drive (in this case a 500g dive)
I don't know if this post helps anyone - despite many posts that supposedly "Monterey and CCC cannot produce a clone" - they can - I have had not had cloning issues since the first beta of Monterey and swapping the drives and using the clone as the new internal now just reconfirms it
Hi @mikzn, I am new here, I would like to upgrade my MBP15 mid 2015 like your with an SS SSD 970 Pro 1tb.
I would like to ask with the new Montery os, is there any problem or issue? I read something about the boot time. And did you install any kext (nvmefix or something similar)?
Thank you in advance
Hi @mandrakinissimo
As per above posts I cloned the rMBP (i7) mid 2015 drive to an enclosure with CCC 6 and macOS Monterey - then booted from that clone as a test - it worked perfectly when booted from from the clone on the enclosure SSD ?
Next I swapped the drives - put the 1tb Samsung Pro into the rMBP and swapped the 500g to the enclosure - see pics above
It was seamless and worked like a charm - The only thing that I noticed was a slight drop in performance with the upgraded 1Tb samsung 970 pro (BlackMagic Test) - not an issue because the Samsung 970 is one of the fastest and best performing SSD blades available - it was still very fast - see the above post speed test post #68
No issues with Boot-time and no issues wtih sleep or awake of the rMBP2015 I7
Hope that helps and makes sense
OP, not sure if you know, but any advantages to picking the 970 Pro 1TB vs the Apple OEM 1TB? Looking to upgrade my 2015 rMBP and I found the OEM one for ~$160 so I'm wondering if one has an advantage over the other. Looks like going the Samsung route might be a little more expensive in my case (after also buying an adapter).
I found the Samsung 970 pro much faster than the original Apple SSD that came with my rMBP 2015 i7 - it was noticeably faster and runs cooler, and battery life is better.
Also does not hurt that the 970 pro has a 5 star user rating on Amazon with over 7500 buyer reviews
Disclaimer - I am not 100% sure - but this performance increase may have also been affected by firmware updates and the fact that my original apple SSD was 256g and was close to full (about 80% of storage capacity) - that said, it sure seemed faster, cooler and easier on the battery
Here is my post back then 2018 - see Post #36
Also another post - upgraded another rMBP 2015 for a friend - see post #39
Good Luck with your upgrade ? - might be also worth checking the battery health / cycles ?
A 2015 rMBP might be close to needing a replacement battery - As per my post above
Hi there,
maybe someone knows a solution for this Problem.
Ive also updated my mid 2015 15" Retina Macbook (DualGraphic) with a SSD, but I never get these Read-Speeds. Write Speeds are good, but read-speed are almost about 1900MB/s.
What did I wrong?
Ive used two types of SINTECH-Adapters, the small one and the 2280 plate an a Samsung 980 Pro (2TB). The 2280 Plate is slightly faster, but far away from 3000MB/s read-speeds.
On macOS Monterey is the same speed, as with Ventura.
Thx for respond
Chris
maybe someone knows a solution for this Problem.
Ive also updated my mid 2015 15" Retina Macbook (DualGraphic) with a SSD, but I never get these Read-Speeds. Write Speeds are good, but read-speed are almost about 1900MB/s.
What did I wrong?
Ive used two types of SINTECH-Adapters, the small one and the 2280 plate an a Samsung 980 Pro (2TB). The 2280 Plate is slightly faster, but far away from 3000MB/s read-speeds.
On macOS Monterey is the same speed, as with Ventura.
Thx for respond
Chris
