Upgrading 2013-2015 Macbook Pro SSD to M.2 NVMe

[09872738]

What specs do you have on your Macbook Pro loki? I have a 2014 Macbook Pro 15", 16gb ram, sintech adapter b, 970 evo samsung 2tb, dual graphics with nvidia graphics also. What are you trying to do? I've been running mojave 10.14.3 since it came out. Not sure what your trying to do, I may be able to help you since you helped me with your magic settings. LMN

Its a Macbook Pro 2013 (late) with nVidia GT 750.

It'll run Mojave, albeit with Apple provided drivers only. Those drivers do not support CUDA, only the nVidia Webdriver do, which are as we know too well, not Mojave compatible.

Thanks for your offer, very much appreciated, but I fear there is nothing you could do to help. I am developing AI applications (ML, but also some crazy genetic algorithms) using the nVidia CUDA SDK (v10).
The Mac is my main main machine for developing, whereas in production my stuff is running in the cloud (Google cloud for now) on Ubuntu Linux instances with nVidia GPUs.

 

[x34]

Hi
Crucial P1 uses QLC nand. Unless you know what it means, avoid it and consider other MLC or TLC drives. QLC will be ok for a very light use, but not at all with an intense use : it has a low write cycles capability,
low TBW, low speed once SLC cache has been filled (70MB/s) and high power drain (3W during up to 30 minutes) after long write operations which have used SLC cache.

for most normal users it should be fine for years, esp. on older macbook's (2013/ 2014).

crucial p1 drains less power than samsung ssd's. also it's much cheaper.

 

[09872738]

for most normal users it should be fine for years, esp. on older macbook's (2013/ 2014).

crucial p1 drains less power than samsung ssd's. also it's much cheaper.

Correct. I got a P1 in my 15“ 2013; a friend‘s got a Evo 970 in a 2015. Read/Write speeds are very close, rd 1450 vs 1500 MB/s (Blackmagic Disk Speed Test).
Cannot comment on battery life (one MBP is a 15“ 2013 with new ifixit battery, the other a 2015 13“ with stock battery, so not comparable), but both feel very snappy with no discernible differencen in responsiveness.

By the time the SSD might plummet (5 yrs at least) the Mac is either obsolete or replacing the SSD should not be too costly anyway.

 

[x34]

Correct. I got a P1 in my 15“ 2013; a friend‘s got a Evo 970 in a 2015. Read/Write speeds are very close, rd 1450 vs 1500 MB/s (Blackmagic Disk Speed Test).
Cannot comment on battery life (one MBP is a 15“ 2013 with new ifixit battery, the other a 2015 13“ with stock battery, so not comparable), but both feel very snappy with no discernible differencen in responsiveness.

By the time the SSD might plummet (5 yrs at least) the Mac is either obsolete or replacing the SSD should not be too costly anyway.

totally agree here!

how's the ifixit battery holding up so far? thinking about installing one too.

 

[09872738]

The battery is pretty good actually. Doing pretty heavy stuff (Google App Engine developent server running, running a custom developed server stressing out the GPU pretty much) it will do 6 hours+.

I‘d estimate the battery on par with the orginal part

 

[sandrvoxon]

Guys need a help ! I'm getting restart with my macbook pro 13 (2015) with green adapter WD Black 512ssd all the time with this erorr

* Panic Report *
panic(cpu 0 caller 0xffffff7f97de2098): nvme: "InitializeNVMe error = 0xE00002D7\n"@/BuildRoot/Library/Caches/com.apple.xbs/Sources/IONVMeFamily/IONVMeFamily-387.230.1/IONVMeController.cpp:306
Backtrace (CPU 0), Frame : Return Address

 

[Audit13]

Guys need a help ! I'm getting restart with my macbook pro 13 (2015) with green adapter WD Black 512ssd all the time with this erorr

* Panic Report *
panic(cpu 0 caller 0xffffff7f97de2098): nvme: "InitializeNVMe error = 0xE00002D7\n"@/BuildRoot/Library/Caches/com.apple.xbs/Sources/IONVMeFamily/IONVMeFamily-387.230.1/IONVMeController.cpp:306
Backtrace (CPU 0), Frame : Return Address

Is the MacBook running the latest bootrom? Does the green adapter need kapton tape to prevent the adapter contacts from touching any metal parts? Does the panic happen when using the MacBook or waking up from sleep?

 

[backfire_12]

Hi All,


Looks like I'm late for the party? I think is the best time to upgrade to NVMe SDD now that the prices are down and most of the problem are known (thou not fixed just yet).

My setup:

Macbook Air 2013 13"

- Sintech Adapter - https://www.amazon.com/Sintech-Adapter-Upgrade-2013-2015-MacBook/dp/B01CWWAENG
- Crucial P1 500GB (aint cheap from where I got it, but still cheaper than elsewhere here in .AE)

The adapter does not fit MBA well, I made some modifications on it to prevent the SSD from sagging.
1. I made a plastic washer (out of spent gel pen refill barrel), check the photo for reference.
2. I made the hole on the adapter bigger than the retention screw
3. I put plastic tape on the back of the adapter to prevent unwanted electrical contact to the motherboard

I had success in installing Mojave, with very good battery life (my pmset settings attached, was able to have 3% battery drain from 11:00PM to 7:00PM the next day)

My only problem is to install Windows 10 (tried build 1809 & 1703):

Both using EFI (direct) installation and Boot Camp, already tried the:

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ssd-to-m-2-nvme.2034976/page-68#post-26280119

Still having the same BSOD error after restarting to Bootcamp driver installation, I can able to boot into Safe Mode afterwards but I couldn't troubleshoot what causing BSOD then after.

 

[sandrvoxon]

Is the MacBook running the latest bootrom? Does the green adapter need kapton tape to prevent the adapter contacts from touching any metal parts? Does the panic happen when using the MacBook or waking up from sleep?

Adapter is kpton taped,bootrom dont know, updated to mojave. Retarting somethimes by it self and from sleep as well !

 

[Audit13]

Adapter is kpton taped,bootrom dont know, updated to mojave. Retarting somethimes by it self and from sleep as well !

You can check the bootrom under system report.

Since the MacBook is a 2015, I would not expect it to panic when waking from sleep.

 

[tigerintank]

The adapter does not fit MBA well, I made some modifications on it to prevent the SSD from sagging.
1. I made a plastic washer (out of spent gel pen refill barrel), check the photo for reference.

I made a post a page or 2 back enquiring about this sort of potential fit issue - or at least that's what I intended to ask about but maybe I wasn't really clear.

Thanks for posting your picture - nicely done with the washer workaround.

I'll go for the longer adapter as I think that may help with the problem you had.

 

[sandrvoxon]

You can check the bootrom under system report.

Since the MacBook is a 2015, I would not expect it to panic when waking from sleep.

It can be issue with adapter ? Cuz like a month ago was working perfect and now its restarting

 

[09872738]

It can be issue with adapter ? Cuz like a month ago was working perfect and now its restarting

I'd say that's entirely possible. Even likely.

 

[Audit13]

I'd say that's entirely possible. Even likely.

It can be issue with adapter ? Cuz like a month ago was working perfect and now its restarting

Try reseating the adapter and drive?

Did you install any new programs or os updates?

I agree that it could be the adapter too.

 

[sandrvoxon]

Try reseating the adapter and drive?

Did you install any new programs or os updates?

I agree that it could be the adapter too.

i had an issue when i tried to install clean os, ive format ssd AFPS format and after restard ssd was not visible then ive format it from terminal on normal (default format) and ssd became visible then i install clean os, after all of this ive got issue with restarting
[doublepost=1548626449][/doublepost]

Did you install any new programs or os updates?

Updates from AppStore only

 

[Audit13]

i had an issue when i tried to install clean os, ive format ssd AFPS format and after restard ssd was not visible then ive format it from terminal on normal (default format) and ssd became visible then i install clean os, after all of this ive got issue with restarting
[doublepost=1548626449][/doublepost]

Updates from AppStore only

What is the bootrom? Maybe it needs to be updated?

 

[sandrvoxon]

What is the bootrom? Maybe it needs to be updated?

Sorry for a noob quation. How i can do it ?

 

[Audit13]

Sorry for a noob quation. How i can do it ?

You can find the bootrom by clicking on the Apple in the top left corner, about, system report.

I hope this is helpful.

 

[sandrvoxon]

You can find the bootrom by clicking on the Apple in the top left corner, about, system report.

I hope this is helpful.

But how to update bootrom ?

 

[Audit13]

But how to update bootrom ?

Depends on the installed bootrom.

I have an early 2015 13" air that was running the latest bootrom included with Mojave 10.14. When I updated to 10.14.2, the air's bootrom was updated even though I had a nvme drive inside.

If you don't have a Mojave bootrom, you may have to install an original apple SSD and install the latest Mojave release.

 

[BBsan]

Just from seeing the comments I‘m a bit unsure which SSD to buy now..

Crucial P1
+ cheap
+ reasonable speed under daily working conditions
- QLC / less write capacity
- Speed after SLC cache is really bad (60MB/s)

AData SX8200 Pro/HP Ex920
+ MLC
+ higher speed (Not relevant for 2014 devices)
+ higher speed after SLC Cache (1700 MB/s - relevant for 2014)
- more expensive


The big question for me is: when restoring from a TM backup- does it write everything as one block (resulting in slow writes for the P1 because of SLC caching) or file by file?

 

[x34]

Just from seeing the comments I‘m a bit unsure which SSD to buy now..

Crucial P1
+ cheap
+ reasonable speed under daily working conditions
- QLC / less write capacity
- Speed after SLC cache is really bad (60MB/s)

AData SX8200 Pro/HP Ex920
+ MLC
+ higher speed (Not relevant for 2014 devices)
+ higher speed after SLC Cache (1700 MB/s - relevant for 2014)
- more expensive


The big question for me is: when restoring from a TM backup- does it write everything as one block (resulting in slow writes for the P1 because of SLC caching) or file by file?

i do not experience any power drain with the P1 on a retina macbook pro mid 2014. big plus.

the restore from TM backup went fairly well. i thought "ja will take all night long to restore" like with the original apple ssd" - but it wenn through in just 3 hours - which i never had before.

and about that hibernate mode thing: i have it like the original apple ssd set on mode 3. and it continues to work so just fine with the P1.

 

[backfire_12]

i do not experience any power drain with the P1 on a retina macbook pro mid 2014. big plus.

the restore from TM backup went fairly well. i thought "ja will take all night long to restore" like with the original apple ssd" - but it wenn through in just 3 hours - which i never had before.

and about that hibernate mode thing: i have it like the original apple ssd set on mode 3. and it continues to work so just fine with the P1.

With pmset configurations I was able to have get 3% drain for 20 hours with the lid close test on my MBA 13" 2013.

I think the decision you have to make is whether you need higher R/W speed that comes higher battery consumption or good enough (better than SATA 600) R/W speed and good battery life. It's just how law of physics works.

 

[Alii7]

Hello everyone, I just installed my new SSD on my macbook pro late 2013 and it is working fine, one issue: Smart status not supported! Does anyone knows how to enable it?
[doublepost=1548734949][/doublepost]Smart status not supported! How to enable it? help

 

[Audit13]

Hello everyone, I just installed my new SSD on my macbook pro late 2013 and it is working fine, one issue: Smart status not supported! Does anyone knows how to enable it?
[doublepost=1548734949][/doublepost]Smart status not supported! How to enable it? help

Not possible to get it from system report as far as I know.