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

[vince22]

My MBP 15" (2015, no dGPU) is doing well with the long Sintech adapter and an Intel 760p 2TB SSD for several months now under Mojave. I changed to an Apple SSD temporarily to update the firmware to the latest version.

I plan to keep this MacBook on Mojave because I still use some 32bit apps the are expensive or impossible to replace. From your experience this seems to be the right decision.

Can others confirm that Catalina doesn't play nice with our homemade SSD upgrades? Just want to make sure in case I would change my decision to stay on Mojave.

Catalina beta 8 running very well, including hibernation (stanby=0, hibernatemode=25) with my 2015 Macbook pro 13" ,short Sintech, sabrent 1TB rocket, overall excellent speed from Sabrent rocket (choosen for lower power) no KP or errors. Thanks to everyone involved in this thread.

 

[gogydm]

So I understand everyone trying to use NVMe drives, but I have a late 2013 13" MBP and don't have the option of flashing the bootrom and would like to keep the hibernate option working. I do have a Crucial MX500 lying around and would like to use it if possible. It's an M.2 but SATA3. I understand there would be some speed loss but is that all?

 

[bruceypoo]

Hi all!

I just joined and I have added a Sabrent Rocket 1TB NVMe attached to a Sintech Short adapter into my mid 2014 Macbook Pro 13". My MacBook Pro is running macOS Mojave 10.14.6 and BootROM is version 156.0.0.0.0. I performed a clean version of Mojave 10.14.6 onto the NVMe drive.

I am having issues when the MacBook Pro wakes from sleep, it shows the "Enter Password" screen. I enter my password and then the loading freezes. This seems to happen after the MacBook goes to sleep.

Has anyone encountered this issue? I have tried searching through several pages here and there for a fix, and I was unable to find anything. If anyone has any solutions or tips on how to fix that, I would greatly appreciate the help!

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: Added BootROM and OS version.
EDIT#2: I am using hibernatemode 25 and standby 1

 

[kj510]

Hi all!

I just joined and I have added a Sabrent Rocket 1TB NVMe attached to a Sintech Short adapter into my mid 2014 Macbook Pro 13". My MacBook Pro is running macOS Mojave 10.14.6 and BootROM is version 156.0.0.0.0. I performed a clean version of Mojave 10.14.6 onto the NVMe drive.

I am having issues when the MacBook Pro wakes from sleep, it shows the "Enter Password" screen. I enter my password and then the loading freezes. This seems to happen after the MacBook goes to sleep.

Has anyone encountered this issue? I have tried searching through several pages here and there for a fix, and I was unable to find anything. If anyone has any solutions or tips on how to fix that, I would greatly appreciate the help!

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: Added BootROM and OS version.
EDIT#2: I am using hibernatemode 25 and standby 1

See the tips on page 1, 1st post chapter Fixing Hibernation issues on 2013-2014 laptops

 

[vince22]

2015 Macbook Pro 13" (sleep log) Sintech short adapter / Sabrent Rocket 1TB.

 

[Audit13]

So I understand everyone trying to use NVMe drives, but I have a late 2013 13" MBP and don't have the option of flashing the bootrom and would like to keep the hibernate option working. I do have a Crucial MX500 lying around and would like to use it if possible. It's an M.2 but SATA3. I understand there would be some speed loss but is that all?

You can only use nvme pci-e drives.

 

[tensevensun]

Hello! I'm looking to get some feedback on which drive I should go with...

I've narrowed it down to,

•Sabrent Rocket
•Adata SX8200
•Intel 660P

I've included the 660P because I'm wondering If I really need the high write speeds.

My main program I use is Lightroom Classic and everything is just browsing web, writing in word, emails, and possibly might load parallels again to run some windows program but I mainly do all work involving windows on my desktop.

Size wise, is it better to go bigger with a 2TB drive or stick with a 1TB? The Intel 660P 2TB I can scoop for $270 and SX8200 2TB for $370.

I would like to have my full catalog on my laptop and just back up the raw lightroom catalog on externals/ cloud as cold storage.

Thanks for your input!

 

[Luki1979]

Reporting success with 1TB Intel 660p paired with AIRNVME-N01 adapter on Retina Mid 2014.
You have to install Mojave first on your old SSD so you have newest Boot Room 156.0.0.0.0 if you have Mid 2014 otherwise your NVMe might not work properly or at all.

 

[jisakiel]

I do not believe so at this time.

Two problems:

1) Apple seems to prevent an update even with a signed ROM when the Apple drive isn't present, or at least one sufficiently close to the Apple original in some way we don't quite understand yet. You need this install to work because it will migrate your machine's specific data into the proper places in the updated ROM. If you just flashed a generic copy you would loose this information.

Maybe we could figure out what pieces of information are relevant and manually copy them over like we are doing with the NVMe driver portion to bypass this issue?

2) The software flash looks for a signed ROM and we can't sign the ROM without Apple's key. Physically connecting to the chip (either Matt card or directly to the board) bypasses this check and forces the firmware onto the chip. The chip itself doesn't care that the firmware is unsigned, that's the job of the flash software to check that.

If someone comes up with a software flasher that bypasses the hardware and signature checks it may be possible. I personally don't work with firmware, even though I am a developer, so I would have no idea where to start.

Thanks for the confirmation, even being bad news as they are

Just a further doubt. Can the mattcard even be updated to newer bootroms with a soic clip? Same issue with serial injection would apply to it, I presume... No tooling to reinject serials and such exists then? I also wonder whether patching the flasher could be an avenue, a la gilles way on
"MP51.0084.B00 Rom Dump Request" (can't seem to link to it).

If the only way is to remove mattcard, reinstall original SSD, upgrade again so that the original bootrom is patched, extract that and repatch it again, flash it to mattcard and put the nvme in again, it seems like a lot of work for the not even documented patches to the bootrom Apple brings... then again, in Spectre times who knows whether it's worth it...


A further idea would be to try out gch1p/mmga (aka iomem=relaxed from native linux + flashrom. Shouldn't work, but it might. That wouldn't solve the bootrom update issue, just the flashing without SOIC though).

 

[mirceac]

Hello, let me add my 0,02€ success story for people on a budget:

So, I've got for free a liquid damaged MBA 2017 logicboard (apple juice because Germany , one of the most corrosive crap ever, on par with Cola) and with a bit of pain (burned LCD connector, green corrosion, usw) I've repaired it .
It didn't have the the original Apple SSD and actually it didn't have anything around, I was connecting to it with an external USB hub with a mouse and keyboard, a Thunderbolt/HDMI adapter and a HDD with a USB3 adapter.

To my great amazement, I was able to repair it perfectly and got two of the most cheap and miserable SSD and adapter availabe on EBAY, that is:

This 5€ SSD adapter https://www.ebay.de/itm/Adapter-M-2-PCI-E-X4-NGFF-AHCI-SSD-M-2-für-Macbook-Air-2013-2014-2015-QY/293205735038

And this POS 69,99€ Intel 660P SSD 512GB: https://www.ebay.de/itm/Intel-SSD-6...d-State-Modul-für-private-Nutzer/202738007347

Put all of them together on the board and nothing happened , disk not detected. While I was fuming and prepare to fork more cash for a Sintech adapter and leave a really bad review for the adapter seller, I've seen this thread and used @dosdude1 Mojave installer stick (without the post install stuff, the MBA 7,2 is supported directly) to install on the externally connected HDD, the bootrom was something like 148.x.x.x, didn't pay too much attention, because afterwards I did the OS update suggested by Mojave, and lo and behold bootrom 188.x.x.x !!!, no Apple SSD needed !!!

After reboot, the Intel SSD was seen OK, I've installed both Mojave and Ubuntu 18.04 and expected a lot of trouble, but nothing happened, sleep and wake-up, using the battery form here over night:
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Batterie-Ak...A1466-2012-2013-2015-A1405-A1496/173429766020
Less then 1% discharge, yay me.

But then I've run everyone's favorite SSD benchmark and the disaster has strike:

As you can see only 920MB/s and I can't do some obscure video streaming with studio equipment, I'm totally ashamed and desperate of the pathetic speed, what should I do, shuld I immediately thrown it away and get a 250€+ overhyped and power hungry gamer SSD or should I ask for community opinion about what other SSD in this price range I could use that will at least let me have all my check-marks ?

Your call community, I'm waiting here, banging my head in shame .

 

[Luki1979]

^^I wouldn’t pay much attention to benchmark speeds. It’s still blazing fast in real life. You got nice SSD that sleeps properly. I also got Intel 660p but 1TB so a bit faster just keep in mind how much Apple charges for privilege of having large storage.

 

[mirceac]

^^I wouldn’t pay much attention to benchmark speeds. It’s still blazing fast in real life. You got nice SSD that sleeps properly. I also got Intel 660p but 1TB so a bit faster just keep in mind how much Apple charges for privilege of having large storage.

Speaking of a bit faster, how much faster is actually ?
I've repaired the logicboard of the MBA that I took as body donor and now I'm considering if to go full retard and get the 660P 2TB or the 1TB version ? Now I will of course need a new body for this logic board, and if I repair that body logic board the rabit hole will go way too deep.

So, MBA 2015 logic board for sale, anyone interested to save me from financial ruin ?

 

[Luki1979]

Using Disk Speed Test 1TB Intel 660p gives Write 1281 MB/s and Read is the same for all capacities 1480 MB/s. Keep in mind that this is very fast in real life much faster than Sata SSD's. As far as I know going faster on NVMe will increase CPU temperature.

 

[mirceac]

Using Disk Speed Test 1TB Intel 660p gives Write 1281 MB/s and Read is the same for all capacities 1480 MB/s. Keep in mind that this is very fast in real life much faster than Sata SSD's. As far as I know going faster on NVMe will increase CPU temperature.

That sounds reasonable, now I'm a bit salty that I've didn't invest the extra 45EUR , I hope that I find a body for the available logicboard so I can put a 1TB in the 2017 and move the 0.5TB in the 2015 if nobody wants to get it.
Even the 0.5TB seem incredible fast to me, but 30% speed increase for 45EUR, damn, it sucks to be poor.

 

[Audit13]

While I was fuming and prepare to fork more cash for a Sintech adapter and leave a really bad review for the adapter seller, I've seen this thread and used @dosdude1 Mojave installer stick (without the post install stuff, the MBA 7,2 is supported directly) to install on the externally connected HDD, the bootrom was something like 148.x.x.x, didn't pay too much attention, because afterwards I did the OS update suggested by Mojave, and lo and behold bootrom 188.x.x.x !!!, no Apple SSD needed !!!

You got yourself a great deal! Congratulations on your success.

I had reported in earlier posts that both of my early 2015 13" Air MacBooks accepted a bootrom update with a third-party SSD. One has an Intel 600P and the other has a HP ex900.

 

[mirceac]

You got yourself a great deal! Congratulations on your success.

I had reported in earlier posts that both of my early 2015 13" Air MacBooks accepted a bootrom update with a third-party SSD. One has an Intel 600P and the other has a HP ex900.

Well, now there are at least two success stories

 

[Macdctr]

I just snagged an Early 2015 MacBook Pro 13inch with Retina display from a friend of mine this evening and installed a 512GB Samsung 950PRO drive with Sintech adapter. The setup is solid with no issues. I ran Disk Speed Test to see how my drive performs in the new laptop and this is the result below from that test...

My bootrom is currently at 186.0.0.0.0

I was pleased with the results.

 

[PPFee]

What is the fastest speed the late 2013 rMBP will be able to handle in place of the pci-e ssd? Also, is there any raid adapters to allow two nvme’s in The PCIe slot

 

[aidanw]

Upgraded to a Sabrent Rocket 1TB on Macbook Pro 15" mid-2014. Install went perfectly, only drama was I selected case-sensitive for APFS instead of case-insensitive, so had to restore from time machine with format, no worries.

Hibernate isn't working (tested by lowering the time for hibernate and leaving overnight - it froze after entering the password to unlock filevault). Will run with just standby. I don't feel it's worth paying NZD100 to get a J6100 just for hibernate.

Using the disk speed tool above got 1.2GB read and write, fine by me. Seems fast enough for my needs (Windows development in a VM and Lightroom).

Thanks for the advice on this thread, stoked to have a 1TB drive now!

 

[JohnyDJ]

Reporting success with 1TB Intel 660p paired with AIRNVME-N01 adapter on Retina Mid 2014.
You have to install Mojave first on your old SSD so you have newest Boot Room 156.0.0.0.0 if you have Mid 2014 otherwise your NVMe might not work properly or at all.

I also have Retina Mid 2014 13'' and instaled Intel 660p nvme ssd 1TB to a sintech long adapter, but I'm always getting drive showing as external (yellow icon) at boot so I have to wait 30 seconds to boot from drive. Do you have that kind of problems or not? Sleep, hibernate works like it should.
I am using Catalina beta 8 with bootrom 157.
P.s. Drive in system report shows as internal. Is this maybe adapter fault, I already tried two of them. I also tried on Macbook Air 2017 and it works without problems.

 

[Uddername]

How often are people reporting problems with the 2015 models with Sintech adapters? I've ordered 5 from their site... I have no idea when they'll arrive as I'm in the UK. Was thinking of buying some 2.5 models and upgrading the hard drives to 2tb SSDs and selling on... but want to make sure there's no common issues or problems with using third party SSD's. Thanks in advance.

 

[aidanw]

Sleep, hibernate works like it should.

How did you get hibernate to work on a 2014? Have you flashed the EFI? Or did v157 improve compatibility?

I'm on a mid-2014 MBPr 15" also with sintech adapter and hibernate is definitely broken. I've got bootrom 156 though.

 

[JohnyDJ]

How did you get hibernate to work on a 2014? Have you flashed the EFI? Or did v157 improve compatibility?

I'm on a mid-2014 MBPr 15" also with sintech adapter and hibernate is definitely broken. I've got bootrom 156 though.

I did not flash anything just updated rom to latest version and worked right away, but also tried on 156 version before on Mojave and also worked. I tried hibernate over night and just lost 1% of battery, reboot and waking from sleep no problems.
Also tried two different m.2 ssds and two different adapters.
Edit: I tried sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 25 and then it hangs from waking up and just normaly boots, but default is 3, so after night I did not have any problems with sleep. Probably it sleeps and after a long period of time not using it, it hibernates.
I didn't try this one yet.

How is your drive shown on boot screen (alt pressed) - external (yellow icon) or normal (internal) and if boot is delayed for 10 seconds after chime or not?

 

[ipadawan]

Hi, I got a MBP 2013, and want to insert a 2TB Intel.

But then I saw the new coming AData XPG SX8100. I guess it is worth to wait.
Is it, is it worth to wait? Any one some insight? Price, speed reality ( is AData often true in their speed mentions ) Firmware MacOS friendly?

Any tips?

 

[vince22]

Hi, I got a MBP 2013, and want to insert a 2TB Intel.

But then I saw the new coming AData XPG SX8100. I guess it is worth to wait.
Is it, is it worth to wait? Any one some insight? Price, speed reality ( is AData often true in their speed mentions ) Firmware MacOS friendly?

Any tips?

its look good on paper, just for wait reviews. Ive pick Sabrent rocket for lower power consumption ( better battery life) not as fast as Samsung 970 Pro but excellent overall balance (speed and battery life) with my 2015 MBP 13".