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

[dcrosb123]

I have a MacBook Pro 12,1 and just installed a Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1tb which is working great so far. A while back I turned off hibernation through:

1. disable hibernation by typing "sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 0 standby 0 autopoweroff 0" in the terminal

What settings should I use now to turn it back on? What were the original/recommended settings here?

Also, is it recommended to use Lilu & NVMeFix on this configuration? Any comprehensive setup guides out there if so? Thanks!

 

[Audit13]

I have a MacBook Pro 12,1 and just installed a Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1tb which is working great so far. A while back I turned off hibernation through:

1. disable hibernation by typing "sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 0 standby 0 autopoweroff 0" in the terminal

What settings should I use now to turn it back on? What were the original/recommended settings here?

Also, is it recommended to use Lilu & NVMeFix on this configuration? Any comprehensive setup guides out there if so? Thanks!

Your MacBook is a 2015 that doesn't have the hibernation issue that the 2013 and 2014 have.

 

[dcrosb123]

Your MacBook is a 2015 that doesn't have the hibernation issue that the 2013 and 2014 have.

Thanks for the response. Yes I know but I disabled it a while ago hoping it would help with another issue and would like to turn it back on. Do you know how I can revert to the original settings?

 

[pimu96]

I have today install both kext ( Lilu & NVMeFix ) with Hackintool but on my Mojave System ( its current up to date ) both kext will only load if I installed them in L/E in S/L/E there will not load on booting the system !!

I can confirm that NVMeFix work properly on my MBP11.1 with EVO970 1TB and the IDLE power reduce from 2,5 to 0,4-0,5 W.

Now im happy cause that was my the last step after im successfully patch the BootRom with CH341A Mini Programmer and the J6100 adapter - thanks for the great manual here !!


View attachment 967970

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Hi @jupzup, glad to hear that you finally tweaked that well! I have 2 questions:
1) What's the name of the GUI you used for the screenshot of the current usages?
2) I have a MBP11.1, too, and planning to upgrade with a Sabrent 1Tb. If you patched the BootRom with CH341A Mini Programmer and the J6100 adapter I understand you solved the problem of hibernation using a MBP 2015 as a donor of the new firmware? If that is correct and you finally solved it (first of all congratulations), how will you upgrade to Big Sur in a couple weeks? As far as I know, this patch must be performed each time the MacOS is upgraded, how will you do it?
Imo, the solution of patching the Bootrom with another MBP is clean and I prefer it rather than locating a Mattcard forever (not mentioning never letting the PC sleep), however my problem is that I do not have a MBP 2015 nearby
Btw, do you know how compatible is a Mattcard with further upgrades?
Thanks,

 

[developeralioz]

It's a Kext that is designed to enable ASPM (low power states) on 3rd party NVMe Drives.
The kext themselves require Lilu kext. It is common for Hackintoshes. But in is applicable to our use-case.

I use it on mine. (rMBP 15" 2015 with Samsung 970 Evo plus 2TB, MBA 2015 11" w/ 970 Pro 512). Those are sipping battery now as opposed guzzling them.

Note: might take a few reboots for it to take effect. installed both the kexts in /S/L/E (Mojave and Catalina) tho you would need to sudo mount -uw / on Catalina if you want to put it there. Alternative is /L/E

Hello in the comments they mentioned things like BootRom with CH341A Mini Programmer. Are these needed? NvmeFix won't install without them? I will use 970 EVO, do you have any other suggestions?

 

[herb2k]

As far as i can remember, SX8200 pro doesnt really get along with NVMeFix, it doesnt crash, but it doesnt improve either. Lol

970 is surprisingly a good idler after the fix. Although it's kinda pricey (especially in my country) but if you manage to snatch a good deal, then go for it.

SX8200 Pro won't use the lowest power state on NVMeFix, so there will be no improvement with NVMeFix.

 

[Audit13]

Thanks for the response. Yes I know but I disabled it a while ago hoping it would help with another issue and would like to turn it back on. Do you know how I can revert to the original settings?

The simplest method would be to undo the changes you made via terminal if you recall the previous settings. I attached a screenshot of the stock settings for my mid 2014 13".

 

[Cmd+Q]

The simplest method would be...

pmset restoredefaults

or hit the restore defaults button in the Energy Saver settings in System Preferences

 

[otosan]

Hello in the comments they mentioned things like BootRom with CH341A Mini Programmer. Are these needed? NvmeFix won't install without them? I will use 970 EVO, do you have any other suggestions?

No, the programmer is to fix the BootRom bugs on 2013-2014 model which cause hibernation issue.

NVMeFix doesnt need that to work.

 

[otosan]

I have today install both kext ( Lilu & NVMeFix ) with Hackintool but on my Mojave System ( its current up to date ) both kext will only load if I installed them in L/E in S/L/E there will not load on booting the system !!

I can confirm that NVMeFix work properly on my MBP11.1 with EVO970 1TB and the IDLE power reduce from 2,5 to 0,4-0,5 W.

Now im happy cause that was the last step after im successfully patch the BootRom with CH341A Mini Programmer and the J6100 adapter - thanks for the great manual here !!


View attachment 967970

View attachment 967971

Glad you make it work !

thats a weird case though, in my experience it never boot when i put it in L/E, lol. But as long as it works great for you, it doesnt matter 👍🏻

 

[dcrosb123]

pmset restoredefaults

or hit the restore defaults button in the Energy Saver settings in System Preferences
View attachment 968206

Thanks!

 

[MajorHole]

Thanks to this post I was able to upgrade my Late 2013 Retina 13" Macbook Pro to a 1tb Adata SX8200 Drive from a measly 128 GB Apple drive. I used the NVMe adapter and it worked perfectly. I disabled hibernation thorough the Terminal as well. Thank you for this post, it saved my Macbook Pro.

 

[mad cow disease]

Do panics happen with other applications?

It still shows as lane width x4 in system report?

Consistently with Zoom. It's quite stable otherwise. Maybe a bit slow to quit some apps occasionally that requires a reboot but nothing extreme like a KP.

And yes, 4x in system report.

 

[quaresma]

SX8200 Pro won't use the lowest power state on NVMeFix, so there will be no improvement with NVMeFix.

Ok so it won’t use the lowest power state, but how about other low power states. Is there no advantage at ALL when using nvmefix with a SX8200 pro?

 

[JDW]

So running the NVMeFix and Lilu kext is mandatory in all Macbooks with replaced SSD? (in order to get more efficient idle consumption).

I have a mid-2015 15" MBP and I am using a SanDisk Extreme Portable 2TB (old gen) USB SSD. When I close the MBP the SanDisk SSD sleeps, but it remains quite warm for the entire duration of the sleep (which means it's drawing quite a lot of power). If I leave the Apple power cable disconnected, the SanDisk will drain the MBP battery dead after a few hours. I think the SSD tech inside is SATA, not NVMe. Even so, are there any kernel extensions or hacks that would reduce power on USB drives like this, or otherwise shut them down during sleep?

 

[herb2k]

Ok so it won’t use the lowest power state, but how about other low power states. Is there no advantage at ALL when using nvmefix with a SX8200 pro?

Minimal in my testing unfortunately. The Adata's power modes are geared towards performance over power efficiency, with little difference between full power and the intermediate states. It's one of the reasons I chose a Phison based drive.

 

[pimu96]

No, the programmer is to fix the BootRom bugs on 2013-2014 model which cause hibernation issue.

NVMeFix doesnt need that to work.

Hi @otosan,
If I find a way to get a MBP 2015 in order to patch the BootRom of my mid2014 MBP nowadays with my Catalina, I will have to perform it again when I will install Big Sur?
Why not just buy a Mattcard? Does it has worse performance or what?
(I do not have access to any 2015MBP...)
Thanks,

 

[guzhogi]

Hi all, I just stumbled on to this thread and have a question: I have a late 2013 rMBP. I'm thinking of getting an OWC Aura Pro X2 (probably the 2 TB one). I've heard that the late 2013 rMBP has hibernation issues with 3rd party SSDs. I tried reading this thread, but it's a little too much for me to go through. Can someone give me quick & easy instructions on how to get around the hibernation issues permanently? Sorry for being lazy, but I'm not really interested in going through 297 pages.

 

[pimu96]

Hi all, I just stumbled on to this thread and have a question: I have a late 2013 rMBP. I'm thinking of getting an OWC Aura Pro X2 (probably the 2 TB one). I've heard that the late 2013 rMBP has hibernation issues with 3rd party SSDs. I tried reading this thread, but it's a little too much for me to go through. Can someone give me quick & easy instructions on how to get around the hibernation issues permanently? Sorry for being lazy, but I'm not really interested in going through 297 pages.

Hi @guzhogi,
First post of first page of the thread resumes it very good. It does not have all the details of 297 pages but it is well described (even though it was written 3 years ago).

 

[pimu96]

Hello people,
Anybody has experience with Mattcard?
Why this plug-n-play solution is not discussed almost? It seems very easy/nice
Thanks

 

[pimu96]

Hello everybody,
If at the end I patch the BootRom following @Cmd+Q guide, what does it mean the first two notes?

• System ROM copies and modifications seem to be prohibited under the Apple EULA
• macOS includes EFI firmware dump tools and integrity checker
  • The modified system ROMs will be recognized by /usr/libexec/firmwarecheckers/eficheck/eficheck --integrity-check
  • Future macOS updates and upgrades might checking for valid EFI firmware first and make sure it’s on the “allowlist” before proceeding

Do they mean that I won't be able to upgrade my Catalina to Big Sur?
Thanks again

 

[Cmd+Q]

If I find a way to get a MBP 2015 in order to patch the BootRom of my mid2014 MBP nowadays with my Catalina, I will have to perform it again when I will install Big Sur?

Yes, every time the system firmware is updated by the macOS installer, you will need to patch the firmware with the updated NVMe driver again. I find that almost all releases of macOS include a new EFI firmware, even for the 2013 MBP and the 2014 MBA that I have access to.

If at the end I patch the BootRom following @Cmd+Q guide, what does it mean the first two notes?

• System ROM copies and modifications seem to be prohibited under the Apple EULA
• macOS includes EFI firmware dump tools and integrity checker
  • The modified system ROMs will be recognized by /usr/libexec/firmwarecheckers/eficheck/eficheck --integrity-check
  • Future macOS updates and upgrades might checking for valid EFI firmware first and make sure it’s on the “allowlist” before proceeding

These could probably use some clarification... The first bullet means that you are in violation of the Apple EULA when backing up and patching your MacBook’s firmware, this is probably meant as a deterrent to commercial Mac clones but applies to our situation here as well. Second bullet group is just to say that macOS (and Apple) can detect a patched firmware easily in software (presumably for security reasons); and while this has not prevented any macOS updates for me yet on my 2013 MBP, Apple could do that in the future.

Anybody has experience with Mattcard?

I have the same question. When the macOS installer updates the firmware, does the update get flashed to the MattCard? That might make patching the firmware a lot easier: Read the updated firmware from the MattCard, patch and rewrite the patched firmware to the MattCard without another machine. Clearly, it has been a while since I looked in 2018: I see that the MattCard folks have updated their webpage and clarify the operations of the card.

 

[otosan]

Hi all, I just stumbled on to this thread and have a question: I have a late 2013 rMBP. I'm thinking of getting an OWC Aura Pro X2 (probably the 2 TB one). I've heard that the late 2013 rMBP has hibernation issues with 3rd party SSDs. I tried reading this thread, but it's a little too much for me to go through. Can someone give me quick & easy instructions on how to get around the hibernation issues permanently? Sorry for being lazy, but I'm not really interested in going through 297 pages.

OWC is expensive and has lil to none benefit compared to other NVME+Adapter option.

as for hibernation, just enter this command in terminal :

sudo pset -a hibernatemode 0 autopoweroff 0 standby 0 darkwakes 0

and if you need to leave your macbook for long time just close the lid, or set a shortcut to turn off display. or even better, just save your work and shut down the mac. It take less than 60 seconds to boot it and use it back, so unless you only leave it for 5 minutes, then better turn it off.

 

[pimu96]

Yes, every time the system firmware is updated by the macOS installer, you will need to patch the firmware with the updated NVMe driver again. I find that almost all releases of macOS include a new EFI firmware, even for the 2013 MBP and the 2014 MBA that I have access to.


These could probably use some clarification... The first bullet means that you are in violation of the Apple EULA when backing up and patching your MacBook’s firmware, this is probably meant as a deterrent to commercial Mac clones but applies to our situation here as well. Second bullet group is just to say that macOS (and Apple) can detect a patched firmware easily in software (presumably for security reasons); and while this has not prevented any macOS updates for me yet on my 2013 MBP, Apple could do that in the future.

Hi @Cmd+Q,
Thanks for your reply (at first I could not believe the writer of the "all-in-one guide" was answering my post).

Everything is more clear now, particularly my doubt about macOS upgrades and the Notes of your guide.

In relation to the Mattcard issue, I think I will buy one just to test the performance and publish my experience.

I have not upgraded my MBPmid2014 yet because at first I was hoping to be one of those privileged 2013-14MBP users who (I don't know why) have not experienced the deep sleep. Otherwise, after seeing any problem I would try to implement any of this thread's solutions. However, I changed my mind and even though I have not performed the upgrade yet I will buy the Mattcard and later on maybe try to implement your solution of patching the original BootRom, just to learn more about the internals of Apple.

I have the same question. When the macOS installer updates the firmware, does the update get flashed to the MattCard? That might make patching the firmware a lot easier: Read the updated firmware from the MattCard, patch and rewrite the patched firmware to the MattCard without another machine.

In connection with this, what do you mean "does the update get flashed to the MattCard?". As far as I understand, do you say that maybe when I will install Big Sur (or any other upgrade), the firmware of the Mattcard is overwritten and my at-the-beginning-well-spent-65€ are thrown away? I would like to believe that the Mattcard firmware is only readable (maybe I am just saying nonsense).

 

[adenbeckitt]

I upgraded to a 3rd party NVME drive last night on an early 2015 13" pro. I opened the MacBook today to a flashing folder with a question mark. Turning off that Mac and back on worked, but I'm wondering why that happened? My thoughts are that its related to hibernation, but the 2015 doesn't have a problem with that, right?