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

[nigelbb]

How has your battery life been with the Sabrent Rocket?

It was OK. It's a new to me 2015 MBP 11,4 & the battery is in much better condition than the other two 2014 MBPs that I have. I was getting about 3 hours use in general email & web browsing. I was using ssdpmEnabler.

I have now swapped out the Sabrent Rocket for a 2TB Apple Polaris SSD that I was using in one of the 2014 MBPs. The peak performance of the Polaris isn't as high as the Sabrent Rocket but the write performance is sustained at around 2200MB/s & read performance is sustained at around 2500MB/s. The Sabrent Rocket peaked at about 2600MB/s but write performance dropped down to about 1200MB/s after 5-6 runs of Black Magic Disk Speed Test. It makes a big difference to use the Polaris in the 2015 MBP as in the 2014 MBP read & write performance was literally about half what I now get.

 

[Rimmsi]

It was OK. It's a new to me 2015 MBP 11,4 & the battery is in much better condition than the other two 2014 MBPs that I have. I was getting about 3 hours use in general email & web browsing. I was using ssdpmEnabler.

Has battery life changed after replacing with Aplle SSD?

 

[nigelbb]

Has battery life changed after replacing with Aplle SSD?

Today is the first morning I have been using the MBP since I replaced the Sabrent Rocket with the Polaris. I have iStat Menus installed & it tells me that my battery has 7 hours 8 minutes left. I am still using ssdpmEnabler & see 0.03-0.05 A while idling.

 

[nigelbb]

Has battery life changed after replacing with Aplle SSD?

Just a bit! I never saw more than 3 hours of battery life with the Sabrent Rocket 2TB SSD. Maybe not the 7 hours left I saw indicated yesterday but I have twice only needed to recharge after over 5 hours of use with the Apple Polaris 2TB SSD.

 

[dbgt]

I thought the small one was the one to get from the standpoint of both being more adaptable to SSDs that are two-sided, and also from a heat standpoint (?).

As far as I know its the opposite, the long one can function as a heatsink also and make the ssd run cooler, also its more stable. Two sided ssds can be a problem though, but still, i have seen people installing 2 sided ssds using the long adapter, and the ssd i will install is one sided also.

I don't know the difference between the two, but I can tell you the long black one(or either for that matter) is not suited for MacBook Airs... I have 2015 MBA and I got the black one first. It did work, BUT the case bottom was pressing down quite hard on the SSD when installed. I got the Sintech short one after that.

Yes, I have read that. I will use it in a macbook pro 15" late 2013, there is no problem using a long adapter with this model.

 

[EugW]

Kingstons have always had <neutral>, unwritten support for Macs when it comes to RAM upgrades, so I guess they are continuing the tradition with SSDs.

I just wish the A2000 has a 2TB variant.

FWIW, Kingston has a lower end DRAM-less model called the Kingston NV1 which has a 2 TB capacity option. Here are the official specs:

SSDs - Solid State Drives as a hard drive replacement for desktop PCs, laptops and servers - Kingston Technology

SSDs can extend the lifecycle and dramatically improve the performance of a PC with higher speeds, greater durability and legendary Kingston reliability.

www.kingston.com

250GB: 5mW Idle / 85.5mW Avg / 0.99W (MAX) Read / 1.5W (MAX) Write
500GB: 5mW Idle / 205mW Avg / 1.1W (MAX) Read / 3.3W (MAX) Write
1000GB: 5mW Idle / 220mW Avg / 1.1W (MAX) Read / 3.3W (MAX) Write
2000GB: 5mW Idle / 340mW Avg / 1.1W (MAX) Read / 3.3W (MAX) Write

They don't provide info on the controller and NAND type, apparently because they will mix and match. However, they do use Phison E13T and Silicon Motion SM2263XT. Phison E13T is what the very low power Crucial P2 uses.

Kingston Introduces NV1 Entry-Level NVMe SSD

www.anandtech.com

Tom's says the SM2263XT can't scale to 2 TB, so the 2 TB model may be Phison E13T.

Silicon Motion SM2263XT HMB SSD Preview

Today we take an early look at a DRAM-less SSD that is faster than nearly all other SSDs shipping today. Yes, DRAM-less!

www.tomshardware.com

Mind you, you could always just get the Crucial P2, which also scales up to 2 TB. However, locally here the Kingston NV1 is significantly cheaper than the Crucial P2. This may be because the Crucial P2 may use TLC whereas the NV1 may use QLC.

 

[EugW]

Today I installed my used SSUBX 256 GB OEM Apple/Samsung SSD in my 2015 MacBook Pro 13". There was a fair amount of wear on it, but given the lifespan of these drives, I'm OK with it, as it still has almost 200 TB of TBW left. In contrast, my previous 128 GB drive was barely used at just 4 TB.

As we already knew, the read speeds of the two drives are similar, but the writes are much better on the 256 GB. In general OS navigation and basic usage though, I don't notice much difference.

BTW, I used SuperDuper! to clone my 128 GB SSD to an external hard drive and confirmed that the clone booted up fine. After I installed the 256 GB SSD, I used SuperDuper! again to clone from the external drive back to the SSD, but it didn't work. I just got the flashing ?folder icon at boot. So, I did a clean install of Monterey instead.

Also, I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I couldn't install from the Time Machine backup. When I did the migration, I just got the general data. Do I have to create the user accounts again manually, and then log into each account and then that data will transfer over? Because without doing that, Migration Assistant didn't give me the option to copy the user accounts info over. They weren't even listed as being in the backup. Note that these are HFS+ Time Machine backups on a hard drive attached to my AirPort Extreme. (For my APFS Time Machine backups on physically attached drives on my desktops, they seem to work fine.)

 

[Kaida]

after the clone and swapping back, use option key at startup to see the new drive, then use ctrl+enter to setup the default boot drive to the cloned ssd.

 

[EugW]

after the clone and swapping back, use option key at startup to see the new drive, then use ctrl+enter to setup the default boot drive to the cloned ssd.

Hmmm... I've never had to do this before. I thought macOS automatically will search for bootable drives. Is this flashing ?folder behavior after cloning specific to Apple's internal blade SSDs?

BTW, I had started a new thread on this here:

Is it possible to clone an external bootable backup of Monterey back to an internal OEM SSD? Didn't work for me. Also, Time Machine issues.

Hi there. I had a 2015 MacBook Pro with OEM 128 GB SSUBX Apple/Samsung SSD. I found an OEM 256 GB Apple/Samsung SSUBX SSD for a reasonable price so I decided to do the upgrade. (These are both drives native to this Mac model, and both were included with machines sold at retail from Apple. My 256...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[Packrule]

Hey folks, great thread and information. I didn't read all 396 pages but did read the early pages and some of the last. A couple years ago I used this site to successfully put a new NVME card into a 2014 mac mini. Has been ok ever since although we use it for streaming really only as it's got 4gb ram.

With that said my wife is a photographer and edits all her photos on a 2015 MBP she picked up from apple refurb in 2017. She loves it, great pc for her. Batteries though swelled recently and we were not on apples recall list go figure. So we had to get a local due to do it. All good did that a month ago and was working good. Then 2 days ago the rig froze and then black screen of death. Tried restarting and such and no disk available to boot from. Tried a number of times, took it back to the same local fella who has a very solid rep here for working on macs. He says the SDD has failed Oh how happy this day is.

So wife has everything backed up on the cloud and also thinks she has a time machine done too on a separate drive.

With that all said we're waiting for buddy to advise his cost to replace the drive. If it's fair I'll leave him do it. If not i plan to do it myself. I can get the MBP's info if anyone requires to advice. It's an early 2015 MBP 15 inch.
16gb ram I don't have the serial number i have if needed.

Should I even bother with him or just do it myself as it's pretty simple for the most part from what I see. I just need the right card and the adapter?
If someone can advise what card works best i used a kingston in my mac mino and would likely get another as it's about 115.00 here in Canada for the card. Adapter is cheap I would order now.

i'm unsure about putting the OS back on but I'm sure I can figure that out once install and format. Model is a1398,

Suggestions on the type of card for this rig?
which adapter the short or long one?
getting OS back on?

Anything else I'm missing if i tackle myself?

 

[EugW]

Anything else I'm missing if i tackle myself?

The actual physical drive install is dead simple. It's even easier than for the 2014 Mac mini. Just make sure you have a bootable copy of the Monterey installer on a USB stick in advance.

However, there are other problems to worry about. A lot of the third party SSDs use too much power, which will significantly decrease battery life. There are kernel extensions out there that can mitigate this, but they can introduce their own problems. With a Mac mini the power consumption is not a consideration since it's a desktop, always plugged in. For example, I put a Western Digital SN550 in my 2014 Mac mini with good results, but I wouldn't put that in my 2015 MacBook Pro.

Check the first page for a list of tested drives. I personally just went with another Apple OEM drive for the 2015 MacBook Pro, but they are more expensive, and they are used. The one I got had already 1/3rd of its life used, but that means it has 67% of its life still available, which should be fine for this machine since I anticipate low SSD writes on it.

 

[Packrule]

The actual physical drive install is dead simple. Just make sure you have a bootable copy of the Monterey installer on a USB stick in advance.

However, there are other problems to worry about. A lot of the third party SSDs use too much power, which will significantly decrease battery life. There are kernel extensions out there that can mitigate this, but they can introduce their own problems. With a Mac mini the power consumption is not a consideration since it's a desktop, always plugged in. For example, I put a Western Digital SN550 in my 2014 Mac mini with good results, but I wouldn't put that in my 2015 MacBook Pro.

Check the first page for a list of tested drives. I personally just went with another Apple OEM drive for the 2015 MacBook Pro, but they are more expensive, and they are used. The one I got had already 1/3rd of its life used, but that means it has 67% of its life still available, which should be fine for this machine since I anticipate low SSD writes on it.

Thanks Eug. I will review the tested drives. Wife keeps the unit plugged in most times and doesn't runt he battery down but better consumption would be good.

 

[EugW]

Thanks Eug. I will review the tested drives. Wife keeps the unit plugged in most times and doesn't runt he battery down but better consumption would be good.

What size drive are you looking for? I'm also in Canada, and getting used Apple OEM drives for a good price in Canada can be somewhat hit-and-miss but deals are available. As for third party drives, some have been recommending the SK Hynix Gold P31 for its high speed and low power consumption, but they are expensive in Canada. However, if she uses it heavily for work and needs a lot of storage, then it makes sense to spend a bit more. I haven't personally used that drive though.

The Crucial P2 seems to be the low power consumption and low cost choice, but it's comparatively slow. One person has reported instability with it too, but others have had good results with it.

 

[Packrule]

What size drive are you looking for? I'm also in Canada, and getting used Apple OEM drives for a good price in Canada can be somewhat hit-and-miss but deals are available. As for third party drives, some have been recommending the SK Hynix Gold P31 for its high speed and low power consumption, but they are expensive in Canada. However, if she uses it heavily for work and needs a lot of storage, then it makes sense to spend a bit more. I haven't personally used that drive though.

The Crucial P2 seems to be the low power consumption and low cost choice, but it's comparatively slow. One person has reported instability with it too, but others have had good results with it.

Only had a 512 OEM driver so likely that or a TB nothing more as she backs up everything daily on our icloud so we have 2tb there no point in going too large really. Just pissed this drive failed we've had it happen in the past sure some heavy use but sheesh.

I was thinking the Kingston as they have good reviews. I want stable that's the biggest thing. We're in Saskatoon so are you getting the apple ssd's off ebay?

 

[EugW]

Only had a 512 OEM driver so likely that or a TB nothing more as she backs up everything daily on our icloud so we have 2tb there no point in going too large really. Just pissed this drive failed we've had it happen in the past sure some heavy use but sheesh.

I was thinking the Kingston as they have good reviews. I want stable that's the biggest thing. We're in Saskatoon so are you getting the apple ssd's off ebay?

Someone here is using the Kingston A2000 with good results. However, I think he was using a kext as well with it. There is also the budget Kingston NV1 which is slower but also cheaper. I don't know if anyone has tried it in a MacBook Pro. I may pick one up for an external drive, but if I do, I might put it in a Mac to see how it performs just out of interest's sake.

I bought my used Apple drive off eBay from a Quebec seller. (Shipping and import fees are sometimes high from the US.) If you do get an Apple OEM one, then I would recommend an SSUBX model. The older SSUAX models will work, but they are slower. Don't be fooled by the Chinese knockoffs, which will show up when you search eBay for these drives. They are sold as "Brand New" with off-brand labeling, and basically are low end drives built to fit the Apple connector. OTOH, the real Apple OEM drives often have a lot of wear.

 

[Packrule]

Someone here is using the Kingston A2000 with good results. However, I think he was using a kext as well with it. There is also the budget Kingston NV1 which is slower but also cheaper. I don't know if anyone has tried it in a MacBook Pro. I may pick one up for an external drive, but if I do, I might put it in a Mac to see how it performs just out of interest's sake.

I bought my used Apple drive off eBay from a Quebec seller. (Shipping and import fees are sometimes high from the US.) If you do get an Apple OEM one, then I would recommend an SSUBX model. The older SSUAX models will work, but they are slower. Don't be fooled by the Chinese knockoffs, which will show up when you search eBay for these drives. They are sold as "Brand New" with off-brand labeling, and basically are low end drives built to fit the Apple connector. OTOH, the real Apple OEM drives often have a lot of wear.

Thanks for the info on this.
dumb question........what is kext?

 

[EugW]

Thanks for the info on this.
dumb question........what is kext?

kernel extension - essentially a driver for macOS. There are third-party kexts out there that will enable some of the low power features of these non-OEM Apple SSDs, but they can sometimes introduce other problems.

 

[Packrule]

kernel extension - essentially a driver for macOS. There are third-party kexts out there that will enable some of the low power features of these non-OEM Apple SSDs, but they can sometimes introduce other problems.

Ok thanks for explaining that to me. still ab it french but all good.

With that said the repair guy has a OEM in stock 1TB offering my wife 550.00 cdn installed I know it's an easy install and I know I can do it cheaper but she's worried about how long it takes the adapter to get here from Sintech she wants to be working again on it right away.

Asking repair guy to do a better price: will see what he says.

 

[EugW]

Ok thanks for explaining that to me. still ab it french but all good.

With that said the repair guy has a OEM in stock 1TB offering my wife 550.00 cdn installed I know it's an easy install and I know I can do it cheaper but she's worried about how long it takes the adapter to get here from Sintech she wants to be working again on it right away.

Asking repair guy to do a better price: will see what he says.

That's very expensive, unless it's a brand new SSUBX. You can get a used SSUAX 1 TB on eBay from a Canadian seller for less than half that.

 

[Packrule]

That's very expensive, unless it's a new one. You can get the used SSUAX 1 TB on eBay from a Canadian seller for less than half that.

I agree the only snag is time is not on our side. Wifey has images she wants to finish for work. This is her only rig for work. With the holiday season shipping is a mess too. I"m kinda stuck I'd like to do it myself but worried about timeline.

 

[olfo]

Hey, thread veteran with a Crucial P2 from May 2021 chiming in here. Hope I can help a little. I think the Corsair MP510 is underestimated and well worth a look. Page 1 offers a great overview of SSDs, and is still quite up to date.
Another resource is the website for ssdPmenabler, one of the mentioned kexts, which allows for a good idle power saving.
It has an install guide and FAQs as well.

GitHub - kvic-z/SsdPmEnabler

Contribute to kvic-z/SsdPmEnabler development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

You don't need to install this kext right away, it just helps saving battery power.
As an adapter, just get a short adapter that looks most similar to the Sintech and has many good reviews.
But if the Sintech is available fast, spend the extra bucks and get that.
Just buy everything on Amazon and you'll be up and running within 48 hours at best.
You didn't mention your MacOS version, I hope it is not the very latest, which I would never rely on for time critical work.
But you do need a MacOS like Mojave or later, to avoid some sleep trouble.
Good night and good luck!

Correction: I meant MacOS Mojave but erratically I wrote Monterey.

 

[EugW]

The image on the first page says that the MZ-JPV5120/A04 512 GB SSUBX Apple OEM SSD with BXW1SA0Q firmware uses 0.4 W at idle. I don't think this is correct.

I booted off my external hard drive and installed iStat Menus. According to that I'm getting 0.01 A at idle for the internal SSD. That suggests 0.03 W at idle. Actually, it was 0.00 A initially presumably because it wasn't being used at all initially, since it wasn't the boot drive.

Mine is is the MZ-JPV2560/A04 256 GB SSUBX Apple OEM SSD with BXW1PA0Q firmware. I believe this is an earlier firmware, since this drive was manufactured 2015-03. My other MZ-JPV1280/A04 128 GB SSUBX Apple OEM SSD was manufactured 2016-04 and has the BXW1SA0Q firmware. I don't see a firmware updater for SSDs on this Mac on Apple's website. There is a firmware updater for the 15" model though.

MacBook Pro Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.0 - Apple Support (CA)

This update is recommended for MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, mid 2015) models. This update addresses a storage firmware issue that, in rare cases, may cause data corruption.

support.apple.com

I copied Google Chrome from the internal SSD to the external hard drive, and the power usage jumped to 0.083 A, which suggests a 0.3 Watt read. I then copied iMovie (which is a much larger program) from the internal SSD to the external hard drive, and the power usage jumped to 0.45 A, which suggests 1.5 W read (although my external hard drive is much slower than the SSD of course). After the copy was finished, it dropped back down to 0.01 A. Interestingly, I could not do a write test on the SSD, because when I boot off the external hard drive, the internal SSD is read-only.

Machine is an early 2015 13" MacBook Pro with Monterey 12.1 installed.

tl;dr:

Apple OEM SSUBX 256 GB SSD in 2015 MacBook Pro was 0.01 A (0.03 W) at idle, and spiked to 0.45 A (1.5 W) for read (although the read power consumption may be limited by the slowness of my external hard drive). This disagrees with the data on the first page by an order of magnitude.

 

[xanderx007]

Someone here is using the Kingston A2000 with good results. However, I think he was using a kext as well with it. There is also the budget Kingston NV1 which is slower but also cheaper. I don't know if anyone has tried it in a MacBook Pro. I may pick one up for an external drive, but if I do, I might put it in a Mac to see how it performs just out of interest's sake.

I'm using the A2000 without any kexts, since it doesn't really need one.

 

[Brondi]

Hi all!

I have an MBP Retina Mid 2015 15’’ ( MacBookPro11,4) with Boot ROM Version: 428.40.10.0.0. From what I had understand I should buy an Sintech adapter If I want to buy a normal M2 NMVe SSD, it is correct?

Up to now I had the original SSD 256 and to be honest I didn’t know how fast it is, so my question is the following: since I much care about power efficiency, from the graph in the first page, Curcial P2 should be a good compromise between power efficiency and read/write performance, it is right?

I didn’t play any games, neither mount videos nor edit photo (just to say that I don’t care about P5 performance for example).

Thanks to all in advance.

 

[kvic]

I'm using the A2000 without any kexts, since it doesn't really need one.

Hi,

It's not that your A2000 not requiring kexts. It's you _chose_ not to reduce idle power consumption further by installing kexts. These are two totally _different_ concepts. I hope people will stop false claim like this as like I pointed out to another individual poster earlier.

Pay some tribute to people before you spending many years and trying to lower power consumption with different methods. It's not the m.2 SSD vendors who take care of your use case in Mac's magically.