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

[trifero]

Hey Guys,
Could you please help me to find in amazon enclosure for my old NMVE ssd from my mac mid 2015?
After I upgraded to a new drive i would like to use the old drive as external drive.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804359959072.html

 

[otosan]

I tested the ssd with a program.
are these values okay?

Those values are okay.

About the kext, all those three are one come with the OS itself, and normally do no harm,
but in a case where we are using 3rd party storage, sometimes those kext causing issue,

one time my system wrongly detect and think that i have RAID configuration.

so normally, i delete all those three kext, and rebuild the kextcache (sudo kextcache -i / )

it does no harm for you to run first aid from recovery as well, i guess

 

[matadores]

Hello
I need help from you
I have mac Mid 2014

with El capitan

2,6 GHz Intel Core i5

8 GB DDR3 a 1600 MHz
Intel Iris 1536 MB

I want to update the ssd and i don't know if possibile also the ram but i think no

Can you give me exact what i have do doing for update the ssd i mean which ssd and adapter i can buy for have no future problem

Thank you

 

[Charbs20]

Hey guys,

We switched from the Sabrent Rocket (dark blue) 1TB NVME SSD to using the SK Hynix P31 Gold. A few hundred Macs have been sold with the Sabrent Rocket SSD with 0 issues in the past 12 months. Hoping the SK Hynix P31 Gold can offer the same stability.

You can update the firmware on the P31 Gold using a MacBook Pro. We used a 15" MacBook Pro Mid 2015. We installed the latest version of Big Sur, then downloaded the Windows 10 iso from the Microsoft website. Installed Windows To Go on an external SSD, then copied the Boot Camp drivers onto the drive.

Shut down the Mac. Swapped out the internal SSD with the SK Hynix P31 Gold SSD + Sintech Short adapter and booted it up from the external windows to go SSD.

Downloaded the Hynix firmware update tool and the new update.

Applied and activated the updates and now we're on the latest firmware. So far it's got better write and read speeds than the Sabrent Rocket. (2500 write / 2100 read vs 1800 write / 2200 read).

Looking forward to seeing the nice boost in performance with it.

Do the new Hynix drives come with a newer firmware that doesn’t need to be upgraded? Can I skip that firmware upgrade step if I grab the P31 off Amazon?

SK hynix Gold P31 500GB PCIe NVMe Gen3 M.2 2280 Internal SSD | Up to 3500MB/S | Compact M.2 SSD Form Factor SK hynix SSD | Internal Solid State Drive with 128-Layer NAND Flash https://www.amazon.ca/SK-hynix-Gold-500GB-Internal/dp/B08DK2FB7G

 

[trifero]

Hello
I need help from you
I have mac Mid 2014

with El capitan

2,6 GHz Intel Core i5

8 GB DDR3 a 1600 MHz
Intel Iris 1536 MB

I want to update the ssd and i don't know if possibile also the ram but i think no

Can you give me exact what i have do doing for update the ssd i mean which ssd and adapter i can buy for have no future problem

Thank you

#1

 

[otosan]

Hello
I need help from you
I have mac Mid 2014

with El capitan

2,6 GHz Intel Core i5

8 GB DDR3 a 1600 MHz
Intel Iris 1536 MB

I want to update the ssd and i don't know if possibile also the ram but i think no

Can you give me exact what i have do doing for update the ssd i mean which ssd and adapter i can buy for have no future problem

Thank you

First thing first.

Update your OS to BigSur, so your bootrom updated

then continue by reading first post in this thread.

 

[MowgliWolf]

Thought I’d toss my two cents in here. I’ve got a MacBook Pro, late 2015 DG, 2.5Ghz with a Gigabyte 1TB (GSM2ME3100TNTD) and Monterey 12.6. Worked like a dream on Big Sur 20 odd seconds to boot but Monterey is around 3 minutes.

Can any of you lovely people help me shed some light on this? I’m sure I can provide required info etc

 

[trifero]

First thing first.

Update your OS to BigSur, so your bootrom updated

then continue by reading first post in this thread.

That´s clearly explained in first post.

 

[MowgliWolf]

That´s clearly explained in first post.

If you’re referring to me, I updated from Big Sur to Monterey on the original blade SSD, then updated my aftermarket SSD to Monterey, since then boot times are getting longer by increments

 

[balsagoth007]

Is there any updated solution on Bsod and freezing on windows using sintech and samsung nvme 970 evo plus? I have tried everything but no luck.

 

[macpro_mid2014]

Is there any updated solution on Bsod and freezing on windows using sintech and samsung nvme 970 evo plus? I have tried everything but no luck.

Isn't this SSD the one which requires a firmware update to work in macOS?

 

[balsagoth007]

Isn't this SSD the one which requires a firmware update to work in macOS?

Yes it is

 

[CatNinja27]

First, thanks for your contribution.

I had previously done the nvme upgrade a few years back for my 2015 15". At that time, I didn't have to do any other mod/flashing besides simply using the adapter and new disk.

I had since upgraded to the 2020 m1 air, and sold my classic 2015 15."

Recently I wanted to switch back and bought a used 2015 15" and upgraded the SSD. Unlike the previous exp, this time I loaded Monterey, I got the MMIO standby reboot issue repeatedly.

I've followed your guide and to do the OCLP update. Looks like the latest version only has the GUI version, but based on your detailed CL instructions, it was easy to do the same with the GUI ver.

So far things seem ok. Im also going to try AlDente to limit power charging as I typically always keep the Mac plugged in and full. Will be nice to leave the battery with some headroom.

As your post is a bit older, besides the OCLP update, have you make any other changes to your system regarding the nvme upgrade and stability?

Before reading your post I was just about to give up and reinstall the original/slow/small 256gb drive. Thanks again for your work, and sharing! *fingers crossed I don't get the standby issue again*

BTW Here's the error I was getting:
View attachment 2087674

And here is my current speed using 2015 15" with a silicon power nvme:
View attachment 2087677

@paultman Glad that NVMeFix is working out for you. As for your question about other changes and stability issues:

1. Unfortunately, the 'Lost of MMIO space' panic still happens for me, but maybe about once a month or so. I have a feeling that we cannot completely eliminate this, but just reduce it by following all the recommendations.
2. Another other fix that seems to help is make sure that the adapter is seated properly and not stressed. I had the long Sintech adapter and had to bend it ever so slightly to get it to fit, and there were a lot posts about that causing issues. I trimmed it slightly around the screw hole (there were no traces around it), and it now sits flat with no stress on the board. The panics reduced from about once a week to once a month. This obviously only applies if you have a long adapter, but even if you have a short adapter, I would make sure it's seated squarely and well supported.
3. Try Turbo Boost Switcher. My macbook pro would overheat regularly until I disabled turbo boost, and that may have contributed to the NVMe panics.
4. As you already found out, OCLP is the easiest way to install Open Core/Lilu/NVMeFix, but it picks what it thinks is best kexts for your model, and you can't change it. Extensions that were automatically installed that caused me issues were:
a. AirportBrcmFixup.kext - this is not needed for the MacbookPro 15" mid-2015 as the wifi is natively supported. My wifi was hanging periodically when on battery until I disabled it.
b. FeatureUnlock.kext - this enables Sidecare, NightShift, AirPlay to Mac, Universal Control. I don't use them, but they still caused random panics and hangs until I disabled it.

To modify Open Core outside of OCLP is not trivial, requiring you to mount the EFI partition, copy drivers/kexts over, and modify the OC config.plist. Fortunately, I found a tool called OpenCore-Configurator that automates most of this.

1. Download the latest (2.62.1.0 as of right now) OpenCore-Configurator from Mackie100Projects.
2. Unzip, drag it to /Applications and run it.
3. On menu bar, click 'Tools -> Mount EFI', then pick your EFI partition and click 'Mount Partition'.
4. On menu bar, click 'File -> Open', then navigate to 'EFI partition -> EFI/OC/config.plist'.
5. On side bar, click 'Kernel', this will show you the kexts installed.
6. You can disable individual kexts by unchecking 'Enabled' on the right side.
7. You can also add, remove or update kexts by clicking 'Download/Update kexts'. Use this if you want to remove instead of disable the unnecessary kexts. You can also use this to upgrade Lilu or NVMeFix to the latest version without re-running OCLP.
8. On menu bar, click 'File -> Save' to save your changes to config.plist
9. On menu bar, click 'Tools -> Mount EFI', then pick your EFI partition and click 'unMount Partition'.
10. On menu bar, click 'Quit OpenCore Configurator'.
11. You're done! Reboot to pick up your changes.

Hope this helps.

 

[duncho]

Anyone experienced unsteady speeds on upgraded SSD on MBA 2017?

My Macbook information:

Model Name: MacBook Air​

Model Identifier: MacBookAir7,2​

Processor Name: Dual-Core Intel Core i5​

Processor Speed: 1,8 GHz​

Number of Processors: 1​

Total Number of Cores: 2​

L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB​

L3 Cache: 3 MB​

Hyper-Threading Technology: Enabled​

Memory: 8 GB​

System Firmware Version: 430.140.3.0.0​

OS Loader Version: 540.120.3~22​

SMC Version (system): 2.27f2​

My NGFF M.2 NVMe SSD Adaptor: https://amzn.eu/d/jjV8b5u

My SSD information: https://amzn.eu/d/jbllOXM

Device Name: CT1000P2SSD8​

Media Name: AppleAPFSMedia​

Medium Type: SSD​

Protocol: PCI-Express​

Internal: Yes​

Partition Map Type: Unknown​

SMART Status: Verified​

Capacity: 1 TB (1 000 204 886 016 bytes)​

TRIM Support: Yes​

Model: CT1000P2SSD8​

Revision: P2CR033​

Serial Number: 2132E5C09313​

Link Width: x4​

Link Speed: 5.0 GT/s​

Detachable Drive: No​

BSD Name: disk0​

Partition Map Type: GPT (GUID Partition Table)​

Removable Media: No​

SMART status: Verified​

​

When I measure the SSD speed, the 1st measure shows 1.2 GBps read/write, but 2nd or later measures drop down the speed to 60 MBps write and 600 MBps read. I measure with 5 GB file size.

I have fresh MacOS Monterey installation from flash drive, no backup restore.
Many thanks in advance for your ideas / help.

 

[macpro_mid2014]

Unfortunately, there is no cure for the QLC P2. It is horrible in terms of sustained read/write speeds. On the same link you sent, there is a Samsung 980 (1TB) for the same price. If battery life is not very important for you, I would switch to Samsung.
Moreover, there is the SK Hynix gold p31 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD which some people here used and loved and which I would recommend instead.

 

[duncho]

Unfortunately, there is no cure for the QLC P2. It is horrible in terms of sustained read/write speeds. On the same link you sent, there is a Samsung 980 (1TB) for the same price. If battery life is not very important for you, I would switch to Samsung.
Moreover, there is the SK Hynix gold p31 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD which some people here used and loved and which I would recommend instead.

Many thanks for your swift response. Do you think that this is the QLC P2 issue?
Is QLC P1 https://amzn.eu/d/0d971Cp better and more stable option?

I search for the most power efficient and stable SSD and if the above QLC P1 is the one, I would go for it.
Please kindly confirm.

UPDATE 3hrs later: I found this article which explains why QLC P2 is slowing down: https://www.tomshardware.com/features/crucial-p2-ssd-qlc-flash-swap-downgrade

 

[vince22]

Hi everyone,
Macos Ventura RC2 and OCLP 0.50n smooth upgrade from Monterey 12.6.1 with my unsupported 2015 13"MBP (12,1), to my surprised OCLP NVMe power management with default kext loaded works very well, iStat taken during idle only, Hynix P31 1TB installed. This will be my daily driver for now, together with IOS 16.1.

 

[Jack Neill]

Hi everyone,
Macos Ventura RC2 and OCLP 0.50n smooth upgrade from Monterey 12.1 with my unsupported 2015 13"MBP (12,1), to my surprised OCLP NVMe power management with default kext loaded works very well, iStat taken during idle only, Hynix P31 1TB installed. This will be my daily driver for now, together with IOS 16.1.

View attachment 2100505

I am going to give this a go! Thanks!

 

[macpro_mid2014]

Many thanks for your swift response. Do you think that this is the QLC P2 issue?
Is QLC P1 https://amzn.eu/d/0d971Cp better and more stable option?

I search for the most power efficient and stable SSD and if the above QLC P1 is the one, I would go for it.
Please kindly confirm.

UPDATE 3hrs later: I found this article which explains why QLC P2 is slowing down: https://www.tomshardware.com/features/crucial-p2-ssd-qlc-flash-swap-downgrade

The P1 was very reliable in terms of speed and power consumption. But that was a couple of years ago and some users in this thread adopted it.

I don't know if the version they still sell today is the same thing from two years ago, though.
I'd tested the Silicon Power A80 1Tb which I had around 0.19A in idle without any Kext but because of capacity, I switched to the WD SN550 Blue (2Tb) a while ago.

I've been using the WD SN550 Blue since last year. I had around 0.31A in idle without Kext and now, with Ventura and OCLP which added Lilu + NVMeFix Kexts, I have around 0.15A of power drain in idle.
Because I keep my MBP plugged in the whole time, power consumption is not an issue for me.

 

[trifero]

Many thanks for your swift response. Do you think that this is the QLC P2 issue?
Is QLC P1 https://amzn.eu/d/0d971Cp better and more stable option?

I search for the most power efficient and stable SSD and if the above QLC P1 is the one, I would go for it.
Please kindly confirm.

UPDATE 3hrs later: I found this article which explains why QLC P2 is slowing down: https://www.tomshardware.com/features/crucial-p2-ssd-qlc-flash-swap-downgrade

It´s absolutely incredible that laws allow this. Companys delivers a new Nvme, with good hardware, billiant specs. They get good reviews. Next, they deliver garbage with the same name.

 

[Brad_C]

Many thanks for your swift response. Do you think that this is the QLC P2 issue?

UPDATE 3hrs later: I found this article which explains why QLC P2 is slowing down: https://www.tomshardware.com/features/crucial-p2-ssd-qlc-flash-swap-downgrade

I got caught with that. By the time my 1TB P2 had >6000h under it's belt it was woeful. Far worse than the original Apple 256GB drive it replaced. Replaced it with a 2TB P31 Gold and haven't looked back. It only has ~3600h on the clock at this point, but it's still as fast as when it was installed.

 

[duncho]

The P1 was very reliable in terms of speed and power consumption. But that was a couple of years ago and some users in this thread adopted it.

I don't know if the version they still sell today is the same thing from two years ago, though.
I'd tested the Silicon Power A80 1Tb which I had around 0.19A in idle without any Kext but because of capacity, I switched to the WD SN550 Blue (2Tb) a while ago.

I've been using the WD SN550 Blue since last year. I had around 0.31A in idle without Kext and now, with Ventura and OCLP which added Lilu + NVMeFix Kexts, I have around 0.15A of power drain in idle.
Because I keep my MBP plugged in the whole time, power consumption is not an issue for me.

Interesting thing happened to me... As soon as I noticed that QLC P2 has an issue, I wrote review on Amazon and requested refund. Crucial asked me if I would like to try another drive and I agreed. Just arrived 2 hours ago, I installed it in my MBA 2017 with Monterey and guess what? This drive works like a charm!!! I let it stress test for about 30 min and the speed didn't drop below 1.2GBps! I compared the drives and the one that works has a newer firmware on it P2CR048, the faulty one has firmware P2CR033, see attached photos!

My conclusion is that it might be a matter of QLC P2 firmware, not necessarily a hardware issue!

 

[duncho]

I'd tested the Silicon Power A80 1Tb which I had around 0.19A in idle without any Kext but because of capacity.
I've been using the WD SN550 Blue since last year. I had around 0.31A in idle without Kext and now, with Ventura and OCLP which added Lilu + NVMeFix Kexts, I have around 0.15A of power drain in idle.

Could you please advise how to measure SSD drain current? I'd post the values from my drive here. Thank you in advance

 

[macpro_mid2014]

Could you please advise how to measure SSD drain current? I'd post the values from my drive here. Thank you in advance

I use iStats Menu (https://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/).

 

[duncho]

Sad update, as soon as I encrypted data on the drive, the problem with slow speed re-occurred.
Has anyone else the same problem when APFS is encrypted?