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

[macpro_mid2014]

Hello guys!

I have a Macbook pro mid 2014 15" (MacBookPro11,2) with 256GB stock SSD.

I want to upgrade this SSD to at least 1TB.

What SSD do you guys recommend that is compatible, trustworthy plug and play ?

I have only found this:

SSD Upgrades for 2013, 2014, and 2015 MacBook Pro

Upgrade the SSD of any 2013-2015 MacBook Pro for up to 16x the capacity of the original factory drive. Kit includes all tools needed for DIY installation.

eshop.macsales.com

Thank you!!

The last two to three pages bring some recommendations.
My preferences:
SK Hynix Gold P31
WDSN570
SX8200

 

[ItsHal]

Hello Everyone,
I am planning to upgrade my MacBook Pro Retina mid 2014 (11,2) with
Crucial P3 Plus 1TB
WDSN570
I chose the above as they r cheaper than SK Hynix Gold P31

please recommend
Thank you
GSB

I'm going for the Kioxia EXCERIA NVMe SSD 1TB has Dram on board

 

[johnbranches]

Hello, For the Mid 2015 15" MacBook Pro, could the new Sabrent Rocket 4.0 be compatible? I'm in Europe, so I can't get the Hynix... Thanks!

 

[ItsHal]

Hello, For the Mid 2015 15" MacBook Pro, could the new Sabrent Rocket 4.0 be compatible? I'm in Europe, so I can't get the Hynix... Thanks!

Shod work. Just remember mid 2015 supports 4x lanes PCIe 3.0 speed eg. up to 3000MB/s. The early 2015 Retina 13" supports 4x lanes PCIe 2.0 speed.

 

[TypeCasted]

I upgraded my MacBookPro11,1 (MacBook Pro Mid 2014) with an SK Hynix Gold P31, but this seems to cause problems with Boot Camp or Windows 10 installs. This seems to be different from the blue screen described in the first post. When installing, after the first reboot Windows will show a WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR for a split second before rebooting and doing the same thing (and entering a recovery mode after a few times), and there is no opportunity to do the Shift + F10 trick. Since I've spent several days on this issue (and saw some other people with this issue or at least a similar one), I thought I'd leave my findings and solution here.

Good day, everyone!

I have trouble installing Windows 10 on my MBR A1502 Late 2014 (MBR 11,1) Retina after replacing the old 256gb OEM SSD to Crucial P2 1gb. I've managed to install Big Sur but when I try to install Windows 10 I face troubles.
I tried different versions of Windows (22H2, 1909) to install via BootCamp but ended up facing the blue screen with an error: WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR.

This is adapter that I used attached

What is more interesting, right now I use Windows 10 (build 19045) on my MBR with OEM SSD and it works perfectly fine, so I understand that it is installable. The only thing looks like I do it wrong.

20H2 keeps BSOD at 93% then gets rolled back. Trying everything in the toolkit to update. Running out of options. If something works I will post an update.
this is proving to be quite challenging as the BSOD flashes up for a second and reboots. I can’t see why it failed. Anyone know where the crash logs are kept?
Once I figure out how to update Windows I will then figure out which drives to send back to Amazon.
I have on hand:
MP510
P5
8200 pro is coming today.
Samsung 970 Evo Plus (sending this back due to drawing too much power).

I just installed the Intel 660P 512GB via short sintech adapter on my early mid 2014 13" rMBP running Ventura 13.0.1 + OCLP 0.5.1.
The only problem is installing windows 10 via bootcamp and using 128gb 3.1 usb drive. I get to the windows 10 install menu, it installs just fine. once it reboots, it reboots into windows install again(which it isn't supposed to) BUT this time it doesn't show any available drives to install. Once I exit, it reboots again into windows setup and on the bottom it says "starting/setting up service (%)". a few minutes goes by I get the BSOD and it goes into bootloop and crashes every time. It installed fine with the OG apple SSD.
Anyone know a way to install windows properly? TIA

EDIT: I've also tried to create a partition via disk utility instead of using bootcamp and I still have the same issue as stated above.

Essentially, the solution is to set the power plan to "high performance," which stops the BSoD. The challenge is how to change the power plan, since you can't boot Windows normally to change it. The method I used involves changing the install.wim in my Windows USB installer directly to force the OS to use the high performance power plan immediately. This does require access to a working Windows PC, which can be a computer other than the Mac. If you don't have one, you might be able to use a VM instead.

1. Create your Windows USB installer, as normal (I used 22H2)
2. Plug the installer into a working Windows PC (you could probably also directly modify an ISO, in which case you'd mount the ISO instead of these two steps)
3. Open a PowerShell prompt in admin mode
4. Replacing F: with the corresponding drive letter of the USB, run dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:F:\sources\install.wim
5. Note the index of the edition of Windows you'd like to install
6. Create a "Mount" folder in the top level of your C: drive
7. Again, replace F: with the USB drive letter and the index with the index you found in steps 4-5, and run dism /Mount-Wim /WimFile:F:\sources\install.wim /index:8 /MountDir:C:\Mount
8. Once mounted (which can take a few minutes), open regedit
9. Select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE in the left sidebar, then go to File > Load Hive.... You want to load C:\Mount\Windows\System32\config\SOFTWARE. You'll be asked for a key name; you can select anything, as long as you remember it (for the next few minutes). The name you type will appear as a key under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
10. Expand the folder with the name you just picked, then go to Policies > Microsoft.
11. Create a new key (keys = folders) under the Microsoft key called "Power", then create another new key under the Power key called "PowerSettings".
12. In the "PowerSettings" key, create a new string called "ActivePowerScheme". Set the value of this to 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c. This corresponds to the high performance power scheme.
    
    
13. Select the key with the name you picked in step 9 in the sidebar (the hive you loaded). Then, File > Unload Hive...
14. Go back to your PowerShell prompt. To save your changes, run dism /Unmount-Image /MountDir:C:\Mount /Commit.
15. Use your installer

In my case, there was no BSoD at all during the install process, not even the one described on page 1. Be careful not to change the power plan after the install (read the third note below before doing so to ensure the new power plan is safe). If you stop using the high performance power plan, you may start getting bluescreens again unless you follow the step below.

Notes:

• It seems like the installer will be corrupted if the USB doesn't have enough free space while you do this leading to an error during install about being unable to find the license terms, so make sure you have enough (I had about 1 GB free and it worked, but it failed with ~300 MB)
• Also make sure you have enough free space on your C: drive when mounting the wim file (about 15 GB free should work)
• The above registry key locks certain settings such as display power off timeout. If you want to change these, you can remove the registry value HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Power\PowerSettings\ActivePowerScheme and reboot your computer, but make sure to first go to the advanced settings for all other power plans (namely the "Balanced" one) and ensure PCIe Link State Power Management is off before deleting it. (Moderate power savings might work; it didn't crash immediately when I tried it, but I also didn't try it for very long.)

---

As an alternative, you could install a version of Windows without this issue (1703 worked on my end, but I did have to refer back to the registry tweak in the first post), set the high performance power plan, and then update to 22H2 with Windows Update. However, that takes significantly more time.

 

[johnbranches]

Got a really good discount on a SN570 1TB, for only 39€. I’m using a Mid 2015 15” MbP. Now which macOS do you suggest me to use? Should I get Monterey or go back for an older version?

 

[ItsHal]

😆 Anyone after 500TB for £36.99

 

[macpro_mid2014]

Got a really good discount on a SN570 1TB, for only 39€. I’m using a Mid 2015 15” MbP. Now which macOS do you suggest me to use? Should I get Monterey or go back for an older version?

Mid-2015 15" MacBook Pro supports Monterey! And you should be running the latest version supported by your laptop unless you have issues with an app you really need. With the latest version, you have also the latest Firmware compatible with your laptop. Use Silentknight to check if you have the latest version of Firmware already installed: https://eclecticlight.co/lockrattler-systhist/

I run Monterey on my unsupported Mac (MacBook Pro 15" mid-2014 - 11,2) using OCLP 0.4.11 until Ventura got released. Now, I've been running Ventura+OCLP 0.6.7 AMFIpass. Very stable and I do not have any issues with the apps I need with the advantage of having the most up-to-date security patches and features.
More on this thread:https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macos-13-ventura-on-unsupported-macs-thread.2346881

 

[ItsHal]

Mid-2015 15" MacBook Pro supports Monterey! And you should be running the latest version supported by your laptop unless you have issues with an app you really need. With the latest version, you have also the latest Firmware compatible with your laptop. Use Silentknight to check if you have the latest version of Firmware already installed: https://eclecticlight.co/lockrattler-systhist/

I run Monterey on my unsupported Mac (MacBook Pro 15" mid-2014 - 11,2) using OCLP 0.4.11 until Ventura got released. Now, I've been running Ventura+OCLP 0.6.7 AMFIpass. Very stable and I do not have any issues with the apps I need with the advantage of having the most up-to-date security patches and features.
More on this thread:https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macos-13-ventura-on-unsupported-macs-thread.2346881

Thanks for this just did A check.
EFI version found 149.0.0.0.0
expected 478.0.0.0.0

How can I update this i.m on mid 2014 Ventura+OCLP 0.6.7. I no longer have the SSD that come with the Mac.

 

[DeltaMac]

That's one of the reasons that I keep an original SSD. Swap out your existing OCLP SSD with OEM SSD.
Latest supported full version on mid 2014 would be Big Sur, latest available version is 11.7.8
Download latest version of Big Sur installer. Use that to create a bootable USB.
Boot, then install Big Sur on that OEM. That install will also update the firmware to latest.
After completing that install, swap your OCLP-patched SSD back into your Mac.

note: when I last updated firmware on a friend's MBPro (also using Big Sur) about a month ago, I could not use an OEM SSD for that, so tried with another third-party SSD blade that I have (it was a Crucial P3, I think, but that's not really important), installed Big Sur, and the firmware also updated without issue - So - OEM may not always be needed for the SSD, as I had a successful update with a non-OEM SSD. Swapped friend's SSD back in after the firmware update, and all checked fine. Your experience could be different, but attempting the update worked for me.

 

[ItsHal]

That's one of the reasons that I keep an original SSD. Swap out your existing OCLP SSD with OEM SSD.
Latest supported full version on mid 2014 would be Big Sur, latest available version is 11.7.8
Download latest version of Big Sur installer. Use that to create a bootable USB.
Boot, then install Big Sur on that OEM. That install will also update the firmware to latest.
After completing that install, swap your OCLP-patched SSD back into your Mac.

note: when I last updated firmware on a friend's MBPro (also using Big Sur) about a month ago, I could not use an OEM SSD for that, so tried with another third-party SSD blade that I have (it was a Crucial P3, I think, but that's not really important), installed Big Sur, and the firmware also updated without issue - So - OEM may not always be needed for the SSD, as I had a successful update with a non-OEM SSD. Swapped friend's SSD back in after the firmware update, and all checked fine. Your experience could be different, but attempting the update worked for me.

I have 2 original ssd just just not the one that come with my Mac.

 

[ItsHal]

That's one of the reasons that I keep an original SSD. Swap out your existing OCLP SSD with OEM SSD.
Latest supported full version on mid 2014 would be Big Sur, latest available version is 11.7.8
Download latest version of Big Sur installer. Use that to create a bootable USB.
Boot, then install Big Sur on that OEM. That install will also update the firmware to latest.
After completing that install, swap your OCLP-patched SSD back into your Mac.

note: when I last updated firmware on a friend's MBPro (also using Big Sur) about a month ago, I could not use an OEM SSD for that, so tried with another third-party SSD blade that I have (it was a Crucial P3, I think, but that's not really important), installed Big Sur, and the firmware also updated without issue - So - OEM may not always be needed for the SSD, as I had a successful update with a non-OEM SSD. Swapped friend's SSD back in after the firmware update, and all checked fine. Your experience could be different, but attempting the update worked for me.

Downloading Big Sur now but App Store is latest available version is 11.7.7

 

[macpro_mid2014]

I have 2 original ssd just just not the one that come with my Mac.

It really doesn't matter if it came with your mac or not. It has to be original Apple SSDs compatible with your mac.

 

[ItsHal]

It really doesn't matter if it came with your mac or not. It has to be original Apple SSDs compatible with your mac.

Thanks. So I just make A Big Sur USB format the original SSD in the Mac then install Big Sur then it updates?

 

[DeltaMac]

Thanks. So I just make A Big Sur USB format the original SSD in the Mac then install Big Sur then it updates?

Yes. The installer checks for the firmware, then updates it, if needed, during the install process.

 

[ItsHal]

Yes. The installer checks for the firmware, then updates it, if needed, during the install process.

Thanks for the help.

 

[johnbranches]

Mid-2015 15" MacBook Pro supports Monterey! And you should be running the latest version supported by your laptop unless you have issues with an app you really need. With the latest version, you have also the latest Firmware compatible with your laptop. Use Silentknight to check if you have the latest version of Firmware already installed: https://eclecticlight.co/lockrattler-systhist/

I run Monterey on my unsupported Mac (MacBook Pro 15" mid-2014 - 11,2) using OCLP 0.4.11 until Ventura got released. Now, I've been running Ventura+OCLP 0.6.7 AMFIpass. Very stable and I do not have any issues with the apps I need with the advantage of having the most up-to-date security patches and features.
More on this thread:https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macos-13-ventura-on-unsupported-macs-thread.2346881

Thanks a lot for your response. I was running Monterey on the OEM 256GB SSD. I tried Ventura with OCLP but the experience was awful. I rely on this PC 12h/day, so it must be 100% stable.

I had no idea about that app, Silentknight. I installed it and I had updates for XProtect, XPR and MRT. Now everything is updated!

It's still doing encryption and I already feel the difference. Writes were about 600/700MBps and now I get >2000MBps. Speed also increased from ~1700MBps to 2500MBps. So this was a big upgrade, not only in storage (256GB -> 1TB) but also in speed. Before this SN570 I used a Samsung 980 500GB for a few weeks but the experience wasn't 100% great. So I'll give a new try on a DRAM-less SSD with this one

Will give feedback soon!

 

[ItsHal]

Yes. The installer checks for the firmware, then updates it, if needed, during the install process.

Thank you.All done now updated

 

[rockstarjoe]

I took the plunge and installed the Crucial P3 Plus 4TB drive using the Sintech long adapter. So far everything is working great and I have lots of space (moved from a Sabrent 2TB that was full). Here are the stats from the drive:

 

[meisterfry]

Hi, new user here. After reading hours through this thread, I have some final questions before changing my original SSD, it would be really nice if someone has the time/knowledge to answer them!

My Device:
Macbook Air (7,2) 13“ early 2015
CPU: 2,2 GHz Dual-Core i7
RAM: 8GB
Original SSD: 256GB
macOS: Monterey 12.6.6 (latest which is supported for my model)

Preparations so far:
- bought SK Hynix P31 Gold 2TB
- bought Sintech short adapter
- bought iFixit screwdriver kit
- created Monterey usb installer

Now my questions:
1. My plan is to install Monterey on the P31 via the usb installer and after that installing nvmefix, is there anything else important i need to do (changing any settings? installing anything else?)
2. Right now i don‘t want to update to Ventura using OCLP which would install nvmefix for me, so whats the easiest method to install nvmefix without OCLP? is there a guide?
3. Since battery life is my no.1 priority, would installing ssdpmenabler besides nvmefix improve battery life even further? is it recommended? any downsides?
4. Does nvmefix still work after a system update or do i have to install it again? (e.g. future Monterey 12.7)

Offtopic questions:
5. For OCLP users: has your battery life decreased/increased after updating to Ventura? is the overall system performance better or worse than Monterey on older machines?
6. is it true that if you‘re using Ventura with OCLP that u have to download the full 12GB for every macOS update? would be really bothersome to download so much GB ever few weeks and then updating for 1-2 hours every time, even if the update would normally be just a small fix
7. Does anyone has a recommendation for a good aftermarket battery? When i searched for one all of them had bad reviews, even the iFixit ones, claiming they lose most capacity after 1-2 years of use, even with a low cycle count. I thought about getting an original apple one with low cycles of ebay, but I‘m a bit concerned they might got a deep discharge because they‘re so old/rarely used, losing much capacity because of that

I appreciate every single user who is willing to spend his precious time to help me

 

[Berlinsky]

I took the plunge and installed the Crucial P3 Plus 4TB drive using the Sintech long adapter. So far everything is working great and I have lots of space (moved from a Sabrent 2TB that was full). Here are the stats from the drive:

Nice one! Unfortunately I can now say that neither the Crucial P3 nor P3 Plus are working in my MBPs from 2013 and 2015. Now will try Corsair Force Series MP600 Core XT 4TB or Kingston NV2 4TB although it was written that the later won't work at all. We shall see and I will report.

Happy weekend everyone!

Salut

 

[Berlinsky]

Hi, new user here. After reading hours through this thread, I have some final questions before changing my original SSD, it would be really nice if someone has the time/knowledge to answer them!

My Device:
Macbook Air (7,2) 13“ early 2015
CPU: 2,2 GHz Dual-Core i7
RAM: 8GB
Original SSD: 256GB
macOS: Monterey 12.6.6 (latest which is supported for my model)

Preparations so far:
- bought SK Hynix P31 Gold 2TB
- bought Sintech short adapter
- bought iFixit screwdriver kit
- created Monterey usb installer

Now my questions:
1. My plan is to install Monterey on the P31 via the usb installer and after that installing nvmefix, is there anything else important i need to do (changing any settings? installing anything else?)
2. Right now i don‘t want to update to Ventura using OCLP which would install nvmefix for me, so whats the easiest method to install nvmefix without OCLP? is there a guide?
3. Since battery life is my no.1 priority, would installing ssdpmenabler besides nvmefix improve battery life even further? is it recommended? any downsides?
4. Does nvmefix still work after a system update or do i have to install it again? (e.g. future Monterey 12.7)

Offtopic questions:
5. For OCLP users: has your battery life decreased/increased after updating to Ventura? is the overall system performance better or worse than Monterey on older machines?
6. is it true that if you‘re using Ventura with OCLP that u have to download the full 12GB for every macOS update? would be really bothersome to download so much GB ever few weeks and then updating for 1-2 hours every time, even if the update would normally be just a small fix
7. Does anyone has a recommendation for a good aftermarket battery? When i searched for one all of them had bad reviews, even the iFixit ones, claiming they lose most capacity after 1-2 years of use, even with a low cycle count. I thought about getting an original apple one with low cycles of ebay, but I‘m a bit concerned they might got a deep discharge because they‘re so old/rarely used, losing much capacity because of that

I appreciate every single user who is willing to spend his precious time to help me

Wow, lots of good yet difficult questions, I would recommend staying at Monterey for the time beeing, depending on your use case not all software will run smoothly. Vmware Remote Console, and apps that use cams like webex, 3CX for example. Also, yes OCLP leads to downloading 12GB mostly each update afaik. Battery is the hardest one I suppose, at least with ifixtit you get a proper warranty I guess. The others I don't know, sorry!

 

[ItsHal]

So I can get the
KIOXIA EXCERIA 500 GB or
480GB - Corsair MP510
WD_BLUE SN570 500GB
for £10. Witch one would be the better pick?

​

 

[maciumpek]

Hi guys
Anyone after upgrade od the SSD on Macbook Pro mid 2015 15inch has found the solution how to decrease iGPU clock on idle ? Mine is on 750 Mhz which is creating temperature and power consumption .
Let me know if You know the solution

 

[Uploading]

Sharing another successful upgrade with the WD 850X 1TB, original Sintech and the Mid 2014 15' macbook pro (macbookpro11,2 running Monterey, system firmware 478.0.0.0.0):

View attachment 2191959

Speed is not at all impressive, but a huge improvement over the original 256GB Samsung SATA drive. The speed is surprisingly consistent. But far more importantly, everything seems rock stable after about 10 days, no crashes or hangs on resume from sleep so far.

I also tried the Crucial P2 1TB, but unfortunately, cannot recommend this because of hangs and crashes on resume.

How is your battery life and does it run hot?