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

[Flippyflopper]

Theres a lot in here and I've given it a decent skim Seems like some info changed over the life of the thread so I'm taking my stab at it and looking for a lil input if I got it right.

• Mid 2014 MBP 11,2
• OEM 256GB(?) Drive
• Running latest Big Sur
• System Firmware Version 478.0.0.0.0

I'm looking to get probably 1TB that can support a dual boot of Big Sur and Windows. I'd like to prioritize Stability and Cost but i'm not going to cry over a few bucks for a faster drive. I'm using it for some programming that would be an issue if it hiccuped in the middle of. From what i gather with the lastest firmware (which i believe i have), that the instability that used to show up in adapted NVME's and sleep/hibernation are all ironed out and I dont have to do any extra patches or fixes. As i understand it i only have the 2x bandwidth as opposed to teh 2015 that has 4x.

From what glean in this thread the

SK hynix Gold P31 1TB $64 3,500 MB/s Read 3,200 MB/s write

is the go to as of right now and is very stable and has some of the best power consumption numbers.

I would get a

Sintech Short $12
or
Sintech Long $14

Adapter to make it work. Breezing over some reviews it seems like the short has less potential issues (?)

I also noticed OWC's prices have come down on the direct fit replacements since the thread started.

OWC Aura Pro X2 1TB $109 3194MB/s Read 2488MB/s Write

1.0TB OWC Aura N2 $85 2382MB/s Read 1732MB/s Write


The N2 comes within a few bucks of the adapter Sk combo. I'm not sure if the speeds matter on my 2X system?

I see the advantage of having a drive i can yank out down the road and put in any other PC (SK). But i want to know if I can expect rock solid stability one way or the other.

Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[heydante]

Macbook Air 2015, 128GB

SSD: Kingston 500GB A2000 M.2 2280 Nvme Internal SSD PCIe Upto 2000MB/S with Full Security Suite SA2000M8/500G

Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/3sS9qQD

Feedback: Working fine since one year.

Advice: While removing the internal SSD, I stripped the head screw, hence had to use a chainsaw to create an edge on the head of the screw (thanks dad) and then unscrew it using that edge. The reason it happened because I bought a cheap magnetic screwdriver. Please get a thing long narrow head screwdriver intended for your mac.

 

[mwidjaya]

Please get a thing long narrow head screwdriver intended for your mac.

If you need to magnetise the proper screwdriver, use one of this below. Easy.

 

[tripmusic]

I just wanted to report in on my Mid-2014 15" rMBP and the WD SN570 2TB. It has been pretty smooth sailing for the past couple of months overall.

I rarely run on battery alone, but I wanted to test the battery drain whilst in sleep mode overnight . It was probably around a 5% drain in sleep mode with no active apps in memory, so that seems to be fine. There was a pretty long pause for the desktop to appear on wake, so I may have to adjust the PM settings further.

 

[ItsHal]

Just of topic. But what web browsers do you use?
I use edge but last few weeks with 2 to 4 tabs open fans ramp up fast. Fire fox makes the fan ramp up even quicker.
I only have two extensions installed dont use up lot of memory.

 

[ItsHal]

I just wanted to report in on my Mid-2014 15" rMBP and the WD SN570 2TB. It has been pretty smooth sailing for the past couple of months overall.

I rarely run on battery alone, but I wanted to test the battery drain whilst in sleep mode overnight . It was probably around a 5% drain in sleep mode with no active apps in memory, so that seems to be fine. There was a pretty long pause for the desktop to appear on wake, so I may have to adjust the PM settings further.

Thanks for this.Will keep eye on prices for the 2TB drive.

 

[ItsHal]

Good morning,

for a 2015 macbook air what would be your choice between:

sk hynix gold p31
Or
wd sn570

thank you for your opinions

Both been tested as working and are good.So go for whatever one would be best price really.

 

[natus.w]

Just of topic. But what web browsers do you use?
I use edge but last few weeks with 2 to 4 tabs open fans ramp up fast. Fire fox makes the fan ramp up even quicker.
I only have two extensions installed dont use up lot of memory.

Maybe a full PRAM/SMC reset? (it may not something at the OS level causing this..)

 

[mariusp78]

Just a confirmation for WD SN570 2TB working on 15-inch MBP mid 2014. No sleep issues, battery drain ~1% per 1.5 sleeping day.
Installed Ventura 13.6 with OCLP 0.6.8

 

[ItsHal]

Maybe a full PRAM/SMC reset? (it may not something at the OS level causing this..) Yeah will give it A try.

 

[ItsHal]

OCLP 1.0.0 for macOS Sonoma looking to be out for the 2nd Oct

Mrmacintosh

 

[macpro_mid2014]

For those interested in running Sonoma on these old Macs:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macos-14-sonoma-on-unsupported-macs-thread.2391630/page-1

 

[xboxbml]

Theres a lot in here and I've given it a decent skim Seems like some info changed over the life of the thread so I'm taking my stab at it and looking for a lil input if I got it right.

• Mid 2014 MBP 11,2
• OEM 256GB(?) Drive
• Running latest Big Sur
• System Firmware Version 478.0.0.0.0

I'm looking to get probably 1TB that can support a dual boot of Big Sur and Windows. I'd like to prioritize Stability and Cost but i'm not going to cry over a few bucks for a faster drive. I'm using it for some programming that would be an issue if it hiccuped in the middle of. From what i gather with the lastest firmware (which i believe i have), that the instability that used to show up in adapted NVME's and sleep/hibernation are all ironed out and I dont have to do any extra patches or fixes. As i understand it i only have the 2x bandwidth as opposed to teh 2015 that has 4x.

From what glean in this thread the

SK hynix Gold P31 1TB $64 3,500 MB/s Read 3,200 MB/s write

is the go to as of right now and is very stable and has some of the best power consumption numbers.

I would get a

Sintech Short $12
or
Sintech Long $14

Adapter to make it work. Breezing over some reviews it seems like the short has less potential issues (?)

I also noticed OWC's prices have come down on the direct fit replacements since the thread started.

OWC Aura Pro X2 1TB $109 3194MB/s Read 2488MB/s Write

1.0TB OWC Aura N2 $85 2382MB/s Read 1732MB/s Write


The N2 comes within a few bucks of the adapter Sk combo. I'm not sure if the speeds matter on my 2X system?

I see the advantage of having a drive i can yank out down the road and put in any other PC (SK). But i want to know if I can expect rock solid stability one way or the other.

Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

Personally, I'd stay away from OWC drives, but that's just me.

 

[dkazaz]

I have an MBP15 Retina - Mid 2014, model with integrated graphics. I've upgraded it with a sintech adapter (short version) and an Adata XPG 8200 pro 1 TB.

Everything was fine on BigSur for a while but after using OCLP 0.67 to upgrade to Ventura, I get nearly constant kernel panics on boot. If I reinstall, I get a day or two before they start again.
The error says 3rd Party NVME controller - loss of MMIO space.

I've tried a different sintech adapter (long version) witht the same results. Could this be due to the SSD ? I understand that this is one of the most recommended models for compatibility.

Should I try to find a SATA M2 SSD instead? Or, is there a software fix I can use?

And does anyone have this combination of hardware and software working well?

Many thanks for any advice.

 

[natus.w]

I have an MBP15 Retina - Mid 2014, model with integrated graphics. I've upgraded it with a sintech adapter (short version) and an Adata XPG 8200 pro 1 TB.

Everything was fine on BigSur for a while but after using OCLP 0.67 to upgrade to Ventura, I get nearly constant kernel panics on boot. If I reinstall, I get a day or two before they start again.
The error says 3rd Party NVME controller - loss of MMIO space.

I've tried a different sintech adapter (long version) witht the same results. Could this be due to the SSD ? I understand that this is one of the most recommended models for compatibility.

Should I try to find a SATA M2 SSD instead? Or, is there a software fix I can use?

And does anyone have this combination of hardware and software working well?

Many thanks for any advice.

SX8200 Pro has had many hardware changes over the years, what set of components do you have? (use DriveDX to confirm components)

Looked at the NVMEFix kext? (OCLP should have the supporting Lilu kext installed, so you should be able to drop that into your config)

Is there another non-Apple NVME you can test? (TechPowerUp has a database which you can use to discern specs..)

 

[natus.w]

Theres a lot in here and I've given it a decent skim Seems like some info changed over the life of the thread so I'm taking my stab at it and looking for a lil input if I got it right.

• Mid 2014 MBP 11,2
• OEM 256GB(?) Drive
• Running latest Big Sur
• System Firmware Version 478.0.0.0.0

I'm looking to get probably 1TB that can support a dual boot of Big Sur and Windows. I'd like to prioritize Stability and Cost but i'm not going to cry over a few bucks for a faster drive. I'm using it for some programming that would be an issue if it hiccuped in the middle of. From what i gather with the lastest firmware (which i believe i have), that the instability that used to show up in adapted NVME's and sleep/hibernation are all ironed out and I dont have to do any extra patches or fixes. As i understand it i only have the 2x bandwidth as opposed to teh 2015 that has 4x.

From what glean in this thread the

SK hynix Gold P31 1TB $64 3,500 MB/s Read 3,200 MB/s write

is the go to as of right now and is very stable and has some of the best power consumption numbers.

I would get a

Sintech Short $12
or
Sintech Long $14

Adapter to make it work. Breezing over some reviews it seems like the short has less potential issues (?)

I also noticed OWC's prices have come down on the direct fit replacements since the thread started.

OWC Aura Pro X2 1TB $109 3194MB/s Read 2488MB/s Write

1.0TB OWC Aura N2 $85 2382MB/s Read 1732MB/s Write


The N2 comes within a few bucks of the adapter Sk combo. I'm not sure if the speeds matter on my 2X system?

I see the advantage of having a drive i can yank out down the road and put in any other PC (SK). But i want to know if I can expect rock solid stability one way or the other.

Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

Given the pricing and performance of those OWC drives it looks like the P31 is probably your best bet (price wise it looks to fall short of the 2 options, even with the bridge added in)

Either of the adapters will work, but it is recommended to get the short one as it’s less likely to cause mounting issues (I believe the long ones can cause mounting pressure issues for some models)

You can also find cheaper units from other manufacturers, but you may want to tread carefully (may cause unforeseen issues)

 

[dkazaz]

SX8200 Pro has had several hardware changes over the years, what set of components do you have? (use DriveDX to confirm components)

Looked at the NVMEFix kext? (OCLP should have the supporting Lilu kext installed, so you should be able to drop that into your config)

Is there another non-Apple NVME you can test? (TechPowerUp has a database which you can use to discern specs..)

Thanks for the advice. NVMEFix lloks worth trying out.

I don't have the adata drive installed and working right now. My mac will not even boot with it anymore, so I replaced it with the original drive. I am thinking of trying again once OCLP 1.0 or later is released and any early Sonoma bugs are worked out and at that point I will add NVMEFix.

Is there a windows based too to read the hardware on the Adata SSD? It's easier for me to just put it in the spare SSD slot on my desktop PC.

Alternatively I will try to find another SSD but I may give up at that point and just stick to the original drive.

 

[natus.w]

Thanks for the advice. NVMEFix lloks worth trying out.

I don't have the adata drive installed and working right now. My mac will not even boot with it anymore, so I replaced it with the original drive. I am thinking of trying again once OCLP 1.0 or later is released and any early Sonoma bugs are worked out and at that point I will add NVMEFix.

Is there a windows based too to read the hardware on the Adata SSD? It's easier for me to just put it in the spare SSD slot on my desktop PC.

Alternatively I will try to find another SSD but I may give up at that point and just stick to the original drive.

A-Data has a proprietary set of tools which you can use to check the health of your drive (you can also upgrade firmware and perform other essential functions not available under MacOS)

Other programs like CrystalDiskInfo, etc may also be of interest.

You can use a small program to check your hardware configuration, from here.

Identifying SSD Controller and NAND Configuration

In our previous article Why SSDs Die a Sudden Death (and How to Deal with It) we talked about SSD endurance and how it’s not the only thing affecting real life reliability. In that article, we assumed that manufacturers’ specifications of certain SSD models remain similar for a given SSD model. In f

blog.elcomsoft.com

But if the drive is now completely unbootable I’d probably RMA it and look for something else..

 

[xboxbml]

Thanks for the advice. NVMEFix lloks worth trying out.

I don't have the adata drive installed and working right now. My mac will not even boot with it anymore, so I replaced it with the original drive. I am thinking of trying again once OCLP 1.0 or later is released and any early Sonoma bugs are worked out and at that point I will add NVMEFix.

Is there a windows based too to read the hardware on the Adata SSD? It's easier for me to just put it in the spare SSD slot on my desktop PC.

Alternatively I will try to find another SSD but I may give up at that point and just stick to the original drive.

You could try and just reformat and reload supported OS on that model and not load OCLP and see if it runs.. Just to make sure the drive is actually bad before you return it. Hopefully you have a good backup somewhere already.. Natus.w is correct about ADATA changing components before and it was brought to light right after I got mine. Not sure if mine got the switched out controller or not, but I've had this 2TB for over 3 years now with no issue using supported MacOS versions. No OCLP...yet...

 

[dkazaz]

You could try and just reformat and reload supported OS on that model and not load OCLP and see if it runs.. Just to make sure the drive is actually bad before you return it. Hopefully you have a good backup somewhere already.. Natus.w is correct about ADATA changing components before and it was brought to light right after I got mine. Not sure if mine got the switched out controller or not, but I've had this 2TB for over 3 years now with no issue using supported MacOS versions. No OCLP...yet...

Thanks to all of you for the helpful advice!

I plan to do exactly that - build a new install USB with OCLP and install from scratch, using sonoma (in case that is any smoother).
If that fails, try another SSD and if that fails too then just go back to the original and live with 250GB.
At least I hope to be able to run Sonoma/Ventura on it.

 

[genexx]

Use the WD SN570.

Upgrade the Firmware before installing anything on the New NVME with Updating to BigSur latest on the Original NVME.
( keep the Original NVME for Firmware Updates )

Even when the Power Consumption numbers are looking good on Paper for an NVME there are many incompatibilitys with MacOS leading to the NVME not using any Power Modes @ all.

WD SN 570 is highly Compatible.

The use of OCLP NVMefix.kext is helping sometimes with NVME´s which are not fully Compatible, but to just use a compatible one is better.

 

[ItsHal]

Running OCLP 1.0.0 macOS Sonoma on MacBook Pro mid 2014 fine. WiFi will be lost after install but will comeback after the Post-Install Root Patch is installed.

 

[dkazaz]

Use the WD SN570.

Upgrade the Firmware before installing anything on the New NVME with Updating to BigSur latest on the Original NVME.
( keep the Original NVME for Firmware Updates )

Even when the Power Consumption numbers are looking good on Paper for an NVME there are many incompatibilitys with MacOS leading to the NVME not using any Power Modes @ all.

WD SN 570 is highly Compatible.

The use of OCLP NVMefix.kext is helping sometimes with NVME´s which are not fully Compatible, but to just use a compatible one is better.

Thanks - this is very useful. So do you have or have you seen this configuration working in a mid 2014 rMBP with OCLP?

 

[genexx]

Thanks - this is very useful. So do you have or have you seen this configuration working in a mid 2014 rMBP with OCLP?

Yes. As many others in this Thread I had also the Crucial P2 running in older Mini´s 2014 but they are hard to get these Days and the WD SN570 is cheap, available and running.

 

[greenchiliman]

Confirming that a Samsung 980 Pro 2TB works in the a 2013 Macbook Air with no Samsung firmware update needed.

Also rocking the Matt Card and have had no hibernation or sleep issues without the need to change any settings!

Thank to everyone that made this possible!