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

[albertocg]

Hi! First of all thank you so much for all the info and experiences shared in this thread and in the OP.

I own a 2013 MacBook Air, stock 128GB SSD, which I still use on a regular basis for light tasks (browsing, etc). It works OK but of course it's a bit slow when booting and opening apps.

I do NOT need any more storage capacity. But taking into account that changing the SSD I could get 2x the read speed (currently is around ~600 MB/s according to Blackmagic speed test), I was wondering about the impact it'd have in the overall performance. Are the waiting times (cold boot & when opening an app) significantly improved?

Extra info JIC: currently running macOS 15 Sequoia with OpenCore Legacy Patcher.

 

[dogen]

Hi! First of all thank you so much for all the info and experiences shared in this thread and in the OP.

I own a 2013 MacBook Air, stock 128GB SSD, which I still use on a regular basis for light tasks (browsing, etc). It works OK but of course it's a bit slow when booting and opening apps.

I do NOT need any more storage capacity. But taking into account that changing the SSD I could get 2x the read speed (currently is around ~600 MB/s according to Blackmagic speed test), I was wondering about the impact it'd have in the overall performance. Are the waiting times (cold boot & when opening an app) significantly improved?

Extra info JIC: currently running macOS 15 Sequoia with OpenCore Legacy Patcher.

Won't be identical, but this compares a 2013 MBA stock drive with its replacement.

 

[albertocg]

Won't be identical, but this compares a 2013 MBA stock drive with its replacement.

Hi dogen. Thanks for your response, but I wasn't asking so much about r/w speeds (that I already knew that would be around 2x) but with the overall performance gain (if any) after the SSD upgrade, specially when starting up the computer or opening apps. Meaning: is the time needed to boot/open apps significantly reduced? (For example from 60 seconds to... 30? 40? 50s?)

 

[dogen]

Hi dogen. Thanks for your response, but I wasn't asking so much about r/w speeds (that I already knew that would be around 2x) but with the overall performance gain (if any) after the SSD upgrade, specially when starting up the computer or opening apps. Meaning: is the time needed to boot/open apps significantly reduced? (For example from 60 seconds to... 30? 40? 50s?)

Alas, I haven't stopwatched various startup times. I'm satisfied with the switch overall. It seems snappy by comparison with the native SSD, but that's not exactly quantitative.

 

[Useful]

This might be a dumb question but is the first post with the chart of all the working SSDs still accurate? Or have their been new additions buried in the 489 pages posted afterwards? I have a 2014 15" MacBook Pro if that info is needed.

 

[EugW]

This might be a dumb question but is the first post with the chart of all the working SSDs still accurate? Or have their been new additions buried in the 489 pages posted afterwards? I have a 2014 15" MacBook Pro if that info is needed.

Several of those drives only came out in the last year or two, so I guess the list is still being updated.

 

[natus.w]

Several of those drives only came out in the last year or two, so I guess the list is still being updated.

I believe Gilles has stated prior that he no longer has the time or resources to update the charts..

 

[natus.w]

This might be a dumb question but is the first post with the chart of all the working SSDs still accurate? Or have there been new additions buried in the 489 pages posted afterwards? I have a 2014 15" MacBook Pro if that info is needed.

Some of the drives in Gilles’ sheet may still be available in retail only, some may be no longer available.

I’d probably see what’s in your rated capacity and price range and give it a try..

 

[Useful]

I read some of the posts here, so if I were to do an SSD upgrade on my 2014 macbook pro 15" (latest original os is big sur, I used OLCP and upgraded to ventura unofficially), is this the right order?

1) buy nvme SSD + adapter
2) install adapter + SSD
3) install big sur on the new SSD (to update the firmware on the new SSD? this step is needed right????)
4) use OCLP to upgrade big sur to Ventura

is the above right? because my original plan is to buy the SSD + adapter + usb enclosure and use carboncopycloner to clone my current ventura install onto the new SSD, but i read that this won't update the firmware on the new SSD and will have problems?

 

[EugW]

I read some of the posts here, so if I were to do an SSD upgrade on my 2014 macbook pro 15" (latest original os is big sur, I used OLCP and upgraded to ventura unofficially), is this the right order?

1) buy nvme SSD + adapter
2) install adapter + SSD
3) install big sur on the new SSD (to update the firmware on the new SSD? this step is needed right????)
4) use OCLP to upgrade big sur to Ventura

is the above right? because my original plan is to buy the SSD + adapter + usb enclosure and use carboncopycloner to clone my current ventura install onto the new SSD, but i read that this won't update the firmware on the new SSD and will have problems?

No you update to Big Sur first to update the firmware in your Mac. This firmware update enables NVMe compatibility. Then you install the NVMe drive.

However, it looks like you’ve already done the firmware upgrade so you’re good to go.

 

[Useful]

No you update to Big Sur first to update the firmware in your Mac. This firmware update enables NVMe compatibility. Then you install the NVMe drive.

However, it looks like you’ve already done the firmware upgrade so you’re good to go.

ok, one thing I don't understand, why do i need to install bigsur to update to the firmware when bigsur is the default OS for my laptop. seems dedundant and pointless, as it is something I don't need to do at all and can skip it, so what am i missing?

so i am good to go for part 2 as I can skip directly to this part, right? as in buy the SSD + adapter + usb enclosure and use carboncopycloner to clone my current ventura install onto the new SSD, the extra $20 for the enclosure would definitely be worth it over the 4+ hours it would take me to resintall everything from scratch, but my question is: is there an advantage to installing everything from scratch (that is install big sur + OCLP ventura)? I already formated my current default SSD that came with my mac into APFS if that matters or not.

 

[EugW]

ok, one thing I don't understand, why do i need to install bigsur to update to the firmware when bigsur is the default OS for my laptop. seems dedundant and pointless, as it is something I don't need to do at all and can skip it, so what am i missing?

so i am good to go for part 2 as I can skip directly to this part, right? as in buy the SSD + adapter + usb enclosure and use carboncopycloner to clone my current ventura install onto the new SSD, the extra $20 for the enclosure would definitely be worth it over the 4+ hours it would take me to resintall everything from scratch, but my question is: is there an advantage to installing everything from scratch (that is install big sur + OCLP ventura)? I already formated my current default SSD that came with my mac into APFS if that matters or not.

Your laptop did not ship with Big Sur. People are just saying that if you were running an early version of OS X, it would not have the right firmware to support NVMe drives. If you were one of those people you would need to update the OS first with the original Apple SSD to get the firmware update. If you are already on Big Sur, then you already have the firmware update.

It's written in the instructions at the beginning of this thread:

3.1 Support at the BootRom (firmware) level

Support at the BootRom (firmware) is mandatory.
All MacBooks 2013-2017 originally shipped with BootRom incompatible with NVMe drives.
But it your Mac has already been running macOS BigSur or Monterey with an original Apple SSD,
then its BootRom has already been updated and is compatible with NVMe drives.

 

[albertocg]

I read some of the posts here, so if I were to do an SSD upgrade on my 2014 macbook pro 15" (latest original os is big sur, I used OLCP and upgraded to ventura unofficially), is this the right order?

1) buy nvme SSD + adapter
2) install adapter + SSD
3) install big sur on the new SSD (to update the firmware on the new SSD? this step is needed right????)
4) use OCLP to upgrade big sur to Ventura

is the above right? because my original plan is to buy the SSD + adapter + usb enclosure and use carboncopycloner to clone my current ventura install onto the new SSD, but i read that this won't update the firmware on the new SSD and will have problems?

If you are already running Ventura with OCLP then you can just either clone your SSD (with the usb enclosure you mentioned) or do a clean install making a bootable USB with latest macOS with OCLP.

If you clone your SSD, could you please stopwatch the boot time before & after the SSD change and post it here? Would be super useful to have accurate data.

 

[Useful]

If you are already running Ventura with OCLP then you can just either clone your SSD (with the usb enclosure you mentioned) or do a clean install making a bootable USB with latest macOS with OCLP.

If you clone your SSD, could you please stopwatch the boot time before & after the SSD change and post it here? Would be super useful to have accurate data.

Sure, but I don't plan to upgrade anytime soon though, I just wanted to ask about it for future reference. What are you expecting anyways? It should probably boot up in like half the time I would guess.

 

[natus.w]

Sure, but I don't plan to upgrade anytime soon though, I just wanted to ask about it for future reference. What are you expecting anyways? It should probably boot up in like half the time I would guess.

You should see a marked increase in boot/loading speed and general system responsiveness.

That and the extra capacity increase is also a huge benefit..

 

[Useful]

You should see a marked increase in boot/loading speed and general system responsiveness.

That and the extra capacity increase is also a huge benefit..

Even if I already have an SSD that came with the laptop by default 10 years ago? A new SSD will go from 700 MB/s to about 1,400 MB/s, which is double the speed, but an SSD to SSD jump usually has a smaller diminishing return jump, compared to going from a HDD to an SSD, that is why I am not in such a big hurry to upgrade to a new SSD from my old SSD, as I 99% of the time use Chrome on my laptop. Of course correct me if I am wrong, I was just stating my opinion above.

 

[soulkeeper4]

Anyone tried samsung 990 pro with MBP 15 mid 2014 (dual graphics)? in the 1st post it mentions 990 as working...but what about 990pro?

 

[EugW]

Anyone tried samsung 990 pro with MBP 15 mid 2014 (dual graphics)? in the 1st post it mentions 990 as working...but what about 990pro?

Even if it works, that not really a cool running drive.

 

[soulkeeper4]

Ok..what about adata legend 800 1TB?
Also,where to buy sintech adapter from Europe?

 

[natus.w]

Ok..what about adata legend 800 1TB?

Might be OK but I cannot say anything about what hardware you may be getting.

I also do not know what else is available in your location so cannot make judgement on other suitable SKUs..

Also,where to buy sintech adapter from Europe?

Few storefronts here:

nVME SSD Upgrade Macs (2013-2017 Macbook Air and late 2013-Mid 2015 Mac PRO) | Sintech-Shop - Spare parts for mobile phones, game consoles and more

SSD adapter Mac

www.sintech-shop.de

Sintech M.2 NVMe SSD Adapter Card upgrade kit pro MacBook 2013 - 2015 - SINTECH-SHOP.CZ

Sintech M.2 NVMe SSD Adapter Card upgrade kit pro MacBook 2013 - 2015. Adaptér sloužící k instalaci moderního SSD M.2 NVMe do MacBooku 2013 - 2015. ST-NGFF2013

www.sintech-shop.cz

Should be able to use generic adapters as well but quality may vary wildly (pick carefully)

 

[volo]

Has anyone tried Hynix P31 2TB? According to this spec it's slightly more efficient that the 1TB version (3.3W vs 4.1W max), but I'm not sure how reliable those numbers are.

UPD according to Tom's Hardware tests the 1TB version is less power efficient but cooler than the 2TB one.

 

[Magnus_Hase]

Hi!
Here's a case. My wife's MacBookPro 13 (2013) Late laptop 128SSD\4 RAM. I haven't used Apple myself, but my mindset allows me to upgrade my wife's SSD from 128Gb to 1Tb.
1. I've already ordered SK Hynix Gold P31 1Tb
2. I ordered an NGFF adapter, not Sintech, but an alternative with good reviews.
3. Here are my questions:

Sierra is currently installed on a 128Gb SSD, I'll try to install Big Sur to update the bootloader so that the NVME SSD works correctly.Will it be possible to make such a transition through an operating system update? Or will it be done step by step, through other versions of MacOS?

Will it be possible to roll back the MacOS version to the previous one if Big Sur slows down a lot?
I'm not going to clone a 128GB drive to a new one, I'm planning a clean installation of Big Sur on a new 1TB SSD, what's the best way to do this?
Do I need to make some kind of boot image? I've seen that some people manage to do this online on YouTube, but I don't understand what conditions are necessary for this?
Or should I just install a new SSD with an adapter, turn on the laptop and there will be an option to install MacOS online? Will it be possible to do this without using an NVMe enclosure to mark up a new SSD? Or do I need to buy one in my case too?
If there is another way, please tell me, maybe this can be done, for example, using a flash drive?
Thanks!

 

[natus.w]

Will it be possible to make such a transition through an operating system update? Or will it be done step by step, through other versions of MacOS?

Updating straight to the latest version will give you the last firmware version, you don’t need to install anything else (IIRC it only applies to machines that gained additional support)

Will it be possible to roll back the MacOS version to the previous one if Big Sur slows down a lot?

It is possible, but you’ll have to do a full erase and reinstall.

I'm not going to clone a 128GB drive to a new one, I'm planning a clean installation of Big Sur on a new 1TB SSD, what's the best way to do this?
Do I need to make some kind of boot image? I've seen that some people manage to do this online on YouTube, but I don't understand what conditions are necessary for this?

Read the article here from Apple, this should give you all the bits you’ll need..

Create a bootable installer for macOS – Apple Support (AU)

You can use a USB flash drive or other secondary volume as a startup disk from which to install the Mac operating system. These steps are primarily for system administrators and other experienced users who are familiar with entering commands in Terminal.

support.apple.com

Or should I just install a new SSD with an adapter, turn on the laptop and there will be an option to install MacOS online

May or may not work as some systems will not support internet recovery over NVME

Will it be possible to do this without using an NVMe enclosure to mark up a new SSD? Or do I need to buy one in my case too?

You might want an enclosure for the stock Apple SSD (easy to move the data over, wipe drive; now you have a low cost 128GB external for backups, etc)

 

[xboxbml]

Has anyone tried Hynix P31 2TB? According to this spec it's slightly more efficient that the 1TB version (3.3W vs 4.1W max), but I'm not sure how reliable those numbers are.

UPD according to Tom's Hardware tests the 1TB version is less power efficient but cooler than the 2TB one.

I'm running it on this 2015MBP. No issues here! .12A is the current draw just browsing and 111F is temp.

 

[Useful]

do the later versions of macOS require a fast SSD? i am on montery and my ssd is 600mb/s read and write, and the loading of the apps at startup is slow.

should i upgrade to an SSD that has 1200 mb/s read and writes and will it make a difference?