I want to add an SSD to my MacPro 1,1 - can I use any brand, specs?

Intel does not support TRIM on RAID on PCs running Windows, where RAID is from BIOS motherboard level and not at the OS level and has not been a huge issue or caused problems.

I suggest avoiding RAID with SSD anyway and just getting 2x the capacity or more than you see it using - good way is to calculate how much in a month would be written out and that is how much free space.

TRIM is in the SATA 3.1 specification itself incorported at the NCQ level. You can't take advantage of that while still using SATA 2 ports though. And other than new computers sold in the last 18 months not everyone has SATA3, and there were lots and lots of problems with most controllers built into motherboards.

Firmware can add and be patched at the kernel, drivers and the OS.

BCG is very inefficient on its own. TRIM makes it more efficient and not work so hard and waste time.

OK, thanks for that info.

I plan on using this as a boot drive only, not in a RAID configuration

I took a look, and my OS and Applications are about 77 GB in space, so I'd probably need a 250 GB SSD? (My startup disc currently is 250 GB) or would 120 be OK? I can't imagine adding another 50 GB of software and OS, but I don't know. Plus I don't know how much Space Lion will take up

I do the occasional work in Final Cut Pro and Photoshop and the occasional audio editing. I don't have a studio where I am working with 96 tracks or anything like that.

It's a 1,1 Mac Pro, so like you say, it is SATA 2 and I can't take advantage of the newer, faster SSDs. I am running 10.6.8, but plan on updating to Lion soon. I can't do Mountain Lion without a hack.

Cost for the OWC Mercury Electra 3G SSD (which is what the OWC people recommended for my machine out of their drives) and Samsung 830s is roughly the same ($119.99 for 128 GB and $229.99 for 256 GB for Samsung and $119.99 and $234.99 for OWC respectively)

Crucial, through their website is about $80 and $160 for their M4 drives, with Corsair being more than that and Intel 520 being More than Corsair.

Still, they are all pretty close in price. I am just trying to figure out what is best for my needs and then if I need to enable TRIM on it or not. I realize this is subjective

I appreciate all the help

120 = 111GB when formatted for use, you could pick up an 180GB.

Intel 180 $145 or 240 $179

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007P71JJM/

Corsair GT 240GB

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057QETGS/

Corsair GS is a higher rated model line

http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Force-2-5-Inch-Solid-CSSD-F180GBGS-BK/dp/B008FYEVU 8/

I would not buy OWC is part of what I am saying too.

180 would probably be better as that would leave me roughly 100 GB available after formatting probably

I gathered that about OWC and that's fine. Doesn't matter to me which one it is so long as it's good.

I thought the Intel 520s were the ones to get?

I assume on any of these that I'd need to enable TRIM?

Also, I have heard things about the 6GB/s drives not performing at 3GB/s on SATA 2 machines, at least with the MacBook Pros with Sata 2 (More like 1.5). Is that not the case on the Mac Pros? In other words, should I be looking at a 3G drive for my machine to optimize performance?

Why buy old technology? just buy the drive and don't get caught up. The SSD's controller and firmware have evolved. SSD HAVE TO be backward compatible. Intel 520 is premium but do you need to spend the extra $$? No. Feel free to though.

By don't get caught up, do you mean not to keep up with firmware updates?

I agree that generally getting the newer technology is better, especially if I ever decide to move that to another machine. I was just led to believe that at least in SATA 2 MacBok Pros that the 6G drives actually worked slower than 3G drives for whatever reason and didn't kow if that was the case with the Mac Pro.

What about TRIM on any of the drives you mentioned?

Also, I'd need something like an Icy Dock too, right?

The 2011 MBP (see www.m___performanceguide.com ) were buggy with SATA3.

I meant you were over analyzing and such. Intel has been a good fit and were the first used in Mac X25 I believe and when needed Intel has supported Macs.

OWC was using the same SandForce controller but took 3 months before they included version 2.0 in theirs, much to chagrin and having to get their customers upgraded.

Get the right size Icy, and I would not do anything other than use it, image it for restore from time to time.

Our MacPro1,1 were designed in 2005 with what was known at the time...

Oh I overthink everything, which gets me into more trouble than I need to be in most of the time...

This will be a boot/applications drive. I will have a backup of it, obviously, and I am probably going to keep a small 10.6.8 partition somewhere as I have some stuff that requires Rosetta. Not horrible if I lose it stuff, but why lose it at all if I don't need to?

So if the Intel uses the same Sandforce controller as OWC and OWC says don't use TRIM, am I right in assuming that the Intel doesn't need it either?

I appreciate all the help!

Normally folks do not do enough research. With SSDs there are volumes and volumes (the "other kind")

Intel - did I say they used the same? No. Corsair. Intel has switched multiple times with multiple models, customized SF, Marvell (520 series). Even Micron at one point I think.

OWC = Corsair in some cases is what I said.

Let the drive do its think is what I also said. Don't try to override. If you want to test the 3rd party tools, then have your sparse image and your dual boot - always have sparse image of your system tucked away and a bootable image, in addition to your rosetta-stone.

As for OWC saying not to or that TRIM is not needed... sounds like too easy to poke holes in that, so maybe they didn't say what they meant, you always prefer to have TRIM when possible - which is handled by drivers and OS level. And for more I would "google" there are sites and discussions that are capable of making tests to help answer that.

I would look again at Barefeats, right? www.barefeats.com

and this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0090IA3GY/

except it is not bootable pre-2009 model. But adds SATA3 and a solid Marvel controller, 500MB/sec (800 with two SSDs). Now I don't know what issues OWC own PCIe SSD kit offers or poses but you need a 4x or 8x slot (PCIe 1.1 is half the bandwidth of 2.x too). A nice way to get SATA 3.x support and performance - if you want or need to.

Actually, the last message mentioned Intel and then said the OWC used the same controller, so that's why I assumed Intel was the same. No big deal

So are you saying to test the TRIM stuff on a spare drive then?

The card option is nice, but I need it to be bootable. Still, for additional storage I may look into something like that at some point.

They may but Intel does not use the same firmware which is what drives the truck.

Lots of vendors that make SSDs, they don't make the controller and vise versa.

Is this you starting over on MacRumors with same question?

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1463947

Really? And yes the ODD ports - we do have 6 SATA ports, and the lower optical bay while messy to get cables into is great for two devices like SSD.

I always advice to have a backup and treat everything as if it is buggy, including 10.7.5 Supplemental Update 1.0.

It is me as it seemed like you were irritated that I did not get what you were inferring, even though your message before mine made it sound like the Intel and the OWC used the same controller. So yes, really.

Regardless of what it is, I often ask the same question, be it for computers or stereo equoipment or anything, in several areas and forums and consult with friends. You said a lot of people don't do enough research. I am not one of those people. You seem to be treating this as a teacher-student relationship, where you will "point me in teh right direction," so I can discover the answer on my own. With the risks and, more importantly money, involved with getting a drive and testing things such as TRIM, I am just trying to find people who have done it (or not done it) and why, not discover it on my own. I don't wish to create a partition to experiment with. I will have my main drive and my backup and want to get it right the first time. I didn't think there was anything wrong with that.

It's nothing at all personal against you - you've given me a lot of great advice and know a lot more about this than I ever will - I just like to ask lots of people about this sort of thing and get as many opinions as possible. That and I had thought this thread had sort of died, and I still wasn't (nor am I now), sure of what I am doing.

So I hope I have not offended you in any way as that was never my intent, obviously.

I'm pretty good around a Mac, but have never owned an SSD, nor do I know anyone that has one. Most of my friends are PC people anyhow. I have quickly found out it's not at all like just buying a 7200 or 10000 RPM HDD and I am having to learn a lot of stuff on the fly. I am trying to make an informed decision, but do it as quickly as possible because some of my HDD is not backed up adn I want to get this taken care of before it dies on me.

So no hard feelings 🙂

Sorry for my confusion in your reply about which drives use what controllers. It's possible I read it wrong. At any rate, this is all uncharted territory for me and while I tend to ask too many questions in all aspects of life, I'd rather ask too many than not enough. And I am all for learning new things and like to trouble shoot my Mac on my own (and usually can), but I have no idea what I am doing in this instance

I agree about treating everything as if it is buggy. I have not gone to 10.7.5 in my Laptop for instance, let alone Mountain Lion.

The two extra SATA ports you speak of are the ones on the motherboard? I thought I had read somewhere that putting an SSD in the optical drive bay slowed it down, but is that if it is plugged in somewhere else?