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Level 1

10 points

Non-Apple SSD upgrade of MacBook Pro and trim enabling

Hello.

I have a question about non-Apple SSD upgrade of MacBook Pro. I was planning to go and buy an SSD in a couple of days but I have coincidentally come up with a web page mentioning trim enabling to extend SSD life on MacBook Pros. Actually the article suggested that if trim is not enabled, the SSD performance degradation will start very quickly due to a high number of writing and deletion of data to the same location on the SSD. Apple's original SSDs are really expensive, I checked that. Is there anyone who upgraded with a non-Apple SSD and did not enable trim and realize the SSD performance degradation? Is there anyone who could easily enable trim and is using his Mac efficiently with a non-Apple SSD? I will be glad if you could share your experiences. I really want to improve the speed of my Mid 2012 13 inch MBP but I have to be sure before doing that. I am also planning to buy a Samsung Evo 840 250 GB SSD.

Regards and thanks in advance,

Bugra

MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2012), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4)

Posted on Nov 1, 2013 10:47 AM

Best reply

ds store

Level 7

30,725 points

Posted on Nov 1, 2013 10:59 AM

Yes you need to install and run TRIM Enabler after your OS X is installed or reverse cloned onto the GUID/OSX extended Journaled formatted SSD from a external boot clone drive of the previous internal drive.

Also you need to run it after some OS X updates and of course upgrades, you'll notice the immediate performance drop if you don't.

It's available over at MacUpdate.com, you'll have to right or control/alt key click to "Open" it to bypass OS X Gatekeeper.

Read these user tips, you can clone your present internal drive to the new SSD using a SATA to USB adapter/Carbon Copy Cloner (not Superduper) and then reboot and hold option/alt key down on a wired keyboard to boot from it and test before making hardware switch.

Make a bootable clone of your boot drive

Upgrading Your MacBook Pro with a Solid State Drive

Install/upgrade RAM or storage drive in Mac's

Of your going the fresh install or + TimeMachine restore route, then also read this

Reset your Mac

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17 replies

Dec 10, 2013 9:28 PM in response to babowa

In normal day-to-day operation, TRIM is not needed. Its worth only shows itself when the SSD runs low on free SuperBlocks in which to write new data.

The fundamental probelm, as the Wikipedia article explains, is that Mac OS X does not notify the SSD when blocks are deleted, and the SSD needs a SuperBlock in which to write. TRIM is the notification that keeps the SSD from drowning in deleted data. Data that it still has to replicate and Garbage Collect while operating starved for free space.

babowa

Level 9

78,103 points

Dec 10, 2013 11:16 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Here is an interesting article:

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-20052922-263.html

Non-Apple SSD upgrade of MacBook Pro and trim enabling