Best COMPATIBLE ssd for NVidia MCP79 chipset?

I decided to upgrade my 2009 Macbook with Nvidia MCP79 chipset last month. The first drive I tried was the SanDisk Extreme II. That one was incompatible so I returned it and bought the Crucial M500. I've sinces spent the last 3 weeks trying to make it work properly. Right out of the box I had trouble cloning my original Apple 128GB SSD while connected to my laptop. Using a couple different external USB/SATA adapters to clone the drive proved to be impossible with the Macbook. So, I tried a clean install of OS X to the M500. It would not take the install if I was using my Macbook to do it. This was true whether the drive was internal or external at the time of install. I even tried using my original Leapord disk that came with the system and even that would not sucessfully install on the M500.

I eventually got an OS installed on it by using a different computer and external enclosure. After placing that inside my Macbook everything seemed fine. After 3 days the computer began to lag and drive errors starting popping up. Verifying/repairing permissions in disk utility failed with "open error 5" reports for multiple items. Attempting a disk verify/repair also failed. Booting with a system on a USB flash drive and using disk utility on the M500 also failed. By removing the drive and reconnecting it to a different computer I was able to repair it file structure on the drive. However, after a few hours the same problems returned.

Crucial advised that I update the firmware on the SSD. I did that and started with a fresh install on the drive after doing a secure 3 pass erase. Again I had to install the OS on a seperate system and then install the drive in the Macbook. Again after 3 days the system became unstable.

I've returned the drive as defective. However, the problems seemed to be related to using it in the Macbook. I could install the OS using a newer iMac, but not the 2009 Macbook 5,3 with Nvidia MCP79 chipset. I put the original drive back in with a fresh OS install and everything is working flawlessly exactly as it was before I tried using the M500.

It could be that the drive I had was defective. It appeared to work fine for several days then slowly became unusable to the point that it couldn't even boot anymore. Yet, taking it out and connecting it to a different computer seemed to restore it to working condition again for a few days. I'm curious to know if the other people reporting the M500 as compatible with the Nvidia MCP79 chipset had problems days to weeks after installing the M500.

There are two difficulties that could be contributing to your difficulty.

Some of the recent MacBook Pro models are seeing a rash of Internal Hard Drive cable problems. These show themselves not as outright failures, but as flaky unreliable operation. At faster transfer speeds, such as using an SSD, they are worse. Since booting from a drive is much more intensive than simply reading files off a drive, these sometimes install OK, and sometimes even seem to be OK when checked with Target disk Mode from another Mac.

Anecdotally, the worst of these seem to be the 2009 models. But others are not trouble-free.

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The other issue has to do with an SSD's inability to unload deleted data. The OS never tells a Non-Apple SSD what data are being deleted, so the SSD must continue to track, move, and re-organize data that are no longer needed. This can cause an SSD to slow down and even become dysfunctional while Mac OS X says there are still lots of blocks it calls "Free". This article explains the back story:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRIM

TRIM Enabler by groths has been widely used to get better results from non-Apple SSDs. Apple has not provided a mechanism that allows more elegant support of TRIM on third-party SSD drives.

So this (and others like it) requires setting aside an Apple module and replacing it with a patched version. Apple has not chosen to allow drive Vendors to qualify their drives, and has not left the names of qualified drives in a config file where they could be modified without changing the code itself.

The symptoms you list for non-apple SSD TRIM support do sound like the problems I experienced. Except, I did have TRIM turned on with the Crucial M500. That was the first thing I did after I got it up and running in the Macbook.

The bad cable symptoms also match mine, but I was exchanging an SSD for a larger SSD and the speed difference was probably not critical. Also, I had issues with the Crucial M500 even when attached to the MBP through an external USB enclosure.

Other people have had similar problems with Crucial drives that require doing regular power cycles to restore functionality. A power cycle involves removing the drive and attaching it to a power source without connecting it to the drive controller. After letting it idle in that state for 20 minutes the drive is powered down for another 30. This cycle is repeated a few times and then the drive will be good to go again. However, this solution is temporary and I've found reports from several Crucial SSD users stating that the power cycle fix becomes a weekly, or even daily, routine to maintain drive functianality. This seems to be a production defect of some Crucial drives. I returned mine as soon as it became clear it could not maintain integrity for more than a few days at a time without being removed from the MBP.

After letting it idle in that state for 20 minutes the drive is powered down... This cycle is repeated a few times and then the drive will be good to go again.

That cycle applies Power, but no activity -- the exact conditions needed for the drive to perform a major Garbage Collection cycle (or several). After completing some of those, the drive is more likely to have several free SuperBlocks available, and having free SuperBlocks means it can Write at full speed again.

A drive would be much more likely to get into that state without the use of TRIM. It may also be an indication that the drive's firmware is a bit primitive. The number of drive firmware update being issued suggests that brand has firmware that is less mature than other manufacturer's drives.

I told you I was using TRIM. That's not the issue. Also, TRIM can be enabled without the use of third party software. You are overstating the effect of TRIM as a properly functioning drive will operate fine with or without TRIM enabled. The original APPLE SSD that is in the MBP now does not use TRIM and I used that for 4 years without a problem.

Crucial just issued a firmware upgrade for the M500 to version MU5 in March 2014. Even with that upgrade I still had problems. However, the M500 has been been used successfully even with the previous firmware, as Invisible E has reported.

As I see it I was using a drive under indentical conditions in an identical system using the identical drive that other users have used without problem. I know my system is fine and I performed a clean install of the OS after a secure 3 pass full erase. So, all else being equal it has to be a drive failure.

Finally, the many users who also report the same problems with their M4 & M500 drives indicates a sporadic defect specific to Crucial drives. I've not heard of anyone actually fixing one of these defective drives and I'm certainly not going to start dissambling my MBP every few days to run a power cycle on my SSD. That's not what I consider a functioning drive. I think Crucial just let some defective drives get past quality control.

Jan529-

I am not telling you what to do, what to say, or what to think.

What these forums are best at is group brainstorming. Brainstorming, by definition, produces some divergent ideas that are not exactly what the User intended, and may not be useful. Ultimately, YOU will be doing the decision-making based on what you know and possibly SOME of what others have to add.

I shared some of my experiences and observations. If those do not fit with your views, feel free to ignore them!

The original APPLE SSD that is in the MBP now does not use TRIM

TRIM is supported directly in Mac OS X for all Apple-branded devices. No configuration is available. That is why there is TRIM support sitting there to be patched. The patch removes the check for Apple firmware, and allows Apple TRIM to apply to all your SSD devices.

It doesn't help when you diverge from listening to what other people have already said. Your sanctimony is not adding anything to the thread. Nor, are your comments about TRIM relevant considering the sypmtoms and system settings as reported. How many times do I have to tell you I had TRIM enabled before you stop trying to convince me that it may have been a TRIM issue.

Furthermore, you are completely wrong about TRIM support with my system. I have a mid 2009 Macbook Pro 5,3. It came with OS X 10.5 and the apple TS128A SSD. It predates TRIM support in OS X. I have never enabled TRIM with that drive. In my sytem profiler it still says TRIM = NO and that is with a fresh rebuild using OS X 10.9 and all current firmware. Both the drive and the OS that came with my MacBook predate TRIM. I have never had an issue with the fact TRIM is not now nor has ever been enabled on my system with the TS128A installed. With the new M500 drive I immediately enabled TRIM as soon as it was installed. So, without TRIM I had no problems, with TRIM I had lots of problems. If I were to start looking at TRIM as the source of the drive failure I would conclude that TRIM is bad. However, I know TRIM is not the problem.

The real issue and the one that I was providing RELEVANT information about is this:

The problem associated with upgrading mid 2009 MacBook Pro's with the NVIDIA MCP79 chipset is very specific and you should only post here if you can give real first hand accounts of something working or not. What this thread is about is whether or not specific drives will work. As other people have noted upgrading the SSD in these particular systems is very iffy. We know sandforce SSDs and most SATA III will not work well with the NVIDIA MCP79. Beyond that it is just try-and-see.

What anyone who has one of these systems needs is first hand information about what drives do and do not work. What I and others need is real reports from people that have had success or faliure with specific model drives in their Apple systems built with the MCP79 chipset. If you don't have anything to add within this context you are off topic. Basically, TRIM is not the issue, it is not the topic, stop talking about TRIM in a general sense. Unless you have some very specific TRIM related issue involving a real build including an SSD and the NVIDIA MCP79 SATA bridge you have nothing to add to this discussion.

You are just one of those people at the "brainstorming" session who likes to talk about unrelated issues and more often than not derails the entire meeting; there's always one. I am done wasting my time with you.

Now guys, put your differences aside, let's focus on the most important thing: finding a solution for affected MacBooks.

I ran into the exact same problem a few days ago when I wanted to upgrade my Early 2009 17" MacBookPro (MCP79 chipset) with an SSD.

I chose the Transcend TS512GSSD320 as it was listed being compatible with that specific MacBook. Unfortunately it is NOT. Negotiated Link Speed 1.5 Gbps instead of 3 Gbps.

I tried all the proclaimed solutions out there: Resetting the SMC, shutting down and booting up instead of restarting the system, disconnecting the optical drive, spilling 23 drops of a purple lizard's blood on the Apple logo while singing "Yellow Submarine" backwards... you name it. :-D

OK, serious business... at the moment I don't have a satisfying answer for all you guys out there, but I can rule out one more SSD for sure and that hopefully brings us closer to a final answer. I just orderd a Samsung MZ-7TE500BW which IS SAID to be working. But I want proof. As soon as I have got results I will post them here.

Cheers

Doc M.

Hi Doc,

The replacement Crucial M500 I ordered to replace the one I returned is working great after 5 days of use. It linked at 3Gbps and hasn't had any stability issues. I was able to clone my TS128A and be up and running in less than 2 hours after I unboxed the new drive, including the firmware update to MU5. The first M500 I installed had immediate problems during cloning and couldn't last more than 3 days after a fresh install. My experience tells me that if you have a drive that is compatible it will go as smooth as you would expect for a simple HDD/SSD install.

As you've learned none of the fixes out there will get an incompatible drive working and the only way to discover if it will work or not is just try it and see. If I were doing this all over again I wouldn't waste an hour on a drive that started giving me problems right from the beginning, like the Sandisk Extreme II and the first Crucial M500 I tried.

I've seen reports of the Samsung 840 and 840 Evo both working and not working. If you run into problems try an M500. As long as you don't get a faulty drive it should work out for you. Sandisk also released a firmware update specific to the problems associated with the MCP79 for the Sandisk Extreme (not Extreme II). I don't know for sure that the Extreme will work, but if you don't want to mess with a manufacturer with known quality issues it may be worth a shot.

Best of luck with the Samsung. If it works for you I'm sure future MCP79 owners will want to know. Thanks for sharing.

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaa!!! :-D

Ladies and Gents,

I am here today to tell you that your suffering has come to an end:

The Samsung MZ-7TE500BW works like a charm in my Early 2009 MacbookPro! Negotiated Link Speed 3Gbps, 2-2-5x the throughput of the Transcend 320 SSD. I like!

I hope this is an experience that lasts, I will keep you posted.

Cheers

Doc M.

A little more experience to add to this discussion for anyone else having Nvidia MCP79 SATA issues.

I've got an early 2009 Mac Mini (MacMini3,1) as well as a Zotac Zbox ND22 (PC running Linux) that both use MCP79. I've tried 3 SandForce SF22xx-based SSDs with mixed results.

The BAD:

OCZ Agility 3, 60GB, F/W 2.25 => Only SATA-I speed.

Corsair Force GT, 480GB, F/W 5.07 => Only SATA-I speed.

The GOOD:

MicroCenter SATA-III, 120GB (re-branded Adata S510), using Adata F/W 5.0.7a => Works perfectly.

OCZ Vertex Plus, 60GB, F/W 3.55 => Works perfectly; has Indilinx controller (Barefoot2 generation?).

What I'd like to try is the newer 5.2.x SandForce firmware to see if that makes a difference, because Adata's firmware history says version 5.2.5 has "SATA stability" fixes. Does anyone have a SandForce SSD with 5.2x firmware to test?

Hi Everybody !!

I just received my Vertex4 256G yesterday and installed it into the main HD bay in iMac 10.1 core 2 duo 27 inch mac. I thought it was as simple as

1- Install in iMac

2- Boot from USB

It appears that's its not as easy as i could not pass the white screen to booting option after the chime.

Tried everything from resetting NVRAM and PRAM, SMC reset even Verbose and single user modes wont work.

So after i got sick of it i installed it in a MacBook Pro 8.1 and it worked like a charm, first thing i ran the mac tool box and did

1- Firmware update. The SSD was shipped with 1.5 but i re-updated it anyways.

2- Secure erase.

The problem was not solved by Apple Support Communities or by OCZ support.

I replaced the DVD drive for the SSD, SATA II or SATA III is the same for me, just want to do a clean install of Mavericks in the SSD and use the Hitachi HD (1TB) only for storing data.

My Imac 27" is 10.1 Late 2009 and EFI version is IM101.00CC.B00. Not update available

Nvidia Chipset 79 !!!

OCZ manager says:

RyderOCZ KalamazooSupport Manager

12:36AM

Hi all!

I have an early 2009 MBP 17" with the Nvidia MCP79 chip set, and am considering an SSD upgrade (along w\ RAM) vs. replacing. I am need 1TB and am looking at the OWC 3G or Crucial (BX100 and MX200 show as compatible on Crucial's site). Does anyone have experience with these or any other 1TB SSDs and the MCP79 chip set (esp. 2009 models)?

The OWC is significantly more expensive, but given it is 3G my thought is likelihood issues negotiating to 1.5G should be less; downside is being stuck with 3G if I later want to use elsewhere with SATA III. Also OWC's free storage management is supposedly better than others in the absence of TRIM (based on their description); I want to avoid having to disable kernel driver security checking with current OSX versions to enable TRIM.

Thanks in advance!

The incompatibility problem when you use the Nvidia chip with a sandforce SSD controller capable of 6gb/s

In this case the controller defaults to 1.5gb/s. This is why OWC try to sell you overpriced 3gb/s SSD's with sandforce controllers.

If you put a 6gb/s SDD (without a sandforce controller) you will get the maximum 3gb/s that the Nvidia chipset supports