Best COMPATIBLE ssd for NVidia MCP79 chipset?

Thank you again for your helpful replies, Mike!

pgleesonuk wrote:

You don't need to compare the speed. All 6gb/s SSDs will be limited to 3gb/s due to the Nvidia chipset.

I purchased a Samsung 850 EVO 1tb, and I'm very happy with it.

Thank you for sharing your experience with the Samsung EVO 1TB, but I disagree about performance comparisons. We do need to compare speed of SSDs even when we intend to install them in an older SATA II 3Gb/s Mac. The reason is because the theoretical speed of SATA II is 375MB/s. Overhead drops that to 300MB/s, and latency drops that further to about 275MB/s. Therefore, to get the most from your SSD and your older Macs 3G interface, it is only common sense to select an SSD that gets offers sustained READ and WRITE speeds of 275MB/s. Of course, that is not the only speed criterion to compare (iOPs are important too), but it is an important point of comparison nevertheless. And that is why I posted the performance comparison link in my previous post. Here it is once again.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/SSD/260

As of right now though, you're right. The Samsung EVO 850 1TB offers the best performance and capacity for your money, and as Mike said, it is compatible at 3Gb/s speeds on older 3G Macs with the Nvidia disk controller chipset. (There is even a 2TB edition selling on Amazon now.) It may be different a year from now, so those coming late to this thread should stay up to date with the latest performance comparison data.

I also want to install a new SSD into my Macbook Pro mid 2009 (MacBookPro5,5) with the NVidia MCP79 controller.

After reading many discussions including this one, I have narrowed my choices to the following SSD brands which are said to be compatible with the NVidia MCP79 controller and will perform at a "negotiated link speed" of 3 Gigabit (not 1.5 Gigabit):

1. Crucial MX200 or BX100

2. Samsung 850 EVO

3. OWC Mercury Electra 3G (SATA 2 only)

Has anyone successfully used any of these SSD models in a MacBook Pro with NVidia MCP79 and can confirm you received a "negotiated link speed" of 3 Gigabit? I have read people having success with the older Crucial M500 and Samsung 840 EVO so I am hoping these latest models will work too. Can anyone confirm?

Many thanks.

TP

Yes, TP33, the OWC 3G will give you true 3G speeds in a MacBook Pro 5,5 (we have one at the office with an OWC installed). But be sure to get the 3G, NOT the 6G. The 6G will drop down to 1.5Gb/s because of its SandForce controller. Basically, if you choose an SSD WITHOUT the SandForce controller, I have been told that pretty much any 6G SSD will give you true 3G speeds on your MacBook Pro 5,5 (or any Mac with the Nvidia chipset). But since OWC uses SandForce, you have to be careful.

You also need to be aware that OWC's 3G 1TB drive is twice the price of the 6G 1TB because the 3G edition is designed differently. Even so, their 3G 1TB has been benchmarked to be slower than most other SSDs on some tests, so you may wish to avoid that one.

Thank you JDW1 for confirming the compatibility of the OWC model. I am looking for a 500GB SSD so no worries on the price.

The OWC 3G is my 3rd choice in the list because it is SATA 2 only and I would prefer a SATA 3 SSD which I can re-use after I replace my MacBook Pro 5,5 with a newer laptop in a few years.

What about the Crucial MX200/BX100 or Samsung 850 EVO? Can anyone confirm they do work at 3G "negotiated link speed" without any issues with the NVidia MCP79 controller? If not, then I will get the OWC model to be safe.

Thanks.

TP

TP33, the OWC SSD we are using at the office right now in a MacBook Pro 5,5 is only 240GB in size, so we are now contemplating either a 500GB or 1TB SSD replacement. I asked various people online (here and on Amazon) asking about the Samsung EVO 850, mainly because it has the best performance in its class. Because it does NOT use a SandForce Controller, it is apparently compatible with the MacBook Pro 5,5 at full 3Gb/s speeds, despite the EVO being a 6G SSD.

I am planning to put either a 500GB or 1TB EVO in an early iMac 9,1 and in my own home iMac, an 11,1 (from 2009). Once done, I will of course post a Black Magic Disk Speed Test result screenshot to show you the throughput. All said, if the test shows around 275MB/s, then it is getting 3G speeds. The only thing I am NOT sure of at this point is if my home iMac 11,1 has a dual channel SATA II connection (one 3G channel for the internal HDD and another separate 3G channel for the optical drive). If it is dual channel, then theoretically, I should be able to get 6G speeds by installing two 500GB EVO 850's in my iMac 11,1 and then using something like SoftRAID to raid them together. But if it is only a single channel SATA II connection, then an internal RAID would have no meaning.

OWC sells optical drive bay kits for MacBooks and iMacs, so you could consider the same. But I am not sure if the MacBook 5,5 is single or dual channel SATA II.

Anyway, here are some SSD benchmarks (use the popup menu in the upper left to choose different tests):

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/SSD15/1195

TP33, another consideration is TRIM. If you install an OWC SSD with a SandForce controller, you don't need to worry about TRIM. But if you install the Samsung EVO 850, you will need to activate TRIM to prevent the SSD from slowing down over time. Here is how to accomplish that in El Capitan:

http://www.howtogeek.com/222077/how-to-enable-trim-for-third-party-ssds-on-mac-o s-x/

Thanks JDW1.

I am currently leaning towards the Crucial BX100/MX200 models.

Because the OWC 3G is more expensive, slower and uses a SandForce controller as you mentioned.

As for the Samsung EVO, I have read a few reported issues with regards to the MCP79 controller and TRIM support. But if it works for you, please update.

if you go to where system settings in the apple logo upper left right and click Sata and Sata express tab it should tell you what controller you have I do have a intel 5 chipset so yeah I don't have a problem with adding two SSD and doing a raid array.........

TP33 wrote:

Thanks JDW1.

...I have read a few reported issues with regards to the MCP79 controller and TRIM support. But if it works for you, please update.

TP33, if you have time, would you mind posting a link to the Samsung EVO TRIM "issues" you cited?

I've not yet made my SSD purchase yet. I am still mulling my research over one last time. But I must admit that TRIM support is an important issue. I wouldn't want my TRIM implementation to be incompatible with future OS X updates. That is a concern for most SSDs, but of course not for OWC drives because they take care of TRIM without any required work on our part.

Hey JDW1 when you get your SSD and set it up as a raid 0 if you are going to let me know how things turn out to be.... Glad that I am able to have help in your research just as much as I got help from others by doing my own research about adding SSD to my system....

I wonder how is that you and I have the same model computer and you have a nvidia chipset and I ended up with a intel, maybe because mine were the first ones to leave the factory in china. I order mine in Dec 31 2009 and I did not get it till February, it was backed order for 1 month I remember these were a hot sale.... Back then

I apologize if my lack of clarity confused anyone on the topic of chipset, but my personal iMac at home is an 11,1. That iMac does NOT have the NVIDIA chipset. It has Intel. So there is no fear of a drop to SATA-I (1.5Gb/s) even with a SandForce 6G OWC SSD in my machine. But my iMac at the office is an early 2009 24" 9,1 which DOES have the NVIDIA chipset. We are thinking about upgrading that one too with an SSD. And the iMac9,1 is just like the MacBook Pro 5,5 in that they have the NVIDIA chipset which is problematic with SandForce controllers on 6G SSDs.

Another difference between the iMac9,1 and 11,1 is that the 11,1 requires OWC's thermal sensor in order to keep fans running normal (without software hacks) after you swap the internal HDD for an SSD. No such thermal sensor is required for the iMac9,1.

I've not yet made my decision about my iMac at home because of economics. I live outside the USA so I have to pay more than some of you folks for the same SSDs, sensors, and so on. And as much as I would love to RAID two 1TB SSDs inside my iMac11,1, my wife would likely have my head. But once I do made the upgrade, yes, I will of course post XBENCH 64 and 32 speed tests, as well as Black Magic and others.

Thank you for the information on TRIM, Switch900. I appreciate it.

Bad news iMac9,1 owners (with NVidia MCP79 SATA chipset). I just purchased a Samsung EVO 850 (500GB capacity) for my iMac at the office. I formatted it with a 2015 Retina iMac using an external Drive Dock and installed El Capitan on it. I then installed that Samsung SSD into a 2.5 to 3.5 bracket and installed it inside the iMac9,1. It boots faster than the old spinning platter drive did, but my heart sank when I installed Black Magic Disk Speed Test and let it run. The fastest speeds I get are:

110MB/s — write

136MB/s — read

Those are SATA-I speeds.

(SATA-II (3G) speeds should be upwards of 275MB/s. And of course SATA-III (6G) speeds are about 500MB/s.)

Here's the exact SSD I purchase from Amazon Japan:

http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B00QIH3RUY/

And so, reports claiming the Samsung EVO 850 SSDs (6G) can run inside the iMac9,1 at 3G (SATA-II) speeds are flat out lies.

Supposedly this "slowdown-to-SATA-I" problem should NOT happen on my late 2009 iMac11,1 (also 3G) at home, which has the Intel SATA chipset instead of the stupid NVidia, but I must admit I am a bit spooked now. The X-FILES motto of TRUST NO ONE is certainly correct. I'm depressed.

I am sorry about the Nvidia chipset I mean I never told you about this chipset because I don't own a mac with this chipset, all I could say for the intel chipset. I am sorry that the nvidia chipset brings down the speed. I think the reason why these mac had the nvidia was because of that time, it must be because of the technology, We have to be lucky for those who have the intel chipset up till now. Because there is no bottle neck compatibility with the intel chipset controller, there is a wide compatibility with the Samsung and other SSD.... One thing is for sure that HDD disk create a huge bottle neck for any mac performance.

Just to let everyone know, I have an iMac at the office which is an early 2009 iMac9,1. That's what I spoke of in my previous post. That one has the NVidia SATA chipset. But my late 2009 iMac11,1 at home has the Intel chipset, like Switch900 describes. The slightly older 9,1 is different, and sadly, like I said, despite the numerous reports I read on the internet saying SAMSUNG EVO 850 SSDs work PERFECT at SATA-II (3G) speeds on the early 2009 iMac9,1, they all are lies.

I have not yet upgraded my iMac at home.

And sadly, Switch900, our other discussion about RAIDing 2 SSDs was blocked by you know who. (It now says "Unauthorized" when you try to access it.)

Now, as to TRIM, the link I posted earlier in this discussion is the easiest to understand. Here it is again:

http://www.howtogeek.com/222077/how-to-enable-trim-for-third-party-ssds-on-mac-o s-x/

But here's an even easier summary:

To enable TRIM for all SSDs attached (inside and out) to a given Mac, Open Terminal and type:

sudo trimforce enable

To disable it, you swap "enable" for the word "disable" — but why you would want to is anyone's guess.