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Network 23 Author

Level 6

12,333 points

Does Disk Utility do TRIM for a 3rd party SSD?

Given the complications of enabling TRIM for third-party SSDs in Yosemite, if I upgrade my MacBook Pro to Yosemite I have to think about long-term performance of the SSD if I can't use Trim Enabler. That leads to two questions:

Is it really that big of a deal if I don't enable TRIM for a Samsung 840 EVO SSD? Does the drive have sufficient garbage collection of its own so that I can expect several years of high performance from the drive if TRIM is not enabled?
I have read that Disk Utility does a trim at the end of a disk repair. Do we know that this is true? So if the drive really should use TRIM, is manually running Repair Disk in Disk Utility a sufficient workaround, and if so, how often should it be done?

Posted on Nov 19, 2014 5:51 PM

Best reply

garrettra

Level 1

5 points

Posted on Nov 28, 2014 9:06 AM

I've been looking to upgrade the HDD in my 2012 MBP 15" now that SSD's are more affordable and given the Black Friday sale here in the US. I've done a lot of research on TRIM support for Macs prior to Yosemite but decided to wait, given the workaround one must employ, to see what Yosemite brought to the table. Here's what I've found regarding your questions:

TRIM support isn't a requirement for the 840 EVO series. Samsung implemented a controller, MEX, which allows the drive to manage garbage collection. This is similar to the Sandforce controller used on other drives (if you've heard of that) in that the SSD handles these tasks during system idle time. So without TRIM enabled you'll definitely want to leave your computer idle for periods of time here and there. However, TRIM allows the SSD to work with the OS in order to handle garbage collection more efficiently. This could mean better longevity with TRIM enabled. Regardless, with this specific drive, Samsung has released a firmware update that you should install (link at bottom of post). Note that some Mac users are finding the installation process difficult, resulting in using a Windows machine to reformat to NTFS to update, then back to OS X Extended (Journaled). The blog post linked below might have the workaround, though this is anecdotal and unverified by me.
I've read about the Disk Utility reports and I haven't been able to confirm whether it is reporting the TRIM command in use or simply another process by a similar name. However, I would not consider running Disk Utility periodically as a suitable workaround since the point of TRIM is for it to be in use on a continuous basis.

http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/minisite/SSD/global/html/su pport/downloads.html

http://blog.conradchavez.com/2014/10/30/running-the-samsung-840-evo-ssd-performa nce-restoration-tool-on-a-mac/

I'm disappointed that Apple continues not to support third party SSD's. This is quite obviously, as others have pointed out, to Apple's monetary gain.

Edit: FWIW I'm upgrading to a Samsung 840 EVO and I'm going with the TRIM workaround for Yosemite that's been posted elsewhere. I don't see driver signage as a gaping security hole right now and, given the backlash from the professional community on this issue (which is depended on third party SSD support in Mac OS X), I suspect Apple will revise this policy at some point before the next OS release. Fingers crossed, and good luck.

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17 replies

Dec 12, 2014 2:04 PM in response to Network 23

I went to an Apple store the other day and asked a few Geniuses about this particular issue. They didn't have much to say except that Yosemite on SSD's without TRIM should perform significantly better than a HDD, despite possibly having a decreased lifespan due to the lack of TRIM support. Additionally, they couldn't comment on whether the kexts would ever be signed by Apple. One must keep in mind that Apple has never officially support TRIM in Mac OS for user-installed drives. I went ahead and purchased a SSD over Black Friday and have decided to rely on the drive's built-in garbage collector. I see the benefit from kext signing and am backtracking on my earlier stance to bypass this feature. I haven't installed the drive yet so I can't comment on performance at this time FYI.

Hope is not lost, however: I use an Xbox 360 controller for gaming and ran into the issue of signed kexts for this device. This controller relies on a 3rd party kext, which Apple has apparently signed, and thus I haven't had to disable kext signing. This is encouraging news since it demonstrates the potential for Apple to remedy the 3rd party TRIM kext issue, allowing TRIM Enabler to work once more.

Jul 18, 2015 9:20 PM in response to Network 23

I've done my best to read through your conversation but I have a few questions of my own. Please bare with me for I don't know as much about this as you guys do.

I purchased a Macbook Pro around 2010. I've since then been through two of their standard hard drives. After the second one went out I was out of warranty and didn't see the value in paying for a HD that would most likely have the same fate. After becoming an expensive paperweight for over a year I finally decided to purchase a new HD but was advised to get a SSD kind instead. I purchased what I researched to be a decent one made by a company called Crucial. The specific model being Crucial MX100 256GB SATA 2.5-inch internal solid state drive. Everything seems to be doing just fine while running OS X 10.6.8. Am I safe to upgrade to Yosemite?

I thought I would check in with you guys and see how your computers were doing with the SSD's and Yosemite. I don't understand a whole lot when you guys talk about TRIM and Kext.

Thanks for any input.

Does Disk Utility do TRIM for a 3rd party SSD?