I have an iMac late 2009 20".
The controller NVidia MCP79 AHCI seems to have 2 different link negotiated speeds: 3 Gigabit for HDD and 1,5 Gigabit for DVD.
Is this due to different slot speed or simply for different utilities.
I mean: If i'd like to run a SSD on the DVD SATA bus, which speed I can expect?
Thank for your help
imac, Mac OS X (10.6.4)
The DVD interface is the same, but the DVD only operates at 1.5 Gb/s. If you plan to boot from the SSD, then put it where the HDD is and move the HDD to the DVD slot. Both will operate at 3.0 Gb/s if the devices are SATA II - 3.0 Gb/s rated.
Thank you very much.
This is really a god news!
Yes, I'd like to boot my system from the SSD.
I'd like to follow your instructions but it seems so complicated to move HDD to the DVD slot. Instead, when removing the DVD, a kit is available to mount the SSD. Also, the HDD could be used as a data storage and so on.
SATA III (6G) will work at 3G, is that true? ( 3G are becoming rare to find..)
Is any limitation known about the the brand of the SSD?
Thanks again
Most SATA III 6.0 Gb/s drives will work. But you may save some money on the slower 3.0 Gb/s drives. Check out OWC for possibilities as well as the DataDoubler bracket to use. Installing the bracket will require removing the HDD. It's not very difficult. OWC has written and video tutorials to follow as well as the tools needed.
There are several SSD models that are known to work. Samsung's 840 models, OWC's proprietary models, and OCZ models. The closer you stick to what your computer supports the less likely it is you might have a problem with an SSD.
After installing everything you will need to partition and format the SSD for OS X since they won't come pre-formatted. You do this with Disk Utility just as you would for any drive. You may also want to use TRIM software with third-party drives: Trim Enabler 3.3.
When everything is installed and working see the following about getting the most out of the SSD/HDD combo:
How to use an SSD with your HDD If you are going to use an SSD as a boot drive together with your existing HDD as the "data" drive, here's what you can do. After installing the SSD you will need to partition and format the SSD using Disk Utility. Then, install OS X on the SSD. After OS X has been installed boot from the SSD. Use Startup Disk preferences to set the SSD as the startup volume. Open Users & Groups preferences. Click on the lock icon and authenticate. CTRL- or RIGHT-click on your user account listing in the sidebar and select Advanced Options from the context menu. You will see a field labeled "Home dir:" At the right end you will see a Change button. Click on it. In the file dialog locate the Home folder now located on the HDD (HDD/Users/account_name/.) Select the folder, click on Open button. Restart the computer as directed. When the computer boots up it will now be using the Home folder located on the HDD. Another more technical method involving the Terminal and aliases is discussed in depth here: Using OS X with an SSD plus HDD setup - Matt Gemmell. This is my preferred approach because I can select which of the Home's folders I want on the HDD and which I don't want. For example, I like to keep the Documents and Library folders on the SSD because I access their content frequently. Be sure you retain the fully bootable system on your HDD in case you ever need it. |
THANK YOU!
Everything is absolutely clear.
NVidia MCP79 AHCI
