SSD Question

Mike! Regarding your iMac i5 2.66ghz OWC 6G SSD upgrade from a few years back: all worked and it clocked 3G speed?

I was very thankful to see your post as it was verbatim my experience and I have the same system---with Intel5 NOT NVIDIA--and so I ordered a package (ssd, RAM doubler for optical drive, etc.) with 6G drive from macsales...

I actually wanted a 3G package of similar but OWC did not offer said package with 3G drive at that pricepoint and when I called they said the 6G would run 3G--even though on their website it notes the conflict with Sandforce...

When package arrived an insert with the SSD noted the incompatibilities again which put me in a position: do I install and have to possibly redo it, which is a pain in these machines?

So I wrote OWC again and they are driving me nuts not answering the questions!

I wanted to confirm you switched an OWC 6G drive successfully, clicking 3G speeds.

Otherwise I will return my drive for 3G.

Thank you.

As you can see, Mike never replied to my previous post so I doubt he'll reply to you.

What I can say is that I ultimately put a Samsung Evo 850 1TB SSD inside my late 2009 27 inch iMac, replacing the stock hard drive. The only OWC parts I used were a mounting bracket bracket and a tiny circuit board that plugs in to ensure the fans don't go crazy. I chose the Samsung because at the time it was cheaper and faster than the OWC 6G SSD. I've been using it for while and haven't had any problems.

Muufungman, Mike, JDW and everyone.... I decided to just do it and can report the 6G OWC SSD placed in the optical bay shows negotiated speed of 3G---or whatever the terminolgy is: SATA II. So everything seems great, very fast, quiet. I guess my only concern is if there are other comaptibility issues, as OWC staff seemed to imply in the thread, but I do not notice. Time will tell. Very happy thus far. For reference I also placed a hybrid deive in the main bay (thermal sensor). Nee machine. I do not understand OWC customer support on this front. I could not get a clean not consistent answer, but normally I trust them and do biz there due to returns and warranty. Annoying--but I got it going so all is well. Thank you.

I don't understand why the Macbook would deliver 3gb but the iMac won't?

I don't have one, but as I understand it's due to how the SATA speed is negotiated, which must be inherent in some special chip on the Logic Board & Bus.

I picture it like this..

SSD reports 6Gb/s available, 2009 imac says no comprende, can you do 1.5 Gb/s, SSD says yes.

SSD reports 6Gb/s available, 2009 macbook says no comprende, can you do 3.0 Gb/s, SSD says yes.

(Vaguely similar thing with PM G5s, Some SATA drives that do 3.0 Gb/s or 3.0 Gb/s & 6.0 GBS won't work unless there's a true 1.5 Gb/s drive in SATA slot 0.)

(If the faster drive isn't in SATA slot 1 but in SATA slot 0, the G5 doesn't know how to negotiate the 3.0/6.0 connection, bit if Slot 0 has a true 1.5 Gb/s drive, then SATA connection doesn't fail & tells the 2nd faster drive it's readsy for SATA 1.5 Gb/s.)

I have bought a ton of stuff from OWC through the years and they are pretty good on information. Try the chat, they probably will be able to give you details.

I am in the same boat as you (sort of), one of my 2011 MacBook Pros about to go out of warranty and the Data Doubler for the Superdrive is recommended to use the 3G and not 6G drives due to compatibility issues. It seems 6G in the Data Doubler on the 2011 will act buggy, which is a bummer in terms of what I can use in there. I do have some older 3G drives so I may swap things around. (Man, what I paid for the 3G 960 SSD for my tower not too long ago, so the prices look a bit better 😉)

If I find any 3G drives while I am searching, will come back in here and let you know.

Only the 21.5 and 27inch Core 2 Duo iMacs of late 2009 had the NVidia Controller that prevented a 6Gbps SSD running at the 3gbps max.

As far as my research has gone the iMacs of late '09 (11,1 which is yours) has an i5/i7 processor and an intel 5 series chipset which should have no problem running a Sandforce 6Gbps SSD in the optical slot.

Any SSD running at 6Gbps should work in your iMac's optical slot (Sandforce or not) and run at the correct 3.0gbps negotiated speed, as it has the intel chipset rather than the crappy NVIDIA one.

If you want to stay away from from sandforce driven SSD's I would probably use a Samsung Pro/Evo.

As for TRIM, in Mavericks I used a Trim-enabler on my OWC SSD and then learnt that they over-provision or something that handles data cleanup so there really was no need for it!

Most SSDs these days will have some form of inbuilt trim or data cleanup method.

It shouldn't matter which SSD is used

Hope this helps somewhat and Good Luck!

Hi

Did you get to fit an SSD?

Did the Intel series 5 controller work at 3.0 Gb/s?

I'm consideration the same upgrade

Thanks

Paul

I was really trying to confirm what Muufungman had said

"As far as my research has gone the iMacs of late '09 (11,1 which is yours) has an i5/i7 processor and an intel 5 series chipset which should have no problem running a Sandforce 6Gbps SSD in the optical slot."

Main reason is the OWC 3G SSD's are about twice the price of other SSDs capable of twice the speed.

OWC say it won't work and push their 3G brand. Muufungman do you know of someone how as actual experience of a 6GB/s SSD in a late 2009 iMac

Thanks, Paul