PCIe HDD 512MB MAC PRO LATE 2013 WITHOUT HEATSINK

Question

Level 1

8 points

PCIe HDD 512MB MAC PRO LATE 2013 WITHOUT HEATSINK

I would like a REAL answer from APPLE EXPERT TECHNICAL SUPPORT

If possible, I would like to receive answer to my three questions:

- 1 - APPLE.COM is showing how to change MAC PRO LATE 2013 HDD PCIe FLASH, so we, all Apple users, must understand the possibility to change our HDD from our MAC PRO LATE 2013 computers is accepted by Apple, so it does not invalidate our warranty... but anyway I would like to ask: Does the change of MAC PRO PCIe HDD invalidate the WARRANTY of the full equipment? (please, I wish an answer FROM Apple).

- 2 - Why seems to be impossible to BUY a MAC PRO PCIe HDD SSD upgrade on APPLE webpage?

- 3 - Let's suppose I have bought a new PCIe HDD SSD Model MZ-JPV5120/0A4 coming from a MACBOOK, so this HDD is absolutely compatible with MAC PRO LATE 2013. But this New PCIe HDD SSD does not have the Heatsink. I've read a lot of forums and it seems that most users are doing fine with PCIe HDD without heatsing. So the question is really divided in 3 subquestions:

- Doest the MZ-JPV5120/0A4 really need a Heatsink to work fine inside a MAC PRO LATE 2013 equipped with two GPU AMD FirePro D500? Or it will work fine?

- Will it go too HOT? (Please, I wish answer from a REAL EXPERT from Apple Support)

- Will it invalidate my (2 years) warranty?

Best regards,

Francesc Mas

Mac Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.1), Late 2013 6core D500 64GB

Posted on Dec 5, 2015 11:31 AM

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Answer 1

Dec 5, 2015 1:04 PM in response to francescmas

Welcome to the Apple User-to-User support forums. Apple Inc makes no promise to read posts here, and never responds here unless your post goes completely unanswered for several days.

1. we are not Apple, Inc.

2. Apple does not sell those parts, but will repair them, like-god-like, if there is a failure.

3:

Let's suppose I have bought a new PCIe HDD SSD Model MZ-JPV5120/0A4 coming from a MACBOOK, so this HDD is absolutely compatible with MAC PRO LATE 2013.

The modules from MacBooks are not nearly as fast as the ones for the Mac Pro late 2013. Therefore, your assertion that these are compatible is not accurate, and the rest of your questions are moot.

--------

The SSD in the late 2013 is the Boot drive. It is assumed you will place your data files on other drives, such as USB-3 or ThunderBolt drives. There is no need to provide for that drive's expansion in the field.

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Answer 2

Dec 8, 2015 3:49 AM in response to francescmas

In general Apple take the view that if you fit an upgrade to a Mac then your warranty is preserved as long as you do no physical damage in fitting that upgrade. This therefore means normally fitting a memory upgrade or hard drive upgrade is ok but at your own risk. Some people would remove such an upgrade restoring the Mac to the original configuration before trying to make a warranty claim if needed. If the Mac in question is not designed to be opened then this means opening it might be considered to cause damage and therefore invalidate the warranty. Obviously the new Mac Pro is designed to be opened so that does not apply here.

With regards to the SSD in the Mac Pro it is theoretically possible to replace it with another one. As you have seen Apple do not themselves sell these as upgrades. Some people on eBay sell ones which might be second hand, in a worst case scenario they might have used up a significant part of their life span so it is very much buyer beware. There are one or two resellers of upgrades, see this one http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Aura-for-Mac-Pro/

I have seen comments suggesting using an SSD made by Apple but originally intended for an iMac or a Retina MacBook Pro will work in the new Mac Pro but these do not have the heat-sink on them. If this eventually caused an overheating issue to your Mac Pro and Apple spotted this then this may invalidate the warranty. I have not seen reports of this happening.

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Answer 3

francescmas Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 30, 2015 7:30 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Hello Grant Bennet-Alder:

First let me thank you for your answer.

You said "Apple Inc makes no promise to read posts here, and never responds here unless your post goes completely unanswered for several days"...

and then you said: "1. we are not Apple, Inc." --> Oh my God. Thank you for your answer once more but probably I would prefer to wait to APPLE Inc ANSWER, so I had only to wait for several days to have it (or not)

"2. Apple does not sell those parts, but will repair them, like-god-like, if there is a failure." --> OK. So if your sentence is true, and I'm quite sure it is, than my question is: WHY APPLE IS SHOWING HOW TO CHANGE THE SSD on a MAC PRO if it's impossible to buy a swapping SDD Unit? I really can not understand this point.

And about point3 you said:
3:

Let's suppose I have bought a new PCIe HDD SSD Model MZ-JPV5120/0A4 coming from a MACBOOK, so this HDD is absolutely compatible with MAC PRO LATE 2013.

The modules from MacBooks are not nearly as fast as the ones for the Mac Pro late 2013. Therefore, your assertion that these are compatible is not accurate, and the rest of your questions are moot.

Let me answer you now (I had to wait until today because I had absolutely no time to really test it): YES, If I buy a new PCIe HDD SSD Model MZ-JPV5120/0A4 coming from a MACBOOK, this HDD is absolutely COMPATIBLE with MAC PRO LATE 2013, and YES !! It doubles the speed of the original 256GB because it's the new SSUBX model (double faster than SSUAX models) --> Measured 1367MBs Write and 1444MBs Read.

I'm doing some temperature tests about the lack of heatsink. I'm afraid about the possibility to have problems (for example in hot days next summer).

This is the reason I would like a real engineer from APPLE to answer my doubts and really help me (I did a telephone call, but beleive it was a real loose of time talking with people who don't know about what we are talking)

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Answer 4

francescmas Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 30, 2015 7:45 AM in response to John Lockwood

Hello John:

Thank you very much for your answer. I read a lot of forums about using Macbook pro SSD's on MAC PRO wihtout the heat-sink, and nobody is saying to have problems.

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Aura-for-Mac-Pro/ OPTION seems to be really slower than original MAC PRO SSD's, and does not allow BootCamp.

The option I proposed (PCIe HDD SSD Model MZ-JPV5120/0A4 ) is SSUBX and DOUBLES the speed of the original MAC PRO SSD's, but does not have heat-sink, so one day it could get too hot due to high temperature, for example, on GPU or too much read/write...

But it will work, of course, on a normal use (Well... I have to say!: I'm writing from my MAC PRO Late 2013 now with the PCIe HDD SSD Model MZ-JPV5120/0A4 unit inside, and it's reaaaaally fast !!).

But I'll go on looking for the heat-sink version (SSUAX version only at this moment), because I want to feel sure nothing is going to happen next hot summer.

Best regards,

Francesc

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Answer 5

red_menace

Level 6

17,066 points

Dec 30, 2015 7:53 AM in response to francescmas

If you are wanting a response from Apple, you will need to talk to Apple - as previously mentioned, these are user-to-user forums that are just hosted and moderated by Apple (they are not really active here).

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Answer 6

francescmas Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 30, 2015 8:27 AM in response to red_menace

Oh yes... I tried to contact Apple before but I have no helpful answer yet. So I wish Apple is following this forum too... (and I understand Apple wants to help

their users).

For the rest of mortals (not Apple people, I mean) I would like to share some info:

First testings with PCIe HDD SSD Model MZ-JPV5120/0A4 on a MAC PRO Late 2013:

- Really good behavior in speed !! 1500MBs

- High temperature when forcing high transfers for a long time (for example Disk Speed Test Black Magic) --> Would recommend to use the heat-sink version...

Best regards,

Francesc Mas

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Answer 7

May 23, 2016 9:35 AM in response to francescmas

It's been working for me so far. No issues to report. I went as far as to do a video on this exact thing.

https://youtu.be/bNZBTx3aHnU

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