Help installing a Samsung SM951 AHCI M.2 SSD in a Mac Pro 5.1

I cannot comment on those cards, but I can confirm that mine is working with this adapter:
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/aqua-computer-kryom.2-pcie-3.0-x4-adapter-for-m.2 -ngff-pcie-ssd-m-key-with-passive-heatsi…

I opted for this one because the SM951 can get quite warm and it doesn't add any noise or needs extra power because it's passively cooled.

Have you tried different slots btw?

Best,

Patrick

I am using SM951 model MZHPV256HDGL with a Sintech adapter card that includes a large heatsink. I use it as the boot drive for my home Server. Mine tests about 1500MBytes/sec.

I added a 1.0 mm thermal transfer pad, bought separately, but I notice the version currently for sale on US amazon (shipped from China) comes complete with the thermal transfer pad. The heatsink and pad is needed to prevent the card from self-throttling due to excessive heat.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QZ0WMK0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UT F8&psc=1

My Home server is a MacOS Server that has User Accounts and User Home Directories on it. It is in the basement and connected with Gigabit Ethernet all around the house.

I put it in because I was doing work for schools where computer clusters were important, and it allowed lots of Users to share many fewer computers. All the files are saved on the Server, and anyone can sit down at any computer and their files appear. Computers can go out for service, and nobody's files are missing. backup the server and you have backed up everybody's files.

Unfortunately, support for notebooks and tablets is not keeping up, and it is growing more difficult to continue to use it for everything.

My Home Server IS a Mac Pro, and runs standard MacOS with the Server software added. (Server is a very complicated Application). I tested the 951 (ACHI model) on a different Mac Pro before installing it in the server, and had no issues. I had read about heat, so I used a PCIe board with a big heatsink.

If your Samsung SSD has NVMe (not ACHI) in its advertising, it has no hope of booting a silver tower Mac Pro. There is no firmware support for NVMe drives. With a driver added, it could be a very fast data drive.

well, I don't have your same carrier card, I have a Sintech card that has only an x4 connector, and mine is in an x4 slot.

Your Mac advertises that it has "support for full size (x16) connectors in all slots" but the top two are only connected to x4 wiring.

So perhaps having the full x16 size connector, without the electrical wiring to support a real x16 connection, confuses the carrier card.

That is the same model I have, and mine worked immediately without my doing anything magical to it.

Is it possible yours is defective?

can the seller provide any help?