970 evo mac pro

I''ve being using this set up for about two weeks on my late 2013 Mac Pro: my initiation to get it done properly is as follows:

1- Save you data to start because you'll be removing the default Apple internal SSD.

2- just make sure BEFORE swapping the SSD that with High Sierra with all Security updaters or Mojave was installed on that computer before pulling the default SSD. You are trying to get the latest firmware update into that computer.

3- I used the Simtech with the Samsung 970 NVMe placed into it. Seat it properly then only install either High Sierra or Mojave onto that Samsung. Anything earlier is not going to work. Don't even use Disk Utility to try and make it an HFS disk. Not going to do the job.

4- the 2013 Mac Pro boots, sleeps and wakes properly.

5- ASP shows as TRIM = YES. amazing

6- ASP shows link width as 4 another amazing

7- HEAT I used Intel power gadget to measure and the heat difference between the Apple default and this Samsung was one degree, This was placing stress using Handbrake on one full encode. I have not used a heat sink on the Samsung. If you read the Samsung readme found online they spout off about their superior product to control heat. I'm pretty sure heat will not be a big issue especially not using a program such a Handbrake. But if over time it does then I'll just swap in my Apple default. Keep that default around in case you need to make any other firmware update.

Good luck for me so far so good.

ps I did try this on my late 2013 rMBPRO , it took my install but remained screen black but turned on and would not boot. So I pulled it and replaced the Apple default and got it back to normal. I'm thinking that I did not pull the battery connector and that might have caused an SMC problem which I could not clear. I'm going to try it again but I'm not hung up on this one.

After a week , I retried the late 2013 rMBPro and it is now successful. The first time I failed to disconnect the battery and it caused problems. The default SSD speed of the Apple original SSD was write 686 and read 699.

This would be the Samsung 970 NVMe using AJA:

also TRIM=YES and link width is 4. That 4 is impressive because pulling the late 2013 Mac Pro Apple default SSD which is a 4 only shows a 2 in the late 2013 rMBPro.

Hopefully this information assists others. I had to be a guinea pig. I don't mind.

It would be worth setting DriveDX to show the same screen as per https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8643139?answerId=250160661022#250160661022

However I get the impression your report might also be indicating a similar heat related concern. Does your SSD have a heatsink? As per the bottom entry in your photo.

Thanks for your answer Smokerz it was very helpful.

As additional clarification

• Apple themselves do not sell SSDs as upgrades for existing Mac Pro 2013 models, so if you originally got 256GB then Apple will not let you buy a 512GB or 1TB drive
• The original Apple SSD uses a proprietary connector but other than that is a standard M2 PCIe SSD
• The Sintech adapter converts from the proprietary Apple connector to a standard M2 connector thereby allowing you to fit standard M2 PCIe SSD drives like the Samsung 970 Evo
• What Smokerz has shown is that the Mac Pro 2013 supports booting from an NVMe type SSD, the older classic Mac Pro models do not support booting from NVMe drives and can only boot from older AHCI SSD drives
• Samsung no longer seem to make or sell older AHCI SSD drives
• The original Apple SSD would have had a heatsink fitted to it, in general third-party SSD drives do not have heatsinks fitted to them and therefore under heavy usage in a Mac Pro 2013 might overheat, this is why Smokerz discussed using the Intel power gadget to check heat output

After installing a Samsung 970 EVO in my Mac Pro Late 2013 I experienced no issues for the short time I ran it. I used the Sintech ST-NGFF2013. I have since pulled the 970 because I ran DriveDX and this was the result.

I'm not confident using this setup. I've never found DRiveDX to be unreliable but who knows? What do you think?

Please forgive me, I've rarely checked the S.M.A.R.T status of a drive and I'm not too sure what it all means, but I cannot see anything alarming with the Sintech adaptor and a Samsung 970 evo 1tb drive in my Mac Pro 2013.

Now looking at my other drives!

Good idea John, I have bought an EK Water Blocks heatsink but haven't fitted it as I would have to remove the sticker and would void the warranty. As I'm using the drive with the Sintech adaptor I'm not too sure how I would attach it either, I will at some point do another backup and see if it is possible though.

Heatsink link – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073RHHYCM/ref=pe_3187911_185740111_TE_item

Solved - got all my data off the SSD, including a complete clone using SuperDuper in Target Disk Mode at about 280-350MB/sec. Added a heatsink + a 12V fan pointed at the heatsink, and that was enough to stop the SSD from melting down. The EKWB EK-M.2 NVMe Heatsink did the trick nicely, but the SSD was eventually getting hot enough to throttle itself down to 6 MB/sec, so I added a fan and that kept things working sustainably. Super pleased that I got a complete clone of the SSD as I was only expecting to grab a handful of files that hadn't made it into the latest backup - getting a SuperDuper clone is a bonus as it will make restoring onto the replacement SSD much easier than restoring via Backblaze.

Check in Apple System Profiler first to see if Trim is already enabled.

As far as I am aware the Samsung 970 Evo Pro should support this. Remember Samsung make the SSDs Apple use even if they are slightly different.

Sorry misspelled Sintech. and make sure if you order this product that when it arrives the LABEL reads -C in its ending. Most likely will.

https://www.amazon.com/Sintech-Adapter-Upgrade-2013-2015-MacBook/dp/B01CWWAENG/r ef=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542983566&sr=8-1&…

and read all of this has good information

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/nvme-with-st-ngff2013-c-vega-internal-gpu-m ac-pro-2013-6-1.2085886/

I decided to not continue on with this project on my late 2013 rMBPro because I was getting into too frequent of SMC reset. I believe it has to do with the link width of 4 with the Samsung 970 NVMe. The original SSD had link width of 2 and when I did swap in my SSD from my late 2013 Mac Pro even though its link width was 4 in the Mac Pro it would be a 2 in the rMBPro. My late 2013 Mac Pro does just fine with this project. Also I'm not positive but I believe that portable Mac from 2014 thru 2017 had default link width of 4. If so then this project most likely would work without issues such as I have on my late 2013 rMBPro.

Hello tabosko,

I've just upgraded two days ago my 2013 Mac Pro (trash can) as you describe: Samsung 970 EVO and an adapter (Jser 12 + 16PIN 2014 2015 MacBook a M.2 SSD NGFF m-key) and everything works perfectly. MacOS High Sierra and a little bit tricky pushing the adapter into the Mac slot, but not so much.

Hi Tabosko,

I have just done this myself, with the Sintech adaptor I have installed a Samsung evo 970 1tb, all looking really good so far – some breathing space at last! Double the read / write speeds coming from the standard 256gb ssd.

1) Do a Time machine backup

2) Prepare a usb installer of High Sierra or above, the drive will only be visible High Sierra onwards.

3) Do the brain surgery on your mac, be carful when removing and installing the adapter to the mac pro as the connection doesn't allow for the drive to lean forward, just very small pulls upwards and avoid touching any components in your mac.

4) Place the usb installer in and power on, hold the option key down

5) If you can see the drive in disk utility, erase and format the drive to APFS format

6) Close disk utility and restore from your time machine backup

These drives are like sticks of gum, they are tiny and the connections are too, take great care with EVERYTHING you do, small movements, gently place males into female connections etc...

This is just how I did things, and obviously take no responsibility if you do any damage to your machine.

Thanks,

Al

John Lockwood stated: "What Smokerz has shown is that the Mac Pro 2013 supports booting from an NVMe type SSD, the older classic Mac Pro models do not support booting from NVMe drives and can only boot from older AHCI SSD drives"

Not true now. I have 2009 MP flashed to 5.1 with Mojave installed. It boots from a NVMs SSD (WD Black) in a PCIe adapter that holds the NVMe SSD. System Reported reports the SSD as NVMe

I think there may now be a firmware update for MacPro silver towers, possible the one added in 10.13.6, that adds NVMe support.

The method for transitioning to Mojave for these Mac Pro silver tower models now REQUIRES you to have run 10.13.6.