Contribute
Register

Choosing a Compatible NVMe SSD for your macOS Boot Drive

Will it work OK, granted not as fast as the WD SN770.
Yes, it works. Why buy that when you can get the 2TB SN770 for $135 ?

Screen Shot 4.jpg

Go to the "Other Sellers" section and click add to cart.
 
Is this an issue with PC versions only or also on real macs like the late 2014 mac mini. I never realized they have an upgrade slot for NVME and this mini supports Monterey. Thanks
 
I never realized they have an upgrade slot for NVME and this mini supports Monterey.
Some of the 2014 minis come with an Apple NVMe instead of a mechanical Sata based SSD. Some come with just a 2.5" HDD. You can upgrade either version by using an adapter. It's a lot easier to do this compared to upgrading the 2011/12 minis with a 2.5" Sata SSD. Just remove the back cover and put the WD SSD (in it's adapter) where the Apple SSD was already. Simple. Watch the video below.

Screen_Shot_1.jpg


You can adapt the connection to a standard M.2 NVMe. Watch this video starting from the 2:45 timestamp. The adapter install starts at 9:45.

 
Last edited:
Is this an issue with PC versions only or also on real macs like the late 2014 mac mini.
Of course you don't want to install a Samsung NVMe for use as your Monterey boot drive in a hack or in an Apple built Mac. Use WD blue or black drives instead. They have no TRIM implementation problems.

All Samsung NVMe drives have broken TRIM implementation when used with APFS. Monterey requires APFS formatting. The TRIM problems with Samsung drives didn't appear until Monterey 12.1 or later.

Here's how it looks when installed with the adapter. Note that you won't get the full rated speeds of a WD blue or black NVMe SSD. You're limited by what speeds this mini is capable of. You may get close to 1,400 MB/s read and write speeds with a WD Black. The upgrade is mainly to improve speeds immensely over the 2.5" mechanical HDD that comes with the base models. Those can barely reach 100 MB/s reads/writes.

Screen Shot.jpg
 
Last edited:
@trs96 ,

This is fantastic great pictures and description. I don't understand how Samsung can afford such a mistake and ignore this. WD is going to become the moe popular choice and hurt Samsung's SSD/Nvme side of business. They must not either care or have an issue modifying the firmware to make trim work in Monterey or they just don't care or want to be bothered with it. There are still a lot of Macs that are supported in Monterey and that can be updated either NVME or SSD. If its an apple NVME does trim work in Monterey? I thought most Apple NVME or SSD storage/boot drives were Samsung's? Thanks Again!
 
I thought most Apple NVME or SSD storage/boot drives were Samsung's?
They used to use Samsung SSDs years ago. Now it's mostly WD and Kioxia, which was formerly called Toshiba. Samsung is a massively large company. Their revenue from SSD sales to Apple or Mac users is just a drop in the ocean. There's no incentive for them to fix their firmware to make it work with Macs that use APFS.

Where Samsung made revenue in 2020:
Screen Shot 3.jpg

Of these four segments, selling NVMe SSDs is responsible for just a small amount of total their total revenue. Smart phones and telecom equipment are the biggest money makers. They do dominate SSD sales for Windows PCs over all other SSD storage manufacturers. By a wide margin. Just look at the best sellers on Newegg and Amazon. Windows runs on around 75% of all desktop computers in the world.

Has 4 major Operating Segments:

IT & Mobile Communications: Sells information and communication products such as smartphones and telecom equipment for 4G /5G networks.

Semiconductors: Produces and sells DRAM and NAND flash memory chips, system large scale integrated circuit (LSI) products, application processors, and image sensors.

Consumer Electronics: manufactures and sells televisions (TVs), air conditioners, refrigerators, and other appliances.

Display panels: Sells LCD displays and OLED displays used for TVs, notebooks, smartphones, and other products.
 
Last edited:
@trs96 ,

This is fantastic great pictures and description. I don't understand how Samsung can afford such a mistake and ignore this. WD is going to become the moe popular choice and hurt Samsung's SSD/Nvme side of business. They must not either care or have an issue modifying the firmware to make trim work in Monterey or they just don't care or want to be bothered with it. There are still a lot of Macs that are supported in Monterey and that can be updated either NVME or SSD. If its an apple NVME does trim work in Monterey? I thought most Apple NVME or SSD storage/boot drives were Samsung's? Thanks Again!

It may seem unusual, but you have to remember these SSDs are not designed for Macs. Macs have a different edge connector key location. A lot fewer SSDs are actually physically compatible as a result - and usually more expensive too.

Pretty much like Apple, perhaps Samsung ignores the Hackintosh scene.

:)
 
I have 3 NVMe drives from different brands with the Phison E12 controller in use with my builds and never had a problem with those.
 
I have 3 NVMe drives from different brands with the Phison E12 controller in use with my builds and never had a problem with those.
Are all the systems on Monterey or Ventura ? Drives formatted with HFS+ haven't demonstrated the TRIM problems. Even then problems associated with TRIM and APFS didn't really start until the Monterey public release. Also, whether you will experience problems depends on how full the drive is and how heavy the usage is.
 
Back
Top