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Choosing a Compatible NVMe SSD for your macOS Boot Drive

I have a couple of Lexar NM620 SSDs which came included inside PCs. Reviews are not complimentary, which surprised me given Lexar is usually perceived as a quality brand. Low TBW life and RAM-less etc.

However they run coolly and that might be a useful consideration in certain circumstances.

I swapped mine for WD.

:)
 
Assuming I go to the trouble of replacing the Samsung 970 PRO on my "Monster Mini" (at left) with a WD 850X NVMe 1 TB SSD, I have a question:

In OpenCore version 0.9.5, what will be the proper config.plist/Kernel/Quirks/SetApfsTrimTimeout "Value" in, say, Ventura 13.6?

(This computer is currently running Mojave 10.14.6 using the HFS+ file system and the "Value" is currently at "-1.")

Thanks for reading!
 
Assuming I go to the trouble of replacing the Samsung 970 PRO on my "Monster Mini" (at left) with a WD 850X NVMe 1 TB SSD, I have a question:

In OpenCore version 0.9.5, what will be the proper config.plist/Kernel/Quirks/SetApfsTrimTimeout "Value" in, say, Ventura 13.6?

(This computer is currently running Mojave 10.14.6 using the HFS+ file system and the "Value" is currently at "-1.")

Thanks for reading!
I currently have Sonoma RC 2 installed on a 1TB WD Black SN850X and my SetApfsTrimTimeout value is also set to -1. I’m sure it was the same for Ventura 13.5.2
 
Thanks for replying. The OpenCore manual states "Setting this option to a high value, such as 4294967295 ensures that all blocks are trimmed." It also says "Note: The failsafe value -1 indicates that this patch will not be applied, such that apfs.kext will remain untouched." And, "Note 2 : On macOS 12.0 and above, it is no longer possible to specify trim timeout. However, trim can be disabled by setting 0."

So, it does sound like "-1" would be the right "Value" for the later MacOS versions with NVMe SSDs that have the "proper" controllers.
 
So I just replaced my Samsung 1TB 970 PRO boot SSD with a new WD SN 850X 1TB ($87 with tax). Still on Mojave 10.14.6, and the WD SSD works fine. Now I have to consider upgrading to Ventura 13.6, but would have to give up game apps Myst IV, Myst V, and MOULa on the computer at left. Not real anxious to do that, but at least I guess the hardware is now ready. I noticed the WD Black SSD uses 3.3 volts at 2.8 amps; 9.4 watts. A bit of heat for such a small card.
 
So, it does sound like "-1" would be the right "Value" for the later MacOS versions with NVMe SSDs that have the "proper" controllers.
No one knows what a proper controller is. It's not specified and SSD vendors can do anything they want, including nothing.

OS Trim is a red herring that you shouldn't bother worrying about unless, like Samsung, you end up stuck waiting for macOS spaceman to run while the drive is worn down pointlessly.

It's likely that WD PC drive Trim simply does nothing and the controller handles wear leveling entirely on its own.

It's a common belief that having the OS issue Trim commands tells the controller something that it couldn't otherwise know: that LBAs are no longer committed to files. But in fact the drive is informed of these details wherever it receives a write, and the drive's LBA to flash translation layer can use the information in place
explicit 'discard' style commands.

Since NVMe the range of "Trim" related commands has been expanded to include other features than wear mgmt, but that's another story. Those features are optiona and beyond the scope of desktop PCs.

It's possible that Apple's Trim implementation adds some value to actual Macs with an OS regimen that's carefully matched to specific Apple SSD capabilities to control SSD wear in a way they can statistically determine fits their product objectives, but Apple storage is a blackbox, so there's no reason for a hackintosh user to expect any value from the feature, and as with Samsung and other drives there are well-known hazards from a mismatch between Apple's OS Trim and 3rd party drives.
 
I noticed the WD Black SSD uses 3.3 volts at 2.8 amps; 9.4 watts. A bit of heat for such a small card.
If heat is a concern, there are heat shields you can buy cheaply on Amazon etc. The ineo is my favorite, I also own a couple of QIVYNSRY's.

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I guess the hardware is now ready. I noticed the WD Black SSD uses 3.3 volts at 2.8 amps; 9.4 watts. A bit of heat for such a small card.
Your build (Z390) has Gen 3 PCIe so your SN850X won't run at it's highest rated speeds of around 7,000 MB/s. It will max out around 3,500 MB/s reads and writes. Lower speeds means it won't get as hot as it would on a board with Gen 4 PCIe. Just the heatsink already on your motherboard will get the job done, you won't need the "Rocket" with a fan as shown above.
 
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You folks are a wealth of information, and I really appreciate all of it. Despite my slowly deteriorating fine motor skills, I managed to replace my "M.2P" top-of-board 970 Pro with a new WD SN850X. Yes, I did remember to peel off the label before installing it... otherwise, no good thermal interface to the OEM heat sink. Did not use thermal grease, though. Fortunately the M.2 socket on the Z390I is on the graphics-card side of the board, at its edge. So I just had to remove the RX 580, use a small Philips-head short screwdriver shaft, remove (and not lose) the mounting screw, and replace the SSD. Also lucky replacing that screw!

I was amazed that wife ordered the WD SN850X from Amazon (through the tonymac link in this thread) at around 1:30 pm yesterday, and it was dropped on our front porch at around 3:45. I can't see how that can happen.

Since I'm here, I have another M.2 SSD question from my Z390I user manual. Pic below is from page 17:
M.2 and SATA Functions.jpg


My system has an optical drive, and its SATA connection is currently plugged into "SATA3 1" port as shown above. I am not using an M.2 SATA SSD which shows an "x" at SATA3 1, but I am nervous about the statement "The M2P connector shares bandwidth with the SATA3 1 connector." Is there a problem because my optical drive is on that port? Do I need to move that to a different SATA3 port, such as 0, 2, or 3? Or is it okay where it is?
 
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