Install macOS with WD_Black SN750 NVMe !

[trs96]

So it is only the SE version of the SN750 that is going to behave poorly as a macOS boot drive.

It won't have the same deal breaking Trim problems the Samsung drives have when used with macOS but I'd still avoid it. The price isn't even lower than what the SN770 sells for so why not go with that ? We already know those are great and reliable macOS boot drives. The SN770 is usually around the 50 dollar per TB price at Amazon. Better on sale.

Here's what WD should have done in the NVMe naming scheme to be consistent and not confuse people.

Updated SN750 should have been called the SN750X (what is now the SN770). The SN750 SE version never made.

The SN850 was updated to the faster SN850X. They could have been consistent across the board but chose not to.

 

[UtterDisbelief]

error!! - Dyslexia strikes!!

 

[trs96]

My last post on this topic of the 750SE boondoggle.

Compare the side by side chart of the SN570 Gen 3 vs. the Gen 4 SN750 SE. What's the point ? It's gen 4x4 but not faster. A true Gen 4 NVMe would give you closer to 5,000 MB/s read and write speeds on a Gen 4 motherboard. I think that SN730 or similar would have been a better model number.

 

[c-o-pr]

It's gen 4x4 but not faster.

Don't forget IOPS...

Just a finer point. I'm not arguing for the gen4 drive per se, but the gen4 bus opens headroom for small IOs in some workloads, even if large IO peak data thoughput is equivalent.

There maybe other refinements that aren't covered by a bragsheet POV.

I believe most users will find these differences marginal at best, but the industry has its own way of thinking.

 

[Jamesbond007]

Only the SE version. WD stupidly called the Phison controller version, SN750 SE, when their regular SN750 uses the standard WD proprietary controller. They like to create confusion or think it just doesn't matter to end users.

Here's the gist of the situation. The SN770 (Gen 4) replaced the older SN750 (Gen 3). They could have left it at that to avoid confusing customers. After that they released the Gen 4 SN750 SE with a Phison controller to cut costs. Most people think of SE as second edition even though it's not a newer version of the SN750. It was a mistake in WDs naming of the drive. The SE version only goes up to 1TB in capacity, it reads and writes much slower than the Gen 4 SN770. Not sure why it even exists really. It's only very slightly faster than the original SN750. Much like a Gen 3 drive.

SN750 SE

View attachment 570055

Thank you for your explanation. So I can be sure my WD Black SN750 should work fine with MacOS Monterey and Ventura.

I don't think SE is "second edition" anyway. I consider the SN750 SE an inferior version of the SN750.

 

[Jamesbond007]

@Jamesbond007
Please share the build for WD SN750.

I am planning to use the SN750 on my Z390 system listed in the signature below my post later.

 

[kenwsf]

I am planning to use the SN750 on my Z390 system listed in the signature below my post later.

@Jamesbond007
Wish to read your post for the WD_SN750 install on your Z390.
What is your processor and spec ?

 

[kenwsf]

Only the SE version. WD stupidly called the Phison controller version, SN750 SE, when their regular SN750 uses the standard WD proprietary controller. They like to create confusion or think it just doesn't matter to end users.

Here's the gist of the situation. The SN770 (Gen 4) replaced the older SN750 (Gen 3). They could have left it at that to avoid confusing customers. After that they released the Gen 4 SN750 SE with a Phison controller to cut costs. Most people think of SE as second edition even though it's not a newer version of the SN750. It was a mistake in WDs naming of the drive. The SE version only goes up to 1TB in capacity, it reads and writes much slower than the Gen 4 SN770. Not sure why it even exists really. It's only very slightly faster than the original SN750. Much like a Gen 3 drive.

SN750 SE

View attachment 570055

@trs96
So the WD_SN750 is fully compatible and works fine for Monterey and Ventura ?
I am so confused now.
What now?
Is the answer :
WD_SN750 - works for macos
WD_750 SE - Not works for macos

Am I right ?

 

[trs96]

I am so confused now.
What now ?

WD_SN750 - works for macos ?

Yes, It's been widely known for over 2 years now. Why be confused ?

The SE version was released later, it costs more, so just ignore it. A mistake by WD.

 

[trs96]

For anyone that hasn't bought their NVMe SSD for use with macOS. The very best deal going now is the SN850X. Even if you don't have a gen 4 motherboard, it's the drive that will hold up the longest and stay the fastest. At 60 dollars for a TB it's a real steal, as they say. The older SN750 sells for much more on Amazon. The key difference between this and lower cost drives is the LP DDR4 Dram. It has plenty, whereas drives that sell for under 50 dollars usually don't have any. It also has the fastest IOPS of just about any drive you can buy for consumer use.