What is the ssd slot in macbook pro. The Complete Guide to Original Apple SSDs

Gave fans of Apple technology the hope of updating the entire line of professional computers.

Let the beloved SD-card slots and USB-A connectors never return to the MacBook, but we still waited for the most comfortable keyboard instead of the sticky “butterfly”.

In six months or a year, it will be possible to replace old Retina models with updated laptops. To give a second life to the “oldies” and work for them for some more time, we suggest making a simple upgrade.

Only models that support installation will be considered. macOS Catalina:

▸ MacBook Pro mid 2012 or newer
▸ MacBook Air mid 2012 or newer
▸ MacBook Retina early 2015 or newer

Upgrade impossible on the 12-inch MacBook from 2015 to 2017, but the new 2018-2019 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro from 2016 (TouchBar/Type-C).

The instructions are also not suitable for new Macs with a T2 chip. Such manipulations require

On older devices (MacBook Pro Retina and MacBook Air), you can replace the SSD drive. The RAM upgrade could be done on the previous generation of unibody laptops (laptops from 2008 to 2012 without a Retina display).

MacBook Pro Retina

Models that were produced between mid-2012 and mid-2015 are considered to be the third generation of the MacBook Pro. This entire line is also called Retina.

It includes 7 modifications with screen sizes 13″ and 15″:

Mid 2012: MC975LL/A, MC976LL/A, MD831LL/A
Late 2012: MD212LL/A, MD213LL/A, Z0N43LL/A
Early 2013: ME662LL/A, ME664LL/A, ME665LL/A
Late 2013: ME864LL/A, ME865LL/A, ME866LL/A, ME293LL/A, ME294LL/A, ME874LL/A
Mid 2014: MGX72LL/A, MGX82LL/A, MGX92LL/A, MGXA2LL/A, MGXC2LL/A
Early 2015: MF839LL/A, MF840LL/A, MF841LL/A
Mid 2015: MJLQ2LL/A, MJLT2LL/A

Macbook Air

From “air” laptops, devices that were released from mid-2012 to mid-2017 are suitable for us.

An upgrade is possible on any of the five modifications 11″ and 13″:

Mid 2012: MD223LL/A, MD224LL/A, MD231LL/A, MD232LL/A
Mid 2013: MD711LL/A, MD712LL/A, MD760LL/A, MD761LL/A
Early 2014: MD711LL/B, MD712LL/B, MD760LL/B, MD761LL/B
Early 2015: MJVM2LL/A, MJVP2LL/A, MJVE2LL/A, MJVG2LL/A, MMGF2LL/A, MMGG2LL/A
Mid 2017: MQD32LL/A, MQD42LL/A

Which drive to choose

Cupertino did everything to upgrade the drive in a laptop was problematic. The replacement procedure itself is not too complicated, it is more difficult to choose the right SSD.

These generations of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air used SSDs with a specific connector that is different from most SSDs with an M2 connector.

The upgrade can be done as follows:

▸ find an original Apple SSD of the right size, which was removed from another MacBook. These discs are very rare for sale.

▸ Find a third party SSD with a similar connector. There is more choice here, but prices still bite. There are several models of the OWC brand: Aura Pro X2 and Aura Pro 6G, Transcend has similar drives: JetDrive 725 or JetDrive 850

▸ connect a regular SSD disk M2 format through a special adapter: like this or like this.

In the first case, it is best to order the necessary components in the USA at eBay. In the second case, a model from Transcend would be a good option, along with the drive, get an adapter for connecting a drive via USB, so you can quickly deploy a system backup to an SSD before installing it in your MacBook. After the upgrade, you can put the old SSD into the adapter and make it an external USB drive.

When choosing a model from another manufacturer, a similar dock can be purchased on AliExpress.

In the case of an adapter, you should carefully select the model of the adapter itself and the model of the SSD that fits it. The choice is very large, but you can make a mistake.

Attention! For different models of laptops presented, SSDs of different types and sizes are suitable. With the first, everything is simple: MacBook models up to and including the beginning of 2013 work with drives mSATA, and newer devices (since mid-2013) need disks m2 format. The physical dimensions of the SSD vary by model. A bar that is too large or too wide will simply not fit into the space allotted to it inside the case.

To avoid errors, check the drive dimensions for your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air at iFixit.

Only after that, select a new SSD and an adapter for it.

For those who are looking at Transcend drives, a handy table has been posted on the company's website. In it you can find the right disk model for your laptop.

How to replace an SSD

1. Back up your system via time machine or with the help of .

If you purchased a drive with an external dock as a replacement, you can immediately connect it via USB, format it in disk utility and deploy a backup to it.

2. Create a flash drive for a clean install of macOS.

3. Turn off your laptop to start replacing the SSD.

4. Remove the back cover of the laptop. To do this, you need a screwdriver with a bat P5.

5. Carefully disconnect the battery connection cable using plastic objects.

6. With a screwdriver T5 unscrew the mount of the standard SSD and carefully remove it.

7. Replace the new drives and reassemble the laptop in reverse order.

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SSD Service Program for 13-inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar

Apple has identified that a limited number of 128GB and 256GB Solid State Drives (SSDs) used in 13-inch MacBook Pros without Touch Bar may be experiencing a data loss and drive failure issue. 13-inch MacBook Pro computers with these drives were sold between June 2017 and June 2018.

Apple will also communicate this program via email to customers who have registered their devices with Apple.

Eligibility

First, check which 13-inch MacBook Pro model you have. From the Apple () menu in the upper-left corner of your screen, choose About This Mac. Make sure you have a 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro with two Thunderbolt 3 ports. Then enter your computer's serial number below to see if it's eligible.

This program does not cover 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar or earlier 13-inch MacBook Pro models.

Service procedure

Locate for drive maintenance. Your 13-inch MacBook Pro is inspected for general health and eligibility prior to service.

It is important to back up all the data stored on the drive because it will be deleted during maintenance.

• A technician will run a utility to update the drive's firmware, which will take no more than an hour.
• Your 13-inch MacBook Pro will be returned to you with macOS reinstalled.
• After service, you will need

Apple has always valued storage in its devices at a premium. And in the iPhone, and in the iPad, and in the MacBook, every step to increase the storage medium flies a pretty penny. And gigabytes from Apple are significantly more expensive than the average market level. There is no doubt, usually these are very fast gigabytes, and there is no particular regret about the overpayment. And yet sometimes the toad chokes. And buy a version with a smaller drive. Hoping to shrink and somehow get by. But you always, absolutely always face a lack of volume.

In the case of the iPhone and iPad, the problem is partly, and on relatively old MacBooks (until 2016), you can change the SSD. But in the case of using original components, this is a very expensive pleasure. For example, a 256-gigabyte drive will cost 30 thousand rubles if you take a new one, and 18-20 thousand for a used one. It bites, you know. Meanwhile, "just an SSD" of this volume is sold for 9-10 thousand. For 16-18 thousand, you can take a model of 512 gigabytes. The proprietary nature of the Apple connector is managed with the help of an adapter, which costs about 1000 rubles on Aliexpress, and 2-3 thousand in Russian shops.

The autopsy revealed...

I will talk about my own experience with the MacBook Pro 13, model Early 2015. I got it with a 128 gigabyte SSD, which, in general, was enough, but still somehow itched - suddenly I need to edit some kind of incendiary video, and not enough space? For some reason, I did not want to spend 30 thousand. But even with non-native SSDs, everything is not so simple. The fact is that Apple has its own troubles, due to which disks from other manufacturers are seen by the operating system only after dancing with a tambourine, shamanism is also required to enable TRIM, and there are still problems with hibernation, which has to be turned off.

In particular, such overlays happen with the Samsung 960 EVO, which is often bought to upgrade MacBooks. I didn't want to deal with something like this.

It's even funny that Samsung SSDs are trying to fail in MacBooks, because, as you can see, the original SSD (pictured below) was made by a known person.

Deep googling revealed that one of the least problematic SSDs for MacBook Pro Early 2015 is the Kingston KC1000. A 240-gigabyte model (I certainly don't need more) costs an average of 8,500 rubles. For this we get a drive with a declared read speed of 2700 MB / s, and writes of 900 MB / s. For comparison, the original Apple SSD delivers 1200/700 reads and writes, respectively. Here it is worth mentioning that Kingston's recording is relatively slow only on the younger model, and already from 480 GB it grows to 1600 MB / s. But, I repeat, I do not need such a volume, and the overpayment would not make any sense.

Considering that I had never upgraded macbooks before, I asked the guys from the Fixed.One service to help in this matter. Looking ahead a little, I will say that with special screwdrivers (five- and hexagonal stars), the operation can be done at home.

Let's go. First, we unscrew the back cover and admire how everything inside is beautifully arranged. The SSD is fixed with one screw. A slight movement - and the slot is free.

Above Kingston SSD with adapter already installed

The adapter came from China, it looks modest, but, on the other hand, it does not need to work miracles. There is no electronics on it - everything is limited only to redirecting contacts from the Apple connector to a regular M.2 connector. Something similar happened with Sony's proprietary cards: it quickly became clear that regular microSD cards can be inserted into the PSP portable console via a cheap adapter.

The installation procedure is as follows: first insert the adapter into the connector, then the new SSD into it. If we are talking about a capacious model (for example, per terabyte), it makes sense to wrap the contact point with thermal tape for secure fastening and additional heat dissipation. But in our case, this would be clearly unnecessary, because this Kingston model heats up very moderately, and in conjunction with the existing adapter, it sticks out above the board a little higher than the original and makes excellent contact with the thermal interface on the cover. In length, the match is complete, so the KC1000 was fixed with a screw from its predecessor.

When turned on, the macbook expectedly swore at the lack of a boot disk, but after inserting a flash drive with the High Sierra distribution, I immediately saw a new SSD and offered to install the OS on it. A very important point: without upgrading to High Sierra, it is impossible to install a third-party drive, and you need to upgrade the operating system BEFORE replacing the drive.

Installation went without a hitch. It's real - there's nothing to tell. After completion, I restored all the data from the Time Machine copy on the flash drive. This turned out to be significantly faster than over the air, but still slow relative to the capabilities of the flash drive. It can transfer up to 300 megabytes per second, and recovery proceeded at an average speed of 20 megabytes, only sometimes rising to 40-50 megabytes.

Immediately after the recovery, I launched a benchmark and, frankly, I was pretty discouraged: according to its data, the read and write speed was below 400 MB / s. At the same time, the speed of work was the same. Launching applications, switching between them - everything. I had a suspicion that the matter is in the background tasks with which the system loads the disk, and in particular, the Spotlight indexing service. The latter works furiously in the first days after installing a new drive, re-examining files, letters, contacts, etc., which leads not only to a slowdown in work, but also to increased energy consumption. You can turn off indexing by entering the command in the Terminal sudo mdutil -a -i off. But it's probably better to just wait until the system becomes aware of itself again and calms down.

Actually, the very next day the benchmark showed completely different, more pleasing numbers. This is not at the peak of SSD capabilities, but it is noticeably higher than on the original drive, released, let me remind you, three years ago.

What pitfalls can arise? Firstly, with a non-native SSD, the MacBook Pro tends to wake up incorrectly from hibernation - it crashes and goes into reboot. I had this a couple of times, but only on the first day, when FileVault data was encrypted in the background. After it ended (pah-pah-pah) everything became normal. If your problem persists, you need to type the command in the terminal sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 25. But the best thing, as experts say, is to reset the laptop and set it up from scratch, and not restore it from Time Machine. Then there will be no problems with getting out of sleep. I haven't tested it myself yet, but I trust experts.

Secondly, the drive may not work to its fullest. This is also stated in honest descriptions of adapters: they do not pump more than 2 GB / s. Plus, not all PCI Express lanes can work, for example, only two instead of the maximum four. For me, in the diagnostic utility, sometimes x2, then x4 are shown. This does not affect performance. And by the way, I don’t even know - maybe the original SSD also jumped.

But in general, especially after the release of High Sierra 10.13.3, third-party SSDs work decently, and if you are lucky with the adapter, you will save a very significant amount. To be lucky, it is still better to buy it in Russia and in companies that conduct preliminary testing of this kind of hardware.

Many thanks to Fixed.One for helping with the upgrade. The Kingston KC1000 proved to be fully usable in a MacBook, and given that they have a maximum capacity of 960 GB, this will allow someone to increase the storage capacity to a very impressive size at a very reasonable cost.

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Online store of spare parts and tools for Apple.
Today we will tell you how to save on upgrading the SSD drive of all Macs after 2013. As you know, OWC has released new drives up to 1 TB with PCIe interface and proprietary Apple connector. Disk speeds for such a protocol are not great: up to 763 Mb / s read and 446 Mb / s write, however, PCIe 2.0 allows you to achieve much higher speeds. And the price for 480GB is almost 30,000 rubles with delivery from the USA, and in Moscow from 44,000 rubles.

More recently, Kingston has released PCIe 2.0 SSD drives with M.2 slot. The power supply is the same as that of Mac computers, but the connector is different. The task has been set, the drawings have been drawn, months of waiting and the necessary adapter is already in our office. It remains to install the disk through the adapter and test.

Quick guide to installing Kingston M.2 SSD in MacBook Retina 13" 2015.

Step 1
- unscrew 10 Pentalobe screws *1.2 with a screwdriver
- note that the screws differ in shape and length, during the assembly process, return everything to its place

Step 2
- remove the plastic cover from the battery connector

Step 3
- disconnect the battery cable from the motherboard with a spatula

Step 4
- now that the motherboard is de-energized, unscrew the T5 screw that secures the regular SSD drive

Step 5
- carefully remove the SSD at a slight angle

Step 6
- we prepare a new SSD of a larger volume with an adapter and put it into the connector, it fits perfectly in size

Step 7
- install our disk with the adapter and assemble the laptop in reverse order

Step 8
- install a clean OS X from a USB flash drive and test a new disk

After installing the operating system, we pass the BlackMagic Disk Speed ​​Test. The results of Windows on the screenshot. The write speed at some points reached 561Mb / s, and the read speed was over 1Gb / s. What did all this give us? A new 256Gb SSD drive for Mac PCIe devices of the latest generations costs from 25,000 rubles, and this will be a drive without any warranty, since Apple does not sell such drives, this drive will be parsed or used. We, with the help of a magic adapter, installed a Kingston SHPM2280P2 / 240G 240GB disk (the price on Yandex Market as of the date of publication is from 11,730 rubles). Total savings of over 10,000 rubles, taking into account the cost of the adapter, as well as 3 years of the manufacturer's warranty on the SSD drive.

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Fair, not too high or too low. There should be prices on the Service website. Necessarily! without "asterisks", clear and detailed, where it is technically possible - the most accurate, final.

If spare parts are available, up to 85% percent of complex repairs can be completed in 1-2 days. Modular repairs take much less time. The site indicates the approximate duration of any repair.

Warranty and Liability

A warranty should be given for any repair. Everything is described on the site and in the documents. A guarantee is self-confidence and respect for you. A 3-6 month warranty is good and enough. It is needed to check the quality and hidden defects that cannot be detected immediately. You see honest and realistic terms (not 3 years), you can be sure that you will be helped.

Half the success in Apple repair is the quality and reliability of spare parts, so a good service works directly with suppliers, there are always several reliable channels and a warehouse with proven spare parts for current models so that you do not have to waste extra time.

Free diagnostics

This is very important and has already become a rule of good form for the service center. Diagnosis is the most difficult and important part of the repair, but you should not pay a dime for it, even if you do not repair the device after it.

Service repair and delivery

A good service values ​​your time, so it offers free shipping. And for the same reason, repairs are carried out only in the workshop of the service center: it can be done correctly and according to technology only at a prepared place.

Convenient schedule

If the Service works for you, and not for itself, then it is always open! absolutely. The schedule should be convenient in order to be in time before and after work. Good service works on weekends and holidays. We are waiting for you and working on your devices every day: 9:00 - 21:00

The reputation of professionals consists of several points

Age and experience of the company

Reliable and experienced service is known for a long time.
If a company has been on the market for many years, and it has managed to establish itself as an expert, they turn to it, write about it, recommend it. We know what we are talking about, since 98% of incoming devices in the SC are restored.
We are trusted and passed on complex cases to other service centers.

How many masters in the directions

If you are always waiting for several engineers for each type of equipment, you can be sure:
1. there will be no queue (or it will be minimal) - your device will be taken care of immediately.
2. You give Macbook repair to an expert specifically in the field of Mac repairs. He knows all the secrets of these devices

technical literacy

If you ask a question, the specialist must answer it as accurately as possible.
To give you an idea of ​​what you need.
Will try to solve the problem. In most cases, from the description, you can understand what happened and how to fix the problem.