How do I determine what ssd is compatible with my MBP?


Recommended Posts

You should try Crucial's Memory Advisor: http://www.crucial.com/store/advisor.aspx

It's brilliant. Enter your exact model and it'll come up with memory and drives that are guaranteed compatible. After entering your model just hit "SHOW ALL COMPATIBLE SOLID STATE DRIVES' in the respective category to expand the list. The Crucial m4 is an excellent SSD that will do perfectly!

Unless Apple only allows specific drives you should be fine with any SATA SSD. The only major consideration on SSDs in laptops is drive height, but your 2009 MacBook shouldn't be using slim model drives so you shouldn't have to worry (you can get a slim drive into a non-slim bay, but not the other way around).

Unless Apple only allows specific drives you should be fine with any SATA SSD. The only major consideration on SSDs in laptops is drive height, but your 2009 MacBook shouldn't be using slim model drives so you shouldn't have to worry (you can get a slim drive into a non-slim bay, but not the other way around).

Can't remember exactly, but didn't Apple make it so TRIM only works out of the box on "approved" SSD drives?

Not every drive will work. I have a Patriot Inferno and my late 2012 Mac Mini will not sleep. In retrospect I wish I would have done some more homework before using the drive. Fortunately I have not had any problem with leaving the Min on 24/7.

TRIM is disabled on non-apple SSD's. However, download TRIM Enabler (Free) and it will enable it for whatever drive you get.

Also if anyone has any ideas on how I get my Mini to sleep I would be open to suggestions.

- Han

Can't remember exactly, but didn't Apple make it so TRIM only works out of the box on "approved" SSD drives?

If your drive has proper garbage collection TRIM isn't all that important. I've been running without TRIM for ages (two Toshiba SSD's in RAID0), and the difference in speed is negligible.

Not every drive will work. I have a Patriot Inferno and my late 2012 Mac Mini will not sleep. In retrospect I wish I would have done some more homework before using the drive. Fortunately I have not had any problem with leaving the Min on 24/7.

TRIM is disabled on non-apple SSD's. However, download TRIM Enabler (Free) and it will enable it for whatever drive you get.

Also if anyone has any ideas on how I get my Mini to sleep I would be open to suggestions.

- Han

That was my problem with a seagate drive last year....kept getting kernel panics.

Wow, thanks for the correction. I don't keep up with Apple and I wasn't aware they managed to cause problems for users with a commodity part like the disk drive.

If your drive has proper garbage collection TRIM isn't all that important. I've been running without TRIM for ages (two Toshiba SSD's in RAID0), and the difference in speed is negligible.

yes, but my point still stands, Apple still disabled the feature on non-apple devices... still stupid

Wow, thanks for the correction. I don't keep up with Apple and I wasn't aware they managed to cause problems for users with a commodity part like the disk drive.

Apple didn't, per se, but a lot of SSDs require firmware updates to run out of the box on Macs.

Any of the "better" drives, Samsung, Crucial, Intel, should work fine.

Samsung 830 is an awesome drive for the price, been using them exclusively in all my new systems

The 830 or 840 series? Because it seems that Amazon has the 830 series 256gb for $250 and the 840 series 250gb for $180. Both get great reviews....so which one is better?

The 830 or 840 series? Because it seems that Amazon has the 830 series 256gb for $250 and the 840 series 250gb for $180. Both get great reviews....so which one is better?

830 is MLC 840 is TLC, TLC memory wears faster... MLC is better for wear... TLC is a cheaper memory that crams more bits into a cell

830 is MLC 840 is TLC, TLC memory wears faster... MLC is better for wear... TLC is a cheaper memory that crams more bits into a cell

So the samsung 830 256gb is a great drive if I am willing to spend a bit more. The crucial m4 256gb is a bit less expensive but also a great drive...I just have to update the firmware when I get it to make sure that it works as it should.

I am thinking the crucial m4 is a great investment that should give me another year or two on my mbp.

I think that most 2.5" sata SSDs will work. Let me also say that the boost in performance will be substantial. I upgraded my mid-2009 mbp to an 80GB Intel SSD a little over a year ago and it still feels like a new snappy computer. Even compared to my wife's 2012 MBA.

Don't lose sleep over TRIM and I recommend not doing any hacks to support it. IMO its just as good without the TRIM support and drives are not going to self-destruct without it.

Also, I don't think you will get much more battery life when compared to the stock 4200rpm drive. You may even experience a small decrease in battery life. But it is hard for me to tell since Im running two drives (the Intel SSD and the stock 4200rpm drive).

I think that most 2.5" sata SSDs will work. Let me also say that the boost in performance will be substantial. I upgraded my mid-2009 mbp to an 80GB Intel SSD a little over a year ago and it still feels like a new snappy computer. Even compared to my wife's 2012 MBA.

Don't lose sleep over TRIM and I recommend not doing any hacks to support it. IMO its just as good without the TRIM support and drives are not going to self-destruct without it.

Also, I don't think you will get much more battery life when compared to the stock 4200rpm drive. You may even experience a small decrease in battery life. But it is hard for me to tell since Im running two drives (the Intel SSD and the stock 4200rpm drive).

I take it that by adding the 2nd drive you no longer have an optical drive? Do you find that there is any disadvantage to this setup?

I take it that by adding the 2nd drive you no longer have an optical drive? Do you find that there is any disadvantage to this setup?

Not having an optical drive built in? Nope. Having 2 mass storage devices is way better. Nobody uses optical drives and if you really need one you can get an external one. I wouldn't recommend one of those super drive enclosure (for the one that comes out of the mbp). Those things don't work right... Get a proper USB optical drive if you need it.

  • zhangm locked this topic
This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Save up to 87% on ChatPlayground AI lifetime subscriptions by Steven Parker Today's highlighted deal comes via our Apps + Software section of the Neowin Deals store, where for only a limited time, you can save up to 87% on ChatPlayground AI: lifetime subscriptions. ChatPlayground AI puts the world’s top AI models in one powerful interface, letting you enter a single prompt and instantly compare outputs from multiple models to choose the perfect response for your needs. Boost productivity and creativity with access to the latest AI giants like GPT-4o, Claude Sonnet 4, Gemini 1.5 Flash, DeepSeek V3, and dozens more — all in one window. Whether you’re chatting, coding, generating images, or refining prompts, ChatPlayground AI equips you with advanced tools like prompt engineering, image/PDF chat, saved conversations, and AI image creation, plus priority support to keep your workflow seamless. Access the world’s best AI models Side-by-Side Comparisons: Enter one prompt & instantly view results from multiple AI models to find the best output for your needs 40+ AI Models: Includes GPT-4o, Claude Sonnet 4, Gemini 1.5 Flash, DeepSeek V3, Llama, Perplexity, and many more Multi-Function Platform: Access AI for chat, image generation & coding all within a single interface Web Browser Extension: Offers a Chrome extension to seamlessly integrate the platform into your browsing workflow Boost productivity with powerful features ChatPlayground Interface: Designed for seamless AI model comparison in one window Prompt Engineering: Refine & optimize your prompts for better, more accurate responses Chat with Images & PDFs: Upload visuals and documents to get context-aware answers Saved Chat History: Keep track of past conversations for reference & ongoing projects AI Image Generation: Create high-quality visuals powered by top AI image models Priority Customer Support: Get faster assistance whenever you need it What you'll get with the Unlimited Plan Includes unlimited messages/month Built for prompt engineers, startups, and teams who run experiments nonstop Includes priority access to new features and future models Good to know Length of access: lifetime Redemption deadline: redeem your code within 30 days of purchase Access options: Desktop Max number of device(s): Unlimited Available to both NEW & Existing users Updates included A lifetime subscription to ChatPlayground AI (Unlimited Plan) normally costs $619, but you can pick it up for just $79 for a limited time - that represents a saving of $530 (87% off). Click the link below for more details, always check terms and specifications before making a purchase. Get this ChatPlayground AI (Unlimited) for $79 (was $619) There are also two other discounted plans to choose from. Although priced in U.S. dollars, this deal is available for digital purchase worldwide. Support queries If you have queries or need support for any of the Neowin Deals, please use the contact form here. Neowin Deals are managed and sold by StackCommerce who represent Neowin on an affiliate basis. Why we post these deals We post these because we earn commission on each sale so as not to rely solely on advertising, which many of our readers block. It all helps toward paying staff reporters, servers and hosting costs. So for those that keep moaning and complaining, be thankful we're still online for you to even do that. Other ways to support Neowin Whitelist Neowin by not blocking our ads Create a free member account to see fewer ads Make a donation to support our day to day running costs Subscribe to Neowin - for $14 a year, or $28 a year for an ad-free experience Disclosure: Neowin benefits from revenue of each sale made through our branded deals site powered by StackCommerce.
    • I like Tidal, but it still does not control devices from the mobile/app and still no surround support. And yeah re: above comment I still get a lot of network errors and I am on a 4/4 Gbit Fiber connection.
    • Aren`t "security features" and "AI model that can see your screen" a tad diametric!
    • Samsung, Amazon extend 990 PRO 2TB NVMe SSD deal beyond Prime Day 2026 by Sayan Sen Recently, we had Amazon's Prime Day 2026 sales wherein there were several great deals including on SSDs. One of those discounted components was the Samsung 990 PRO SSD as the 2TB variant of it was selling for $370, a very good price after a long time. Although that deal was supposed to expire today, Amazon has now extended that sale further (purchase link under the specs table down below). The 990 PRO is a PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD and still one of the fastest drives available today for under $400. Speaking of fast, sequential reads and writes are rated at 7450 MB/s and 6900 MB/s, respectively. The random throughputs for reads and writes are 1400K IOPS and 1550K IOPS, respectively. The 990 PRO is based on Samsung's 7th Gen V-NAND flash, and it too is TLC. It packs 2 gigs of LPDDR4 DRAM cache, which helps the random performance. The endurance rating for this is 1200 TBW (terabytes written), which should be sufficient for most users. The Samsung 990 PRO is compatible with the PlayStation 5, but if you are going to use the 990 PRO on a PC, check out the Samsung Magician app that lets you track your drive's health, update its firmware, customize various settings, and more. The technical specs of the Samsung 990 PRO 2TB are given in the table below: Specification Value Form Factor M.2 2280 Interface PCIe Gen 4.0 x4, NVMe 2.0 NAND Flash Samsung V-NAND TLC Controller Samsung In-house Controller Cache Memory Samsung 2GB Low Power DDR4 SDRAM Sequential Read Speed Up to 7,450 MB/s Sequential Write Speed Up to 6,900 MB/s Random Read (4KB, QD32) Up to 1,400,000 IOPS Random Write (4KB, QD32) Up to 1,550,000 IOPS Random Read (4KB, QD1) Up to 22,000 IOPS Random Write (4KB, QD1) Up to 80,000 IOPS Operating Temperature 0°C to 70°C Reliability (MTBF) 1.5 Million Hours Endurance 1,200 TBW (Total Bytes Written) Get it at the link below: Samsung 990 PRO SSD 2TB NVMe SSD (MZ-V9P2T0B/AM): $369.99 (Sold and Shipped by Amazon US) Good to know This Amazon deal is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases
  • Recent Achievements

    • Reacting Well
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • Week One Done
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Year In
      BA the Curmudgeon earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Conversation Starter
      rosiecharles earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • First Post
      KMilenkoski1202 earned a badge
      First Post
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      542
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      271
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      152
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      99
    5. 5
      macoman
      66
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!