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Intel 330 freezes on MacBook/Mac OS X Lion

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

Hi all,

I installed an Intel 330 SSD (120GB) in my MacBook (4,1) a few weeks ago. I reinstalled a fresh Mac OS X Lion (10.7.4) to make sure there are no issues with the new drive. However, since then I encounter random and pretty frequent freezes (~10, daily).

The entire OS freezes for 10-30 seconds, the cursor (the infamous beach ball) still moves but no application responds to input.

I don't know whether the drive is malfunctioning or the problem is with the OS. I see other people having this issue and I'm wondering if anyone has any clues as to where to start investigating. If I am to return the drive, I need some proof that it's malfunctioning. Or, if the OS has incompatibility issues with Intel drives/SandForce controllers, I might buy a second different drive.

At the moment I'm trying to use fs_usage (as I'm writing this message), hoping to find a clue about what's causing the freezes.

Any input on this issue would be appreciated.

13 REPLIES 13

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

Same thing happens here on MacBook4,1. It mainly happens when installing software, but also rarely when just doing normal work. Is there any news from Intel? From what I've read on other forums the problem happens on some PC laptops also, so it's definitely Intel's fault and I hope they come up with a solution, as this is a relatively new product and they must support it.

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

There are many conversations littered around the Internet about incompatibilities between the Sandforce controller chip and Apple's SATA controller on older MacBook and MacBook Pro models. It seems to be hardware related, because a number of folks use Intel 330 SSDs in hackintosh builds, which use the same OS but different underlying hardware. I have since moved my Intel 330 SSD to my PC and I have reverted my MacBook to its 500GB Western Digital HDD.

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

I have the same issue. MBP13", Mid 2010, MACOSX 10.8.2, Intel SSD 330 180GB. I've noticed that it consistently happens when running on batteries, but it goes away when connected to AC power.

Maybe there is some energy saving setting that can be tweaked to fix this?

EDIT: actually it seems that it can be fixed by running Trim Enabler. So far I have noticed that I need to at least start the program after sleep to avoid the freezes. I'll dig more to see if whatever the program triggers can be set without having to open it each time.

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

Anyone manage to find a solution? Made the mistake of ordering this drive, and wondering if it's even worth taking out of the box.

Have an Early 2008 Macbook Pro 4,1 if anyone can confirm.

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

Not really. I still get some freezes even after running Trim Enabler. I can't believe Intel is not releasing a firmware update or OSX driver to fix this.