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Intel SSD 520 and any Apple Macs with Nvidia MCP79 chipset BUG.

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

Hi Intel.

There are many Mac computers with Nvidia MCP79 chipset (Nvidia MCP79 is present in many models of iMac, Macbook, Macbook Pro, Macbook Air).

Nvidia MCP79 have SATA II controller.

There is well known bug with SSD based on SandForce SF-2281 and any Mac with Nvidia MCP79. SSD negotiated Link Speed is 1.5 Gigabit (SATA I). But it must be 3 Gigabit (SATA II).

OCZ already have fix for this issue (for their SSD):

http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/forum/showthread.php?96106-Macbook-users-with-1.5Gb-s-link-instead... http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/forum/showthread.php?96106-Macbook-users-with-1.5Gb-s-link-instead...

Corsair works on this issue (they have SSD based on SF-2281).

Patriot Memory works on this issue (they have SSD based on SF-2281).

Intel 520 SSD have same issue.

Intel will you fix this? Talk to Apple or release fix by yourself, but you must do something, because Intel 520 SSD with 150 MB/s read/write speed on Mac (with Nvidia MCP79) is indecent.

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Jose_H_Intel1
Valued Contributor II

Thank you all for posting,

I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Please note that the compatibility between different devices including (but not limited to) SSDs and Apple* products is very specific. Therefore, we recommend you to contact Apple* for a list of validated Intel® SSD models that can be used with their products.

Will the Intel® SSD work in my MacBook?

http://www.intel.com/support/ssdc/hpssd/sb/CS-032001.htm http://www.intel.com/support/ssdc/hpssd/sb/CS-032001.htm

View solution in original post

27 REPLIES 27

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

This Nvidia SATA chipset (or any other SATA chipset made by Nvidia) is obsolete, no longer in production, or sold by Nvidia. Why Apple used them at all is astonishing to me, as they were on there way out before 2009. Their reaction to receiving data that they are connected to a SATA III device, which they don't understand, is to shift into "safe mode", or SATA I, since they apparently don't even try to negotiate to SATA II. Their support for the standard SATA protocols was problematic when they were in production, and Nvidia left that segment of the chip market behind them.

A link to OCZ's apparent fix for this problem is included in the OP, but that is only for a subset of their products, not all of them. If you check that link, you learn the fix must be applied by the owner, it is not done at the factory as a standard update, which implies it is an either-or fix, change it for Nvidia chipsets, or not. I also found that they downplay its availability, since when used incorrectly, it causes new issues for some users (a way of not saying what I just wrote.)

Why can't Apple or Nvidia supply an update to their products to support current technology? We already know they won't, so why is Intel wrong for not providing special support for a product they have nothing to do with, is no longer produced, and is well known to be a poor performing, buggy chipset?

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

Intel, I'm experiencing this problem as well. This MacBook Pro Mid-2009 is still a viable and hard working system that I want to get the maximum performance possible. Please get a fix out to get this negotiated link speed working. I would hate to have to return the two SSD's I purchased and get a Samsung or Crucial. I had very good luck with previous Intel 320 SSDs on other systems.

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

im a mac & intel user for a long time, having the same problem,

i just bought the intel drive because the "great co-op" between intel and apple products.

having the same problem and can't find any solution.

i came to an understanding that i wont find one either...

one thing i know for sure...

as a software engineer, i will not recommend intel products anymore if this annoying issue will not solve,

it is showing that you are just the same like other companies... you want our money to pay for

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

im a mac & intel user for a long time, having the same problem,

i just bought the intel drive because the "great co-op" between intel and apple products.

having the same problem and can't find any solution.

i came to an understanding that i wont find one either...

one thing i know for sure...

as a software engineer, i will not recommend intel products anymore if this annoying issue will not solve, starting today...

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

French user, i experience the same issue and am very disappointed not to find any solution by intel, as i've got 4 ssd intel 😕