SSD upgrade to larger

Standards are a tricky thing. The Apple blade connection of its first generation of SSD devices was an mSATA interface which is part of the M.2 standard. They were a custom part and oddly shaped so none of the mSATA M.2 SSD's available at the time would fit. The PCIe generation devices also comply as well to the M.2 standard (again loosely). The fact no one uses the version of the connector Apple has decided to use is also to prevent people like us to try plugging in just anything in. This is an offshoot of the legal battle Apple was having with Samsung. No one wanted to appear to be crossing boundaries. This then gets into the SSD's firmware and the licensing of it.

Apple is still the only source of its custom firmware which is designed to work with their systems. But, lets get back to the connector. The PCIe interface is a set standard and when it was intergraded into the M.2 standard the signal definitions are the same only the pin assignments were altered to fit the smaller format. The PCI standard allows up to 32 lanes the current M.2 standard only up to 4 lanes. Now getting back to the SSD firmware this is were Apples magic comes in. At the time Apple was ahead of the curve when it comes with SSD interface speed. This is were their skilled firmware programers sweated it out making still one of the best implementations. The Fusion Drive is an off shoot of this work. While you may think any firmware on any SSD would work that is far from the case. This is were the systems EFI (BIOS) and OS have a lot to do with handshaking with the device as well as allowing it to communicate with the OS via a device driver.

Apple does a good job hiding this under the hood stuff unlike Windows (older generations). So we often forget about this interaction which is important too. So in a way you could say Apple was using a proprietary SSD setup but in truth the M.2 standard is just too loose! It is a collection of different physical dimensions, Different interface signals and their pin layout and connectors. So any one can use a mishmash and still comply to it! And in doing so not offer interplay compatibility which is what your real issue is here. That was part of the design of the M.2 standard surprisingly! Take a good read you'll laugh and cry at the same time (I did!)

BTW: A 2 lane system can't support a 4 lane device. Sorry ;-{

Hey Henry..

Did you discover the model number for SSD 256 PCi x4?

I eventually figured it out. The model of the 512GB is MZ-JPV5120/0A4 or 655-1859H if anyone else is interested. The 256GB is MZ-JPV2560/0A4 or 655-1858H.

Seems like iFixit is selling the replacement SSD's too

MacBook Air 11" (2013-2015) 13" (2013-2017) MacBook Pro Retina 13" and 15" (2015) SSD

IS it possible to use one of the adapters such as https://www.amazon.ca/Rivo-Adapter-Upgra... and then use a drive listed on the product page. ie: Seagate, WD or any other of the drives?

Sadly, the SSD upgrade (your first listed option) won't work. If you review the product listing here: Transcend Jet Drive you'll see the Early 2015 13" MacBook Pro Retina model is not listed. Here is a deeper writeup on the different SSD blade connections Apple has used so you get an idea why its not so cut and dry here: SSD Form Factors.

And, Yes! The SD slot Transcend Jet Drive Lite drive will offer you a means to add a semi-internal means here to boost your system until a 3rd party offers a better internal upgrade.

Yes & No !! If you have a x2 Apple SSD then the OWC is faster in write and about the same in read. If you have a x4 Apple SSD then the Apple is faster but not by much! The size of the SSD has more impact! A bigger 1TB SSD is faster than a 128 GB SSD as the cells are across more chips allowing the onboard controller to write and read faster.

Even still x4 PCIe/NMVe SSD's are now hitting the limits of the I/O. Apple tried going with a x8 drive in the Function key MacBook Pro and in the new iMac Pro is using interleaved raw flash modules (the T2 chip is the PCIe/NVMe interface).

Thank you Dan.

Scusate se non e' il posto giusto per chiedere informazioni ,ma io ci provo perchè è tanto che sto cercando ma non trovo quella giusta: sono possessore du un MacBook 15" pro retina fine 2013 vorrei sostituire i lmio disco di 256 gb con uno più grande di 500 gb, purtroppo sul mio Mac e montato un disco strano, no riesco ha trovare un adattatore per adattare un'altro disco , io ho acquistato un Sabrent SSd M.2 MA COME HO DETTO NON RIESCO HA FARLO FUNZIONARE PER COLPA DI UN ADATTATORE ORA VI SCRIVO I DATI PRECISI DEL MIO MAC. - Modello: MacBookPro10 1 Core i7 2,4 15 inch A 1398 Early 2013 questo e tutto quello che conosco, spero tanto che qualcuno di voi mi possa aiutare lascio la mia mail : yurioscar@hotmail.it

oppure rispondete su questo sito che per sbaglio sono capitato grazie saluti

Michele