Jon Thomasberg
Well-known member
Just to give you all a heads-up, installing a Vertex3 SSD into a mid-2009 17" MBP is problematic. Getting SATA1 speeds (~80MB/s read and 130 writes using AJA test). System Profiler is showing Nvidia MCP97 AHCI as "1.5 negotiated". Called OCZ to see if there is a firmware fix -- the are aware of the prob and many others having too, but no fix available or ETA. Time to RMA this thing.
I know my MBP only supports SATA2 and this is a SATA3 drive, but given I will likely upgrade to a 2011 soon, I figured I would get the drive now and just pop it in the 2011 when I get it.
Apparently, there is also a well documented problem (with a workaround) on the 2011 MBP 17" because of the SATA cable needing to be shielded, which OWC has fixed using shielding tape on the cable.
Hope this helps so none of my reduser fam have to go through the same problem.
4/29 update:
Picked-up a 2011 MBP 13" for my daughter tonight, which has the SATA3 controller. Poppped the Vertex 3 into it and works fine and getting ~450MB/s write & 485 MB/s read. So it appears as if it something between the SATA2 Nvidia MCP79 chip and the Vertex 3 on the old (mid-2009 MBP 17") that is not compatible.
I know my MBP only supports SATA2 and this is a SATA3 drive, but given I will likely upgrade to a 2011 soon, I figured I would get the drive now and just pop it in the 2011 when I get it.
Apparently, there is also a well documented problem (with a workaround) on the 2011 MBP 17" because of the SATA cable needing to be shielded, which OWC has fixed using shielding tape on the cable.
Hope this helps so none of my reduser fam have to go through the same problem.
4/29 update:
Picked-up a 2011 MBP 13" for my daughter tonight, which has the SATA3 controller. Poppped the Vertex 3 into it and works fine and getting ~450MB/s write & 485 MB/s read. So it appears as if it something between the SATA2 Nvidia MCP79 chip and the Vertex 3 on the old (mid-2009 MBP 17") that is not compatible.
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