Macbook Pro MCP79 negotiating SATA link speed to 1.5Gb/s

[wodon]

I am having the same problem as the others here and have not been able to rectify it.

 

I have a 2009 unibody macbook pro into which I installed a Corsair Force 3 120GB in the optibay.

 

I then put on a fresh install of OSX Lion.

 

The drive is still showing a negotiated speed of 1.5Gb/s

 

NVidia MCP79 AHCI:

 

Vendor: NVidia

Product: MCP79 AHCI

Link Speed: 3 Gigabit

Negotiated Link Speed: 1.5 Gigabit

Description: AHCI Version 1.20 Supported

 

Corsair Force 3 SSD:

 

Capacity: 120.03 GB (120,034,123,776 bytes)

Model: Corsair Force 3 SSD

Revision: 1.3.3

 

 

Steps attempted to fix the issue:

 

Reset PRAM - no change

Updated SSD firmware - no change

Shut down and restart (rather than reboot) - no change

Update mac firmware to 1.8 - no change (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3561

Enable trim with trim enabler app - no change

 

I don't seem to be the only one:

http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=98689

http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=100398

http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=101860

http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=97057

https://discussions.apple.com/message/17598508#17598508

 

This user claims to have fixed the issue but doesn't say how: http://forum.corsair.com/v3/member.php?u=100894

 

I have found an older forum online which suggests downgrading to firmware 1.6 which I haven't tried. Can corsair advise if this is a possible solution? http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=8414998&posted=1#post8414998

 

EDIT: I have now tried doing this and it has not fixed the problem. I downgraded to 1.6, then tested the speed. Then reset the PRAM, then tested the speed, then upgraded to 1.7, tested speed, reset PRAM, tested speed. All still running at 1.5Gb/s (while at 1.6 the link speed and negotiated speed showed as 1.5Gb/s as expected)

 

Can corsair suggest any other solutions?

[Toasted]

Have you tried shutdown, Remove the battery for 30 seconds, after 30 seconds put it back in and turn it on?

[wodon]

It is a unibody macbook pro from mid 2009 so the battery can not be removed.

 

I have done the PRAM reset though which I think has a similar effect.

[Rmunz]

I am having the same problem as the others here and have not been able to rectify it.

 

I have a 2009 unibody macbook pro into which I installed a Corsair Force 3 120GB in the optibay.

 

I then put on a fresh install of OSX Lion.

 

The drive is still showing a negotiated speed of 1.5Gb/s

 

NVidia MCP79 AHCI:

 

Vendor: NVidia

Product: MCP79 AHCI

Link Speed: 3 Gigabit

Negotiated Link Speed: 1.5 Gigabit

Description: AHCI Version 1.20 Supported

 

Corsair Force 3 SSD:

 

Capacity: 120.03 GB (120,034,123,776 bytes)

Model: Corsair Force 3 SSD

Revision: 1.3.3

 

 

Steps attempted to fix the issue:

 

Reset PRAM - no change

Updated SSD firmware - no change

Shut down and restart (rather than reboot) - no change

Update mac firmware to 1.8 - no change (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3561

Enable trim with trim enabler app - no change

 

I don't seem to be the only one:

http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=98689

http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=100398

http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=101860

http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=97057

https://discussions.apple.com/message/17598508#17598508

 

This user claims to have fixed the issue but doesn't say how: http://forum.corsair.com/v3/member.php?u=100894

 

I have found an older forum online which suggests downgrading to firmware 1.6 which I haven't tried. Can corsair advise if this is a possible solution? http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=8414998&posted=1#post8414998

 

EDIT: I have now tried doing this and it has not fixed the problem. I downgraded to 1.6, then tested the speed. Then reset the PRAM, then tested the speed, then upgraded to 1.7, tested speed, reset PRAM, tested speed. All still running at 1.5Gb/s (while at 1.6 the link speed and negotiated speed showed as 1.5Gb/s as expected)

 

Can corsair suggest any other solutions?

 

I queue up on the line here.

 

Exactly the same problem on a MacBookPro 13" Mid-2010 running on 10.7.3 OSX.

 

I share your frustration, it would be nice to have an disk running at the speed it is sold for.

 

Hallo?! Is somebody hearing us out there??

[parsec]

The problem is with the NVIDIA chipset, and also happens with desktop boards that use that chip. NVIDIA no longer makes SATA chipsets since they were not very good. They were used because they were cheaper than the Intel chipsets, but that decision was not in the best interest of the owners. Also, the drivers for the NVIDIA chipsets have not been updated for a long time.

 

You also must know that Apple PCs, particularly the laptops, are not meant to have their hardware changed, such as their storage drives, with products not approved by Apple. It's frustrating but is just how it is.

[Rmunz]

Oh really?!? I guess that the real frustration is seeing that other people, using the same SATA controller (Nvidia based) + the same SSD based controller (Sandforce SF-2281) are getting full SATA II speed.

 

http://www.XXXechnologyforum.com/forum/showthread.php?96106-Macbook-users-with-1-5Gb-s-link-instead-of-3Gb-s-link/page2

 

Regarding the statement: "You also must know that Apple PCs, particularly the laptops, are not meant to have their hardware changed, such as their storage drives, with products not approved by Apple", I think that is completely FALSE!

 

Once the warranty is expired, you are entitled to do whatever you like with your own machine, including repairing and/or upgrading it.

 

there are some good instructions on how to do things:

 

http://www.ifixit.com/Device/Mac

[linssen]

I've spoken directly to both Apple and Corsair about the problem and both say the other is to blame. Apple however put the case forward that the same issue was fixed by firmware patches by competitor drives.

 

Corsair's support if you contact them might even be to tell you that a sata cable needs replacing because of poor shielding. I'm not an expert, but that sounds completely false to me.

 

These compatibility issues are not visible anywhere on Corsair's literature or website, so even if you pay due diligence and ensure that your system is compatible you will still get stung. The only hope you have is if you have visited these forums input your exact system spec and assumed that all the users with the same problem are correct.

 

There is nothing to say the drives are incompatible with Macs and Corsair have made no attempt to comment on a prolific problem amongst it's customers.

 

I'd hope they do something soon, there will be more people buying these drives and more people getting these errors. Not everyone has the inclination to check the negotiation speed either, so I'll bet a good 80% of people with this problem don't know why their drives are slow.

 

Please Corsair, provide some feedback to your more and more disgruntled customers.

[dark_sat]

I've spoken directly to both Apple and Corsair about the problem and both say the other is to blame. Apple however put the case forward that the same issue was fixed by firmware patches by competitor drives.

 

Corsair's support if you contact them might even be to tell you that a sata cable needs replacing because of poor shielding. I'm not an expert, but that sounds completely false to me.

 

These compatibility issues are not visible anywhere on Corsair's literature or website, so even if you pay due diligence and ensure that your system is compatible you will still get stung. The only hope you have is if you have visited these forums input your exact system spec and assumed that all the users with the same problem are correct.

 

There is nothing to say the drives are incompatible with Macs and Corsair have made no attempt to comment on a prolific problem amongst it's customers.

 

I'd hope they do something soon, there will be more people buying these drives and more people getting these errors. Not everyone has the inclination to check the negotiation speed either, so I'll bet a good 80% of people with this problem don't know why their drives are slow.

 

Please Corsair, provide some feedback to your more and more disgruntled customers.

 

As far as they know, if the drives are working they don't have to do anything. This product is not new in the market, if they wanted to fix it they would have done that already. They just don't care.

[Mattalones]

It's the MacBook Pro, not your drive

I have a stock Mac SSD on my MacBook Pro, and it has the same issue. The problem is simple. There is only one SATA plug on the motherboard, but two things are plugged into it. One goes to the optical drive, the other goes to the SSD. They are basically on a splitter (see image below).

 

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MzYzWDQ1Ng==/$(KGrHqF,!qME88f7YGECBPmCyOIzQw~~60_35.JPG

 

Explanation

On a MacBookPro5,5 like mine, the board supports SATA II on its socket. The splitting allocates an even bandwidth as reflected in the System Report. So, you'll get 1.5 gbps on each drive (viz. half-split of 3 gbps) (see image below). This still lets your SSD go up to 187.5 MB/s. So, the split is not a big deal. Plus, Apple's new EFI Update prevents there from being a strict speed cap at 1.5 gbps (EFI update installed before taking System Profiler screenshot below).

 

 

Why it's not a big deal

An SSD almost never has to run past 187.5 MB/s for very long anyway. My estimate is that you'll lose 2 minutes over the course of a year. If not, the time you'd save with a dedicated SATA II cable would still be less time than it took to research and find this answer.

 

Possible nerdy solution if you really want to try it

As a side note before proposing a solution, the new MacBook Pros still have a split SATA III, which will give you 375 MB/s for the few seconds your drive would need to go between 187.5 MB/s and 375 MB/s. As of now, that's the best a MacBook Pro will do without pulling other things apart.

 

Now for the proposed solution: Since the negotiated speed is a result of having two drives on one wire, you might get around it by unplugging your optical drive. I haven't tried it but that would eliminate the physical bottle neck. If it didn't fix the problem right away, anything remaining would be purely software-based. If you try it, let me know what happens. I'd be interested.

 

The optical drive uses nowhere near one-half of a SATA II's bandwidth. People don't even use optical drives much any more. If you don't mind unplugging yours, I'm sure others will appreciate some feedback here as well.

 

Good luck!

[dark_sat]

Mattalones, you are wrong. The macbook share the proprietary hard drive data plug with the front led and IR, not the optical drive. Also, I had a WD scorpio black on my MBP, and it had a negotiated speed of 3gbps.

 

You can confirm this by disassembling your laptop or taking a look here:

[Mattalones]

Mattalones, [the] macbook share the proprietary hard drive data plug with the front led and IR, not the optical drive. . . . You can confirm this by disassembling your laptop or taking a look here:

 

I think you're mistaken for three reasons:

 

(1) The System Profile screen shot on my MacBook Pro lists exactly two devices: (a) The optical drive - HL-DT-ST DVDRW GS23N, and (b) the stock SSD - APPLE SSD TS256A.

 

(2) It would make no sense to waste 1.5 gbps of bandwidth (i.e. half a SATA II) on an IR, which uses almost no bandwidth.

 

(3) Your own link, at step 14, says about the 2008-9 MBP Unibodies: "The optical drive is SATA for the first time." Since the only other thing on the SATA is the SSD (or HDD, depending on your configuration), that logically suggests the optical drive is on there too.

[dark_sat]

I think you're mistaken for three reasons:

 

(1) The System Profile screen shot on my MacBook Pro lists exactly two devices: (a) The optical drive - HL-DT-ST DVDRW GS23N, and (b) the stock SSD - APPLE SSD TS256A.

 

(2) It would make no sense to waste 1.5 gbps of bandwidth (i.e. half a SATA II) on an IR, which uses almost no bandwidth.

 

(3) Your own link, at step 14, says about the 2008-9 MBP Unibodies: "The optical drive is SATA for the first time." Since the only other thing on the SATA is the SSD (or HDD, depending on your configuration), that logically suggests the optical drive is on there too.

 

OK, I don't know if you EVER worked with pc hardware, but here are why I say YOU are wrong:

 

1- Each device listed on your system profile pic is attached to a different port, it is clearly visible;

2- Although I don't have a print screen anymore, I had previously installed a WD Scorpio Black with negotiated link speed of 3gbps;

2- Here goes a picture of a recent MacBook Pro, where I highlighted the ports used for the DVD and HDD. Do you doubt it? Open your macbook and check by yourself;

 

http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww301/fernando_kreutz/Mercado%20Livre/th_IMG_2622x.jpg

[Mattalones]

OK, I don't know if you EVER worked with pc hardware, but here are why I say YOU are wrong:

 

1- Each device listed on your system profile pic is attached to a different port, it is clearly visible;

2- Although I don't have a print screen anymore, I had previously installed a WD Scorpio Black with negotiated link speed of 3gbps;

2- Here goes a picture of a recent MacBook Pro, where I highlighted the ports used for the DVD and HDD. Do you doubt it? Open your macbook and check by yourself;

 

All I know is that the IR is not listed as a SATA II device at all. Also, if the DVD and SSD don't share a cable, that helps eliminate a problem. The only issue left would be software.

 

Getting back to the original post, try to the link to the EFI update I put in my post. That is meant specifically for this SATA issue. If that doesn't work, I am not sure what will. Good luck!

[dark_sat]

All I know is that the IR is not listed as a SATA II device at all. Also, if the DVD and SSD don't share a cable, that helps eliminate a problem. The only issue left would be software.

 

Getting back to the original post, try to the link to the EFI update I put in my post. That is meant specifically for this SATA issue. If that doesn't work, I am not sure what will. Good luck!

 

As I explained before, the connector is a proprietary connector, it does not share any bus with the SATA port, thus, there's no way it would be listed with the hard drive.

 

That efi update does not fix the issue, it just enabled the SATA 2 speeds, which was disabled before the 1.8 EFI.

[Mattalones]

Man, dark_sat, you are unnecessarily feisty! . . . Chill pill.

 

Moving on, I researched the drives from mid-09', and Apple released a lot with SATA I interfaces. I know that doesn't directly address this specific issue, but negotiation also sometimes results from plugging a slower interfaced drive to a wider bottleneck (i.e. SATA x drive into a SATA x + a plug).

 

I think the SSD that came with my MBP is SATA I based on many people having the same issue and having it go away after swapping the stock SSD for a newer one. Try checking the interface on the drive. If it's SATA I, that's an issue. If it's at least SATA II, then you'll have checked off yet another possibility.

 

Also, the comment in

shows that someone with an ******** SSD got 3gbps on a MBP 5,5 from shutting down and starting back up, rather than restarting. It didn't work for me, but it's worth a try.

[dark_sat]

Man, dark_sat, you are unnecessarily feisty! . . . Chill pill.

 

Moving on, I researched the drives from mid-09', and Apple released a lot with SATA I interfaces. I know that doesn't directly address this specific issue, but negotiation also sometimes results from plugging a slower interfaced drive to a wider bottleneck (i.e. SATA x drive into a SATA x + a plug).

 

I think the SSD that came with my MBP is SATA I based on many people having the same issue and having it go away after swapping the stock SSD for a newer one. Try checking the interface on the drive. If it's SATA I, that's an issue. If it's at least SATA II, then you'll have checked off yet another possibility.

 

Also, the comment in

shows that someone with an ******** SSD got 3gbps on a MBP 5,5 from shutting down and starting back up, rather than restarting. It didn't work for me, but it's worth a try.

 

Man, check the thread. FORCE 3: SATA 3. Also, older Apple SSD's are locked to SATA I, like their standard Hard Drives.

[dark_sat]

There was released a new firmware for SATA 3 SSD's, version 5.02.

 

It addresses some link negotiation issues, but they do not explain it very well. Could someone update or that have already updated the firmware check if it negotiated speed correctly?

 

Link for firmwares: http://forum.corsair.com/v3/forumdisplay.php?f=206

[RAM GUY]

I am sorry but this Update will not address that issue with your MAC that we are aware of. But you are welcome to try it however, if your system is running and you do not have any other problems I would leave the firmware out of the equation.

[jdiaz9]

I have a solution: http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?p=651597&posted=1#post651597

 

It worked for me. Give it a try.