4 TB Drive in MBPr 2014

[MacManMiami]

Have a friend who has a mid-2014 MBPr.
She wants to go to a larger drive, but standard offerings are only 1 TB (PCI2e/Flash).
Other World Computing says they have tested the 2/4 TB drive from a MacPro, and it worked well, in fact actually faster (as a PCI4e).
But, they don't "Offer" it, nor does Apple offer a larger drive.
Is there a specific reason to not believe this user can go to a larger PCI/flash drive?
Love to see her get the 4TB drive.

 

[Brian Y]

Probably no reason why it wouldn't work if it's been tested as compatible - reason it's not available is probably a demand issue - there isn't much of a demand for Mac-specific 4TB PCI-e SSDs

 

[NeilP]

Probably no reason why it wouldn't work if it's been tested as compatible - reason it's not available is probably a demand issue - there isn't much of a demand for Mac-specific 4TB PCI-e SSDs

The thing is that OWC already sells that same upgrade for the MacPro, so it wouldn't cost them anything to add it to the web page listing upgrades for the MBP. They only go up to 1TB for the MBP.

 

[MRxROBOT]

Probably no reason why it wouldn't work if it's been tested as compatible - reason it's not available is probably a demand issue - there isn't much of a demand for Mac-specific 4TB PCI-e SSDs

The thing is that OWC already sells that same upgrade for the MacPro, so it wouldn't cost them anything to add it to the web page listing upgrades for the MBP. They only go up to 1TB for the MBP.

Don't listen to these guys. It doesn't work because it doesn't fit. The Mac Pro SSD from OWC is larger, physically.

See the attached photo.

 

[ZapNZs]

She can go to a larger drive if she can find the right one, but, since Apple doesn't implement the same PCI standard that everyone else does, that rules out the most practical options (such as the Samsung 960 Pro.) Further, it may be hard to find direct resources on exactly what does fit & operate properly. Finding a reputable retailer that sells MacPro parts directly could be a little bit of a challenge, and could be a big gamble if you purchase it, open it, attempt to install it, and it turns out it isn't usable (as you just spent $2,000-4,000 on something that might not be returnable!)

I didn't realize the MacPro SSD went up to 4TB, but the question I would have for a drive that size would be if the physical dimensions of a drive that large will fit inside of the MacBook Pro, as I assume it could be quite large in dimensions without the use of stacked NAND.

Pricing might also be a limiting factor. I would imagine a 4TB MacPro SSD would cost more than a brand new 15-inch MacBook Pro, and this might make higher speed SATA or PCI SSDs in external enclosures running through Thunderbolt more appealing?

If it is just about not having an external, but speed not-so-much, a NAS setup (that implements something like a RAID 5) could provide larger capacity, far superior data integrity, and greater flexibility in the long-term for a fraction of the price? (and reasonably good speeds if using the right RAID)

If internal storage is an absolute must-have over external, and SSD speeds are also a must-have, a 2016 MBP with the 2TB storage may still be less expensive than purchasing a brand new OEM 4TB Apple-branded SSD as an upgrade...

 

[MacManMiami]

Don't listen to these guys. It doesn't work because it doesn't fit. The Mac Pro SSD from OWC is larger, physically.

See the attached photo.

I would prefer to see a side by side.
Part of OWC's example is to take the old drive out and add it to their USB 3.0 case.
Both seem to fit.
I'll contact them, get the physical dimensions to be sure, but thanks, that is a real possibility of an issue.
[doublepost=1487089783][/doublepost]And MrxRobot is correct.
OWC confirmed a much larger drive.

 

[MRxROBOT]

Part of OWC's example is to take the old drive out and add it to their USB 3.0 case.
Both seem to fit.

That's because both OEM drives being removed the macs are the same dimensions, those are the drives they want you to put in the Envoy enclosure.