I've just bought a used 2012-era MacBook Air (model MacBookAir5,2).
I'm considering upgrading the SSD using a Transcend Jetdrive or an OWC Aura.
Going by their specs, both devices are the same. Right now the only difference I can see is the cost and time needed for shipping, but I'm more interested in knowing if there are long term benefits of one over the other technically wise in terms of speed/durability/other.
How can I determine the better SSD – not the cheapest?
Best Answer
While I'm a big fan of OWC normally, I would go with the Transcend Jetdrive 725. That's what I just ordered for my Mid-2012 Macbook Pro Retina.
The main reason I did not go with the OWC Auro drive is I've had a couple of friends who've upgrade their systems to the OWC Auro drive have problems. While they were both happy at first, at least one of them had their OWC Aura drive, for a Mid-2012 Macbook Pro Retina, die after 6 months of use. The other friend complained about their Macbook Air running hotter after the upgrade (not sure if they screwed up their upgrade) and having drive issues as a result. There are also other stories floating around the web about the OWC Auro drives failing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_sK0336Hto.
The Transcend Jetdrive 725 comes with a 5 year warranty for the same price as the OWC Auro, which only has a 3 year warranty. The OWC Auro Pro version does have a 5 year warranty, but is more expensive than the Transcend at that point.
Plus, the Transcend 725 drive now has TRIM support under the latest Mac OS (thanks to Apple). On the other hand, OWC recommend that you DON'T enable TRIM support with their drives.
I hope this helps in your decision making process.