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Help Needed: MBP Mid 2012 13" (Non Retina) - Upgrade to SSD and 16gb
- Thread starter DookSucks
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- mid 2012 mbp non retina
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Good thinking. Also it can’t hurt to replace the SATA cable too. The 2012 13” MBP had a massively high failure rate on that part.
It’s not mandatory but more precautionary as it’s almost certain to happen.
Err I’d probably avoid eBay ones or anything that says “refurbished”. Might be worth getting one on iFixit to ensure quality.
For the sata hard drive cables, I use third-party cables from Amazon and have been for a few years on the 2009 to 2012 15" and 13".
OP:
Why don't you do the upgrades yourself?
This is VERY easy on a unibody MBP. All you need are 3 screwdrivers and a little time.
ANYBODY can do it.
BTW -- unless you KNOW why you "need more RAM", my guess is that you probably DON'T need "more RAM".
You DO need a drive upgrade, however.
And the battery is easy enough to change out while the back is off.
Why don't you do the upgrades yourself?
This is VERY easy on a unibody MBP. All you need are 3 screwdrivers and a little time.
ANYBODY can do it.
BTW -- unless you KNOW why you "need more RAM", my guess is that you probably DON'T need "more RAM".
You DO need a drive upgrade, however.
And the battery is easy enough to change out while the back is off.
I concur. I find the hardest part is remembering where the long screws are supposed to go instead of the short ones when closing the case back up.
First thing to do after removing the bottom cover is disconnect the battery from the logic board.
Trying to run a web based fax portal, outlook, word, excel, adobe pdf reader / editor, document scan uploader/interface, VOIP computer program for calls, web based firm management software, blue tooth headset, blue tooth mouse, blue tooth keyboard and external monitor at once tasks the little booger when I am at my home work station or remoting in from somewhere. I would rather have too much ram, especially given the relatively cheap cost.
Yeah, I can exit out of everything, but I multi-task due to the nature of the job. I am in and out of programs. It takes time away from productivity to go around exiting and opening programs.
Regarding the battery, I'm scared to death that I'm going to get a defective battery. Most -- if not all of the places -- I take the MBP for work have outlets close to where I will be. So, I am going to leave the battery as is for now.
[doublepost=1550855064][/doublepost]Re: Why I Will Not Do This Myself
I practice law. I see folks everyday who create havoc by mishandling a very simple, easy legal task an attorney or paralegal could have done with extreme ease. I take the view that I am going to allow a trained professional perform the job.
I'm a B.Sc. in computer science and now a law student (getting a second B.Sc.). Sometimes I feel as if I wasn't a TI guy anymore, but I can imagine a law guy opening a Classic Macbook bottom case and installing RAM, SSD and exchanging the battery. It's just remove the old parts and installing new ones. A Mac Mini is another thing, requiring a more cautious process. Max that Mac out.
"I practice law. I see folks everyday who create havoc by mishandling a very simple, easy legal task an attorney or paralegal could have done with extreme ease. I take the view that I am going to allow a trained professional perform the job."
If you are smart enough to be a lawyer, you are smart enough to take the back panel off the MPB, unplug the old drive, plug in the new one.
And smart enough to lift out the old RAM DIMMs and replace them with new ones.
Will take all of 20 minutes, most of that time is consumed removing the screws from the back and the replacing them.
A 14-year-old could do this.
You will want a 2.5 USB3 enclosure for the old drive. It can then serve as a backup, extra storage, etc.
If you are smart enough to be a lawyer, you are smart enough to take the back panel off the MPB, unplug the old drive, plug in the new one.
And smart enough to lift out the old RAM DIMMs and replace them with new ones.
Will take all of 20 minutes, most of that time is consumed removing the screws from the back and the replacing them.
A 14-year-old could do this.
You will want a 2.5 USB3 enclosure for the old drive. It can then serve as a backup, extra storage, etc.
I upgrades the same machine in exactly the same way. Used a Samsung 850 Evo and 16 GB of Crucial Memory made a huge difference. Launching applications before the upgrade showed 5 or g6 bounces of the beachball. Now, none or one.
I think I spend $300 upgrading, but I see now that the Samsung 860 Evo 500G is down to $70. I believe I paid $130.
I think I spend $300 upgrading, but I see now that the Samsung 860 Evo 500G is down to $70. I believe I paid $130.
About RAM: I also thought that ram upgrades should precede anything else. But when I still had a spinner HD, upgrading from 8gb to 16gb hardly made a difference. The big leap in speed was with the SSD, I think it's because it swaps out so fast that you hardly notice it. RAM and SSD work together, so have both upgraded.
About battery: As much as possible, I'd get an original Apple battery and be done with it. They cost more, but you're buying peace of mind.
About DIY: Yeah, I understand. There are some things around the house (like plumbing) that I actually know how to do, but I hesitate because I don't know enough tricks to get me out of a jam. So I get a pro and watch to see if he's doing it right, and if he has any tricks I could use if I'm forced to in the future.
Thanks for the help.
I have ordered the sata cable from iFixIt.
Should I order a fan, heat sink or anything else?
Where can I find a legitimate apple battery?