Fortunately, I'm mid-2012. Do you have any advice given it sounds like I can use non-Apple parts?
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SSD Buying Guide [part 2]
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Fortunately, I'm mid-2012. Do you have any advice given it sounds like I can use non-Apple parts?
To give you a better understanding: the so-called SSDs in rMBP 13"/15" models (thus including the 2015 13" rMBP...) are not physically the same built as the Crucial MX500 you've purchased. The one you have bought is mechanically compatible with a 2.5" laptop (mechanical) HDD -- in size and in its connections. The non-retina MBPs in the past (till mid 2012 models) still use this kind of HDDs, so you can actually replace these with normal standard SSDs (as the one you own). But what's inside the (late 2012) and onwards rMBP & MBA's are actually Flash based storage modules on a circuit board and having PCI-E or M-Sata like connections (but still not 100% the same as before mentioned). You can try to replace (upgrade) your rMBP [I presume it's the 2015 model 13" rMBP with Broadwell...] with a 3rd party product that may be available in the future (most likely from Transcend and/or OWC). So far 3rd party upgrade modules are only available for the 2012 & 2013 rMBPs and MBAs (as well as some earlier MBAs).
To give you a better understanding: the so-called SSDs in rMBP 13"/15" models (thus including the 2015 13" rMBP...) are not physically the same built as the Crucial MX500 you've purchased. The one you have bought is mechanically compatible with a 2.5" laptop (mechanical) HDD -- in size and in its connections. The non-retina MBPs in the past (till mid 2012 models) still use this kind of HDDs, so you can actually replace these with normal standard SSDs (as the one you own). But what's inside the (late 2012) and onwards rMBP & MBA's are actually Flash based storage modules on a circuit board and having PCI-E or M-Sata like connections (but still not 100% the same as before mentioned). You can try to replace (upgrade) your rMBP [I presume it's the 2015 model 13" rMBP with Broadwell...] with a 3rd party product that may be available in the future (most likely from Transcend and/or OWC). So far 3rd party upgrade modules are only available for the 2012 & 2013 rMBPs and MBAs (as well as some earlier MBAs).
- And to give an even better (or at least more intuitive) understanding (pictures not to scale):
The Crucial M500 looks like this:
The SSD in the 2015 13" rMBP looks like this:
The top one quite clearly won't physically fit in the bottom one's place.
I'm thinking of finally upgrading my Late 2011 MBP's hard drive (500GB; 5200) to an SSD.
Only added in a 8GB ram stick bringing it to 10GB (8GBx2GB) few months ago.
I mainly do photo editing and surf the web.
Which SSD would be best for large PSD/TIFF files and I/O performance?
Only added in a 8GB ram stick bringing it to 10GB (8GBx2GB) few months ago.
I mainly do photo editing and surf the web.
Which SSD would be best for large PSD/TIFF files and I/O performance?
ssd
Thanks for this very informative post. Can you please add what are the best ssd brands with features and price? =) Is this ranks from bestsellingreviews work?
Thanks for this very informative post. Can you please add what are the best ssd brands with features and price? =) Is this ranks from bestsellingreviews work?
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- Basically, you can't do better than the Samsung 850 Pro. So if you want the best of the best both in terms of speed, reliability, and warranty (10 years), get that.
- That's nearly completely impossible to give a good answer to without knowing what machine you have...
I you mean the Retina models, that is correct, nobody makes an aftermarket replacement yet. There are some OEM drives you can find on eBay though.
Expect to see some compatible hardware from OWC and/or Transcend during 2015, for the late-2013 & mid-2014 r(etina)MBP models (both for 13" & 15"), using Haswells. But don't expect to have anything for the early-2015 models (only 13" currently) using Broadwells.
Does OWC actually make hardware? I just bought an early 2015 rMBP with 256 GB, and I'd like to upgrade in a year or two. I hope something can be done about the SSD, unlike the RAM (I maxed it out).
Well, the truth is that neither Transcend nor OWC are actually "manufacturers" in the sense that they don't have their own manufacturing plants.
This situation is pretty much common in the semiconductor industry.
Companies like Transcend are "fabless manufacturers". They design to a great extent, their product line but have the mass manufacturing done overseas (particularly with vendors in Taiwan, Korea & japan --- who, in turn, mostly "assemble" the said products in China...) under their own logo & brand(s). These overseas vendors do not supply the very very same products to third parties, but certainly they do not serve only one particular buyer (like Transcend).
Transcend is more limited within "memory & storage products" category of components and peripherals whereas OWC has a much wider range of products but maybe 90% of the models they sell are coming from other brands. So they are more in the trading business, but at a high calibre.
If we come back to our current subject: i.e. the "so called" SSD (or false based storage "modules" in Mac products -- the buyer is given the option to pre-order the high storage capacity version (e.g. a 512GB or even 1TB version) by paying a hefty price at the time of purchasing OR pay that rather high (slightly lower than Apple's) upgrade price for a 3rd party replacement (like those coming from OWC or Transcend) at a later date if and when they may be available. The availability sooner or later will come, most likely at a time or later when the owner's standard 1-year warranty expires.
What is a bit more sad (kind of a black comedy) is that when upgrading, you have to pay the same cost regardless of where you start from: I mean it will cost you the same money to upgrade from 128GB or 256GB to 512GB.
I'm sorry, folks!
Dear all,
I'm truly sorry for the misleading information I have provided above.
Transcend IS NOT a fabless manufacturer, at all!...
They are a pretty big Taiwanese Company, headquartered in Taipei-Taiwan. In fact, they currently are a "big player" in storage products. For example they list 3rd in global market share for USB flash drives, after Kingston & Sandisk.
They have manufacturing facilities in Taiwan & China.
But I don' really know to what extent they can manufacture their products, in-house. I guess, they must be procuring a good portion of the internal RAM chips for the USB drives, memory modules and SSDs/SSD-like products, or the hard disk drive mechanisms for the external hard drives from dedicated manufacturers, according to their specs and needs and build the "final products" in their facilities.
On the other hand, OWC is more a fabless manufacturer (say for their own brand memory modules and SSDs), as they certainly do not own and operate any manufacturing facility...
Dear all,
I'm truly sorry for the misleading information I have provided above.
Transcend IS NOT a fabless manufacturer, at all!...
They are a pretty big Taiwanese Company, headquartered in Taipei-Taiwan. In fact, they currently are a "big player" in storage products. For example they list 3rd in global market share for USB flash drives, after Kingston & Sandisk.
They have manufacturing facilities in Taiwan & China.
But I don' really know to what extent they can manufacture their products, in-house. I guess, they must be procuring a good portion of the internal RAM chips for the USB drives, memory modules and SSDs/SSD-like products, or the hard disk drive mechanisms for the external hard drives from dedicated manufacturers, according to their specs and needs and build the "final products" in their facilities.
On the other hand, OWC is more a fabless manufacturer (say for their own brand memory modules and SSDs), as they certainly do not own and operate any manufacturing facility...
- Phillips #00 and Torx T6 screwdrivers. Guide: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Mid+2010+Hard+Drive+Replacement/4305
One couple more questions.
If I replace it by myself, does that prevent me from getting a battery replacement through Apple at some future date?
How long does Apple keep parts such as the battery around for a given model? I'm currently at 80% of design capacity and got this battery under 2 years ago. I expect I will need to have it replaced in a year or so, if I keep the machine.
If I replace it by myself, does that prevent me from getting a battery replacement through Apple at some future date?
How long does Apple keep parts such as the battery around for a given model? I'm currently at 80% of design capacity and got this battery under 2 years ago. I expect I will need to have it replaced in a year or so, if I keep the machine.
- No. I can't see how it would.
Even if you were still under warranty, a user-performed hard drive replacement wouldn't void it.
Regardless of whether OWC manufactures their products, they back up their brand.
OWC knows Macs, and have the absolute best tech support and customer service, which is located here in their facilities in the U.S., not outsourced like most others. I'd almost say they are better than Apple as far as support goes.
I've had to return things I've bought for my Mac at Best Buy, but, have far less issues with OWC products. OWC is the only one I know of that has a 16GB RAM upgrade for my particular Mac (I finally got this), others max at 8GB (MacBookPro7,1). They may also be the first to offer an SSD upgrade for your rMBP, if anyone can do it, they can.
They also use their own energy (solar & wind), and are energy independent:
http://blog.macsales.com/30058-owc-...xceed-100-of-its-nationwide-consumption-needs
- Could you elaborate on that? If you're speaking of the Mid 2010 13", then as far as I can make out, it uses regular 1066MHz DDR3 RAM, in which case an Amazon search turns up multiple options.
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I'll rephrase, it's the only one guaranteed to work in my MBP. And it is not the same 8GB DDR3s they use in other macs. If you look at the specs, it has a CL of 7, while others that might fit might have a CL of 11, but, I am not sure all the differences. It is designed to work in a few 2009/2010 Macs that Apple specs out to 8GB max, but, these will work (with OS X 10.7.5 or later): http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/8566DDR3S16P/
I previously tried an 8GB (4GB pair) from Best Buy that was supposed to be backward compatible with 1066MHz, and was supposed to work with Macs, but, it did not work, it would not start up with those DDR3 RAM in it. Sometimes "backwards compatible" just isn't.
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- I see. The OWC modules you link to have exactly the same specifications as these, though: 2x8GB, 1066Mhz, CL=7, 1.5V. So they should work equally well.
With that said, I, too, would much rather purchase OWC RAM than any of the ones my Amazon search turned up.
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There was only one 16GB kit in that link, (the others were 8GB (4x2)), and that one has a CL=9 rating, at least in the amz. description, so, it would not work.
Anyway, this thread is about SSDs, sorry for the bunny trail. I do have an OWC SSD in my MBP, used a data doubler and made a DIY fusion drive for a faster MBP!
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