Upgrading a Macbook Pro

[mjronline]

Hey guys, I'm about to purchase either a 13" or 15" MacBook Pro.

I'm trying to figure out upgradeability though. Is there any difference in upgrading the 13" over the 15" or is it just as easy/hard for both of them?

How easy is it to change the RAM and HDD? Say I want to change from 4GB to 8GB of RAM and the HDD from 250GB to SSD 256GB? Also has the 1.5Gbit SATA2 problem been fixed yet, or will that cause slowdowns if I get an SSD? Is anything else in the system upgradeable?

Which is the most recommended and most compatible/fast RAM/SSD for the MacBook Pro? Do both the 13" and 15" use 2.5" drives?

How fast is the 256GB SSD option in the Macbook Pro? Any idea which brand/model it is? What are the read/transfer rates on it? What about battery tests? Anyone done a comparison between a regular HDD and SSD in the MacBook Pros? Would it be better to go with one of the new Intel SSDs instead of the Apple? What's the best choice here?

Thanks for any help you guys can give.

 

[phineas]

Hey guys, I'm about to purchase either a 13" or 15" MacBook Pro.

I'm trying to figure out upgradeability though. Is there any difference in upgrading the 13" over the 15" or is it just as easy/hard for both of them?

How easy is it to change the RAM and HDD? Say I want to change from 4GB to 8GB of RAM and the HDD from 250GB to SSD 256GB? Also has the 1.5Gbit SATA2 problem been fixed yet, or will that cause slowdowns if I get an SSD? Is anything else in the system upgradeable?

Which is the most recommended and most compatible/fast RAM/SSD for the MacBook Pro? Do both the 13" and 15" use 2.5" drives?

How fast is the 256GB SSD option in the Macbook Pro? Any idea which brand/model it is? What are the read/transfer rates on it? What about battery tests? Anyone done a comparison between a regular HDD and SSD in the MacBook Pros? Would it be better to go with one of the new Intel SSDs instead of the Apple? What's the best choice here?

Thanks for any help you guys can give.

Besides waiting for an answer, did you google or BING any of your questions? Maybe a trip to the local apple store would be in order?

 

[maflynn]

They both upgrade just as easily. In both cases, you'll need to unscrew and remove the bottom pan of the laptop. After that you'll have access to the drive and ram.

There is no "most compatible" fastest ram. Just get ram spec'd out for the computer and you'll be fine. I prefer either crucial or ram from OWC. They're high quality, and offer life a time guarantee and for both companies awesome customer service.

I also prefer seagate drives, as I've always had good luck with them, but that's a truly personal preference.

Personally, I don't think SSDs have reached the point where it makes sense to plunk down $$ but that's my opinion.

 

[mjronline]

They both upgrade just as easily. In both cases, you'll need to unscrew and remove the bottom pan of the laptop. After that you'll have access to the drive and ram.

There is no "most compatible" fastest ram. Just get ram spec'd out for the computer and you'll be fine. I prefer either crucial or ram from OWC. They're high quality, and offer life a time guarantee and for both companies awesome customer service.

I also prefer seagate drives, as I've always had good luck with them, but that's a truly personal preference.

Personally, I don't think SSDs have reached the point where it makes sense to plunk down $$ but that's my opinion.

The money for the SSD doesn't bother me if it will extend the battery life and increase the speed. Does it do that? Have there been any actual tests using the MacBook pro to compare them?

 

[qpid]

The money for the SSD doesn't bother me if it will extend the battery life and increase the speed. Does it do that? Have there been any actual tests using the MacBook pro to compare them?

There have been tests and battery life gains are neglible. Google is your friend.

 

[mjronline]

There have been tests and battery life gains are neglible. Google is your friend.

I watched some videos and the performance increase is actually quite amazing. The videos used aftermarket SSDs though. Are there any reviews that compare the 256GB SSD that Apple offers, vs. the aftermarket SSDs?