Macbook Hard Drive Upgrade

Swapping out your old hard drive for a modern SSD is surprisingly affordable and results in 5X better performance: a reputable 500GB MacBook SSD can be had for around $150, while 1TB options are available for around $300 — both considerably cheaper than a new MacBook. It’s also surprisingly easy, even if you don’t know your way around the insides of a Mac.

This video will show you that upgrading your MacBook's hard drive is quick and surprisingly easy. Whether you're looking for more storage, or want to replace. 2TB MacBook Pro Hard Drive Upgrade, Replacement 1TB, 750GB, 500GB, SATA, 2.5 inch, A1278 A1286 A1297 2008 to 2012 15″ 17″ 13″ NB-4514W Be the first to review this product SKU: 661-38542. Feather M13-S SSD Internal Upgrade (512GB) with Tools, macOS - NVMe Hard Drive for Apple MacBook Pro 2013-2015, MacBook Air 2013-2017, iMac 2013-2017 4.2 out of 5 stars 164 $115.99 $ 115. Asking whether you can upgrade your MacBook hard drive is a trick question. Yes, you certainly can upgrade your hard drive. But before you start cruisin’ the Internet for a 1TB monster, though, here are two suggestions: Don’t upgrade your internal hard drive yourself. Be sure you really need a hard drive upgrade.

Do I really need to upgrade my Mac hard drive?

Fitting a solid state drive in your MacBook Pro is a quick and simple way to boost performance but an upgrade might not always be needed.

If you only really use your Mac to browse the web and do some word processing, your current hard drive is probably fine. If your system feels a bit sluggish, try running CleanMyMac X first to clean away any resource-hogging junk. That might be the only fix you need (this way junk that is clogging up your system, such as old files, images, apps, duplicates and iPhone backups will be cleared away).

If, however, you’re noticing any of the following issues, an SSD upgrade will most certainly help:

  • Slow startup
  • Sluggish performance in resource-intensive apps such as Adobe Photoshop
  • System crashes
  • Permission denied errors to files that were previously fine

What to consider when choosing a MacBook Pro SSD

To reap the benefits of an SSD, you need a drive that’s up to the task. Here’s what to consider:

  • Read/write speed — SSDs are rated on their reading and writing speed. The higher the speed, the better the performance. Something in the range of 500MB/s and above is good, although actual speed will be about a third less than what’s advertised.

  • Memory — MLC (multi-level cell) and SLC (single-level cell) are the two options available. The former is cheaper and capable of holding more information but the latter is more reliable.

  • Capacity — Get as much space as you can afford. The greater the capacity of an SSD, the more it will benefit Mac performance.

  • Reliability — Read the reviews. See what the experts and other users say about SSD performance and reliability. You’ll typically find that brand name SSDs rank the highest. Samsung, SanDisk, Crucial, KingSpec, and Transcend are standout brands.

How to fit a new MacBook Pro SSD

Okay, let’s get down to business. SSD aside, here’s what you’ll need to fit your new hard drive:

  • SATA-to-USB cable

  • Small Phillips screwdriver

  • Torx T6 screwdriver

Step 1: Format the SSD

To perform a MacBook Pro SSD upgrade you’re first going to need to clone your existing hard drive so that the new one runs like clockwork when it’s installed.

Before you do this, you should use CleanMyMac X to perform a Smart Cleanup. This will clear your system of any junk files so that they’re not transferred over unnecessarily. You can download CleanMyMac X for free, here.

Cloning the hard drive can be done with a tool such as SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cleaner, or with Apple’s own Disk Utility program. Here’s how to do it with the latter:

  1. Connect the SSD to your Mac using the SATA-to-USB cable.
  2. Go to Applications > Utilities and open the Disk Utility.
  3. Click on the SSD icon, followed by the Partition tab and select 'Partition 1' from the Partition Layout.
  4. Click on Options and select GUID Partition Table in the next window.
  5. Click on the First Aid tab, followed by Verify Disk Permissions.
  6. Click Verify Disk, followed by Repair Disk.
  7. Shutdown your MacBook and restart it, holding the Option key as you do. Choose the option to boot to Recovery Disk.
  8. Click on Reinstall Mac OS X and choose the SSD as the destination.
  9. Copy your files over from the installed hard drive to the SSD. When asked to restore files from another disk, choose the currently installed hard drive.

Step 2: Remove the hard drive

Now it’s time to get hands-on.

  1. Make sure your MacBook is shut down.
  2. Locate and remove the 10 screws using the Phillips screwdriver. Put the screws in a small bowl so that you don’t lose any.
  3. Remove the cover and touch a metal part to release the static electricity.
  4. Locate the hard drive and remove the plastic bracket securing it. This is held in place with two screws.
  5. Gently remove the hard drive and disconnect the SATA ribbon. Do this by wiggling the connector. Don’t yank on the ribbon.
  6. Remove the four Torx screws attached to the hard drive and screw the posts into the SSD.

Step 3: Fit the SSD

  1. Carefully attach the SATA ribbon to the SSD and lower it in place.
  2. Fix the holding bracket back in place.
  3. Replace the MacBook cover and screw in the ten tiny screws.
  4. Switch on your MacBook Pro, go to System Preferences > Startup Disk and make sure the SSD is selected.
  5. Restart your computer.

See, we told you it was easy!

Enjoy a faster, smoother MacBook Pro

A new SSD drive for your Mac will make an instant impact. Apps will launch faster, files will save quicker, and multitasking will be a much smoother experience. Use CleanMyMac X to regularly remove junk files from your system and you’ll enjoy slick performance for many a year to come.

CleanMyMac X finds and removes junk files from your MacBook Pro to free up space and keep your system running to its full potential. Make it the first app you install on your new SSD!

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Hi,

Hard


That's the maximum size Apple ever put in that machine, so that's what they go by. In reality, you can put in any capacity you want to.


If you're looking for performance, I highly recommend an SSD: http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/compatible-upgrade-for/Apple/macbook-pro-%2813-inc h-and-15-inch%2C-mid-2012%29 or OWC SSD Upgrade Kits For MacBook Pro 2012, but of course they cost a lot more money.


Best Macbook Hard Drive Upgrade

A 7200rpm conventional HDD will give you a little speed bump. I recommend a Western Digital Black. I consider it the best HDD on the market, and it has an industry leading five year warranty: WD Black 750GB Performance Mobile Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache 2.5 Inch - WD7500BPKX - Newegg.com

Upgrade Macbook Pro Hard Drive To Ssd

Oct 21, 2017 7:58 AM