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Decided 2012 Macbook Pro 13, Some questions on Ram and SSD

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xp0z3d

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 18, 2012
122
2
I am newbie to this forum plus to Mac. I have been windows user all my life and thinking of switching over to Mac. Don`t really have a lot of money but around $1200. I have two set of confusions.

First is 13' Air vs 13' Pro, in $1200 I get Air with 128 gb or 500 gb Macbook pro 13''. I like Air for having SSD but only issue is that in my budget all I can get is 128 gb which is not enough for me at all. But Pro has 500 gb which is good for me but I wish to have SSD because I want a fast computer with enough storage.

Second confusion that I have is I saw on Best Buy Apple® - 13.3" MacBook® Pro - 4GB Memory - 500GB Hard Drive - Model: MD313LL/A just for $899 ; which I know is sort of outdated. But I was thinking if I buy it for $899 then is there a possibility of making it better and still staying under $1200 in total. Like upgrading memory on it plus adding a SSD of around 128 gb for OS/booting so it can be faster and better?

If its possible plz lemme know if I can add additional SSD to HDD or I will need to replace HDD with SSD?



Lemme also add that it will be my primary computer, used mostly at home. For playing high resolution videos (1080p) and sometimes Video encoding, casual games like Fifa etc and surf web with multiple tabs and flash websites etc.
 
You could upgrade the Pro with an SSD.

Also, you might want to check the Apple website for their refurbished systems. If you like the Air, there are a few with 256GB HDs as well as a couple MBPs under $1200.
 
leenak said:
You could upgrade the Pro with an SSD.

Also, you might want to check the Apple website for their refurbished systems. If you like the Air, there are a few with 256GB HDs as well as a couple MBPs under $1200.
Click to expand...


I wish I could , thing is I have to buy from Best Buy as I have around $700 with them in gift cards and pitch in cards.

Another thing, is it possible to not upgrade but add SSD along with HDD that already comes with pro? Will it void warrant etc? or can I buy from Best Buy and give Pro to apple store so they can do it without warranty being voided?
 
xp0z3d said:
I wish I could , thing is I have to buy from Best Buy as I have around $700 with them in gift cards and pitch in cards.

Another thing, is it possible to not upgrade but add SSD along with HDD that already comes with pro? Will it void warrant etc? or can I buy from Best Buy and give Pro to apple store so they can do it without warranty being voided?
Click to expand...

The replacement of the HDD is so easy,

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Install...11-Hard-Drive-Replacement/5119/1#.T98yU9XY_KI

And no you will not void your warranty. If anything goes wrong, you just put the original drive back in.

Ram upgrade is just as easy.
 
MH01 said:
The replacement of the HDD is so easy,

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Install...11-Hard-Drive-Replacement/5119/1#.T98yU9XY_KI

And no you will not void your warranty. If anything goes wrong, you just put the original drive back in.

Ram upgrade is just as easy.
Click to expand...

So what I understand is I buy old Mac book Pro for $899 then add some RAM to it and replace HDD with SSD, right?

Can there be possibility of keeping old HDD inside Pro but adding SSD. Because if I take out 500 gb and replace with 128 gb SSD then I am with little storage space. So I was thinking somehow to keep that 500 and add SSD to system , so I have os to be booted from ssd increasing speed of system and have music and videos etc on 500 gb thus having best of both worlds.

Another question doubling RAM to 8 gb and 128 gb ssd , will it make that Pro good enough as new one? I know difference in processor and graphics etc but still?
 
Get an optibay bracket. Most recommend the OWC Data Doubler- http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/DDAMBS0GB/

Put an SSD in that, replace your SuperDrive with it then boot using the SSD and put files on the factory HDD.

Since you were considering an Air I don't think the SuperDrive would be a terribly important thing for you, but you can always stick the internal SuperDrive into an external housing. I think there are some cheap housings on eBay that look like the $79 Apple USB SuperDrive too.

Adding RAM and booting from the SSD will help in terms of general peppiness, but it'll still be slower when running processor or graphics intensive tasks.
Do consider that the HD4000 is quite a leap over the old 3000, so if you plan on doing any serious gaming, spring for the new one and add the data doubler/SSD as you get the money to do so.
 
TheMacBookPro said:
Get an optibay bracket. Most recommend the OWC Data Doubler- http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/DDAMBS0GB/

Put an SSD in that, replace your SuperDrive with it then boot using the SSD and put files on the factory HDD.

Since you were considering an Air I don't think the SuperDrive would be a terribly important thing for you, but you can always stick the internal SuperDrive into an external housing. I think there are some cheap housings on eBay that look like the $79 Apple USB SuperDrive too.

Adding RAM and booting from the SSD will help in terms of general peppiness, but it'll still be slower when running processor or graphics intensive tasks.
Do consider that the HD4000 is quite a leap over the old 3000, so if you plan on doing any serious gaming, spring for the new one and add the data doubler/SSD as you get the money to do so.
Click to expand...



Thanks for suggesting that idea. As I was reading some stuff over ifixit I realized better way was to just replace HDD with SSD and then house the HDD in cd/dvd drive`s slot.

I will have to somehow put all OS system files from HDD to SSD before hand , right? then take out HDD and replace it with SSD and bring HDD to dvd slot using that bracket you posted about.

Is this the correct way of doing it?

And also Now I am thinking I will buy new Mac pro and then wait a little while and when have some money then put in SSD and Ram.
 
xp0z3d said:
Thanks for suggesting that idea. As I was reading some stuff over ifixit I realized better way was to just replace HDD with SSD and then house the HDD in cd/dvd drive`s slot.

I will have to somehow put all OS system files from HDD to SSD before hand , right? then take out HDD and replace it with SSD and bring HDD to dvd slot using that bracket you posted about.

Is this the correct way of doing it?

And also Now I am thinking I will buy new Mac pro and then wait a little while and when have some money then put in SSD and Ram.
Click to expand...

I would recommend putting the SSD into the main bay then transferring the factory HDD into the optibay, yes.

I am not sure what the best method of getting the SSD set up would be, but I suppose you could transfer the HDD/SSD into the correct bays, then hold down opt at startup then select the Lion recovery drive. Head into disk utility, format the SSD then install OS X onto the SSD. Once it's all done, transfer everything you need from the HDD onto an external drive or the SSD, format the HDD, then put all of your files back onto the HDD.
 
xp0z3d said:
Another thing, is it possible to not upgrade but add SSD along with HDD that already comes with pro? Will it void warrant etc? or can I buy from Best Buy and give Pro to apple store so they can do it without warranty being voided?
Click to expand...

Yes it is possible. See http://www.hardwrk.com and there are also some others offering solution to that. Basically you remove your optical drive, put it into an external USB enclosure, put an SSD instead of the HDD, and put your old HDD into the optical bay.

This works perfectly. - I actually even removed the old HDD and use two SSDs in raid-0 (Crucial C300 256 GB x2) mode for even more performance. However, on my laptop the second SSD "only" runs on SATA II. Nevertheless, more than 500 MB/Sec read rates ...

Another alternative: http://www.mcetech.com/optibay/

I've also upgraded to 16 GB ram, works both on 15" and 13" models from 2011 ...
 
franky303 said:
Yes it is possible. See http://www.hardwrk.com and there are also some others offering solution to that. Basically you remove your optical drive, put it into an external USB enclosure, put an SSD instead of the HDD, and put your old HDD into the optical bay.

This works perfectly. - I actually even removed the old HDD and use two SSDs in raid-0 (Crucial C300 256 GB x2) mode for even more performance. However, on my laptop the second SSD "only" runs on SATA II. Nevertheless, more than 500 MB/Sec read rates ...

Another alternative: http://www.mcetech.com/optibay/

I've also upgraded to 16 GB ram, works both on 15" and 13" models from 2011 ...
Click to expand...


Checked those links and saw that hardwrk is a European website , do they ship to US? I liked that they include external drive for dvd/cd.



I have decided of getting 2012 Macbook Pro 13 with 4gb ram. Thinking I will upgrade it to 8gb by adding another 4gb module. But reading online I found out that Pro has 2 slots which both are occupied with 2gbx 2gb modules thus I will have to remove both and replace them with 4gbx4gb modules , right?
So what should I do with those 2gb modules , are they worth anything?


Another thing is I think I will take some time before adding SSD to system. So far decided that i will replace HDD with SSD and then use HDD in optical bay. Only thing I need is a guide in not only harware part of doing all that but plus how will I go about getting OS from HDD to SSD, so can someone point me a good thorough guide, plz?

and I am thinking of getting a 120 gb SSD , which are most compatible for 2012 pro? as I read there are some issues.
 
xp0z3d said:
Checked those links and saw that hardwrk is a European website , do they ship to US? I liked that they include external drive for dvd/cd.
Click to expand...

I'm afraid i don't know. BUT there is also an US alternative: http://www.mcetech.com/optibay/

----------
xp0z3d said:
I have decided of getting 2012 Macbook Pro 13 with 4gb ram. Thinking I will upgrade it to 8gb by adding another 4gb module. But reading online I found out that Pro has 2 slots which both are occupied with 2gbx 2gb modules thus I will have to remove both and replace them with 4gbx4gb modules , right?
So what should I do with those 2gb modules , are they worth anything?
Click to expand...

I don't think this is going to work out. typically the apple laptops have two slots for RAM, and typically when purchasing a laptop with 4GB of ram, 2x2GB modules will be in the laptop. So you can't simply buy additional 4GB of ram, you have to replace both modules by 2x4 GB ...

----------
xp0z3d said:
Another thing is I think I will take some time before adding SSD to system. So far decided that i will replace HDD with SSD and then use HDD in optical bay. Only thing I need is a guide in not only harware part of doing all that but plus how will I go about getting OS from HDD to SSD, so can someone point me a good thorough guide, plz?

and I am thinking of getting a 120 gb SSD , which are most compatible for 2012 pro? as I read there are some issues.
Click to expand...

I have very good experiences with Crucial m4, Crucial C300 and supposedly Samsung 830 is currently the best "performance per buck" choice up to my best knowledge. I'm running 2x Crucial C300 in MacBook Pro 15" 2011 in RAID 0 with hardwrk.com, 1x Crucial C300 in MacBook Pro 13" and a friend of mine got a Samsung 830 in his MacBook 2011. I've read other people have success with Crucial m4 (except in the very beginning, when firmware was young). I have 2xm4 in my Mac Pro 2008 and they're great, too. But C300 and Samsung 830 are faster.
 
ugahairydawgs said:
How are speeds on a 2.5" SSD added to a MBP as opposed to the ones used in the MBA? Similar?
Click to expand...

If you use a Samsung 830 series SSD in a MBP that has SATA 6GB/s support (2011 and newer IIRC) it should give you the exact same disk performance as the 2012 Air and the 2012 Retina MBP.
 
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