13 Macbook Pro 2015 - SSD or Transcend JetDrive

[pbmagnet4]

I purchased a base model rMBP for $1000 NIB. I absolutely love it, especially since I have been using a PowerBook G4 since my 2012 cMBP was stolen. The only issue is that the internal SSD sits at 128gb which for 90% of people (including me) is too little. In order to upgrade the storage I will need to either purchase a larger Apple SSD from eBay or a Transcend JetDrive Lite.

This leaves me at a crossroads. Should I opt for a faster 256gb of internal PCIe storage for $215 or pay $140 for a slower 256gb or SD storage? I do use my SD card slot quite a bit but not enough to where it would be a big deal if I had to take it out.

So what does the community think?

 

[JTToft]

You can't use a Transcend JetDrive. They haven't yet made it for the newer rMBPs. They top out at the Early 2013 machines.

For an SSD, the only third party option is the ones OWC announced just a few weeks ago. They are almost as much as an original Apple part and much much slower.
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ssd/owc/macbook-pro-retina-display/2013

 

[pbmagnet4]

You can't use a Transcend JetDrive. They haven't yet made it for the newer rMBPs. They top out at the Early 2013 machines.

For an SSD, the only third party option is the ones OWC announced just a few weeks ago. They are almost as much as an original Apple part and much much slower.
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ssd/owc/macbook-pro-retina-display/2013

Why can't I use a JetDrive? It should just fit in the sd card slot, same as the previous iterations... I suppose I should have specified about using JetDrive Lite.

As far as the SSD goes, I would just purchase an OEM one from eBay. The question still remains though... SSD or JetDrive (Lite)?

 

[JTToft]

Why can't I use a JetDrive? It should just fit in the sd card slot, same as the previous iterations... I suppose I should have specified about using JetDrive Lite.

- Then you're fine. I understood that you were considering their rMBP SSD called the JetDrive, not the SD card.

I'd go for the SSD if for no other reason than elegance. It'd irritate me having to pull out the SD card (as you say would have to) from time to time. But that comes down to your preferences, of course.
I wouldn't use the SD card for anything mission critical such as applications. It's fine for dumb, rarely accessed storage, though.

 

[pancakesrockyvalley]

I have a jetdrive lite and i like it BUT i do not have any other use for the sd card slot. Jetdrive is put it in once and dont take it out

 

[pbmagnet4]

- Then you're fine. I understood that you were considering their rMBP SSD called the JetDrive, not the SD card.

I'd go for the SSD if for no other reason than elegance. It'd irritate me having to pull out the SD card (as you say would have to) from time to time. But that comes down to your preferences, of course.
I wouldn't use the SD card for anything mission critical such as applications. It's fine for dumb, rarely accessed storage, though.

Good point. I suppose I will go with the internal SSD then. Videography is my profession, so being able to use the SD card slot every now and again is a nice feature. Alternatively, I suppose I could just go with both, but for now I have to pick one or the other.

 

[BoneDaddy]

buyeth a t'rabyte and beest done with the w'rry of space. f'r if 't be true thee settleth on the speedeth of the sd, thy teeth shall whith'r hence from the apple.

 

[Spudlicious]

If the OP can afford it then a bigger SSD just has to be a better solution. The way JetDrive merges SSD and SD in software may be clever as hell but it horrifies me, there's the speed issue and how do you know an OS update someday won't kill it?

 

[pbmagnet4]

If the OP can afford it then a bigger SSD just has to be a better solution. The way JetDrive merges SSD and SD in software may be clever as hell but it horrifies me, there's the speed issue and how do you know an OS update someday won't kill it?

I am going to go with the SSD upgrade internally. It seems like the most reasonable upgrade and down the road I can always pick up the Transcend if I need, but I have read some mixed reviews on the product. I also looked at iFixit and the installation looks fairly simple. Not as easy as the cMBP but still pretty straightforward. I am aware that this will void my warranty, but my question is; if I had to turn in my mac for apple care, how would they know it was ever opened? Especially since I will be using an OEM SSD as the upgrade.

 

[robvas]

They'll never know that you swapped out the SSD

i installed a 512GB drive from an Air in my rMBP - the drives interchange.

On the left we have a 512GB 2013 MacBook Air, on the right a 256GB late-2013 MacBook Pro 13"

Get out the trusty iFixIt pentalobe and torx drivers. Bought these back in 2012 when I first did a swap on a Retina and have used them quite a few times since.

Opened up

The drives look almost the same other than some numbers on the chips.

Let's flip them over

There are 3 different types of screws holding the bottom plates of these two laptops on.

Put them back together and fire em up.

Success!

Being 2013's the drive was the same speed in the Air and the Pro.

 

[Spudlicious]

They'll never know that you swapped out the SSD

i installed a 512GB drive from an Air in my rMBP - the drives interchange.

On the left we have a 512GB 2013 MacBook Air, on the right a 256GB late-2013 MacBook Pro 13"

Get out the trusty iFixIt pentalobe and torx drivers. Bought these back in 2012 when I first did a swap on a Retina and have used them quite a few times since.

Opened up

The drives look almost the same other than some numbers on the chips.

Let's flip them over

There are 3 different types of screws holding the bottom plates of these two laptops on.

Put them back together and fire em up.

Success!

Being 2013's the drive was the same speed in the Air and the Pro.

A super post - well done that man.

 

[pbmagnet4]

They'll never know that you swapped out the SSD

i installed a 512GB drive from an Air in my rMBP - the drives interchange.

On the left we have a 512GB 2013 MacBook Air, on the right a 256GB late-2013 MacBook Pro 13"

Get out the trusty iFixIt pentalobe and torx drivers. Bought these back in 2012 when I first did a swap on a Retina and have used them quite a few times since.

Opened up

The drives look almost the same other than some numbers on the chips.

Let's flip them over

There are 3 different types of screws holding the bottom plates of these two laptops on.

Put them back together and fire em up.

Success!

Being 2013's the drive was the same speed in the Air and the Pro.

Followed similar instructions on iFixit and everything went great. I now have an incredibly fast internal SSD. My 128gb SSD was around 600MB/s and the new 256gb SSD goes as fast as 1200MB/s!

Does anybody have any external enclosure suggestions for the old 128gb SSD? Anything that is not sold by OWC? I don't want to $120 for an enclosure. Thanks!