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I'm seeing 15" with a 6G optical bay, but nothing from 17" users. Can anyone confirm a 17" with two 6G ports?

I just got my maxed out 17" hi-res anti-glare in yesterday afternoon. Happy to report both ports are 6G.

SATAIII_info.jpg


My machine appears to be fresh off the assembly line too:

Group1: MacBook
Group2: Pro
Generation: 83
ModelCode:
Model introduced: 2011
Production year: 2011
Production week: 19 (May)
Family name: Become a pro user to see this information. (sorry)
Screen size: 17 inch
Screen resolution: 1920x1200 pixels
Colour: Aluminium
Factory: C0 (Quanta Computer (Susidiary = Tech Com))

I've got an OWC EXTREME 6G 120GB SSD on its way (hopefully early next week) along with a data doubler and will be putting the stock 7200rpm 500GB drive in the Optibay as a data storage drive and housing the superdrive in an external case.

Loving the machine thus far - this replaces my aging 5-yr old original MBP. Still rocking my early 2008 Mac Pro for desktop 3D work.
 
You might be on to something. Those with 6G/6G ports have a UJ-898 model

I have a UJ-898 model and I have 3 Gigabit for the Link Speed. I attached a screenshot.

Edit: My MacBook Pro 13 base is 14wks old
 

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Optibay/Data doubler link speed

Well it has clearly been confirmed that newer MBP's, or at least the CTO ones are using ports 1 and 2 for the hard drive and optical drive. The link speed for both of these ports is 6gbps/sata III. My question is for anyone who has a 6gbps optical link and has replaced the superdrive with an optibay or equivalent. Are the interfaces of the optibay/data doubler supporting sata III/6gbps as well, or are they dumbing down an otherwise all sata III pipiline for, for example, a vertex 3 in an optibay? Thanks for your time.
 
What configuration of the 17" did you buy?

Can you tell me what configuration you bought?

I just got my maxed out 17" hi-res anti-glare in yesterday afternoon. Happy to report both ports are 6G.

Image

My machine appears to be fresh off the assembly line too:

Group1: MacBook
Group2: Pro
Generation: 83
ModelCode:
Model introduced: 2011
Production year: 2011
Production week: 19 (May)
Family name: Become a pro user to see this information. (sorry)
Screen size: 17 inch
Screen resolution: 1920x1200 pixels
Colour: Aluminium
Factory: C0 (Quanta Computer (Susidiary = Tech Com))

I've got an OWC EXTREME 6G 120GB SSD on its way (hopefully early next week) along with a data doubler and will be putting the stock 7200rpm 500GB drive in the Optibay as a data storage drive and housing the superdrive in an external case.

Loving the machine thus far - this replaces my aging 5-yr old original MBP. Still rocking my early 2008 Mac Pro for desktop 3D work.
 
Let us know what Apple says because if the more recent produced 13" have the 2 6 Gigabit Link Speeds, I am gonna demand an exchange.

You'll only get an exchange if within the 14-day exchange period.

I went into an Apple Store and asked if they could get a response from Apple's technical department about this issue. The manager said he couldn't; that they don't condone user replacement of the optical drive and that 3Gbps is sufficient for the supplied optical drive, which is true.

He did say I could buy a new MBP, check it out and return it within 14 days if it was 6/3, as it's a no-quibble exchange.

He also said they could give me a few serial numbers from the boxes of their stock so that I could check the build week before purchase.
 
For all interested I have a 6/6 MBP here is some info related to when my machine was made and location made. (Maybe it is country based?)
 

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SO the only way to get dual SATA III is to sell your old mac and buy a new one? sounds like a PITA to me and not worth the effort beyond bragging rights in my case.

Anyway, lesson learned. Whenever i'm buying any new Apple product, wait 2 months to see how things play out before diving in.
 
You'll only get an exchange if within the 14-day exchange period.

I went into an Apple Store and asked if they could get a response from Apple's technical department about this issue. The manager said he couldn't; that they don't condone user replacement of the optical drive and that 3Gbps is sufficient for the supplied optical drive, which is true.

He did say I could buy a new MBP, check it out and return it within 14 days if it was 6/3, as it's a no-quibble exchange.

He also said they could give me a few serial numbers from the boxes of their stock so that I could check the build week before purchase.

Thanks. I actually bought mine from Best Buy and have the Silver Rewards membership so I got 45 days to return it. I think I am just gonna hold on it since I will probably sell it when the new ones comes out next year.
 
Thanks. I actually bought mine from Best Buy and have the Silver Rewards membership so I got 45 days to return it. I think I am just gonna hold on it since I will probably sell it when the new ones comes out next year.

:eek: 45 days to return? That's amazing, you must buy a lot of kit from BB!
 
:eek: 45 days to return? That's amazing, you must buy a lot of kit from BB!

Yup no restock fee either. You have to spend $2500 in a year to get it. We bought a Samsung LCD, iPhone 4 and stuff to get it. Got it this year again for next year with 2 iPad2s, MBP and small stuff. I only buy from BB when its actually a deal.
 
Can you tell me what configuration you bought?

2.3GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7
8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB
500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 RPM
MacBook Pro 17-inch Hi-Resolution Antiglare Widescreen Display

Once I receive my OWC Extreme Pro 6G (hopefully, early next week) I'll do the install and see what's what.
 
Anyway, lesson learned. Whenever i'm buying any new Apple product, wait 2 months to see how things play out before diving in.

Another hidden upgrade. Apple w/o notice just added a combo bluray / 240gb 6GB SATA III superdrive to any 17" i7 built after May 11, 2011.
 
Anyone with a 6G optibay try a 6G SSD there?

Has anyone who has one of these blessed SATA III optical bay connections tried a SATA III drive in it? If it works in the 17" then 1) don't have to worry about the cable issue some people have had with a SATA III SSD in the drive bay, and 2) don't have to worry about the HDD being more prone to shocks in the opti bay.
 
Has anyone who has one of these blessed SATA III optical bay connections tried a SATA III drive in it? If it works in the 17" then 1) don't have to worry about the cable issue some people have had with a SATA III SSD in the drive bay, and 2) don't have to worry about the HDD being more prone to shocks in the opti bay.

I tried putting my Vertex 3 in there (I have the 6g ODD port) and couldn't get it to boot, even when I removed the HDD from the main slot. I was obviously using an external USB optical drive, but I already used that to install OSX on the SSD when in the main slot so I know it works.

Also, after installing OSX to the SSD in the main slot, I simply moved it to the ODD slot, and again it wouldn't boot. I ended up with the SSD in the main slot and the OEM 750GB HDD in the optibay as it's the only way I could get it to work.
 
alright so whats the best sata III ssd to get for my i5 13" mbp??

i think i can fly with a 128GB for now and maybe put the stock 320gb into an optibay...

lets have it guys!!

also, what RAM would be compatible with this machine? i wanna do Parallels/VM Ware for windows instead of boot camp
 
^

In term of speed, SF2xxx based SSD are the fastest out there (Vertex3, OWC 6G).

Reliability wise, reports suggest Intel has the lowest failure rate. So you probably want to look up 510series.

Then again, if you are going optibay, reliability shouldn't matter much as you would only load OS and apps in your SSD. You could simply re-install them should the drive fails.
 
Thank you for this very interesting post, it sounds crazy!
I want to install an SSD in place of the Superdrive.
I checked and I do have the 6/6 SATA III port.
My MBP is an 2,2ghz 15" hi res antiglare build April 11.
My question is in relation with the post from awer25:
I tried putting my Vertex 3 in there (I have the 6g ODD port) and couldn't get it to boot, even when I removed the HDD from the main slot. I was obviously using an external USB optical drive, but I already used that to install OSX on the SSD when in the main slot so I know it works.

Also, after installing OSX to the SSD in the main slot, I simply moved it to the ODD slot, and again it wouldn't boot. I ended up with the SSD in the main slot and the OEM 750GB HDD in the optibay as it's the only way I could get it to work.

The Vertex 3 didn't really work if it's installed on an optibay or datadoubler?
 
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