2nd Hard Drive HDD for 2007 MPB

[AndyM]

I'm looking to buy one of those 2nd Hard Drive adaptors for my 2007 Macbook Pro.

You remove the DVD drive and put in a HDD, however I have a question. My DVD drive is a PATA drive, would a 7200 RPM 2.5" drive max out the PATA connection?

 

[shootist]

No it won't. And even if it came close you wouldn't notice the slight, if any, reduction in speed.

But you must have the correct Optibay caddy for your model MBP. One that changes a SATA drive to a PATA and has the correct PATA connector on it to plug into your system.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

Your drive is PATA, so you can't plug SATA into it. Also, why do you care if a 7200 rpm drive maxes it out? If it doesn't, are you going to go out and buy a 10,000 rpm drive (they do exist, but are almost as expensive as SSDs)?

As an aside, and I just noticed this, why does that optical bay HDD caddy have a DVD logo and button, etc, on the front of it? Are they trying to hide the fact that you now have two HDDs?! 😛

 

[AndyM]

Your drive is PATA, so you can't plug SATA into it. Also, why do you care if a 7200 rpm drive maxes it out? If it doesn't, are you going to go out and buy a 10,000 rpm drive (they do exist, but are almost as expensive as SSDs)?

I will care if the PATA connection is limiting a 7200 RPM drive. I don't want to spend the extra on a 7200rpm if it performs the same as a 5400rpm.

Going to order one off ebay, it is specifically for the A1226 (2007) MPB dvd drive.

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

I will care if the PATA connection is limiting a 7200 RPM drive. I don't want to spend the extra on a 7200rpm if it performs the same as a 5400rpm.

Oh, I see. I misunderstood the direction you were going. I thought you were TRYING to max out your connection.

Going to order one off ebay, it is specifically for the A1226 (2007) MPB dvd drive.

Make sure it really does have the right connection. A lot of times those compatibilities are set to all MBPs when they just work with the majority of MBPs.

 

[AndyM]

This is the connection on the ebay post, which looks about correct as I know the drive isn't a SATA connection.

 

[shootist]

Have you taken you MBP apart to look at the connecting cable that goes from the DVD drive to the logic board?

I've never worked on one like your model so I'm not sure it is a cable or direct plug in.

 

[AndyM]

I've taken my MBP apart a few times but never checked the cable. According to IFixit its a ribbon:

"Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the orange SuperDrive ribbon cable from the logic board, removing tape as necessary."

 

[shootist]

You shouldn't have any problem then. As far as the PATA bus not allowing the 7200RPM drive to work at TOP speed I don't think you have anything to worry about.

But consider moving your slower main drive to that spot and putting the 7200RPM drive on the SATA bus. All you have to do is Clone one to the other and that can be done after the drives are installed.

I personally used the MEC Optibay as it came with a DVD caddy and cable to use the DVD as an external drive.

 

[charlieroberts]

I did this exact thing for my 2007MBP.

Now I have two SSD in my laptop and I'm in love with my config.
I highly recommend that you go do it, its fairly easy!

 

[MatP]

Make sure you get the correct adapter for you model.

Most of the adapters I have seen that work with that model take a sata drive and convert it to the pata connection the cd drive uses.

If you get a 7200rpm drive and the current hdd in the computer is 5400, I would recommend cloning everything to the 7200 drive and putting that as your main drive in the normal hdd spot. Then use the 5400 drive as storage in the cd drive spot.