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Any recommendations for a replacement hard drive for 13" 2009 MacBook Pro?

A

andyACEcandy

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 11, 2008
863
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My hard drive finally died so just wondering if anyone knows where I can get a replacement. Any recommendations would be great. This one is on Amazon for $35... but I don't know what I'm really looking for in terms of specs. I don't need that much space as I have an external HD. What kind of specs am I looking for? Don't want to break the bank...

http://www.amazon.com/Black-160-Mob...041879&sr=1-3&keywords=macbook+pro+hard+drive
 
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It's not just about storage capacity, I bet that cheap 160GB will be kind of slow, drive speeds tend to increase with capacity. I'm sure that drive would be fine but for another $20-$35 you can do a *ton* better.

I am parting out my 13" 2009 that currently has two SSD drives in it so I just ordered this one for it, gets great reviews, thin so it will get great air flow and plenty fast for a spinner, went for more capacity for resale:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822178339

Review:

http://www.storagereview.com/seagate_sshd_thin_review_gen3_500gb_st500lm000

You can get a smaller, slower and cheaper drive but honestly, you would be saving all of $20 over the one I linked above. Most would say get an SSD but I am not sure you want to spend the $150+ for a 160GB although I will be selling my Intel X25M 160GB for a good bit less than that...:)
 
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andyACEcandy said:
My hard drive finally died so just wondering if anyone knows where I can get a replacement. Any recommendations would be great. This one is on Amazon for $35... but I don't know what I'm really looking for in terms of specs. I don't need that much space as I have an external HD. What kind of specs am I looking for? Don't want to break the bank...

http://www.amazon.com/Black-160-Mob...041879&sr=1-3&keywords=macbook+pro+hard+drive
Click to expand...

i BOUGHT A USED 128GB DELL SSD ON EBAY FOR $70 AND THAT THING IS FAST COMPARED TO A HARD DRIVE. GET A SSD IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT. i GOT A 16GB ON EBAY FOR $20 AND THAT IS FASTER THEN ANY HARD DRIVE BUT IT'S KINDA SMALL FOR THE LATEST OS X
 
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andyACEcandy said:
Thanks! Sounds like you did your research :)

Perhaps I'll get this one as well... $80 isn't too bad

What about this one?

http://slickdeals.net/f/6399356-1tb-hitachi-gst-travelstar-7200rpm-2-5-laptop-drive-70-newegg

Thing is, I'm using a portable HD that works for now... but it's kind of annoying carrying this HD everywhere with me haha
Click to expand...

I think it would be fine too, but the Seagate SSHD would get you a good bit more speed and still plenty of room. Seriously, stick with Newegg, OWC or Amazon for computer hardware purchases.

I'm not sure how much you want to spend, but the thing is with the 2009, you are limited to SATA-II speeds so if you went with with a Samsung EVO 250GB SSD you would simply not do better for the price, it well exceeds your disk interface limit of 300MB/s and will hit 500MB/s in a newer machine if you decide to move up and is far more durable than any spinner:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147248

Other than that, the Seagate 500GB SSHD is going to fully rock too and is $100 less than the 250 EVO. What the speed means is faster and smoother boot ups, shut downs, sleeps, wakes, app launches and closes. Putting in a decent SSD will make you feel like you have a new computer, because in a sense, you do!

It all depends on what you want and need. If you just web surf, listen to music, email, watch movies, any new Western Digital Black or Seagate drive 500GB or more will serve you well. If you can afford it, the EVO 250 ( or 500 ) SSD will flat out blow you away even in a 2009.

Lots out there to choose from, that's for sure. You can always upgrade your computer too, 13" 2009's fetch about $400-$600 on ebay now that the new Haswell Retina's are out, so I guess you could sell it for parts with no drive in it.

My 13" 2009 with two SSD's in it is ripping fast in every respect except for the video card and older processor, so smooth it silly. But the upgrade to a 13" 2.8Ghz 16GB ram 1TB PCIe SSD drive that crushes data around at nearly 1,000MB/s.....pretty spectacular move and I needed it for my line of work.

I'm sure you will get more responses, but pick a good one and pull the trigger. Oh, and just be real careful of the flex cable for the drive, they are not hard to damage in the 2009's..
 
I can vouch for the Seagate Hybrid drive. (part ssd part hd)
I had one in use in a 2009 Sony Vaio, which I have just sold and picked up a 2010 MBP. I have installed the Seagate in the MBP with a copy of Mavericks and it runs like a dream.

I have the 750gb Seagate (7200 rpm) and whilst some people had problems with vibrations and noise, I don't seem to get that with my install.

A massive amount of fairly quick storage for the price
(Boot up times over standard drive are unbelievable)
I'm not sure if there are many of the 7200rpm hybrids about now, but i have only had great experiences with mine.

Oh, and this 2010 MBP is my first, and will defo not be my last. I think I'll run this thing for a couple of years and then have a looksie at a 15"
I cant believe I struggled along without one for so long!
 
Macshroomer said:
I think it would be fine too, but the Seagate SSHD would get you a good bit more speed and still plenty of room. Seriously, stick with Newegg, OWC or Amazon for computer hardware purchases.

I'm not sure how much you want to spend, but the thing is with the 2009, you are limited to SATA-II speeds so if you went with with a Samsung EVO 250GB SSD you would simply not do better for the price, it well exceeds your disk interface limit of 300MB/s and will hit 500MB/s in a newer machine if you decide to move up and is far more durable than any spinner:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147248

Other than that, the Seagate 500GB SSHD is going to fully rock too and is $100 less than the 250 EVO. What the speed means is faster and smoother boot ups, shut downs, sleeps, wakes, app launches and closes. Putting in a decent SSD will make you feel like you have a new computer, because in a sense, you do!

It all depends on what you want and need. If you just web surf, listen to music, email, watch movies, any new Western Digital Black or Seagate drive 500GB or more will serve you well. If you can afford it, the EVO 250 ( or 500 ) SSD will flat out blow you away even in a 2009.

Lots out there to choose from, that's for sure. You can always upgrade your computer too, 13" 2009's fetch about $400-$600 on ebay now that the new Haswell Retina's are out, so I guess you could sell it for parts with no drive in it.

My 13" 2009 with two SSD's in it is ripping fast in every respect except for the video card and older processor, so smooth it silly. But the upgrade to a 13" 2.8Ghz 16GB ram 1TB PCIe SSD drive that crushes data around at nearly 1,000MB/s.....pretty spectacular move and I needed it for my line of work.

I'm sure you will get more responses, but pick a good one and pull the trigger. Oh, and just be real careful of the flex cable for the drive, they are not hard to damage in the 2009's..
Click to expand...



Thanks for all the input! I'm gonna go ahead with the one you originally mentioned. Seagate should give you a commission ;)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822178339&nm_mc=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r&cm_mmc=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r-_-Hard+Drives+-+Notebooks+/+Laptops-_-Seagate-_-22178339
 
Macshroomer said:
It's not just about storage capacity, I bet that cheap 160GB will be kind of slow, drive speeds tend to increase with capacity. I'm sure that drive would be fine but for another $20-$35 you can do a *ton* better.

<snip>

You can get a smaller, slower and cheaper drive but honestly, you would be saving all of $20 over the one I linked above. Most would say get an SSD but I am not sure you want to spend the $150+ for a 160GB although I will be selling my Intel X25M 160GB for a good bit less than that...:)
Click to expand...

Ok, I tried replying earlier but the forums were down. Since OP has already resolved his issue I just had some questions about your reasoning as this may help others.

How will a 750GB HDD be faster than a 160GB one when cache and RPMs are the same? Even the same manufacturer? One would thing that a smaller one would be quicker since the heads have less travel around the platters. I could be wrong on that, but it sort of makes sense.

Obviously if storage size isn't needed an SSD would be best but would cost a lot more.
 
davidg4781 said:
Ok, I tried replying earlier but the forums were down. Since OP has already resolved his issue I just had some questions about your reasoning as this may help others.

How will a 750GB HDD be faster than a 160GB one when cache and RPMs are the same? Even the same manufacturer? One would thing that a smaller one would be quicker since the heads have less travel around the platters. I could be wrong on that, but it sort of makes sense.

Obviously if storage size isn't needed an SSD would be best but would cost a lot more.
Click to expand...

I can not answer with complete confidence but I think it has to do with platter density. It seems that 9/10 times the bigger, later model drives even from the same manufacturer up the speeds and it shows on the benchmark sites like Tom's Hardware, Barefeats, etc. I'm sure someone else will be able to give you a real answer not written in jello, but at the moment, that is what I know of it all.
 
Try Microcenter or Fry's.

Both have fairly often deals going on and Microcenter marks open box items down like crazy.

If you dont want to dig too deep in your pocket, look for a 7200RPM hdd or 7200RPM hybrid.
 
Voca said:
Try Microcenter or Fry's.

Both have fairly often deals going on and Microcenter marks open box items down like crazy.

If you dont want to dig too deep in your pocket, look for a 7200RPM hdd or 7200RPM hybrid.
Click to expand...

Definitely not looking to dig deep in my pocket :)

I really only use my computer to surf the web, stream videos, chat, etc... nothing special. Not even sure I really need a SSD. The hybrid that was posted is intriguing because it's within budget and it's 500gb... but I'm wondering if I'd be better off spending the same amount of $ and getting a smaller HD that's SSD

This one seems to be one of the most popular on Amazon...

http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Scorpio-Internal-2-5-Inch/dp/B004I9J5OG/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1384926724&sr=1-4&keywords=hybrid+drive
 
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andyACEcandy said:
Definitely not looking to dig deep in my pocket :)

I really only use my computer to surf the web, stream videos, chat, etc... nothing special. Not even sure I really need a SSD. The hybrid that was posted is intriguing because it's within budget and it's 500gb... but I'm wondering if I'd be better off spending the same amount of $ and getting a smaller HD that's SSD

This one seems to be one of the most popular on Amazon...

http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Scorpio-Internal-2-5-Inch/dp/B004I9J5OG/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1384926724&sr=1-4&keywords=hybrid+drive
Click to expand...

IMO, you should get an SSD. It is truly the best upgrade you can make for ANY computer.
 
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Beezy253 said:
IMO, you should get an SSD. It is truly the best upgrade you can make for ANY computer.
Click to expand...


Bleh I'd really like to keep it under $80... and it's tough to find a SSD for that price (without it being fairly small in space)
 
davidg4781 said:
Ok, I tried replying earlier but the forums were down. Since OP has already resolved his issue I just had some questions about your reasoning as this may help others.

How will a 750GB HDD be faster than a 160GB one when cache and RPMs are the same? Even the same manufacturer? One would thing that a smaller one would be quicker since the heads have less travel around the platters. I could be wrong on that, but it sort of makes sense.
Click to expand...

The physical sizes of HD platters are always the same within a given format. For example laptops are a 2.5" format and all the platters in those drives will be the same physical size whether 100GB or 1TB. So max seek times are unaffected by the data capacity.

What is effected is (as Macshroomer said ) the data density. As drive size increases the platter size remains the same but has more data on it. So take read operation on a dual platter 100GB drive and a dual platter 1000GB drive. The heads seek for identical times. Then stop and as the platter spins under the head (both at 7200rpm) 10x more data is passing the head and being read on the 1000tb than the 100gb. Also a platter is a disk made up of circles or tracks of data. Big circles at the outside and smaller towards the middle. Which means the more full the drive the more likely you will need to write to the centre portions of the platter which will read and write more slowly as 1 revolution of the disk produces less reads and combine that with seek times being higher as the heads have to cover a larger distance. This is another reason why large drives are better as 100gb of data on a 1000tb drive is written to the outside (i.e all reads are from the fast part) and on a 100gb disk data is written all the way to the centre (i.e some reads are from the slow part).



ps

To the OP :

HDD recommendations
Seagate SSHD or Hitachi 7k1000

But a real SSD (recommend Samsung Evo) will destroy any HDD for performance. They are not a little or a lot faster than HDD but an order of magnitude faster. In SSD benchmark bar chart comparisons HDDs are not shown because they would be a line on the left of the chart. Everyone jumps up and down when they buy a computer with a 20% faster CPU or GPU (I do to :)). But SSDs are 200% to 1000% faster than HDDs, and 9 times out of 10 it is the HDD you are waiting for in every day tasks.
 
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andyACEcandy said:
Thoughts on these from Craigslist? I'm working on getting the exact models but here the postings. Not sure if compatible with my 2009 MacBook Pro...


$80 Crucial 128gb SSD SATA3
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/sys/4211857884.html

$65 Samsung 128gb SSD SATA3
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/sys/4116974161.html
Click to expand...

Either will work.

That Samsung is not SATA III. That is an older Samsung 470 SSD and it is only SATA II. Since your machine is not SATA III anyway, it won't matter, but if you want to be able to move the SSD to a newer SATA III machine some day and see the speed benefit of SATA III... you should consider a SATA III SSD.

The ad does not say what model the Crucial is, so it is hard to comment. I'm guessing it is a Crucial M4. If so, that drive will work fine for you.
 
andyACEcandy said:
Bleh I'd really like to keep it under $80... and it's tough to find a SSD for that price (without it being fairly small in space)
Click to expand...

It really shouldn't matter about price. Buying an SSD is almost like buying a brand new computer. Speeds are blisteringly fast and worth every penny. I'd never go back to an HDD as my boot drive. EVER.
 
Weaselboy said:
Either will work.

That Samsung is not SATA III. That is an older Samsung 470 SSD and it is only SATA II. Since your machine is not SATA III anyway, it won't matter, but if you want to be able to move the SSD to a newer SATA III machine some day and see the speed benefit of SATA III... you should consider a SATA III SSD.

The ad does not say what model the Crucial is, so it is hard to comment. I'm guessing it is a Crucial M4. If so, that drive will work fine for you.
Click to expand...


Thanks! Yeah it's the Crucial M4... so it's either that for $75 (and trust a Craigslist guy) or I can just get a brand new Samsung 840 Evo for $90 on Amazon.

I'll get a SATA III as I'm sure I'll make an upgrade eventually. Does the 2009 MBP only support SATA I?
 
andyACEcandy said:
Thanks! Yeah it's the Crucial M4... so it's either that for $75 (and trust a Craigslist guy) or I can just get a brand new Samsung 840 Evo for $90 on Amazon.

I'll get a SATA III as I'm sure I'll make an upgrade eventually. Does the 2009 MBP only support SATA I?
Click to expand...

Your MBP is SATA II, but SATA is backwards compatible, so any SATA II or SATA III SSD will work.

If it was me, I would spring for the extra $15 to get a drive I know is new and has a new warranty.
 
The 2009 MBP has SATA II, which has a bandwidth of 3Gb/s (or around 375 MB/s). On just about any SATA II or SATA III SSD, you'll get read-write speeds of about 250MB/s.

To be on the safe side, and since you plan to upgrade in the future, I would advise you to go for the Samsung SSD from Amazon. You might be spending a bit more than the Craigslist listings, but you'll be future proof.

Regards
Raptor

EDIT: WeaselBoy beat me to it. I concur.
 
Weaselboy said:
Your MBP is SATA II, but SATA is backwards compatible, so any SATA II or SATA III SSD will work.

If it was me, I would spring for the extra $15 to get a drive I know is new and has a new warranty.
Click to expand...


He texted me the serial of his Crucial M4 and it is under warranty for another 1.5 years.

But from what I can tell from reviews, the Samsung 840 series are a lot better... so that and it being brand new is worth the extra $15 I suppose
 
andyACEcandy said:
He texted me the serial of his Crucial M4 and it is under warranty for another 1.5 years.

But from what I can tell from reviews, the Samsung 840 series are a lot better... so that and it being brand new is worth the extra $15 I suppose
Click to expand...

Here is a comparison of the two. As you can see the EVO is much faster, although you won't notice on your SATA II machine. But for a later move to a SATA III machine it would matter more. Plus three year warranty with a new EVO. That is how I would go.
 
Whatever you do, plain HDDs don't really make that much sense anymore even if they're being given away - they're just incredibly slow, it's like using an old cassette tape on a C-64.

A small SSD might work for you since you're SATA II and you don't need a lot of space, but if that' still too pricey, you should be able to get a 1st or 2nd gen hybrid drive for less than $100 and that'll bring you up to fairly modern operating speeds for most of what you're likely to be doing.

>
 
This is going to be interesting. I've never had a SSD hard drive before, and I've never had any issues with my old hard drive being slow.

Everyone's saying it's like a night & day chance, so I'm expecting it to be a pretty dramatic change that makes me realize the slowness I've been experiencing all my life haha
 
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