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Apple's SDD?
- Thread starter CoolBradG
- Start date
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You are going to notice the difference. Car's only go as fast as you want to push. Computers go as fast as they can push.
Apple SSD is pretty pants.
Yes! Pants!
get the Free HD and make an external HD for less than £5.00
Buy a Sandforce 1200 Drive. Corsair Force or Vertex 2 OCZ.
Install it yourself which is easy.
Dont buy the C300 even tho people claim its the fastest, in OSX you will lose 50% of its speed within 2 months,
Apple SSD will lose 70% of its speed in a matter of weeks.
This is due to poor Garbage collection. and no TRIM yet in OSX.
if you need to know more.
goto Anandtech.com he is the shiz when it comes to SSD!
You are wasting money doing it this way. Get the standard HDD it comes with, then buy your own 120/128 or 160GB SSD (depending on whichever model brand you want) for between $250 to $400 (average pricing depending on size and model) and install it yourself. Apple charges something like $300 or more for the 128GB SSD, so essentially you have gotten a free 320 or 500GB HDD AND a better SSD in the process.
I know in the UK, if you buy the 15" 2.53Ghz process and then have apple upgrade to 8GB RAM and a 128GB SSD, they add 700 Pounds or nearly $1100! Ouch.
Lol
this post cracks me up,
no one has asked how far are you willing to go. don't assume everyone wants to go crazy and fit custom SSD's in their macbook pro's and lose there warranty. is the OP adept & confident enough to pull their computer apart and risk voiding warranty?
i have my 17" i7 with apple 128 SSD coming in 3 days. The SSD cost me $290 AUD upgrade and its covered under my 1year and newly purchased appelcare 3 year warranty. so if i see degradation ( and i will be testing the drive periodically) i will take it back to apple and complain. the best drives out there of the same capacity are $360.00 + shipping (OWC MercuryExteme). so coupled with the fact ill have to install it myself it seems the logical option for the HUGE increase in performance for the small increase in price is Apples SSD.
i did about 2 months research on SSD's and read every forum/thread i could. A few things came up; yes apple don't support TRIM, but OSX is different to windows and doesn't clutter/fill the drive in the same way. well not as fast anyway. there are maintenence apps out there that can help reduce it, also to reduce this avoid 'securely empty trash' and filling the drive to capacity. i plan on using the 128 SSD for OSX + apps, i have an external drive (Lacie Rikiki) for my files.
I Perosnally didn't want to instantly scrap my brand new 3 year warranty just to get 25-50% faster. Here is a thread that shows speeds & perforance (although the application used for testing isn't foolproof and 100% accurate. SSD Random read/write speeds
Apple came in at an average of 50-75% as fast as other drives in the random uncached read/write speeds. That may seem huge but here is a comparison (Xbench Disk Test result numbers):
the main area the highest performing drives (intel Gen2 & OWC Mercury Extreme) showed they were better was in the random uncached read/write speeds, with scores of 800-1000 where as apple got 400-500 (7200 rpm HDD got 37)
Conclusion:
so based on these scores and the performance and warranty i opted for Apple SSD, with a price tag of $290 - all the work is done by apple & i still have my 3 year warrant.
I'm a designer and this will be used for most of my work at home & when needed in the office as well as general home use. I used to fix PC computers and can tinker with Mac's when needed, but who wants to have to do that – that's what i pay apple for, especially with Laptops).
I Also want my 3 years warranty and support. I guarantee that if i have the slightest problem with drive degradation & slowing down ill take it back to apple and complain, there are also apps and guides on how to regularly perform maintenance on the drive.
Hope this helps the OP
Cheers
Bill
this post cracks me up,
no one has asked how far are you willing to go. don't assume everyone wants to go crazy and fit custom SSD's in their macbook pro's and lose there warranty. is the OP adept & confident enough to pull their computer apart and risk voiding warranty?
i have my 17" i7 with apple 128 SSD coming in 3 days. The SSD cost me $290 AUD upgrade and its covered under my 1year and newly purchased appelcare 3 year warranty. so if i see degradation ( and i will be testing the drive periodically) i will take it back to apple and complain. the best drives out there of the same capacity are $360.00 + shipping (OWC MercuryExteme). so coupled with the fact ill have to install it myself it seems the logical option for the HUGE increase in performance for the small increase in price is Apples SSD.
i did about 2 months research on SSD's and read every forum/thread i could. A few things came up; yes apple don't support TRIM, but OSX is different to windows and doesn't clutter/fill the drive in the same way. well not as fast anyway. there are maintenence apps out there that can help reduce it, also to reduce this avoid 'securely empty trash' and filling the drive to capacity. i plan on using the 128 SSD for OSX + apps, i have an external drive (Lacie Rikiki) for my files.
I Perosnally didn't want to instantly scrap my brand new 3 year warranty just to get 25-50% faster. Here is a thread that shows speeds & perforance (although the application used for testing isn't foolproof and 100% accurate. SSD Random read/write speeds
Apple came in at an average of 50-75% as fast as other drives in the random uncached read/write speeds. That may seem huge but here is a comparison (Xbench Disk Test result numbers):
- standard 7200rpm HDD 50
- apple SSD 275 (average)
- Corsair 350 (average)
the main area the highest performing drives (intel Gen2 & OWC Mercury Extreme) showed they were better was in the random uncached read/write speeds, with scores of 800-1000 where as apple got 400-500 (7200 rpm HDD got 37)
Conclusion:
so based on these scores and the performance and warranty i opted for Apple SSD, with a price tag of $290 - all the work is done by apple & i still have my 3 year warrant.
I'm a designer and this will be used for most of my work at home & when needed in the office as well as general home use. I used to fix PC computers and can tinker with Mac's when needed, but who wants to have to do that – that's what i pay apple for, especially with Laptops).
I Also want my 3 years warranty and support. I guarantee that if i have the slightest problem with drive degradation & slowing down ill take it back to apple and complain, there are also apps and guides on how to regularly perform maintenance on the drive.
Hope this helps the OP
Cheers
Bill
Let me just start by saying that you made a mistake here. I work at one of Apple retailers in Germany and here is what will happen when you complain:
1. Apple will only explain that SSD degradation is normal for MLC technology used in Apple (Samsung) SSD's. This technology is far from perfect, just like other similar technologies (exp. the less space you have on a traditional HDD, the slower it gets). This is just a limitation in technology Apple can't do anything about right now in order to fix it.
2. They won't replace your SSD because its slow... they'll replace it if its broken.
And you should have opted for OWC... they don't degrade over time and your warranty is not voided by installing a new drive. Actually, Apple shows how to install HDD and RAM yourself on their website. Changing these will not void 1yr warranty, or AppleCare for 3 years.
I myself have a Samsung SSD (the same one Apple uses) and performance is pretty good, but it degrades. In order to restore it you MUST open your MacBook Pro and use for example GParted Live CD and boot from it while your MacBook Pro is opened since you will have to hot-plug the SSD. If you had purchased the OWC SSD, you would not have had that problem.
2010 MBPs come with Toshiba HG2 which is a decent mainstream SSD. It's not bad but you can get a better one from aftermarket.
Review and benchmarks
Kingston SSDNow V+ 128GB vs OCZ Vertex 2 100GB (That Kingston uses the same Toshiba controller and NAND chips)
Review and benchmarks
Kingston SSDNow V+ 128GB vs OCZ Vertex 2 100GB (That Kingston uses the same Toshiba controller and NAND chips)
I think your post will crack more people up than mine.
You have no idea about the warranty and you have no idea about SSD's
You have no idea how bad the performance degradation gets on Toshiba and Samsung drives without TRIM.
Now if you cant even fit a HD then you certainly cant maintain your SSD performance.
Your also moaning about 70$? on a purchase of exactly how much total cost?
your apple ignorance makes mac users look bad.
Those performance numbers were used with TRIM and this is the issue with these drives.
Apple has no TRIM and your HD is going to be poo after a few months.
then you got hassle of secure erasing
Hope you are wrong. I've had my SSD for 3 months so far and it hasn't slowed down at all. Boot and app load times are still identical from when I installed it.
It's just fine if it's used as OS X & apps drive as that involves little to no writing. Unless you have some statistics to show that it's going to be poo after few months, your point is moot.
+1..
I'm about to order the 2.53 core i5 to substitute my 4 years old black macbook core duo. I'll opt for the SSD provided by Apple. Although it doesn't seem to be difficult, I don't feel comfortable enough to open up the machine of a virgin condition. Apple SSD will do just fine despite of the fact that it's not the best one in the market. With my educational discount, I'll pay $180 for the upgrade from HDD. So..why not!!
last time i checked, installing a HDD into a MBP didnt void the warranty.. 
degredation issues depend on the usage, most users wont get the alledged 50% degredation after x amount of time.
in saying that, the samsungs are not known for their great performance - its a middle player but still great compared to a hdd.
degredation issues depend on the usage, most users wont get the alledged 50% degredation after x amount of time.
in saying that, the samsungs are not known for their great performance - its a middle player but still great compared to a hdd.
last time i checked, installing a HDD into a MBP didnt void the warranty..
You should check your facts "installing third party parts will void your warranty." apple authorised repairer
That is absolutely incorrect. Chapter 3 of the macbook manual actually has the instructions on how to replace your hard drive. The only way you will void your warranty is if you damage your macbook during the process.
The manual states:
"Apple recommends that you have an Apple-certified technician install replacement drives and memory. Consult the service and support information that came with your computer for information about how to contact Apple for service. If you attempt to install a replacement drive or memory and you damage your equipment, such damage is not covered by the limited warranty on your computer."
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thanks very much googdot for that clarification. You are absolutely right and I suggest everybody takes note. That has always been the case. You can install whatever you want and provided that you do not damage anything along the way you will still be supported. This will vary slightly with the individual interpretations of store staff etc, but the rules are clear. Even installing esata modifications to the new imacs technically is fine.
billpaxton said:last time i checked, installing a HDD into a MBP didnt void the warranty..
You should check your facts "installing third party parts will void your warranty." apple authorised repairer
thanks very much googdot for that clarification. You are absolutely right and I suggest everybody takes note. That has always been the case. You can install whatever you want and provided that you do not damage anything along the way you will still be supported. This will vary slightly with the individual interpretations of store staff etc, but the rules are clear. Even installing esata modifications to the new imacs technically is fine.
Personally, I'd ignore all the negative comments from those who do not even have an Apple SSD, and who are so caught up in benchmark comparisons, they are totally unaware of actual performance with real usage.
I've got the 512GB Apple SSD (Toshiba) in my 15" MacBook Pro, and here's all you need to know:
- My Mac loads completely to the desktop in 15 seconds. That's from the Apple boot logo, to the desktop fully loaded with zero disk access and ready to use.
- All of my applications launch practically instantly, and big bloated apps launch with two icon bounces at most.
- Boot Camp with Windows 7 and all of my Windows applications are equally slick and fast. There are zero compatibility issues with Windows 7, and start-up is just as quick as it is while booting OS X.
- If you like benchmarks, know that the 512GB Apple (Toshiba) SSD in my MacBook Pro scored a 308 with Xbench while my previous 7200rpm Hitachi 500GB HHD scored an 80.
- I have filled up and formatted this SSD 3 times (for various reasons). Several months later, my MacBook Pro is setup and fully loaded the way I want it (with the Boot Camp partition) with only 105GB free, and none of the above has changed. In fact, as of this minute, the latest Xbench benchmark score is 305.
So are there faster SSDs out there? Yes - but as long as my Mac starts quickly, applications launch instantly and there is ZERO disk noise and no moving parts, why should I care? Is all this stress worth the 2 or 3 seconds gained?
Until SSDs become mainstream, cheaper and larger, I am okay with Apple's version which is covered under the warranty, plays well with OS X and Windows 7, and was several hundred dollars less than those 'faster' SSDs.
I've got the 512GB Apple SSD (Toshiba) in my 15" MacBook Pro, and here's all you need to know:
- My Mac loads completely to the desktop in 15 seconds. That's from the Apple boot logo, to the desktop fully loaded with zero disk access and ready to use.
- All of my applications launch practically instantly, and big bloated apps launch with two icon bounces at most.
- Boot Camp with Windows 7 and all of my Windows applications are equally slick and fast. There are zero compatibility issues with Windows 7, and start-up is just as quick as it is while booting OS X.
- If you like benchmarks, know that the 512GB Apple (Toshiba) SSD in my MacBook Pro scored a 308 with Xbench while my previous 7200rpm Hitachi 500GB HHD scored an 80.
- I have filled up and formatted this SSD 3 times (for various reasons). Several months later, my MacBook Pro is setup and fully loaded the way I want it (with the Boot Camp partition) with only 105GB free, and none of the above has changed. In fact, as of this minute, the latest Xbench benchmark score is 305.
So are there faster SSDs out there? Yes - but as long as my Mac starts quickly, applications launch instantly and there is ZERO disk noise and no moving parts, why should I care? Is all this stress worth the 2 or 3 seconds gained?
Until SSDs become mainstream, cheaper and larger, I am okay with Apple's version which is covered under the warranty, plays well with OS X and Windows 7, and was several hundred dollars less than those 'faster' SSDs.
+1
like this guy said fast speeds, well priced, relatively new technology, not wasting time & money on buying the best of the best and custom installing now when in 6 months to a year i will be able to get something much better if i even need it.
im not here to compare speeds and drool over 3 second improvement in boot times because in reality the fact im not waiting 5 minutes for my computer to boot and open adobe CS5 mastersuite is just amazing.
good luck with your decision.
bill
just quoting what my apple authorised service centre told me. i have the manual in front of me, nowhere does it state that that you can install 3rd party products without voiding warranty, it just says you can upgrade the hard rive yourself.
so its your word against theres.
I work at one of the Apple authorized service providers in Germany as a technician. Installing RAM or HDD by yourself will not void your warranty.
IF you can get the parts, you can change everything by yourself and it will not void the warranty. The thing is, we can't see if you replaced for example the logic board by yourself or if Apple did it. There are no indicators inside the MBP to notice it. What Apple can se however, is which parts were ordered as replacement parts. Apple does say that it will void your warranty, if you change the parts yourself and damage your MBP along the way, but if all works fine, you have nothing to worry about.
Summa summarum: Changing HDD or RAM will not void your warranty, unless you damage something.
Incorrect. Apple even provides instructions how to do it. However, the new part is obviously not covered by AppleCare but most SSDs and HDs come with 3-5 year warranty which is better than what Apple offers
From the manual: