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Best SSD plus HDD option for 2010 13" Macbook Pro

bender o

bender o

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 14, 2009
314
0
I'm looking to swap my dvd super drive for my 500gb HDD and add a 60Gb SSD to use for my apps, Lion and Win7 with parallels.

I've seen many posts of which ssd can be better, intel vs crucial M4, but since I'll be needing the bay to put in the superdrive I was thinking of going with OWC that has a pack that seems to be cheaper.

The bay itself it's $75 http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/DDAMBS0GB/

The bay plus 60GB OWC Mercury EXTREME Pro 3G SSD is $168 http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/DDMBSSD060/

The bay plus 60GB OWC Mercury Electra 6G SSD is $180 http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/DDMBS6E060/

The bay plus Crucial M4 6Gbps $180 http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.aspx?IMODULE=CT064M4SSD2

Do I need the 6Gb/s interface? I checked my mac info and it says it has only 3Gb/s, if not where can I find a good 3Gbps?

I have around $200 for the SSD plus bay and I'm really lost.

Thanks

Ps: I also read that it wasn't good to store files and music on the SSD because it could break earlier but it was a rather old article, is that true now also? I have around 40Gb of music and documents that I use daily that I could store in the SSD (maybe one a little bigger) and my movies on the HDD or should I push everything to the HDD and leave only the apps an OS on the SSD?

Thanks again
 
Really don't pay for this overpriced bay of OWC. It is a total ripoff.
Get one from ebay and an SSD from wherever.
As for Music and stuff.
a) no matter what you should backup all the data on it but that isn't that hard as it is only 60 or 128GB drive.
b) Most SSD are about as likely as HDDs to fail I think. Some less likely. Usually it is the controller or logic board stuff that dies for no apparent reason. Data is in no more danger than on an average HDD but that still means about a 3-5% Chance of failure. Maybe more you never know. Some products last very good others like to commit suicide you won't know until a while after it failed you because it takes a while until you have any sort of reliably statistic.
c) You cannot store all the data on the SSD because there probably isn't enough space. If there is enough space go ahead. I like to shut my hdd of to work in silence and for this I need all I can on the SSD. Just be smart about it. Fit what does fit and you need frequently and put on the HDD everything else.
 
kny3twalker said:
Optical Bay Caddy $24
http://www.ebay.com/itm/280707167107?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
Intel 320 120GB $180
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-SSD-S...775?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae29b2417
Crucial M4 128GB $180
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._Technology_CT128M4SSD2_128GB_m4_SSD_2_5.html

So $204 total and twice the SSD.

Just pick one. But if your MBP supports SATA III, go with the Crucial M4.

Store your data on the HDD. Install OS and applications on the SSD.
Click to expand...

I'd certainly go for the Crucial M4 if the price is the same.
Sata III problems are over since the recent EFI 2.2 firmware update and the M4 is since the FW0009 update the fastest one available...

http://tweakers.net/reviews/2284/crucial-m4-koning-onder-de-ssds.html
(sorry, it's in dutch, it says 'king of SSD's', but you'll certainly be able to figure that out looking at the graphs)
 
dusk007 said:
Really don't pay for this overpriced bay of OWC. It is a total ripoff.
Get one from ebay and an SSD from wherever.
As for Music and stuff.
a) no matter what you should backup all the data on it but that isn't that hard as it is only 60 or 128GB drive.
b) Most SSD are about as likely as HDDs to fail I think. Some less likely. Usually it is the controller or logic board stuff that dies for no apparent reason. Data is in no more danger than on an average HDD but that still means about a 3-5% Chance of failure. Maybe more you never know. Some products last very good others like to commit suicide you won't know until a while after it failed you because it takes a while until you have any sort of reliably statistic.
c) You cannot store all the data on the SSD because there probably isn't enough space. If there is enough space go ahead. I like to shut my hdd of to work in silence and for this I need all I can on the SSD. Just be smart about it. Fit what does fit and you need frequently and put on the HDD everything else.
Click to expand...

I wasn't thinking on risk of loosing the data on hdd vs ssd but on the speed I would get from reading word excel and powerpoint presentations and listening to music on iTunes with the music files stored on the ssd instead of the hdd.

My ideal configuration would be, store everything on the ssd but the movies I have that I could push to the hdd, but I read that apps that write too often on the ssd end up slowing it down and killing it faster (I take notes for my classes in word everyday for about 3 hours a day)

I'll check the on eBay for better prices on the bays
 
bender o said:
I wasn't thinking on risk of loosing the data on hdd vs ssd but on the speed I would get from reading word excel and powerpoint presentations and listening to music on iTunes with the music files stored on the ssd instead of the hdd.

My ideal configuration would be, store everything on the ssd but the movies I have that I could push to the hdd, but I read that apps that write too often on the ssd end up slowing it down and killing it faster (I take notes for my classes in word everyday for about 3 hours a day)

I'll check the on eBay for better prices on the bays
Click to expand...
I don't think excel files and music will really benefit from the SSD speed.... They're generally very small, even using FLAC (or apple lossless) I have no problem accessing music instantly on a HDD.

An SSD probably isn't necessary for that kind of work, although it will make the experience more enjoyable for booting applications. Music and excel files though? You won't see a difference.
 
The nimitz caddy is great. I just installed it in mine two days ago. The drive is very secure in that caddy (4 different screws attach it to the caddy) and then it also fits really well into the optical bay with the same screws (3 or 4, cant remember) that apple uses for the optical drive. I got mine from the link in the first reply. He also sells an optical drive enclosure for ~$25 which i purchased and im very happy with. Fits perfect and is very secure (includes 2 screws to keep everything in place and together).

As for storage I have a 128 GB crucial M4 and store EVERYTHING but my movies on it. Those go on the optibay drive. The reason being is that I listen to music quite often so I'd rather only have my SSD turned on and my HDD unmounted and not using battery/making noise. I'm not too worried about too many writes to the drive as I found a thread detailing the amount of writing that needs to be done to an SSD to damage it and it was astronomical. Could vary from drive to drive, but it made me feel better.

This is the thread: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?271063-SSD-Write-Endurance-25nm-Vs-34nm

The last page has people checking back in after a LOT of data has been written to the WHOLE SSD and it showing only a 1% drop in health.
 
bender o said:
Looks awesome, could I ask you to let me know how the screws fit with that one please :) Thanks
Click to expand...

Just got it today, fits great. There is a little metal tab piece you need to remove from your optical drive and transfer it over to the Nimitz caddy. The place where I purchased the Nimitz caddy (ayagroup) brought (2) screws to reattach the little tab removed from the optical drive over to the Nimitz caddy. The (2) screws you remove from the optical drive are the same as those included with the kit. After review, The ones that came included with the Nimitz caddy are slighter longer. Figuring how they were included I decided to use them and save my apple ones. For reference they are the (2) little black screws. Other than that I recommend threading them (just screw them in) into the Nimitz caddy before transferring over the little tab your remove from the optical drive. Reason being, the pre drilled holes on the Nimitz caddy are ever so slighter smaller. This really is not big deal just present the screw in the pre drilled holes and use your screw driver to screw them in. Very very very little resistance needs to be made to thread the hole literally a hair larger. Since the Nimitz caddy is made out of a very pliable aluminum it is done very easy. Over all I am very happy and it works as intended and a fraction of other competitors caddys. The hard drive fits very securely and I feel comfortable to have it in the caddy. I went with a 750GB Western Digital Black Scorpio. While I was at it I also added 8GB Corsair RAM purchased off amazon for $44.00. Here are some pics of the Nimitz caddy and RAM installed.

IMG_3942.jpg

IMG_3936.jpg
 
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