Connect HDD w/out enclosure to USB, or teardown one to use w/ MacBook.

[DavidChavez]

I've been looking for a new HDD for my MacBook. Mine is 2 years old and... 80 GB. I know it's kinda lame, but anyway.
The thing is that I want to upgrade my HDD soon (any advice?) but I don't have another one to backup my data, install the new HDD and then get back all the data.
I was looking some options to connect a HDD to USB, but mostly I have to use a some kind of dock, which I think is a little bit awkward.
But if there is no kind of cable, instead of a dock, I was thinking about buy an HDD with enclosure, but then disassembly it and put it to the MacBook. Later put my old Toshiba 80 GB HDD on the enclosure.
I saw on iFixit but I couldn't find anything, is that possible?

 

[spinnerlys]

USB enclosures for 2.5" HDDs cost around 10€, so that should be a cheap road, shouldn't it?

 

[DavidChavez]

USB enclosures for 2.5" HDDs cost around 10€, so that should be a cheap road, shouldn't it?

Well, I didn't know about that enclosures. They're relatively cheap, I've been looking some ones.

http://www.amazon.com/Adaptec-Enclosure-converts-internal-2188700/dp/B0009ZHF54

 

[spinnerlys]

That one will NOT work, as it is for P-ATA (IDE) HDDs. I have several, no-brand, enclosures for 2.5" and 3.5" HDDs (P-ATA and S-ATA) and they all work okay. Just make sure, that yours is S-ATA compatible.

 

[DavidChavez]

SDD compatibility

And all these SATA-compatible enclosures will also work with Solid State Drives?

 

[spinnerlys]

And all these SATA-compatible enclosures will also work with Solid State Drives?

Yes, as SSDs use S-ATA as a connector.