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Hard Drive Height in Early '09 17" MBP?

Pitch

Pitch

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 9, 2011
336
1,318
Hey everyone,
first post, looking forward to reading more here, hoping I didn't miss this question in a search I did. So, I have an early 2009 17" Macbook Pro (unibody, non removable battery) that currently has a 320GB 7200 RPM HD that's close to full. I'm looking to replace this with a 1TB HD, ideally 7200 RPM, but if that's not possible a 1TB 5400 RPM. The only 1 TB 7200 RPM 2.5" HD I see is 14.8mm in height - is there any chance this will fit? If not, will a 12.5mm HD fit and, if so, do you think it'll be a significant drop in performance from the current 7200 RPM drive? I do a lot of heavy image and video editing, as well as work in CAD.
Thanks a lot for any responses,
Pitch
 
the 7200 will definitely not fit, and IIRC, the non-unibody MBPs will not take drives taller than 9.5mm. However, this may be different for the 17". Worst case, you should be able to find a 750GB drive, and I believe Seagate and maybe WD make a 7200 RPM version.
 
Thanks. It is a unibody, though. Do you know if there's any documentation on max drive height? The manual says 2.5" (platter), but nothing on height.
 
That makes it easier then, all the unibody models will hold up to a 12.5mm height drive. The 14.8mm drive won't fit, so you would be limited to 5400 RPM. It would be a bit slower performance, but due to the higher data density, not as slow as a smaller 5400 RPM drive would be.
 
Thanks, I ended up going with a 750 GB 7200RPM HDD since I figure it'll be plenty of space, plus I won't lose any speed. Quick question, do you know how to find the manufacturer/model of the memory without taking the computer apart? I'm hoping to sell my memory & HDD after I install the new ones (also upgrading from 4-8 GB memory) and, I figured out what hard drive I have from the model, but from the "0x80CE" model of the memory I can't figure out what it is.
 
More than likely it will be one of a few possible brands. Don't quote me but I think Apple has used Samsung in the past.

As far as selling the 320GB, you would be lucky to get 15 dollars for it, so it may be worth using it as a spare. Practically no market exists for used laptop HDDs as the cost of a new 320GB drive can be as low as $25.
 
Hmm... on eBay it looks like refurbished ones are going for around $50-$55. I'd be happy with that, recouping half the cost of the new hard drive. I'd use it as a spare, but between my flash drive and the couple spares I have, it's not necessary. Think there's a better market for the memory?
 
I'm not sure memory wise. I usually donate my older laptops to a charity which gives them to lower income persons needing them for education. I always keep the hard drive as a safety precaution and also because they are usually replaced when a computer changes hands.

I do not know if your HDD will bring in the price of a refurb or not; worth a try tho if you aren't worry about the info on it.
 
Thanks. What charity do you donate to? I have components from computers I bought a few years ago, which I figure aren't worth selling due to their age, so I was just gonna recycle them, but donating them would be nice.
 
Thanks again. I let them know they can have all the components from my old Sony laptop. It doesn't work, but any use they can get out of the components is better than them just sitting around the house.
 
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