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I understand which SSD I need to buy, but why is it so much more expensive?

E

emacna1

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 31, 2012
126
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emacna1 said:
I have a Mid 2010 MBP so I understand the Intel 320 series is best for me (SATA 3GB/s).

Amazon lists it at $199.99 for the 120GB SSD.

If I had a newer MBP, I could get a SATA 6GB/s SSD, 128GB for $109.99.

Am I looking in the wrong place or what? I appreciate any help.
Click to expand...

You don't HAVE to get a SATA II SSD, SATA III would work fine, it would only work at SATA II speeds though. Get a Crucial M4, i've never had any problems with mine on my macbook 2006 core 2 duo. Amazing the difference in speed.
 
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Flunkyturtle said:
You don't HAVE to get a SATA II SSD, SATA III would work fine, it would only work at SATA II speeds though. Get a Crucial M4, i've never had any problems with mine on my macbook 2006 core 2 duo. Amazing the difference in speed.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the quick reply and very helpful information. I wasn't aware I could use a SATA III. Did you follow some sort of guide when installing yours that you could link me to?

Do you have any idea why the SATA IIs are more expensive? Is it just because it is Intel?
 
Yup, you dont need a SATA II SSD. You can get a SATA III but it will only work at SATA II speeds (like previously stated.) I also recommend the Crucial M4; its cheap and its doesnt skimp on speed. Samsung is a good company though, but I've never used a SSD from them so I cant recommend them.

emacna1 said:
Thanks for the quick reply and very helpful information. I wasn't aware I could use a SATA III. Did you follow some sort of guide when installing yours that you could link me to?

Do you have any idea why the SATA IIs are more expensive? Is it just because it is Intel?
Click to expand...

I think Intel and Samsung drives are just more expensive because of their name. People will buy it becuase its made from them; they have a good reputation (not saying crucial doesnt.)

Its really a straight forward installation. All you have to do is: unscrew the bottom of the MacBook; take of the plastic piece that keeps the HDD in place; disconnect teh SATA cable; unscrew the torx bits from the side of the old hdd; install them into the SSD, and put the SSD where the old HDD was.

http://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/how_install_ssd_unibody_macbook_pro
 
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emacna1 said:
Thanks for the quick reply and very helpful information. I wasn't aware I could use a SATA III. Did you follow some sort of guide when installing yours that you could link me to?

Do you have any idea why the SATA IIs are more expensive? Is it just because it is Intel?
Click to expand...


Which model macbook have you got? Check iFixit for hard drive replacement guides.

As long as you haven't go the Unibody version its mega easy to replace :)
 
Why does a Cadillac cost more than a Kia? The Kia is the right buy for some, while the Cadillac is the right buy for others. It's up to you to decide what you want.
 
Flunkyturtle said:
Which model macbook have you got? Check iFixit for hard drive replacement guides.

As long as you haven't go the Unibody version its mega easy to replace :)
Click to expand...

I have the Mid-2010 13" MacBook Pro and I'm running Lion. If anyone could provide me with a good guide I'd really appreciate it. I don't know much about backing up my data or system and how I would get it running again and all that.
 
emacna1 said:
I have the Mid-2010 13" MacBook Pro and I'm running Lion. If anyone could provide me with a good guide I'd really appreciate it. I don't know much about backing up my data or system and how I would get it running again and all that.
Click to expand...

Does it have a removable battery? do you have the installation discs.

if your harddrive still works get an external drive enclosure, put the SSD in the enclosure, boot the macbook up and use a program to clone your HDD onto the SSD. then replace the HDD with SSD inside your Mac.
 
Flunkyturtle said:
Does it have a removable battery? do you have the installation discs.

if your harddrive still works get an external drive enclosure, put the SSD in the enclosure, boot the macbook up and use a program to clone your HDD onto the SSD. then replace the HDD with SSD inside your Mac.
Click to expand...

I installed Lion via the Mac Store.

Do you have suggestions for (1) external drive enclouser and (2) program to clone HDD onto SSD?
 
At some point, newer drives are less expensive because they need less silicon for the same capacity.
 
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