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Is that 768GB SSD a good deal from Apple for a first rMBP Configuration?
- Thread starter Starfyre
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768GB. Where are you going to find a 768GB SSD aftermarket? These are proprietary parts and the ones OWC makes don't even go past 480GB.
For non-upgradeable machines like the Retina, I always buy the highest end configuration with everything maxed out because I plan on getting at least 4-5 years of use out of them. I blew over $3K on my 17" MBP computer and aftermarket upgrades and I'm sitting here over 2 years later still satisfied with it.
For non-upgradeable machines like the Retina, I always buy the highest end configuration with everything maxed out because I plan on getting at least 4-5 years of use out of them. I blew over $3K on my 17" MBP computer and aftermarket upgrades and I'm sitting here over 2 years later still satisfied with it.
Prices are not going down in that (750GB-1TB) range anytime soon. Unlike years past where the prudent would buy a laptop with the basic RAM and Hard drive and then upgrade (often without turning the machine on), it is currently prudent to buy the capacity now, if you want that much hard drive storage.
Based on your current usage, when do you expect "later" to come?
If "later" is well within your typical upgrade cycle, then get 768GB now.
If "later" is outside your typical upgrade cycle, then you may be better off get 512GB now and "upgrading" when you get a new machine.
If "later" is well within your typical upgrade cycle, then get 768GB now.
If "later" is outside your typical upgrade cycle, then you may be better off get 512GB now and "upgrading" when you get a new machine.
Getting aftermarket parts for these Retinas wont be easy due to their price, limited market and the very unusual form factor of their components. The SSD for example doesn't use mSATA and it doesn't use the standard mSATA stick form factor.
Thus the aftermarket disks for it are not plentiful. We cannot enjoy the huge range of parts we used to because PC's aren't able to use these parts right now, if ever.
So my advice would be if you see yourself at any time using a lot of local storage, near or more than 512GB then upgrade now at the start.
Thus the aftermarket disks for it are not plentiful. We cannot enjoy the huge range of parts we used to because PC's aren't able to use these parts right now, if ever.
So my advice would be if you see yourself at any time using a lot of local storage, near or more than 512GB then upgrade now at the start.
The 768GB SSD wasn't a good deal when it was released last year. It's worse now. I believe the 1TB SSD on the iMac is less expensive. I think that's the SSD we'll see on the Haswell updated rMBP's later this month. If you have to buy now I'd get the 512GB SSD and upgrade to a larger SSD if you need to later.
A good deal is subjective, probably nothing Apple is a good deal. I don't understand your math, currently the 768 is a $400 option over the 512. For reference, you can't seem to buy a mSATA SSD in that capacity, but currently 512GB mSATAs are $500. 750GB in the more standard 2.5 size Samsung 840 is $500. Dunno what premium the custom rMBP form adds (OWC adds $100 for the Air version), but $400 is already less than $500.
So if you need that kind of memory, buying it BTO is the most prudent .
You won't see ~750GB in the rMPB custom mSATA form for years, unless its OEM pulls and those rarely available and when they are they fetch near $1000.
Waiting for haswell is perhaps a different poll, and speculative.
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If one waits a month at the most (hopefully
) IMO the Haswell rMBP's will have the PCIe 1TB SSD that is in the iMac as a BTO option.In the iMac it costs $500 to go from 512GB to 1TB = ~$1/GB for the added storage.
In the rMBP it costs $400 to go from 512GB to 768GB = ~$1.50/GB for the added storage.
I think this math is correct...
And the PCIe SSD is faster.
AFAIK, all Apple-supplied SSD-s carry Apple's own model name (APPLE SSD SD512E for SanDisk drive), thus TRIM is enabled for all of them.
Is it worth the money? I honestly would get a thunderbolt external hard drive. You don't need to store everything on your internal bay. There are flash drives cheaper by the gig than a 768GB SSD. Throwing all that extra money when you could drop yourself a new laptop the next year for the price difference in selling your laptop is ridiculous.
When you replace the 500 later with the 768, what will you do with the old SSD? I understand the need to upgrade for something bigger at a lower cost, but won't you end up paying more as you've already paid for the larger SSD? It's one thing if your system came with 128GB, but you've already paid for something bigger.
You can get in Ebay a Samsung 768GB SSD pulled from a new rMBP for $730, so an option is to buy the smaller SSD from Apple and later do the upgrade yourself (very easy swap)
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You can buy an external case and use it home or on the road, or sell ir online and get some money back, the 512GB Samsung SSD from a rMBP are being sold in Ebay for as low as $480 (Sandisk brand) or $550 (Samsung brand, said to be better). The only issue with selling is that if you need to claim warranty, having a different SSD on the machine versus the one installed or upgraded by them would void the warranty.
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You can buy an external case and use it home or on the road, or sell ir online and get some money back, the 512GB Samsung SSD from a rMBP are being sold in Ebay for as low as $480 (Sandisk brand) or $550 (Samsung brand, said to be better). The only issue with selling is that if you need to claim warranty, having a different SSD on the machine versus the one installed or upgraded by them would void the warranty.
Thats my point, if you will "need" 768GB internal storage at some point, the OP will pay Apple $400 more now, or pay someone third party $730 later while needing to dismantle the rMPB, and perhaps void warranty and take a chance on getting $450 back on ebay...... $400 out of pocket for new SSD is a lot less money than $730 for used SSD with who knows how much life left.
Or if the OP starts with the low end rMBP with 256GB, you can pay $700 now or $730 later. $700 is still less than $730. And you can't give rMBP 256GB SSDs away.
Later SSDs for the rMBP will likely be used pulled drives with unknown life left. We will probably never see prices on new/used rMBP SSDs going down until the current rMPB are several generations behind... and folks are throwing them away.
Who knows what the memory options and pricing the next generation will have. You may have better options than the current proprietary stuff.
Unlike the $100 OWC case for the air SSD, there are no third party cases for the current rMBP SSD disk. Don't count on it later, although someone may be clever enough to build one at some point of time.
Yes there are several alternatives to supplement internal storage, but thats not what the OP is asking. Personally I need to carry at least 600GB of internal storage around plus maybe a 128GB SD micro card instead of lugging a bunch of external boxes... but that's just me.
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Personally, I'd choose 512 because 256 extra isn't THAT much for the price. 1TB would be a different case!
