MCE Optibay Alternative CHEAP

[MacModMachine]

*** work in progress ***

This is the future home of the optibay thorough guide.

First of, your here to add a second SSD/HDD to your notebook computer.

This article will cover your many issues / install problems / choices to me made.

1.1 - What laptop have
1.2 - What options do i have
1.3 - Installation and Setup
1.4 - RAID Arrays & Possible Issues
1.5 - Bootcamp !






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** 1.1 - What type of optical bay connector do i have ? **
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There are 2 types of optical bay connectors you can have in the macbook/macbook pro.

NON Unibody Macbook pro's have OBHD connectors
Unibody MacBooks , Macbook Pro's ALL have mini SATA or optical SATA connectors.
Non unibody MacBooks , Most have OBHD connectors , but 2009 models all seem to have Mini SATA / Optical SATA

These are your 2 connectors.

OBHD



Mini SATA or Optical SATA

The Unibody users can purchase there adapter from this company
http://www.ayagroup.com/product.php?productid=17773&cat=0&page=1 (Ayagroup) <----- Requires modification
"http://newmodeus.com/shop/index.php?...roducts_id=220" (Newmodeus) (Thanks BugOut!!) <---- Highly recommended
The old Optical Drive can be fitted into this (without using a bezel)
http://www.ayagroup.com/product.php?productid=17499&cat=0&page=1 (Ayagroup) (Thanks BugOut!!) <------- These no longer work.
Non-Unibody Users can purchase this adapter
""

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** 1.1 - What options do i have ? **
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The optibay in the macbook and macbook Pro opens doors for lots of customization such as

SSD + SSD
HDD + HDD
SSD + HDD

RAID 0 (Stripe for speed)
RAID 1 (Mirror for redundancy)

Can my notebook support 12.5MM Drives?

NON Unibody Macbook : 9.5MM Only
NON Unibody Macbook pro 15" : 9.5MM Only
NON Unibody Macbook pro 17" : 9.5MM + 12.5MM
Unibody Macbook : NO DATA (Believe only 9.5MM)
Unibody Macbook pro 13" : 9.5MM + 12.MM
Unibody Macbook pro 15" : 9.5MM + 12.MM
Unibody Macbook pro 17" : 9.5MM + 12.MM


hey, here is some pictures on a optibay alternative,

PART # : SLSATAM20 From Startech.com $9.99 CAD

pictures pretty much describe the process.

 

[MacModMachine]

rest of pics

more of the pictures

 

[MacModMachine]

even more

last pic post promise

so here it goes...

take a sata to molex connector, cut it off, using startech part slsatam20 cut the molex off it, match colors , black doesent matter. match black to black.

simply plug it into the hdd or ssd you want to add into the optical bay.

wedge in the wires

and voila...optibay...less than 15$

 

[Eddyisgreat]

Very cool. tempted to try this out myself.

 

[RKpro]

Interesting, and that mess of excess cables fills in the empty space, so the drive doesn't bounce around inside.

 

[JtheLemur]

Unless you have the skills & time to maintain a homebrew install like that…

You'll be sorry.

 

[Eddyisgreat]

Unless you have the skills & time to maintain a homebrew install like that…

You'll be sorry.

How do you figure? The hardest part would be splicing in the SATA power and maintaining the connection with the original pcb.

Something like this could be used if the cable bent well enough without screwing with the shielding, but I don't know if there is enough clearance available in the unibody MBPs and the classic mbps have the extremely thin cables.

 

[MacModMachine]

it actually takes little work to do...no work to keep it going.

its all sandwiched in there.

heat is also not an issue. i have a 500gb and a 120gb ssd, ssd moved to original hd spot and 500gb now in optical bay

works amazing.

 

[acurafan]

awesome work, thinking out the box!

 

[RKpro]

it actually takes little work to do...no work to keep it going.

its all sandwiched in there.

heat is also not an issue. i have a 500gb and a 120gb ssd, ssd moved to original hd spot and 500gb now in optical bay

works amazing.

Just a suggestion... With your configuration, wouldn't it be better it to have 500GB worth of spinning platters in the hard drive bay? and the SSD in the optical drive bay? Because HDs are very sensitive to vibration, the the hard drive bay would protect it much better than being taped into the optical bay.

 

[Abstract]

Unless you have the skills & time to maintain a homebrew install like that…

You'll be sorry.

This solution sounds even better than the Optibay because the drive seems more secure due to the excess cabling, which helps keep the drive in place.


Some people will always be against home-made solutions if the retail solution is prettier. It doesn't need to be better, as long as it's more organised.

 

[MacModMachine]

Just a suggestion... With your configuration, wouldn't it be better it to have 500GB worth of spinning platters in the hard drive bay? and the SSD in the optical drive bay? Because HDs are very sensitive to vibration, the the hard drive bay would protect it much better than being taped into the optical bay.

hey,

the 500gb you would normally want in the hdd bay...but it is not my boot drive thus must be in the optibay,

the mac wont boot from the optibay "automatically"...unless there is somthing i am doing wrong.

maybe someone can help me with this solution

 

[koobcamuk]

I don't suppose you would make me one of those cables for a fee?

Thanks

 

[MacModMachine]

I don't suppose you would make me one of those cables for a fee?

Thanks

$25 cad, just to cover costs, and whatever shipping is wherever you are.

 

[ftored]

Nice setup you got there mate.

Weird though that you can't use the ssd in the dvd position. One would though it would be bootable as normal, beause the dvd drive is..

+1 for the innovation doing this

 

[mrrippey]

very slick +1, you still taking offers to build for people

 

[MacModMachine]

very slick +1, you still taking offers to build for people

there very very simple to build, but i can build you one.

they rock, so much better than the optibay in my opinion, i can modify they to be small with less cable or with longer cable, you can have better placement in the notebook for ventilation control.

i am now working on using the old optical bay slot for removing hot air with the second drive still installed....you know...like a controllable blower for it for those hot days

 

[bugout]

meh..

I just bought this instead:
http://newmodeus.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=220

just pop the black plastic off and it fit perfectly in my 17" UMPB with a 500GB HD.

I got this external case for the superdrive:
http://www.ayagroup.com/product.php?productid=17499&cat=0&page=1

and this bezel for the front of it:
http://mac.macrecycling.com/slot-loading-optical-drive-bezel-panasonicmatshita-p-100903.html

Total cost: $68
Total cost from MCE optibay people: $192.25

 

[MacModMachine]

meh..

I just bought this instead:
http://newmodeus.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=220

just pop the black plastic off and it fit perfectly in my 17" UMPB with a 500GB HD.

I got this external case for the superdrive:
http://www.ayagroup.com/product.php?productid=17499&cat=0&page=1

and this bezel for the front of it:
http://mac.macrecycling.com/slot-loading-optical-drive-bezel-panasonicmatshita-p-100903.html

Total cost: $68
Total cost from MCE optibay people: $192.25

extra weight and money for nothing

 

[mrrippey]

the items to reuse the superdrive is pretty cool (last two items) and better than the optibay (if you are alittle handy with things)

 

[bugout]

extra weight and money for nothing

For nothing? I'm not so sure about that..

For $10 you can have your hard drive held in with loose wires and electrical tape like this:

or for $30 more and no extra weight it can be held in like this:

Call me crazy, but on my nearly $4k laptop I'll take option 2.

 

[Eddyisgreat]

Oh come on MacModMachine. Both solutions are functional but its hard to say that the price of the components and the overall look in bugout's solution is anything but muy sexy

 

[MacModMachine]

For nothing? I'm not so sure about that..

For $10 you can have your hard drive held in with loose wires and electrical tape like this:

or for $30 more and no extra weight it can be held in like this:

Call me crazy, but on my nearly $4k laptop I'll take option 2.

well i have lots of money....so i dont really care, i care about out of the box solutions and doing stuff myself.

 

[Warranty Voider]

I've been thinking about doing this for a while now. I'm probably going DIY it, but if I find a good deal on an Optibay I'll do that instead. And I do agree with bugout. I would rather have a nice clean look, than have a pile of wires laying around held in with electrical tape.

 

[bushman1]

I believe by can change the start up drive in osx but I am not sure. You would rely want the hdd where it is soposed to be. Can you post liknks for the cable you bought?