On cheap Optibays and adopting early.
What you say makes perfect sense. Wouldn't want to buy a ferrari and then use it with a gearbox stuck in 2nd gear.
Can anyone recommend a comprehensive test to find out if the smk312 optibay is indeed 3GBps or 1.5 Gbps?
Yeah, it makes sense, but who cares?
Unless you're putting in a 6 Gbps SSD, would you really call your 3 Gbps SSD a "Ferrari" model or maybe just a cheap Porsche?
I think the "early-adopter" tax of putting in a 3 Gbps SSD when the 6 Gbps models are around the corner is greater than the nominal performance hit of the 1.5 Gbps controller on a 3 Gbps-capable SSD, especially considering none of these (correct me if I'm wrong) SSD's we're putting in take full advantage of 3 Gbps controllers--they all peak at like 250 MBps, max. That's 50 Mbps you're NOT using getting out of your 3 Gbps controller. Right?
Maybe I'm just saying that because I jumped the gun and ordered one of the 1.5 Gbps eBay Optibay models (whoops!) without doing enough research
. I'm having MicroCenter install the Kingston V100+ that Costco shipped me instead of the failure-prone V100 this weekend. Sure, I'm going to take a little hit with this 1.5 Gbps bottleneck, of what--30 Mbps max?? It's still going to be an improvement over the slow 5400 RPM stock HD that my 2011 15" MBP shipped with, to the tune of what, at least 3-7x, right? Not to mention the increased reliability.
In a few months the 6 Gbps SSD's will come down and price and I'll just swap my cheap eBay Optibay and Kingston V100+ out for the OWC data doubler and a 6 Gbps SSD, and put this kit in my wife's Penryn MBP instead.
I'm not a gamer, I'm a power user just like most of the rest of you on this thread; 80 Mbps isn't going to ruin the upgrade for me or hardly anyone else.
I'm going to call MCE here shortly and find out what speed the original Optibay is, for the record. BTW, aren't we all overlooking that MCE's solution come with the external Superdrive enclosure for $99? Seems to me like they're still a contender. I'm surprised you all have dismissed them so quickly.
I just can't wait to have this 5400 RPM POS out and my new Seagate Momentus 7200 RPM 750 GB drive in its place. By the way, I'm putting the Segate into the current HD slot for sound dampening and SMS as
the 750 GB model DOES NOT have Seagate's G-Force sudden motion sensor (only some 250GB and 500 GB models do).
Note: my Kingston V100 from Costco failed within two weeks. I returned it and reordered with the new $90 discount and they shipped me a V100+ instead!
BTW, DO NOT USE THE V100. It has a high failure rate.
If you haven't ordered the eBay or Amazon model yet, then go for the OWC Data Doubler and be ready for the 6 Gbps SSD's down-the-road. That's what I say. As usual, OWC knows what the deal is.
Edit: MCE told me their kit peaks at 3 Gbps. Newmodeus just told me on their Facebook wall that their kit is "pass-through" so it'll hit 6 Gbps if you've got it. OWC's website says it will get 6 Gbps. Sounds like OWC or Newmodeus *is* a better product. Whatever, I'll hold my ground...maybe.
