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Optical bay adapter

K

krombie19

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 28, 2011
9
0
I have a late 2011 MBP 15". I just bought a crucial m4 ssd and want to install it the optical bay. How do I tell what size caddy I will need?

Thanks
 
Do they all allow for a SATA III connection, or do only certain ones provide that?
 
krombie19 said:
I have a late 2011 MBP 15". I just bought a crucial m4 ssd and want to install it the optical bay. How do I tell what size caddy I will need?

Thanks
Click to expand...

There are known reported issues with a SATA III SSD working in the optibay. Your best bet would be to place the SSD in the HDD spot and the HDD in the ODD spot. Do a quick search here on MR or Google it for more detailed info. Would provide the link for you myself but I'm late for an appointment.

Check out the OWC Data Doubler. It's a bit more expensive but works straight out the box. The price has come down recently and may head south even further. There are cheaper caddies to be found on eBay but I've read they all don't fit perfectly and or require some type of adjustments to fit properly.

Here's a link that might help you out.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1104245/
 
Last edited:
user418 said:
There are known reported issues with a SATA III SSD working in the optibay. Your best bet would be to place the SSD in the HDD spot and the HDD in the ODD spot.
Click to expand...

There are disadvantages with the drives in that configuration also. If the HDD is in the ODD spot then it is not able to use the sudden motion sensor to park the heads in the event of sudden movement.
 
brand said:
There are disadvantages with the drives in that configuration also. If the HDD is in the ODD spot then it is not able to use the sudden motion sensor to park the heads in the event of sudden movement.
Click to expand...

That's a true statement also. However, the majority of users/posts here on MR regarding using dual drives lean towards the SSD in the HDD slot and the HDD in the ODD slot. That configuration has presented the fewest obstacles and seems to work quite well for most.
 
SSD in ODD, HDD in orignal Spot

So let me pose this question, would the SSD in the ODD spot with the HDD in the orignal spot lend me any gains in computer speed? I plan on buying a large HDD (>=3 TB) with motion sensor installed on it, then move the drives to their optimal configuration.

Would I see any gains from the SSD in the optical spot until I buy the massive HDD?
 
Why not just get an external. Why ruin a perfectly good mac book pro.
 
I do a lot of traveling with MBP and run massive spreadsheets and databases so I would the enjoy the advanced speeds.
 
krombie19 said:
I have a late 2011 MBP 15". I just bought a crucial m4 ssd and want to install it the optical bay. How do I tell what size caddy I will need?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Here's all you need to know:
http://blog.macsales.com/11895-2011-macbook-pro-sata-problems-resolved

Basically the 15" and 17" 2011 MBP cannot do SATA III in the optical bay.

Also, OWC has an amazing Drive Doubler, best optical bay adapter:
http://eshop.macsales.com/Search/Se..._Popularity|1&Ne=5000&N=7854&Ntt=data+doubler
 
Ok, so you convinced me, SSD in the main bay. So how do I fit the SSD in the main bay, do I need an adapter?
 
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