Purchasing a Macbook Air with the right SSD

[blurr]

Hey everyone,

I don't post too often, and I didn't really see what I was looking for specifically when searching, so I decided to make a thread.

I'm looking to buy one of the newly released 2014 MacBook Airs. I've been reading a lot about how the performance of their SSDs are directly correlated to one of three possible SSD manufacturers you can get. (Samsung, Toshiba and SanDisk)

From what I'm hearing, Samsung drives are the only ones of the three, that are of equal read/write speed of the 2013 MacBook Airs - is this true? If so, has anyone purchased a 2014 MBA and received one with a Samsung drive?

I guess the point of this thread is to ask people for any tips/advice regarding how to go about actually getting a MBA with the SSD you want. Luck of the draw when purchasing a big-ticket item, isn't exactly something I'm looking to rely on.

I know Apple has a two week, lenient return policy. I've been told that I can try buying one, and if it's not the drive I'm looking for, I can return it. I've also heard that while there isn't a limit of how many returns you can do, a manager can stop you at their own digression after about two attempts.

I'm also aware that you can purchase from their online store, and return the laptop in their retail store. This could prove useful. On top of that, returning the product and requesting to get your money back in the form of an Apple Gift Card, could also make continuous returns easier. These are just some thoughts off the top of my head.

I'm not looking to cheat any systems, I just want the best product that's available to me, for the money. If anyone has any insight on this situation, I would really appreciate it. I'm sure I'm not the only one this pertains to. Again, thank you.

 

[alphaod]

Technically the Samsung SSDs are faster, but in use you won't be able to tell the difference.

I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[mad3inch1na]

Just to clarify, the SSDs in the 2014 MBA are not in any way slower than the 2013 SSDs. The samsung ones in the 2014 models are the same as the ones in the 2013 model, the toshiba ones in the 2014 models are the same as the ones in the 2013 models, and so on. Also, all the hard drives are still really fast, and all the "slow drives" aren't slow at all. You won't notice any difference unless you are doing sustained writes. If you are that worried about the speed of a drive, get a 256GB/512GB model, as SSDs perform better the larger the drive is. You are more likely to hit that 700MB read/write speed. I'm sure Apple will happily accept your returns for a while, but at some point it is important to realize that unless you looked up the part number, you wouldn't be able to tell what SSD was in there. Enjoy your new computer, it will be awesome one way or the other.

Just to clarify, I would totally do the same thing you are doing, I just don't want people taking my samsung SSDs . Also, if you are going to be picky as I am about hard drive speed, definitely get a higher capacity model. High capacity drives of the same brand can have double the speed of the 128GB drive.

Matt

 

[Meister]

There is different performance criteria for ssd drives.
The difference between the macbook drives that you have read about are soley based on black magic speed test.

Ssds from different brands have very slight advantages and disadvantages.

Also, like mentioned above, the larger the drive, the better it performs.

The performance differences are not noticable outside of a test enviroment.

If people keep on doing the crazy stuff that you are planing on doing, will have to change their return policy.

 

[flowrider]

If people keep on doing the crazy stuff that you are planing on doing, will have to change their return policy.

RIGHT ON. Because, in the end, Apple doesn't absorb the costs of the return/exchange nonsense - The consumer does, with higher product costs.

Lou

 

[SDColorado]

Look to buy a 512GB model if you want it to be odds on a Samsung SSD. I am not 100% certain that all the 512GB models use the Samsung SSD's, but all the units that I have seen have the Samsung SSD's. If the Samsung isn't the only 512GB drive they use, it appears to me be most common.

 

[walkthruwalls]

What SDColorado said. I just recieved my 512gb Air 5 days ago and it's a Samsung. It's pricey but if your priority is to get Samsung, you have bigger chances with the biggest capacity. Otherwise, its a lottery.

Honestly though, unless you love testing and benchmarking your machine (Specs whore myself), you won't really notice the difference in daily use. I'd put my stock on reliability than unnoticeable read/write speeds.

 

[SDColorado]

Honestly though, unless you love testing and benchmarking your machine (Specs whore myself), you won't really notice the difference in daily use. I'd put my stock on reliability than unnoticeable read/write speeds.

That said.. the 512GB Samsung is a pretty darned fast drive

 

[b06tmm]

I purchased a new 8/512 Air on Friday and it has the Samsung SSD.

I was a little concerned at first because the machine was reporting itself as a mid-2013 model but I checked the build date and it was April of 2014.

 

[SDColorado]

I purchased a new 8/512 Air on Friday and it has the Samsung SSD.

I was a little concerned at first because the machine was reporting itself as a mid-2013 model but I checked the build date and it was April of 2014.

Same here, built May actually, still says Mid-2013. As was pointed out elsewhere, the the 1.7/8/512's remain the same as the 13" Mid-2013 machines.

 

[robvas]

you won't be able to tell the difference.

Exactly

 

[iterva]

you won't be able to tell the difference.

+1

 

[gig]

MBA 13" i5 1.4 GHz / 8 GB RAM / 256 GB SSD (ordered in the middle of May 2014, but reports Mid 2013) has SanDisk SD0256F