Spinning/churning black Macbook - recommended upgrades?

[Fergie80]

Hi all.

I have a black Macbook from the 2006 line. It's been in to Apple a couple of times over its lifespan for repairs.

Right now it is on the brink of collapse. It makes a loud, aggressive spinning and churning sound, runs extremely hot on the base, and shuts down on its own. At this point it is completely unreliable.

Am I in need of a new computer, or would it be sufficient to upgrade the internal hard drive and, perhaps, the RAM? If so, could anybody be so kind as to point me towards some suitable hardware?

I don't know where to start with this kind of thing, so the help would be appreciated!

 

[DolemiteJackson]

It sounds like you have a failing hard drive. Perhaps you should take it into the Apple store and let the genius have a look. I recommend you back up your data before a critical failure.

Newegg has good prices on hard drives, and if a replacement is necessary, they should be able to help you with picking one out. Good luck.

 

[Fergie80]

Thanks for the reply! Got a follow-up if you'd oblige...

Does the age of my Macbook affect the kind of hard drive I can buy? I understand that there is a limitation on RAM, but how about the HD? Would I be able to get one with, say, 500GB of space without a problem?

 

[DolemiteJackson]

I believe so, as long as it's the same type of hard drive (connection wise).
Customer service at wherever you buy a drive should be able to confirm
if it will work with your computer. Good luck.

 

[kuwisdelu]

Does the age of my Macbook affect the kind of hard drive I can buy? I understand that there is a limitation on RAM, but how about the HD? Would I be able to get one with, say, 500GB of space without a problem?

The upgrade guide here seems to suggest all MacBooks can accept the same hard drives. As long as it's a 2.5" SATA drive 9.5mm tall or less, you're good. There should be plenty of 500 GB hard drives that will work.

Back up your important data as soon as you can. It's probably best after this long to just transfer your important data rather than completely restoring from a full backup if you really want your MacBook feeling snappier when you get a new drive.

 

[Fergie80]

Thanks again, guys. Your help has been invaluable. And I have backed up my important data as suggested

So would a HD like this be suitable for my 2006 black MB? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136564

 

[DolemiteJackson]

That would be a fine choice.