Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
SSD upgrade of mid 2009 MacBook how?
- Thread starter shankar2
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
You don't need any type of kit. The new SSD is a direct fit replacement. Just follow this video walkthrough.
About the best bang for the buck right now for an SSD is either the Crucial MX200 or the Samsung EVO 850. Just grab whichever of this you can find cheapest.
- On that machine, probably nothing. MX200 is a medium to high performance drive. BX200 is a budget drive.
The MX uses MLC NAND chips that are rated for more write cycles than the TLC NAND in the BX. Also the MX has a larger RAM cache and is faster is about every read/write speed test.
[doublepost=1461079052][/doublepost]
Meh... RAM is RAM as long as you get the correct spec from a reliable vendor. Just grab whatever is cheapest from a good vendor. What I usually do is use the Crucial scanner app thing to ID the model number RAM module and specs then search for that part number on Amazon. For some odd reason, the same Crucial part number is usually cheaper in Amazon that on crucial.com.
- No, they're all pretty much identical. For peace of mind, though, I like to stay with the large established vendors such as Corsair, Crucial, and Kingston when possible. You should make sure it's the correct spec for your rather old machine. If you've provided the correct information, that's DDR2 667 MHz. Up to 6 GB if Late 2007; 3 GB if Mid 2007.
- No. You just need the drive itself (and a couple of screwdrivers, of course). For what were you thinking you might need the cable?
For reference, here's the guide for how the installation is performed:
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Core+2+Duo+Hard+Drive+Replacement/514
- Physically, they fit together and are compatible both ways. You're right, though, that your machine and old hard drive use SATA II whereas any new SSD you buy will use SATA III. This just means your machine can't take advantage of the full capabilities of the SSD, but it'll still work fine.
I've installed a 3rd party SSD from OCZ on my 2010 MacBook Pro, but I believe should be similar.
Just make sure you have correct screwdrivers. The screws from my HHD bracket attached to my drive are T6 instead of Philips screwdriver.
Apart of that, a standard 2.5" SSD will fit without any problem. And don't worry if is SATA-3 or SATA-6. My Mac is a SATA-3 and my SSD is a SATA-6. The motherboard will recognise and adapt the speed.
I've also activated TRIM as well using the Terminal command "sudo trimforce enable" in El Capitan.
Just make sure you have correct screwdrivers. The screws from my HHD bracket attached to my drive are T6 instead of Philips screwdriver.
Apart of that, a standard 2.5" SSD will fit without any problem. And don't worry if is SATA-3 or SATA-6. My Mac is a SATA-3 and my SSD is a SATA-6. The motherboard will recognise and adapt the speed.
I've also activated TRIM as well using the Terminal command "sudo trimforce enable" in El Capitan.
Last edited:
Be careful with the Nvidia WhiteBooks, they hate SandForce and they wont get 6.0GBs. I use a PNY and it works great
Yes ... you just swap them out. It's incredibly easy to do yourself. I'd highly recommend getting the iFixIt tool set. I've used it countless times over the years for various projects.
The 2009 uses SATA II 3.0 Gbps so you won't be getting the full speed of the SSD, but you'll be maxing out the bandwidth throughput with the SSD for your Mac, something a hard drive could never do. You don't need to worry about the cable. You just replace the hard drive with the SSD.