Upgraded with Momentus XT 750gb

[vnle]

Hey guys!

I just upgraded my early 2011 macbook pro with the Seagate Momentus XT 750gb ... and it performs very well. I grabbed it when Newegg had a deal on it.
The only complaints I have is that I can actually feel and hear the drive now versus my stock 7200rpm 500gb drive so I'm a little peeved at that. I'm considering putting back my old drive and returning this one but I really like how it performs. The reason why I went with a hybrid drive was that I needed at least 250gb of space on my laptop and cannot afford an ssd at this time. This is merely a middle point for now while waiting for the ssd prices to come down.

If anyone is considering upgrading with this drive, I can say that the performance is better then traditional hard drives but (of course) not as good as ssd's ... only if you don't mind the slight hum and vibrations ...

I can answer any questions if you guys have any and would like your opinion about returning this drive or not.

Thank you!

 

[thatoneguy82]

Hey guys!

I just upgraded my early 2011 macbook pro with the Seagate Momentus XT 750gb ... and it performs very well. I grabbed it when Newegg had a deal on it.
The only complaints I have is that I can actually feel and hear the drive now versus my stock 7200rpm 500gb drive so I'm a little peeved at that. I'm considering putting back my old drive and returning this one but I really like how it performs. The reason why I went with a hybrid drive was that I needed at least 250gb of space on my laptop and cannot afford an ssd at this time. This is merely a middle point for now while waiting for the ssd prices to come down.

If anyone is considering upgrading with this drive, I can say that the performance is better then traditional hard drives but (of course) not as good as ssd's ... only if you don't mind the slight hum and vibrations ...

I can answer any questions if you guys have any and would like your opinion about returning this drive or not.

Thank you!

I was debating actually on upgrading to that new model. I currently have the 500GB and I've read that the 750GB is much faster and improved. But, the price made me think twice about upgrading. I started thinking about SSD rather than a hybrid. SSD is still way too high but I figure if I put OSX on there and use my HDD to store media, I would get the same results.

Also, the 500GB has no noise whatsoever. It's a lot quieter than the original drive it came with, and that was a 5400rpm drive. Maybe you can try getting another one if you're set on sticking with the hybrid.

 

[vnle]

I was debating actually on upgrading to that new model. I currently have the 500GB and I've read that the 750GB is much faster and improved. But, the price made me think twice about upgrading. I started thinking about SSD rather than a hybrid. SSD is still way too high but I figure if I put OSX on there and use my HDD to store media, I would get the same results.

Also, the 500GB has no noise whatsoever. It's a lot quieter than the original drive it came with, and that was a 5400rpm drive. Maybe you can try getting another one if you're set on sticking with the hybrid.

I am debating an ssd since there's on a sale on it today on Newegg ... but I really don't think carrying around an external is a real option for me so I'm really set on this hybrid drive ...

As far as performance, this drives perform really well - I have no qualms with it at all. It's just the slight vibration and noise ... I'm wondering if it's because i didn't tighten the screws enough so I might go back in today and make sure everything is tight ... hopefully that makes enough of a difference since I really want to keep this drive.

 

[Queen of Spades]

The benchmarks on that drive are impressive. I'm definitely interested in it, but the price is too high, in my opinion. I think some of that may have to do with the Thailand flooding and whatnot.

Thanks for the heads up on the noise and vibration, that's important to me.

 

[PhilN]

FWIW... I've had the 750 GB installed for 3-4 weeks now and I have not noticed any additional noise from this drive as compared to the stock 5400 rpm drive. Since my 13" MBP is my only computer, it is nice to get a little more performance while having more then enough drive space.

 

[vnle]

The benchmarks on that drive are impressive. I'm definitely interested in it, but the price is too high, in my opinion. I think some of that may have to do with the Thailand flooding and whatnot.

Thanks for the heads up on the noise and vibration, that's important to me.

No problem! I got this drive for $199.99 from a deal on Newegg, they've been having regular hard drive sales so check them out.

FWIW... I've had the 750 GB installed for 3-4 weeks now and I have not noticed any additional noise from this drive as compared to the stock 5400 rpm drive. Since my 13" MBP is my only computer, it is nice to get a little more performance while having more then enough drive space.

Same, my macbook pro is my only computer and being a CS major in college, it's really important that I have both performance and space. That's why I got this drive. I hear a very very low hum that, unless I'm listening for it. I supposed that's fine but what's more annoying and more noticeable is the vibrations ... you don't feel any at all?

 

[sparkomatic]

I just bought a used 15" i5 MBP and put one of these drives in it. It definitely feels faster to me and I don't think the drive noise or vibration is an issue at all. I was coming from a 15" C2D MBP with a 1TB Seagate drive. I thought that one had more noise than the hybrid drive.

It's nice...I like it...cheaper than a 512 SSD so I'm happy.

This MBP should keep me quiet for a awhile till the new MBP's come out and the SSD's (hopefully) come down in price a little.

 

[thatoneguy82]

I am debating an ssd since there's on a sale on it today on Newegg ... but I really don't think carrying around an external is a real option for me so I'm really set on this hybrid drive ...

As far as performance, this drives perform really well - I have no qualms with it at all. It's just the slight vibration and noise ... I'm wondering if it's because i didn't tighten the screws enough so I might go back in today and make sure everything is tight ... hopefully that makes enough of a difference since I really want to keep this drive.

I wasn't suggesting an external drive at all. I wouldn't do that. I'd hate it. I was talking about removing your optical drive (superdrive) and placing another drive in there so you will have two drives. One will have a super fast SSD that will contain your OSX system and the other just stores your media. You can put your superdrive in an enclosure. I mean, what was the last time you actually used it?

 

[PhilN]

I supposed that's fine but what's more annoying and more noticeable is the vibrations ... you don't feel any at all?

I have not noticed any vibration from this drive at all. Dumb question, but did you double check your installation? I guess it is possible that some drives would be more "physical" that others if under different load.

 

[squeakr]

The problem is that when the platters get up to speed the drives take on what is known as acoustical vibration. It is like ultrasonic vibrations, but caused by the frequencies caused by the spinning disc speeds rather than a transmitted wave form. This can be negated with insulation, casings, etc. Different drive manufacturers use different casings, etc that can cause a different acoustical foot print. Some people can be very sensitive to this and it feels like a very light, minor electrical shock to them, not the washing machine shake of old. Also depending on motor dampening used, the motor vibrations can be transferred through the drive into the computer. Manufacturers have tried to negate this by adding rubber grommets to the mounts but sometimes it still is perceivable to people depending on their level of sensitivity, which accounts for the various reports (that and the motors are mechanical so they can vary from one to the next.

 

[vnle]

I have not noticed any vibration from this drive at all. Dumb question, but did you double check your installation? I guess it is possible that some drives would be more "physical" that others if under different load.

I went back in to make sure I did everything right and tightened the screws even more. I notice the vibrations were a little weaker but still there ... blahhh

The problem is that when the platters get up to speed the drives take on what is known as acoustical vibration. It is like ultrasonic vibrations, but caused by the frequencies caused by the spinning disc speeds rather than a transmitted wave form. This can be negated with insulation, casings, etc. Different drive manufacturers use different casings, etc that can cause a different acoustical foot print. Some people can be very sensitive to this and it feels like a very light, minor electrical shock to them, not the washing machine shake of old. Also depending on motor dampening used, the motor vibrations can be transferred through the drive into the computer. Manufacturers have tried to negate this by adding rubber grommets to the mounts but sometimes it still is perceivable to people depending on their level of sensitivity, which accounts for the various reports (that and the motors are mechanical so they can vary from one to the next.

Thanks for the thorough explanation ... I supposed I'm just one of those sensitive people.

Now, again, I'm happy with the performance of this drive but I do get annoyed by the vibrations so my question is even if I were to return this drive ... would another replacement drive have the same vibrations i.e. WD black? I don't want to go back to my old drive as 500gb isn't enough for me. Also .... are there different stages of 7200rpm drives? Like a lower end or an higher end? Because I can definitely feel this drive but not my old 7200rpm stock apple drive ...

 

[squeakr]

Also .... are there different stages of 7200rpm drives? Like a lower end or an higher end? Because I can definitely feel this drive but not my old 7200rpm stock apple drive ...

Not different stages of 7200 RPM, but definitely different levels of performance. It has so many different factors to contend with, such as the amount of cache for the drive, which helps with transfer speeds, as it acts as a prefetch allowing the data to be located faster, the larger the cache the better the performance as a general rule of thumb. Although this can be negated when the platter densities are taken into account. The denser the platter the more data that can be read within a rotation. The block paging size makes a difference as well.

As can be seen from above examples, there is more at play than just the rotational speed. What looks good in theory may not perform the best due to controller issues, etc. Your best bet is to go to the hard drive benchmark site and compare real world measurements and experiences on the drives you are interested in. Sometimes manufacturers will put 7200 speeds into a dog to get them to sell.

 

[chrisvee]

Good to know. I'm still debating on whether or not to get the 750GB, the 500GB, or go a completely different route.

Currently, I'm using my MBP as my main machine, so I think it would make sense to go with the 750GB.. But I'll just wait until it goes on sale.

 

[Satnam1989]

LIke one of the other posters mentioned above why didn't you just get a 120GB SSD and put your 500GB HDD in the optical bay slot? You can get a SATAII or even SATAIII(if your MBP supports it) 120GB ~$150....+ optical bay HDD enclosure from eBay for ~$20Max....and optical drive enclosure for another ~$20 from eBay thats ~$190 approx (under $200 if not on par) and you will have your self the lightening speed you desire + storage...Im running this setup and trust me its well worth it!

here's my experience and tips if you need any:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1278494/

 

[Higney85]

I went to 16GB ram and a momentus 750GB XT and am quite happy. I saved by SuperDrive cause I use it about once a week. I get to keep my old 750GB 5400rpm in an enclosure for carbon copy to stay in the safe in the event of a fire/flood/act of God. Still use time machine to my home server for the day to day backups.

Very happy.

 

[thatoneguy82]

LIke one of the other posters mentioned above why didn't you just get a 120GB SSD and put your 500GB HDD in the optical bay slot? You can get a SATAII or even SATAIII(if your MBP supports it) 120GB ~$150....+ optical bay HDD enclosure from eBay for ~$20Max....and optical drive enclosure for another ~$20 from eBay thats ~$190 approx (under $200 if not on par) and you will have your self the lightening speed you desire + storage...Im running this setup and trust me its well worth it!

here's my experience and tips if you need any:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1278494/

This is what I did. I was planning on upgrading, but I thought of this. Price of 128GB SATAII wasn't too bad and with the caddy, enclosure it totaled to $212. This drive that's only a hybrid is $240. It's still a great drive though. I have the 500GB version. If it were much cheaper, I'd upgrade to the 750 instead.

 

[the Western zoo]

Have had my Momentus XT 750GB for a week now.

It may be a little noisier than the factory 5400 rpm, but unless I sit totally still and concentrate I don't notice it at all.
It also may vibrate slightly, but I only feel it if I'm trying to feel it - I could feel the factory 5400 rpm as well if I tried...

It's not as fast as my old, now broken, SSD (OCZ Vertex), but it's a nice upgrade if you need space, speed and your superdrive. Also (though it's still early) I haven't had one hiccup so far, which I sometimes had with my old SSD.