Upgrading Macbook hard drive...

[EdMo]

I'm thinking of upgrading the hard disk in my macbook... currently have 120GB which really isn't enough and i'm getting really fed up of having to use externals all the time.... any suggestions?

320gb+ would be nice, is there anything i need to look for/watch out for spec wise....?

 

[iToaster]

For your MacBook be aware that only 9.5 mm tall drives will fit, not the 12.5 mm ones. Also keep in mind they must have a SATA connection. That's all, but I swear by Western Digital if you want my opinion.

 

[EdMo]

Am i better to get 7200rpm rather than 5400? will it make a significant difference? ... i dont want it to be too power hungry...

seen a "Western Digital 320GB Scorpio Black 7200RPM SATA 16MB" for £66.... thoughts?

 

[mynameisraj]

Am i better to get 7200rpm rather than 5400? will it make a significant difference? ... i dont want it to be too power hungry...

5400 is a minimum requirement and 7200 occasionally causes issues with vibration - but you will see faster write and read times, resulting in a very slightly faster OS overall. Finder will run slightly faster with a faster hard drive.

In terms of power hungry, are you away from the charger for long? I don't know how much of a loss it would be but I think for the small speed jump would be worth it

It's your choice, but if it were mine, I'd say 7200.

 

[EdMo]

Thanks, does anyone know if i will have problems if the new drive is SATA II rather than SATA?

 

[kastenbrust]

5400 is a minimum requirement and 7200 occasionally causes issues with vibration - but you will see faster write and read times, resulting in a very slightly faster OS overall. Finder will run slightly faster with a faster hard drive.

In terms of power hungry, are you away from the charger for long? I don't know how much of a loss it would be but I think for the small speed jump would be worth it

It's your choice, but if it were mine, I'd say 7200.

A 7200 drive will use less power than a 5400 RPM drive even though it is faster, this is because it retrieves data faster and therefore doesnt stay active so long.

 

[Memx]

I'm thinking of upgrading the hard disk in my macbook... currently have 120GB which really isn't enough and i'm getting really fed up of having to use externals all the time.... any suggestions?

320gb+ would be nice, is there anything i need to look for/watch out for spec wise....?

why are u tired of externals? ive got a BEAUTIFUL LaCie 500GB.
its incredible and looks stunning

 

[EdMo]

its more that i want more space on the laptop... i like having my itunes library all on there which has started to get quite a lot of video, plus ive been using my digital slr a lot lately so my aperture library has grown a lot... basically i just need more room!