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Upgrading RAM and Hard Drive?

C

ccashman92

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 1, 2010
227
0
Hey, I'm considering upgrading my RAM and hard drive. I was wondering how to do it. Should I do it myself with an off-branded item? Or should I take it to Apple?

Does anyone know how much it is to upgrade my RAM to 8GB, and upgrade my hard drive from 500GB HDD to a 512GB SSD, in my 15' Spring 2010 Macbook Pro with Core i7? And could I get separate pricing? I may just upgrade my RAM first and save up slowly for the SSD.
 
ccashman92 said:
Hey, I'm considering upgrading my RAM and hard drive. I was wondering how to do it. Should I do it myself with an off-branded item? Or should I take it to Apple?

Does anyone know how much it is to upgrade my RAM to 8GB, and upgrade my hard drive from 500GB HDD to a 512GB SSD, in my 15' Spring 2010 Macbook Pro with Core i7? And could I get separate pricing? I may just upgrade my RAM first and save up slowly for the SSD.
Click to expand...

i am not sure about the pricing on either, but the ram is a much better investment right now then the ssd, rams pricing drops very slowly and the ssd's drops by fractions every year, your best bet is not to go to apple but to buy it at a computer tech store, it is very very easy to change (google it for more presice details) and save up for the ssd i figured i will buy the ssd when 1tb is $170 hehe seems worth it at that point =D
 
TopHatPlus said:
i am not sure about the pricing on either, but the ram is a much better investment right now then the ssd, rams pricing drops very slowly and the ssd's drops by fractions every year, your best bet is not to go to apple but to buy it at a computer tech store, it is very very easy to change (google it for more presice details) and save up for the ssd i figured i will buy the ssd when 1tb is $170 hehe seems worth it at that point =D
Click to expand...

Thats what I thought. Does anyone know what RAM they use? I kinda want to use the same RAM they use or something better.
 
Go to About This Mac and click More Info. On the Memory page it'll list off each "bank" (slot) you have and tell you what type it is. 999,999 times out of a million they'll all be the same type. You're either going to need DDR, DDR2 or DDR3.

If you're unsavvy going to Apple is definitely the safe bet, since MacBook's aren't the most "friendly" to upgrade. If you're not afraid of a few screws though, upgrading it yourself will save you tons of money. Apple seriously overcharges for the RAM itself and I think they bill for labor at $1,000 an hour.
 
wjlafrance said:
Go to About This Mac and click More Info. On the Memory page it'll list off each "bank" (slot) you have and tell you what type it is. 999,999 times out of a million they'll all be the same type. You're either going to need DDR, DDR2 or DDR3.

If you're unsavvy going to Apple is definitely the safe bet, since MacBook's aren't the most "friendly" to upgrade. If you're not afraid of a few screws though, upgrading it yourself will save you tons of money. Apple seriously overcharges for the RAM itself and I think they bill for labor at $1,000 an hour.
Click to expand...

I've never worked on a computer but from the videos and stuff I just watched it seems pretty simple. I'm more of a troubleshooting guy so this will be fun to actually work on the inside.
 
By the way, does anyone know who makes the RAM they use? Intel? OWC? Samsung?
 
I don't know but wouldn't be particularly worried. They have a lifetime warranty that I will be using this week. They said they just need the serial numbers and then they will send me a return authorization code. I send in my old busted ram and they send me new ram back.
 
My RAM now is 1067 MHz and the RAM they sell is 1066 MHz... Whats the difference?
 
ccashman92 said:
My RAM now is 1067 MHz and the RAM they sell is 1066 MHz... Whats the difference?
Click to expand...

are you sure you are getting a correct reading because it should just be 1066 and would say just put 1066 in it???

when i go to about this amc at the main box without getting technical it says ddr2 667, i could not see your being different?
 
TopHatPlus said:
are you sure you are getting a correct reading because it should just be 1066 and would say just put 1066 in it???

when i go to about this amc at the main box without getting technical it says ddr2 667, i could not see your being different?
Click to expand...

Mine says "Memory 4GB 1067 MHz DDR3"
 
For 512GB SSD and 8GB Ram you can buy another 15" High End MBP it is at least 2000€/us$ if the SSD should be one of the faster ones.


1067,1066... you know nothing about how this works, don't you?
 
Go with OWC. I bought from crucial to avoid shipping and tax as I am overseas.

The installation is a matter of 5 minutes. The HDD is a bit harder.
 
iPhysicist said:
For 512GB SSD and 8GB Ram you can buy another 15" High End MBP it is at least 2000€/us$ if the SSD should be one of the faster ones.


1067,1066... you know nothing about how this works, don't you?
Click to expand...

hahaha I really don't. I don't know much about hardware. Just software.

I'm guess they are the same?
 
as already mentioned its just a matter of how the rounding works. Your 1067 is 1066,6...67 the 7 in reality is a 6,6...6...6 aso.

If you want to go for such an expensive upgrade without any clue how to do it and two left arms you should buy the hardware (RAM and SSD) in a local store and let them put it into your MBP.
 
iPhysicist said:
as already mentioned its just a matter of how the rounding works. Your 1067 is 1066,6...67 the 7 in reality is a 6,6...6...6 aso.

If you want to go for such an expensive upgrade without any clue how to do it and two left arms you should buy the hardware (RAM and SSD) in a local store and let them put it into your MBP.
Click to expand...

I don't have two left arms. Just haven't worked in computers. I'll give it a shot, doesn't seem to hard. I need to just buy the right tools and stuff. Anyone have any tips?
 
ccashman92 said:
I don't have two left arms. Just haven't worked in computers. I'll give it a shot, doesn't seem to hard. I need to just buy the right tools and stuff. Anyone have any tips?
Click to expand...

Yes it should be pretty straightforward. Ifixit.com has very good guides for opening up your computer.

When you replace the hard drive you'll be dealing with a lot of little screws. To keep track of them, I lay out a piece of white paper with numbered boxes corresponding to each step. If you drop the screws corresponding to each step in a box as you open it up, it's easy to find the right screws when you reassemble.

Good luck!
 
My MacBook used Samsung RAM, but I'm sure Apple has more than one supplier.

After upgrading both my RAM and hard drive, I can say that the RAM is harder to upgrade since it requires removal of the hard drive to get to. Doing them at the same time is best.
 
Installing RAM and HD is easy and simple
It'll also save you a ton money doing so.

The HD I personally recommend is the Hitachi Travelstar series.
Specifically the 7200rpm 500gb.
The stock HD that I had in my MBP was also by Hitachi,
so I was more than perfect in compatibility.

Ram wise,
I would recommend this.
http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Modules-1066MHz-KTA-MB1066K2-8G/dp/B001PS9UKW/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Im planning on purchasing this RAM for myself when I finally saved enough money.

The first time I operated on my MBP,
my hands where shaking uncontrollably.
Now,
I do it casually
but with care.
(Upgraded MBP's optical drive for a second HD,
initial HD is now a SSD.)
 
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