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Weight advantage to removing optical drive?

R

Ruahrc

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 9, 2009
1,345
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A bit silly perhaps, but I was curious if anyone has ever considered removing the optical drive on their MBP in order to save weight. If you do not use it, and don't need to attach a 2nd HD inside, can you not just simply remove it and make your MBP lighter?

I looked around for some specs on the internal drive but could not find how much it weighed. Anyone know?

The gains would be minimal but hey every little bit helps right? I mean if it's a couple hundred grams that's almost half a pound.

Ruahrc
 
How would they know? Can't you just put it back in if you need to warranty it or is there a sticker or something you have to break to remove it?
 
I always wondered something. Wouldn't taking the optical drive ruin the whole balance of the MBP? Like one side being significantly heavier than the other.
 
You would have to make sure you block the slot in the side of the computer with something, otherwise dirt could get it.

You would be able to get rid of a little bit of weight. It would probably throw the balance of the computer off a little bit. Overall, there just isn't a lot of reason to do it. Unless, you want to put in an optibay.
 
Probably would throw off the balance a little, but now that I think about it what would be more significant might be a change in structural stiffness (the large void left behind by the missing drive?).

Curious if one could swap the optical drive for the HD, then use that extra space for a larger battery. Just roughly visualizing it, the HD area would allow for a battery roughly 50% larger. Anyone have a 13/15/17 side-by-side battery size comparison? If the 15" is just longer, maybe it would fit there...

Just fantasizing now. If anything, it's made me realize what a refined design these unibody MBPs are.

Ruahrc
 
and besides the warranty. is it really that much heavier that you have to take it out? I wonder why so many people are obese
 
ttran88 said:
and besides the warranty. is it really that much heavier that you have to take it out? I wonder why so many people are obese
Click to expand...

that doesn't make any sense... the weight would make less difference for a fatter person. and if you're trying to imply laziness, leaving it in would be the lazier thing to do.

I agree with the OP. I wan't my mbp to be as light as possible. I'm not sure if balance would be an issue. someone should try
 
My god have any of you even held the optical drive?
A $100 bill weighs more than that thing.
It's lighter than a cigarette, maby an ounce.

Seriously though it's freakishly light, you will NEVER EVER feel it. simply because the plastic keys on the keyboard weigh more. There is NO balance, the only balance in this laptop is the screen and the battery. Why balance it left-right?

Some of the comments, half a pound, voided warranties.. Silly.

Your warranty isn't going to be void if you yank out the optical drive, it's like two screws and a ribbon connector.

Now if you start stabbin' at your mobo with a screw driver when you are removing the optical drive, then yeah, you will void your warranty.

The sheet metal on the optical drive is like a gum wrapper, and I'm talking about AFTER you peel the waxed paper off.
 
Not worth it for the weight but it is worth it for a extra drive but if you must it is easy to take out just did it the other day and put a second hard drive in.
 
If you had asked this yesterday, I could have pulled my optical drive out and weighed it while I had my MBP apart.

My guess is around 100 grams.
 
Yeah well I have it next to me, a AAA battery weighs more than it, lol
Optical drives have never weighed anything, I mean, what's inside?
A laser/eye thing,
Sheet metal enclosure, 1mm thick.
two guide rods so the drive can go in and out (MBP just uses an ejection system making everything thinner)
and maby some plastic and a spring and tiny micro motor.

Even a HDD you barely notice.
3.5" HDDs however, those weigh so much, I was going to buy one for 2TB for an external, but I didn't simply because I think the drive weighed as much as my macbook. The shell can stop a freakin bullet!

Forget body armor, lets just tape hard drives all over our bodies.. lol.
 
I took the SuperDrive out when I was swapping the HD's. It is actually very light. In my opinion, totally not worth the effort.
 
Successful weight loss program?

Along these lines, has anyone done anything to successfully reduce the weight of their MBP?
 
pxn20 said:
Along these lines, has anyone done anything to successfully reduce the weight of their MBP?
Click to expand...

I took the screen off as well as the top row of keys, the weight savings made it totally worth it! ;p

But to seriously answer your question, well going from 17 to 15 reduces the weight.
 
It's a matter of ounces. If weight's that much of an issue with you, I'd suggest selling your MBP and simply buying a MBA.
 
u won't void warranty by removing the optical drive.

i don't think removing the optical drive will make the structure less strong. the aluminum unibody itself is extremely strong.

lastly, you can remove it if you'd like, but removing it to save weight is so small that it's almost pointless.

the only reason to remove the optical drive would be because you want to use an optical drive with multiple computers (as an external optical drive via USB) or place a 2ndary SSD/HDD.
 
I have done this

I bought a second-hand MacBook for £250 with the DVD stuck inside and kept making annoying noises. I also had to lose the battery. Rather than buy a new one I prefer to save on weight.

The optical drive weighs 175g about 4% of the total

The battery weighs 400g.

By taking both out my macbook is 10 % lighter.
 
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