Weight differences of MBA with 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB SSDs?

[Saturn007]

I have a vintage 2015 MacBook Air that was upgraded with a 1 TB SSD. It is noticeably heavier than a similar MBA with a 256GB SSD. Also, the weight distribution is different and it's more awkward to hold.

Anyone have a fix on how weight varies in an M1 MBA with different size SSDs?

It's a minor concern, for sure, but I just picked up my MBA was struck, once again, by how heavy it felt compared to the original!

(Hint: No need for any snarky, prosaic responses about this being de minimis. I know it is, but this is a tech forum, and little things often occupy our attention. Plus, what's little to one person might be important to others -- e.g., the tapered front edge of the real MacBook Airs vs. the squared-off, rectangular front edge of the M2 pseudo MBAs! )

 

[Hey Now]

they start off the same but get heavier as the hard drive fills up. This is why many people choose low capacity hard drives for the 16” MacBook Pro as it is already a heavy machine before any data is added

 

[BeatCrazy]

There's no way this is a real post.

 

[unrigestered]

always remember: even 1TB is not a ton nowadays!

 

[Mr.Blacky]

You could remove single keys from the keyboard until your MacBook Air is as light as one with a 256GB SSD. 🤔

 

[TheManOfSilver]

I mean … the OP's not wrong. It likely does weigh more.

Here's a link to specs on an NVMe SSD. The higher capacity drives are 40% heavier!

… of course that only translates to < 3g, but still! 😉

 

[jav6454]

I have a vintage 2015 MacBook Air that was upgraded with a 1 TB SSD. It is noticeably heavier than a similar MBA with a 256GB SSD. Also, the weight distribution is different and it's more awkward to hold.

Anyone have a fix on how weight varies in an M1 MBA with different size SSDs?

It's a minor concern, for sure, but I just picked up my MBA was struck, once again, by how heavy it felt compared to the original!

(Hint: No need for any snarky, prosaic responses about this being de minimis. I know it is, but this is a tech forum, and little things often occupy our attention. Plus, what's little to one person might be important to others -- e.g., the tapered front edge of the real MacBook Airs vs. the squared-off, rectangular front edge of the M2 pseudo MBAs! )

If you are being serious:
No, there is no weight differences.

 

[BeatCrazy]

I mean … the OP's not wrong. It likely does weigh more.

Here's a link to specs on an NVMe SSD. The higher capacity drives are 40% heavier!

… of course that only translates to < 3g, but still! 😉

So worst case, it's basically having the additional mass of one US penny inside the MacBook.

But for @Saturn007 it's "it's more awkward to hold". I'd recommend he get a job at a carnival guessing weights or similar endeavor where that level of detection can be put to good use for humanity. Or earn him enough to buy a set of barbells.

 

[chrfr]

I have a vintage 2015 MacBook Air that was upgraded with a 1 TB SSD. It is noticeably heavier than a similar MBA with a 256GB SSD. Also, the weight distribution is different and it's more awkward to hold.

There's something else going on. The weight difference, if any, between SSDs of different capacities is imperceptible.

 

[fisherking]

my cousin filled his 256G air with heavy metal songs, after which it took 4 of us to move his mac from his desk to the couch....

 

[Chateaunole-du-Pape]

I have a vintage 2015 MacBook Air that was upgraded with a 1 TB SSD. It is noticeably heavier than a similar MBA with a 256GB SSD. Also, the weight distribution is different and it's more awkward to hold.

Anyone have a fix on how weight varies in an M1 MBA with different size SSDs?

It's a minor concern, for sure, but I just picked up my MBA was struck, once again, by how heavy it felt compared to the original!

(Hint: No need for any snarky, prosaic responses about this being de minimis. I know it is, but this is a tech forum, and little things often occupy our attention. Plus, what's little to one person might be important to others -- e.g., the tapered front edge of the real MacBook Airs vs. the squared-off, rectangular front edge of the M2 pseudo MBAs! )

To me, "Air" implies light. You do realize that the M2 Air is the lightest 13" Air Apple has ever made, no? Hardly sounds like a "pseudo" Air to me.

 

[JMacHack]

I think these troll posts are older than I am.

 

[MajorFubar]

I feel like I'm being 'had' responding to this, but no, the weight difference is going to be less than 5-10 grams at most, based on the weight of the extra chips on the larger models. And considering they weigh a good few pounds to start with, that's zero.

 

[Hey Now]

Hard drive weight effect is more pronounced in windows machines due to the FAT format

 

[mxrider88]

If I needed it as a travel laptop I wouldn’t go with the 512..

 

[dwig]

There's something else going on. The weight difference, if any, between SSDs of different capacities is imperceptible.

True. If there really is a weight and/or balance difference then the two "similar" MBPs aren't very similar and differ somewhere other than their SSDs. Perhaps there is a processor difference that brought along a cooling system difference which resulted in differing weights.

 

[erikkfi]

I mean … the OP's not wrong. It likely does weigh more.

Here's a link to specs on an NVMe SSD. The higher capacity drives are 40% heavier!

… of course that only translates to < 3g, but still! 😉

Hey if you're a hummingbird, 3 grams is a lot!

 

[Zdigital2015]

I have a vintage 2015 MacBook Air that was upgraded with a 1 TB SSD. It is noticeably heavier than a similar MBA with a 256GB SSD. Also, the weight distribution is different and it's more awkward to hold.

Anyone have a fix on how weight varies in an M1 MBA with different size SSDs?

It's a minor concern, for sure, but I just picked up my MBA was struck, once again, by how heavy it felt compared to the original!

(Hint: No need for any snarky, prosaic responses about this being de minimis. I know it is, but this is a tech forum, and little things often occupy our attention. Plus, what's little to one person might be important to others -- e.g., the tapered front edge of the real MacBook Airs vs. the squared-off, rectangular front edge of the M2 pseudo MBAs! )

I hope you are newest and the term “opening a door”, because everyone is stepping through it.😂😂😂

 

[PsykX]

With 1TB of data, your entire data can weigh 4X as much as 256GB

 

[chrfr]

True. If there really is a weight and/or balance difference then the two "similar" MBPs aren't very similar and differ somewhere other than their SSDs. Perhaps there is a processor difference that brought along a cooling system difference which resulted in differing weights.

They all got the same cooling system so it's not that either.

 

[adrianlondon]

I don't know why people are treating this thread as a joke. Weight minimisation is very important.

I have my screen on full brightness to remove as many photons from inside the display as possible.

 

[Bobby Smallwood]

Hey if you're a hummingbird, 3 grams is a lot!

Or a pot head

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

the more storage increases ,the lighter your wallet gets ,it's scientific

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

always remember: even 1TB is not a ton nowadays!

One TON of bytes is in the name, silly.

Too bad we can't get a 999GB drive instead: 999 GRAMS of bytes.

999 Grams weighs much, MUCH less than 1 Ton in a laptop.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Hard drive weight effect is more pronounced in windows machines due to the FAT format

So Microsoft being Microsoft presumably wanted to fix that by offering drives without the FAT... choosing to call the new, improved ones ExFAT. However, because they could store bigger files than FAT drives, the Ex apparently is secretly short for Extra.

Beware the Extra Fat format... even more so on 1 TON of bytes drives.