What SSD for 2009 Macbook Air?

[weezin]

I have a 2009 Macbook Air (the original design one with the flip down ports) and I'm interested in sticking an SSD in it. I just want to do this for fun mostly, and I know that the performance of the machine really sucks. I'm not worried about that.

I know it has a weird interface. Are there any SSDs out there that will work with this machine?

 

[weezin]

Wanted to bump this once. I know it's somewhat esoteric information, but I'm hoping someone will know!

 

[rampancy]

Are you talking about the Mid-2009 MacBook Air (1.86/2.13 Ghz), or the Late-2008 MacBook Air (1.6/1.86 Ghz)?

The Late-2008 MacBook Air used 1.8" PATA/IDE drives with ZIF sockets, so you'll need an 1.8" PATA ZIF SSD. New drives are rare, but not impossible to find...just expensive.

The Mid-2009 MacBook Air switched to 1.8" SATA drives with LIF sockets...and in my (very limited) Googling, no one seems to be selling new drives. I have seen used drives on eBay from Chinese sellers, though.

 

[weezin]

Ah I wasn't aware there was a difference.

I think I have a Mid-2009 Macbook Air, but I'll have to check on that to be sure. Thanks for the info!

 

[weezin]

Is it possible to use something like this in order to "convert" the connector from a regular SATA SSD to the one that the Air requires? https://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook-SATA-Flexible-Adapter/dp/B009B99TDK

 

[rampancy]

So that looks like an adapter to use a MacBook Air's 1.8" SSD with the standard 2.5" SATA drive bay of a laptop, but of course you want to go in reverse.

The problem is space. I don't have your model of MacBook Air but I'd suspect that a 2.5" SATA SSD wouldn't physically fit inside the 1.8" drive bay of your MacBook Air.

You could try putting in an m.2 SATA 2230 or 2242 SSD, but AFAIK SSDs of those form factors and type are hard to find/expensive. Plus I don't know if they use the LIF interface and if an adapter exists for them.

 

[reukiodo]

OWC used to have a MBA2009 upgrade kit https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/SSDAPMB120/ to use a standard micro sata connector, though it has been discontinued.

Hate to say, but if you're on a HDD, the cheapest/easiest upgrade is probably just replace it with the Apple SSD https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=macbook+air+a1304+128+ssd&_sop=15

If you're adventurous and love to solder, you could build your own LIF to mSATA adapter https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mba-rev-b-drive-swap-mod-for-1-8-micro-sata.657341/

 

[weezin]

OWC used to have a MBA2009 upgrade kit https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/SSDAPMB120/ to use a standard micro sata connector, though it has been discontinued.

Hate to say, but if you're on a HDD, the cheapest/easiest upgrade is probably just replace it with the Apple SSD https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=macbook+air+a1304+128+ssd&_sop=15

If you're adventurous and love to solder, you could build your own LIF to mSATA adapter https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mba-rev-b-drive-swap-mod-for-1-8-micro-sata.657341/

Thanks!

So I can buy any of the Apple SSDs at the ebay link and slot them right into my Air? If so, I'll just go that route. I just want this thing to work, I don't really care about capacity, etc. Thanks!