Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

What's the biggest HD I can put in my Macbook?

P

Punky

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Hey guys,

I want to upgrade the HD in my Macbook. I have an older Macbook from 2006. Here are the specs:

Core Duo 2.0 Gigahertz
2 Gigs RAM (I believe this is the max for the unit)

I believe this is the generation: http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook/stats/macbook_2.0_white.html

What's the biggest HD I can put in here? I'm considering using this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136546

Is this going to work? Is there a maximum limit to HD size? I've heard 250 gigs. I've heard lower, and I've also heard about people going higher and it worked out. I've also heard that you can use a bigger HD, but once you start using more than 250 gigabytes, you run the risk of losing data.

I really don't know what to believe at this point. Some guidance would be great.
 
Punky said:
Are you absolutely sure? I'd really rather not buy something I end up not being able to use?
Click to expand...

We are not stuck back in the days of IDE/PATA where you hit limits. I don't own a MacBook but the SATA standard means any GB size currently available will work. There is a limit but it's so huge you don't have to worry.
 
robbieduncan said:
We are not stuck back in the days of IDE/PATA where you hit limits. I don't own a MacBook but the SATA standard means any GB size currently available will work. There is a limit but it's so huge you don't have to worry.
Click to expand...

The story I heard was that the limit was mainly derived from some kind of motherboard controller or chipset issue.
 
If you're wrong, I'm going to come back here and cry tears of blood. 😛

Thanks. 🙂
 
I owned one of those models.... upgraded mine to 500GB (SATA2).

Just make sure that it's a 9.5mm drive as one of the posters said.
 
Punky said:
Confirmed it. Yep! 750GB here we come!
Click to expand...

if it is the western digital 750gb drive, then afaik it wont fit. those drives are 12.5mm tall, not 9.5mm tall. the largest you can use is 640gb.

edit: i did some research, and the drive you want is 9.5mm high... disregard everything i said above...
 
AlphaDogg said:
if it is the western digital 750gb drive, then afaik it wont fit. those drives are 12.5mm tall, not 9.5mm tall. the largest you can use is 640gb.

edit: i did some research, and the drive you want is 9.5mm high... disregard everything i said above...
Click to expand...

Hahah yeah I was about to say.... 🙂

And yes, just like a vampire.

truebloodblog_jessica-crying-blood.jpg
 
Reportback:

1. I cloned by nearly full laptop 60GB drive onto my new 750GB drive (in a MacAlly external FW/USB2.0 enclosure) using SuperDuper. It took about 2 hours. I just walked away from the laptop and let it run. Disappointingly, it appears that the new drive actually only has about 700 GB free space. I'm extra glad I sprung for the 750GB model instead of the 640GB model now.

2. I swapped the 60GB out and installed the 750GB. It fit like a glove.

3. Booted up - and there was all my data, as if nothing had changed! Seems to work like a charm.

4. I installed the original 60GB drive in the enclosure. I'm going to hold onto it in its current state for 30 days, to see if this new drive dies on me, and then I'll start using it as a DJ gig drive - that way I don't have to put any of my main drives in the line of fire.

Thanks for the help guys!

I went from this:
truebloodblog_jessica-crying-blood.jpg


To this:
jessica_true_blood.jpg
 
Punky said:
Reportback:

1. I cloned by nearly full laptop 60GB drive onto my new 750GB drive (in a MacAlly external FW/USB2.0 enclosure) using SuperDuper. It took about 2 hours. I just walked away from the laptop and let it run. Disappointingly, it appears that the new drive actually only has about 700 GB free space. I'm extra glad I sprung for the 750GB model instead of the 640GB model now.

2. I swapped the 60GB out and installed the 750GB. It fit like a glove.

3. Booted up - and there was all my data, as if nothing had changed! Seems to work like a charm.

4. I installed the original 60GB drive in the enclosure. I'm going to hold onto it in its current state for 30 days, to see if this new drive dies on me, and then I'll start using it as a DJ gig drive - that way I don't have to put any of my main drives in the line of fire.

Thanks for the help guys!
Click to expand...


Do you DJ out in clubs mate?
 
Punky said:
I've been a little too busy to pursue DJing as a club career, as most of my time out of my day job has been taken up by this:

www.newstreetpoets.com

and this:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Spoken-Word-Almanac-Project/37812178129?ref=search
Click to expand...

Cool mate. I joined your FB page and will spend time looking through it later.

I have installed traktor onto my MBP and will start to use it when i go back to Thailand. My latest set is in my signature. it’s housey stuff, and when i recorded it my monitors failed so i had to headphone mix which i find difficult so there is one or two crap mix’s in there 🙁

This is my set up at home............and my 2 year old Daughter teaching me how it’s really done 😎



Uploaded with ImageShack.us



Uploaded with ImageShack.us


Uploaded with ImageShack.us
 
Cool dude! Good stuff. What are you doing in Thailand?

Also, I noticed you called me mate a lot - you from Oz? I studied there for a semester at University of Queensland.
 
Punky said:
Cool dude! Good stuff. What are you doing in Thailand?

Also, I noticed you called me mate a lot - you from Oz? I studied there for a semester at University of Queensland.
Click to expand...

No, i’m from Scotland. I am in Scotland now to see family. I have lived in Thailand about 100 miles south of Bangkok in a small city called Pattaya for about 5 years now and being going reguarly for 19 years.
I don’t do any sort of work there, just live. I do DJ around town in mates bars and clubs but nothing regular and i don’t get paid as i don’t want paid as i do it as a hobby. Although i do get my beer for free so can’t complain.
I am more of a “substitute” DJ for when the bars and clubs are short if someone phones in sick etc. I could get a regular gig in a few bars but it would mean working 5 nights a week from about 11pm till 3 in the morning. I don’t want that because i have family and i like to be able to wake up in the morning, jump in the car with the girlfriend and baby and head off to an island or a beach for a few days.

I might be getting a gig at a full moon party later in the year which wil be cool but that is pie in the sky right now.......

I actually work in the Gulf in Oman for an oil and gas company as a mechanical supervisor for land oil rigs working 5 weeks on 5 off. At the moment i am taking time out from that as i need to get a few personal things done.

I am still young(ish) at 36 and can’t really complain too much about life.
 
Troon said:
No, i’m from Scotland. I am in Scotland now to see family. I have lived in Thailand about 100 miles south of Bangkok in a small city called Pattaya for about 5 years now and being going reguarly for 19 years.
I don’t do any sort of work there, just live. I do DJ around town in mates bars and clubs but nothing regular and i don’t get paid as i don’t want paid as i do it as a hobby. Although i do get my beer for free so can’t complain.
I am more of a “substitute” DJ for when the bars and clubs are short if someone phones in sick etc. I could get a regular gig in a few bars but it would mean working 5 nights a week from about 11pm till 3 in the morning. I don’t want that because i have family and i like to be able to wake up in the morning, jump in the car with the girlfriend and baby and head off to an island or a beach for a few days.

I might be getting a gig at a full moon party later in the year which wil be cool but that is pie in the sky right now.......

I actually work in the Gulf in Oman for an oil and gas company as a mechanical supervisor for land oil rigs working 5 weeks on 5 off. At the moment i am taking time out from that as i need to get a few personal things done.

I am still young(ish) at 36 and can’t really complain too much about life.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you've got a pretty awesome life! I've spun at a few clubs, but mostly as the DJ for poetry readings and other related events (as poetry is my life)

Be careful on the oil derricks, if that's where you work! We learned our lesson the hard way in the US!

Justin
 
Punky said:
Sounds like you've got a pretty awesome life! I've spun at a few clubs, but mostly as the DJ for poetry readings and other related events (as poetry is my life)

Be careful on the oil derricks, if that's where you work! We learned our lesson the hard way in the US!

Justin
Click to expand...


Yeah no complaints here.

As for the oil derricks and the disaster in the GOM, all i’ll say is EVERYONE involved in oil and gas knew this would happen once they decided to go deep, and the harsh reality is it is just seen as teething problems in Oil and gas. I know the people effected by it wont like that, i don’t, but it’s how it is seen in the Oil and Gas community.
 
Troon said:
Yeah no complaints here.

As for the oil derricks and the disaster in the GOM, all i’ll say is EVERYONE involved in oil and gas knew this would happen once they decided to go deep, and the harsh reality is it is just seen as teething problems in Oil and gas. I know the people effected by it wont like that, i don’t, but it’s how it is seen in the Oil and Gas community.
Click to expand...

Depressing. Have you seen the photos? It's really some of the most awful **** I've ever seen. It makes the Valdez look like a tiny leaky pipe.
 
Punky said:
Depressing. Have you seen the photos? It's really some of the most awful **** I've ever seen. It makes the Valdez look like a tiny leaky pipe.
Click to expand...

Yeah........there’s a lot i could say about it but it would cause a huge argument.

I have contracted for BP in the past and hated working for them because they are ultra strict with health and safety in the UK and the rest of the World as outside the USA the laws surrounding O&G are acute.

We had a huge disaster in the north sea in 1988 and our laws changed after that. The rest of the World copied our laws, except the USA unfortunately and we see the outcome now

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/6/newsid_3017000/3017294.stm


The way BP have handled the PR exercise after it is disgusting and that fool Tony Hayward should be out a job and unemployable!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back