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chan2004

macrumors regular
Original poster
Hi all,

HD of my early 2011 15" MBP has crashed. When I tried to take it to an authorized service center in India, they informed me they will not do repair services for any apple model earlier than 5 years.

So, now my only option is to replace the hard drive myself. As a newbie, I would like to know which hard drive should i order from Amazon India.

Any help or guidance is appreciated.

Many Thanks in Advance!
 
Any 2.5" HDD would work fine. However I'd recommend an SSD instead as that would vastly improve the performance of your system and will be considerably more reliable for future. An SSD will exceed the lifespan of your computer and it will run better than new -- honestly I can't understate the difference it will make. Something like this: http://www.amazon.in/Samsung-250GB-...UTF8&qid=1483696717&sr=8-1&keywords=240gb+ssd

Otherwise, something like this would work: http://www.amazon.in/Hitachi-500GB-...3696752&sr=8-2&keywords=500gb+hdd+2.5+7200rpm
 
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I second the recommendation for an SSD. It'll breathe new life into your computer and make you actively pleased your hard disk failed!

If they are too pricey and/or you need a larger capacity at a lower price than an SSD, you could also consider an 'SSHD' which is a hybrid of a traditional spinning drive, but with a small SSD included which is used to speed up access to the most commonly used files, a little like Apple's fusion drives in principle. It wouldn't be as fast as a true SSD, but might give you a bit of a performance boost all the same.

Pretty much any 2.5 inch SATA drive that is 9.5mm tall or less should work fine though, like @keysofanxiety said.
 
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Thanks... will go for normal SATA drive as I need 1 TB. Selected this model based on feedback:

http://www.amazon.in/Seagate-Laptop-2-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000LM048/dp/B01LY3Q201/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1483710500&sr=1-2-fkmr0&keywords=1TB+2.5"+Hard+Drive+for+Apple+MacBook+Pro+(15-inch,+Early+2011)+(17-inch,+Early+2011)+(13-inch,+Early+2011)+Laptops1TB+2.5"+Hard+Drive+for+Apple+MacBook+Pro+(15-inch,+Early+2011)+(17-inch,+Early+2011)+(13-inch,+Early+2011)+Laptops

Btw, why does apple laptop models greater than 5 years as vintage models?
I am not sure if it is only in India or it applies everywhere. Shouldn't they support MBs and MBPs for 8 years minimum considering the expensive price tag. My 2008 MB still works and i am sure that these beauties can handle age better than majority of windows laptop.
 
Thanks... will go for normal SATA drive as I need 1 TB. Selected this model based on feedback:
I wouldn't buy it. Are you absolutely sure you need 1TB? How big is your download / games / torrent folder? Anything there can be redownloaded from the internet.

I'm not sure if you understand just how much difference a SSD will make to your MBP. I put a SSD in my 2009 Macbook and the difference is night and day. I couldn't go back to a HDD again. It's given the Macbook several years extra life, and allowed me to update it to El Capitan.

See if you can go with a 250GB or 500GB SSD. 500GB is probably best for you, but I understand it's nearly double the price of the 1TB HDD you want. It's a hard choice to make.
 
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Hard drive is unbearable, so I ordered the FireCuda the day it came out.

Which would still not be cool for VM.
 
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I would've said a Samsung EVO. Bigger mechanical hard drive = more battery usage. Makes no difference if you're "plugged in". It does if you are mobile a lot and depend on long battery usage between charges.
 
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I got an SSD for my late 2011 MBP and will never go back to spinners ever again. I still use the machine with no noticeable difference in speed that I can tell comparing it generically to other more recent machines.

If you've never had it, it's hard to imagine how fast it will really make the machine, but that dramatic speed up is night and day and why I think everyone is recommending it over space concerns.

For me as a student, the no moving parts aspect is almost as big of a selling point as the speed increase is. I haven't had a disk error in years and I used to get some hiccup every few semesters or so because of the everyday travel with it in and out of my bag so often. It got jarred and bumped with the occasional persistent vibration for what ever reason. It took a beating. So that's my case, not yours and I understand.

I think sometimes people hear speed increase and imagine the negligible speed increase that something like a RAM upgrade can be guilty of. Something like that seems to keep your system running more smoothly. An SSD really actually speeds things up. But... if size is the driving factor, do a platter based drive, 2.5 inch, SATA3 I believe. I've heard hybrid drives are a good alternative but I have no experience with them.

Most of all, changing the drive is easy, but you will loose the Apple hardware diagnostic. However, you can restore it from an internet search like I did. It's a good little machine for repairs.
 
Now, i feel i have to try SSD atleast once.

Selected this model (
Samsung 250GB 750EVO SSD SATA III 2.5IN MZ-750250BW)
http://www.amazon.in/Samsung-250GB-...=1483759025&sr=8-1&keywords=samsung+ssd+250gb


In the description, they have mentioned that no screws or brackets are included with this package.
So,
1. I assume the screws I have to detach from my old hard drive and reuse it in this SSD when fitting. Or do i have to buy a separate set of screws to fit this SSD?
2. Do I need to buy this bracket - Solid Steel SSD / HDD 2.5" to 3.5" Mounting Bracket / Kit (Silver Steel)
3. Do I need to buy any other accessory?

I have never opened a laptop and using ifixit walkthrough guides. hence such basic questions.
 
1. I assume the screws I have to detach from my old hard drive and reuse it in this SSD when fitting. Or do i have to buy a separate set of screws to fit this SSD?
2. Do I need to buy this bracket - Solid Steel SSD Mounting Bracket Kit
3. Do I need to buy any other accessory?
I have never opened a laptop and using ifixit walkthrough guides. hence such basic questions.

1. The original screws in the old HDD will fit directly in the new SSD to hold it in place, but they are likely Torx 6, not Phillips.
2. No bracket is needed. The new SSD is not as tall as the existing drive, but fits fine using the existing internal brackets and screws in your MBP.
3. No other accessories are needed beyond a small Phillips screwdriver and Torx 6 screwdriver.

The iFixIt guides are fairly easy to follow for your install. Be gentle with the HDD connectors when removing and installing. Keep the screws orderly, as some might be different lengths for different areas of the bottom panel. Good luck. I have done this upgrade on more than one MBP with both a Hitachi 7200 RPM 1 TB HDD and later with the Samsung EVO SSD, and was glad for the speed improvements.
 
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Well, Read through the iFixit guide at least once because I'm thinking I remember the battery being on top of the HD and trackpad. The battery takes an Apple odd ball screw driver called a tri-wing. If it's necessary like I think I remember it is, iFixit will mention it in the tutorial.

Just giving you a heads up.

Other than that, everything you need to mount the drive in there will be there. The sammy drive will look like the drive you are taking out so you'll know what needs to be done pretty easily.
 
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I will also chime in.

At work I have 2011 13" MBP. Yanked out the spinner drive for SSD. Turned a garbage machine into a daily use rockstar.

If you need more space remove the optical and get a drive adapter there for a second hard disk.
 
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I almost think iFixit has a tutorial or the bracket designed for the second drive option if you go that way like adam9c1 suggested. However as a noob, you may want to tackle one thing at a time. It's not a hard upgrade, but you may want to get some confidence first with pulling it apart.
 
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