Which SSD Should I Get?

[madisonfaye]

I see a lot of these threads, but none of them really helped me much

I'm looking to replace my 750GB stock HDD with a SSD. Ideally I want at least 120GB, more would be preferable, but I can't spend over $300.

I'm going to be changing it myself which is really nervewracking!

Anyways, what is a good SSD for the price? I'm using a 2011 15" 2.3 GHz, 8GB RAM MBP. There are so many different brands and I can't tell what is compatible with Mac and is reliable.

Speed actually isn't my concern, its noise. This stock HD is annoyingly noisy I can hardly take the constant whirring!

Any advice or experience would be great. I have no clue what all this SATA means and such. If anyone could just link some ones that will work I would really appreciate it

 

[rockyroad55]

I personally use the Intel 510 series. They are pricey but their warranty is great at 5 years. But, based on your budget, an OCZ Vertex 3 might do you well. You can go with a SATA II. Not as fast as the III, but DEFINITELY faster than your 750 HDD.

 

[snaky69]

I see a lot of these threads, but none of them really helped me much

I'm looking to replace my 750GB stock HDD with a SSD. Ideally I want at least 120GB, more would be preferable, but I can't spend over $300.

I'm going to be changing it myself which is really nervewracking!

Anyways, what is a good SSD for the price? I'm using a 2011 15" 2.3 GHz, 8GB RAM MBP. There are so many different brands and I can't tell what is compatible with Mac and is reliable.

Speed actually isn't my concern, its noise. This stock HD is annoyingly noisy I can hardly take the constant whirring!

Any advice or experience would be great. I have no clue what all this SATA means and such. If anyone could just link some ones that will work I would really appreciate it

Any SATA II or SATA III 2.5" SSD will fit and function in your MBP, though there have been quite a few reports the SATA III drives aren't quite up to par yet.

Hop onto iFixit.com for a guide on how to replace the hard drive on your MBP, though honestly, it shouldn't be nerve-racking. If you know which way to turn a screwdriver without poking yourself in the eye in the process, you have enough skill to change it without issues.

Make sure to have a good and reliable backup for your current hard drive, should anything go wrong, you'll be able to keep your data safe.

Apart from that, have the recovery disks for your MBP handy once you're done and you're good to go.

 

[jimbo1mcm]

Samsung 470 SSD

Had it for 6 months in 2 computers with no problems. Good luck.

 

[kasakka]

I'd probably go for the Intel 320. More reliable than OCZ stuff and the fact that it's only SATA 2 really doesn't make much of a difference in real world use. The price for the 120 GB drive is pretty much right IMO.

 

[jbyun04]

Replacing the stock HDD bay is nice and easy. Putting an HDD in place of the Superdrive was a nightmare because of stripped screws and the fear of mangling my bluetooth cables. All is good though

Just look at iFixIt's guides, get proper, quality tools and you'll be perfectly fine.

But yeah, can't really go wrong with Intel. I'm using Corsair, though it's a refurb it's been really good. Non-refurb Corsairs are good as well and OCZs work nicely too.