Need help deciding on an internal hard drive for my MBP 15 inch.

Okay I'm tired of dealing hitting the wall with my internal memory. I don't want to use an external drive all the time so help me out. Please? I'm currently torn between the Western Digital Blue 1tb 7200rpm vs the WD Black 750gb 7200 rpm. I want the larger capacity of the blue but have heard some Mac users have had issues with it. Anyone have some advice or perhaps a recommendation for a better drive that meets any need I could possily have? Thanks for looking regardless.

Do not use WD Blue or other so-called "green" drives as they tend not to play well with Macs. The largest 7200 RPM notebook SATA drive is 750 GBS. The 1 TB drives are, I believe, all 5400 RPM. So if speed is a major concern then you don't want the 1 TB drives. Pay attention to the default warranties. Drive manufacturers have moved to unbundling the warranty, so you may get a one year warranty by default, but have to pay more for a longer warranty.

Similar Messages

  • PLEASE HELP me select new internal hard drive for Macbook Pro 2012 (non-retina)

    Good afternoon.
    I just bought a Macbook Pro 2012 (non-retina) 15 inch from a friend.  I think it is running Mountain Lion (has not been upgraded to Mavericks yet), and has iLife on it.  It came with the stock 500 gb 5400 rpm internal hard drive.  At home, I only have the Snow Leopard OS installation Cds and a copy of iLife 2011 installation Cds.  I am going to buy 16 gb of RAM from Other World Computing to install.
    I want to replace the hard drive with a 1 tb hard drive, preferably something that is $100 or less.
    I talked to Other World Computing (OWC) and looked at the Data Doubler Option to replace the optical drive with a Solid State drive, but decided that for now I want to keep the optical drive inside the computer for portability issues.
    I know that Solid State drives are better, but they are still too small, and I want the ease and portability of a 1 tb size INSIDE my computer.
    Initially I was going to order this from Other World Computing: 1.0TB 2.5" HGST Travelstar 7K1000 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s 9.5mm Notebook Drive 32MB Cache. *'New' Factory Replacement with 2+ Year HGST Warranty*    As of April 4, 2014 it's on sale for $79
    But then I started reading some of the discussions online and thought maybe I should get a hybrid solid state drive?
    I saw on Amazon the Seagate 1TB Solid State Hybrid Drive SATA 6Gbps 64MB Cache 2.5-Inch ST1000LM014  It's on sale for $94.
    But according to some reviews, this Seagate has a platter that is only 5400rpm, unlike the previous Seagate Momentum that has a platter speed of 7200rpm.
    How reliable are the Seagate, versus a Toshiba or Western Digital or Hitachi or something else?
    Here are my questions about replacing the hard drive:
    1.  Is a hybrid solid state drive going to need some kind of special formatting after I put it into the macbook so that I can put the operating system on it?
    2.  Is a "normal" platter hard drive more reliable than a hybrid solid state drive?
    3.  Is there any additional driver or special software that I have to install for a hybrid solid state drive?
    4.  Currently there is no personal data stored on the computer.  Can I just put the new hard drive in, and then insert the snow leopard install cd?
    5.  If I install snow leopard, can I just go to the App store and get the free upgrade to Mavericks?
    6.  If I want to do the "Data Doubler" option in the future and add a normal Solid State drive into my computer, will it have trouble interacting with the 1 tb hybrid solid state drive?
    I would love to get some recommendations about the smartest option to upgrade my hard drive with something that will be fast (I edit lots of photos) and large (1 tb) that isn't going to cost too much.  I don't know much about the different brands or options (and there are so many listed in tons of online reviews), that I got really overwhelmed and confused by the info out there.
    I would really appreciate any help and advice.  I've never switched out a hard drive before.
    PLEASE HELP !!!  Thanks!
    Here is the "About this Mac" Info:
    Macbook Pro 15-in Mid 2012
    Model Identifier: MacBookPro9,1
    Processor: 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7
    Memory: 4 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
    Software: OS x 10.8.5
    Storage (Hard drive): APPLE HDD ST500LM012 Media, Rotational, SATA, GPT (GUID Partition Table)

    1.  Is a hybrid solid state drive going to need some kind of special formatting after I put it into the macbook so that I can put the operating system on it?
    The boot drive, regardless of what it is, needs to be formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled).  This is standard with OS X.
    2.  Is a "normal" platter hard drive more reliable than a hybrid solid state drive?
    There are arguments pro and con.  Bottom line, SSD's and hybrid drives are still quite expensive per GB than standard hard drives.  If you have the bucks and are a speed demon, go ahead.   I have better use for my money.   Standard hard drives are mechanical and may wear out over time.  But even though SSDs are not mechancial, they can still go bad and ultimately they even have a limit to their write capacity.  The jury is still out on this debate.
    3.  Is there any additional driver or special software that I have to install for a hybrid solid state drive?
    No
    4.  Currently there is no personal data stored on the computer.  Can I just put the new hard drive in, and then insert the snow leopard install cd?
    You can physically put the hard drive in but probably not install Snow Leopard on this MBP.
    The mid-2012 MacBookPro9,1 models came with Lion 10.7.3 (11D2097) preinstalled.   It is very unlikely you would be able to install Snow Leopard on it.  Historically you cannot install a version of OS X that is earlier than the version that came with your Mac (even if you replace the hard drive).
    5.  If I install snow leopard, can I just go to the App store and get the free upgrade to Mavericks?
    Not via Snow Leopard on this MBP.  See my response to #4.
    6.  If I want to do the "Data Doubler" option in the future and add a normal Solid State drive into my computer, will it have trouble interacting with the 1 tb hybrid solid state drive?
    No.  They are completely independent of each other; they are just independent storage units (drives) and their RAM does not interact.

  • Internal Hard drive for macBook pro 13 inch.

    Hello everybody :")  
    How are you? I hope that everyone is fine.
    I have come today  i need your opinion and your advice to me about my (HDD)
    i need to buy new HD for my book pro .
    Can you answer my questions and give me advice
    frist i will write for you my MBP information :
    MacBook Pro 13 inch - 4 GB  memory -  the old HD is  320 GB 5400 rpm - Processor i5 dual core .
    made in 2010
    * note :Almost i'm not interested in (SSD)  because the price is expensive SSD  to storage capacity that can i give it .
                   HDD  was excellent with me .
    -What are the types of HDD which advise me?
    - what best HDD for macbook pro ? ( toshiba or WD )
    - how I choose from among types of HDD ?
    -How do I know what types are compatible with my device? Is there site or previous experience advise can help me !
    What your opinion  about this kind:
    Seagate Momentus XT 750 GB 7200RPM
    are good for my MBP ?
    I care about the quality, performance and  more than speed.
    Thank you in advance
    I hope to help me soon

    Di.grad 
    toshiba 1.tb and 7200 RPM ?
    Those are same as use by Apple in the non-retina macbook Pro, Ive got piles of them, only a Hitachi is better.
    Toshiba HD are a hair noisy even by Toshiba own admission, but no big deal.
    I would NEVER buy from OWC merely for the reasons that their prices are miserable.
    Here you go,   $65
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/TOSHIBA-MQ01ABD100-1TB-5400-RPM-8MB-Cache-2-5-SATA-3-0Gb -s-Internal-Notebook-/121107538930?pt=US_Internal_Hard_Disk_Drives&hash=item1c32 9263f2
    same as used by APPLE in their own.

  • Need help finding a bootable external hard drive for a G4 Mini

    Without going into details of a 3 month and counting 'nightmare' (several well-known vendors), I still can not find a hard disk drive that will still boot a PPC G4 Mini over Firewire 400.  As I understand it, the Oxford (now J-Micron) 940-series chip-sets are not compatible with pre-2009 Macs.  Can anyone provide clarity as to the precise requirements in this application and/or suggest a 1 to 2 TB drive that will still boot a PPC over Firewire?  [And before anyone is stimulated to be 'cute' (snide), No, the G4(s) is not my only current Macs but I do have significant (valid to me) reasons to keep one working.]

    Okay, I just looked at that OWC Elite Pro (not that it was unknown to me previously) - and they're still claiming that it has the Oxford 934 chip set. (so far so good).  OTOH, I've been in daily contact with OWC techs and senior mgmt for several months now and no one there has ever suggested this as a potential alternative.  I've been a loyal OWC customer since 1988 and had always highly--recommended them  to friends (PREVIOUSLY).  At the same time, on their so-called MiniStack "Classic" (NOT) model/page, they list the newer Oxford 943 chip set (which they've know for almost at least 3 months now (and have admitted in writing to me) will NOT ever boot a pre-2009 Mac (PPC or Intel) until/unless they come up with compatible firmware.  Meanwhile (and to date), that same web page states " It can act as a boot drive as well."  Which is a known, proven and admitted lie - which I've reminded them of at every possible occassion since October (and still they persist) .  But, they'll be glad to take your money - they took mine after I had explicitly asked before purchasing 2 of these units if it would boot the G4 - and was told yes, but they knew/know it won't (go figure).   Furthermore, be forewarned  that their Guardian MAXimus is by far the worst POS I've ever seen in 30-years as a Mac addict.  There' SO much wrong with it/these, it'd take me a few days to write it all out - as if I would want to ever revisit that sub-aspect of this continuing  'nightmare'

  • What is a recommended internal hard drive for a Mac Pro 1,1 (2006)?

    What is a recommended internal hard drive for a Mac Pro 1,1 (2006) model? I would like to
    add more hard drive space by utilizing the three available slots. However, from my understanding,
    Apple does not produce hard drives for my older computer so I'll need to turn to a third party.

    You are very much over-due for some new larger more efficient drives.
    the most common best approach goes something like this....
    SSD 120GB for system
    WD Black 1-2TB for data (and  put all your data and media files, all your home account sub-folders)
    Backup. I use WD Green but use what you want. I have a small boot volume, TimeMachine, and 3rd that is a clone image of the boot drive volume.
    Very fond of WD 10K VelociRaptor drives. Not much louder now than the WD Black 2TB, $100-200 for 250GB to 1TB.
    You can use any size SATA 3.5" drive, most now are 1TB and up to 4TB.
    You should have always bought Amazon or Newegg or outside of Apple, Apple can often charge 3x what those places charge.
    Probably want to add or replace FBDIMMs you have, these are excellent and price in the last year has fallen.
    2x2GB FBDIMM DDR2 667MHz @ $29
    http://www.amazon.com/BUFFERED-PC2-5300-FB-DIMM-APPLE-Memory/dp/B002ORUUAC/
    WD Black 1TB $93
    http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Caviar-Internal-Desktop/dp/B0036Q7MV0/
    WD Green 3TB $149 - backup
    http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Caviar-Green-Desktop/dp/B004RORMF6/
    WD VR 10K 250GB $103 200MB/sec boot drive :
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007V5A1BK/
    Those last and last and make a nice boot drive.
    SSD: Samsung 840 128GB
    http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Series-120GB-internal-MZ-7TD120BW/dp/B009NHAF06/
    Over-due to upgrade and replace the graphic card most likely it sounds like also:
    ATI Radeon 5770
    http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC742ZM/A
    http://www.amazon.com/Apple-ATI-Radeon-5770-MC742ZM/dp/B003Z6QH6M
    http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/726537-REG/Apple_MC742ZM_A_ATI_Radeon_HD_5 770.html
    Your OEM 7300GT isn't helping now and with Lion or the X1900 dust magnet and out of date too. If you have a functional 8800GT still working you are lucky and no need.

  • How to upgrade my internal hard drive for macbook 5,2 from 160GB to 1TB?

    Hello,
    I wonder if you can please help me out.
    I wonder, is it possible to upgrade my internal hard drive for macbook 5,2 from 160GB to 1TB?
    Thanks,

    There's only one 9.5mm high 1tb drive around http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Samsung/HNM101MBB/
    With a video on replacing the hard drive http://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/macbook_13_mem_hd/

  • Internal Hard Drive for my macbook

    Hi !
    I'd like to know where can I buy an internal hard drive for my Macbook, and if there is a seize limit.
    I bought the MB on the 05th Nov. 2007 : MB 13" white ; 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2x1Go (667MHz DDR2 SDRAM) [right now] the hard drive is 160Go [FUJITSU MHY2160BH]
    I'd like to know where I can buy it (in France if it's possible or on internet)
    and if it's possible to get a 500Go
    Moreover 7200t/m is better than a 5400t/m but does it use more ? is it noisly ?
    I guess that with the on I have right now there is something which protect the hard drive in case of shocks.
    Thanks !
    M@cmuft

    There is no capacity limit on the MacBook but I believe you will need a drive of maximum 12.5mm deep, to be certain I'd try to get a 9.5mm drive. 7,200 rpm drives are usually a little noisier and will use slightly more battery power when running. The "sudden motion sensor" is built in to the computer, not the drive - do be careful when buying your new drive as drives with built in drop protection can cause issue with the SMS in the computer. You can disable the SMS if need, just Google for instructions.

  • HT4718 I want to install a new internal hard drive for my Macbook (13in, Late 2009) and restore to factory settings. However, I want to keep my Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

    I want to install a new internal hard drive for my Macbook (13in, Late 2009) and restore to factory settings.  However, I want to keep my Mac OS X Snow Leopard., which I downloaded from the app store. How can I restore computer with the updated OS?

    What I did on our two computers was partition the hard drive so that both Snow Leopard and Mountain Lion can be used on the computers. This allowed me to be able to retain/use older applications and games on the Snow Leopard partition. This will allow you to do a clean install of Mountain Lion on the newly created partition. The Mountain Lion installer has a button that allows you to select another drive so you don't install it over Snow Leopard. I cleverly name one partition Snow Leopard and the other one Mountain Lion so I wouldn't confuse the two (I never claimed to be smart).
    To partition, you need to have sufficient free hard drive space (I suggest 50 GB minimum). Boot off the Snow Leopard DVD or the disks that came with the computer and use Disk Utility to partition your hard drive into two partitions. If you plan to make Mountain Lion your primary OS, then you can reduce the size of the Snow Leopard partition so most of the free hard drive space is available for Mountain Lion. While booted off the disk, you can install Snow Leopard on the partition you want it on.
    Restart and download Mountain Lion, remembering to select the correct partition before installing. I would make a copy of the installer and move it out of the Applications folder because the installer self destructs.
    After getting all that sorted out, I found that while booted in Mountain Lion I could access the Snow Leopard partition. That allowed me to drag files and applications from Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion. Applications that won't work with Mountain Lion will be grayed out with a slash through them.

  • Internal hard drive for use as scratch disk

    Am running OS 10.4.11 on a dual core 2.3 Ghz PowerPC G5. Want to install a 2nd internal hard drive for use as a scratch disk w/ FCP and for my media files, etc. Given that I can only accomodate an SATA I drive w/ 150 Gbps transfer rate what might some decent choices be for a 500 Gb to 1 TB drive suited for video (and a PowerPC G5)? I'll also be adding an external drive for backup if anyone has any suggestions.

    Thanks for the recommendations. I had been looking at the Hitachi CinemaStar series but you have to reset the drive to SATA 1 for use w/ a G5 PowerMac. Resetting the drive, according to Hitachi, can only be done on a PC which I don't have access to. And I think that holds true for all their drives that are not strictly SATA 1.

  • For Curt Y......I'm using a internal hard drive for scratch

    I've set my extra, internal hard drive for scratch....not using system drive.

    Dreamit, please continue the dicussion in your original topic: http://forums.adobe.com/message/4557660#4557660

  • How to I find a compatible, more powerful hard drive for my macbook 13 inch late 2008?

    How to I find a compatible, more powerful hard drive for my macbook 13 inch late 2008?

    There are many sources for compatible 2.5" laptop SATA interface hard drives and SSD's.
    I've used Other World Computing (www.macsales.com) for a number of upgrades, and highly recommend them if you're in the US. OWC also posts helpful videos on YouTube showing step by step removal and installation instructions and the tools required for most Mac models. If your old drive is still functioning, but you're simply running out of space, you might also consider purchasing an upgrade kit that includes an external 2.5" drive enclosure with USB interface. Then you first install the new drive in the external enclosure and 'clone' the contents of old drive to it, then swap the old drive for the new one, and use the old drive in the external enclosure as a backup drive, to test new software and OS upgrades, or to store video, photos, and audio.

  • I need some help deciding on a External Hard Drive..

    I have heard a lot of good things about G-Technology, Seagate and others.
    I am having trouble trying to find a difference between them all. I like the style of the G-Technology but I cant tell a difference between some of there models like the Graid 2 or the G Drive besides price. I dont yet understand all the different ways to connect about all I know is Firewire is faster then USB
    second I dont know how to back up stuff. This is what Im looking for. I want to just have as much unused space on my mac book pro as possible. So I want to throw my videos, music, and photos onto the external and not use up my internal hard drive on the laptop.

    You don't say what you'll be using the drive for, but for many, the hard-drive world is divided into two camps: video applications and non-video. If you're not doing video work (as in Final Cut Pro, FCE/HD, etc.), then slower speed drives (5400 RPM) and busses (Firewire 400, USB 2) will usually work fine. Also, you can get by (often) with less space. However if you are doing video production, you'll need speed (7200RPM) as well as capacious size (because video takes up an incredible amount of space).
    I have used a number of different Firewire drives--LaCie, Maxtor, Seagate, and... most recently, G-Tech (RAID Mini). I've been relatively happy with all of them, though less so with the Maxtor (quality control issues--I've had a couple of them take a dive way before they should have). Also, the LaCie units seem to have more 'connectivity' issues than the others. I like the Seagate 400GB unit just fine, though it's not as fast as the G-Tech.
    What I'm getting to is that if you can afford it, the G-Tech is the drive to get. Faster than anything I've ever owned. Completely reliable whether bus-powered or AC. Awesome quality, reliability, speed etc. It's tiny, so I can take it in my laptop backpack and do video production anywhere. This drive is the best computer peripheral purchase I've ever made, and I've made a few. Soooo worth the money.
    For backups, I use a combination of SuperDuper! (for backing up my System etc.) and Apple's Backup (everything else). Neither has the feature set of Retrospect (which I use at work), but at home, I don't need that. These work fine.
    Just my opinion. Hope it helps.

  • Need help in installing a SATA hard drive with 865pe NEO2

    Hello there
    I need a help in installing a Sata hard drive ,it is WD 250 GB , my motherboard is 865PE Noe2 , the bios is the latest one
    already I got another old hard drive ,not a Sata ,a regular IDE one installed as a master hard drive
    I want to install the sata hd as a slave for the IDE hd for now to transfer the files and documents
    I already physically installed the Sata hard drive yet the problem is that it was listed in the bios , I followed some of the steps here in the forum mentioned but all what I got is I found it listed as the fourth IDE master , not as the primary IDE slave
    in Windows Xp Sp2 it is not listed of course in the windows explorer , but it is there in the device manager
    look I am very confused and I tried most of the combinations in the ide configuration in BIOS 
    what should I do coz I am feeling so bad and stupid  ,you can consider me a n00b in this hard drive thing

    1st the sata drive cannot be listed as a slave drive to the ide master [key word=ide-can be configured as master OR slave, master IF only 1 hd, master and slave IF 2 hds], on the sata controler you can have master and slave, the ide cable has two connectors for the hds, sata has only 1 hd connector.
    are you wanting to install the sata as primary master and move the operating sys to that drive, if so you will need an IMAGING software to move an operating system OR you could do a fresh operating system install to the sata drive then install your programs.

  • Internal hard drive for late 2003 DP G5... advice needed!

    Hello,
    I need to get additional storage for a G5 DP 1.8 that I use at work. I'm thinking of getting an internal hard drive rather than an external hard drive, mainly because of pricing - is that the better option? I need a minimum of 200Gb, preferably 300GB.
    If I was to buy an external storage device, compatibility isn't much of a problem... however, as an internal hard drive would be purchased through the work account of the PC-based IT department, I want to make sure that I'm getting something that is Mac-friendly.
    At present, between the IT guys and myself, we've settled on the Maxtor MaxLine III 300Gb Hard drive- 3.5"/ SATA-150 7 Pin Serial ATA/ 7200 Rpm/ 16 Mb Buffer. Would this work fine in a late 2003 G5 DP 1.8?
    Or is there a strong argument for following the external route and purchasing something like the Smartdisk CrossFire 250GB FireWire/USB2 hard drive?
    Any advice much appreciated! Thanks!

    If you want performance, an interal drive ist best.
    A PCI(-X) SATA controller with internal or external connectors is just as fast (and should work with any harddrive, unlike the built-in SATA controller). Firewire 400 is somewhat slower, and USB2 is far worse. Firewire 800 is pretty close to SATA.
    Anyway, I believe the Maxtor you listed should work fine.
    External is great for portability, too keep an out-of-house backup for example.
    -- Related stuff --
    List of other drives I believe to work.
    Another thread about SATA drive compatibility
    Please double check compatibility - if in doubt - in the
    xlr8yourmac: Drive compatibility database
    Quad G5   Mac OS X (10.4.7)   4 GB ECC RAM, Raptor 150 GB, Seagate 750 GB, GeForce 7800 GT

  • Need help! White screen and hard drive

    I have a MacBook Pro A1211 I got off Craigslist. It needed a new logic board and hard drive so I got both. My problem is I just found out the hard drive has windows on it and when I power on the MBP all I get is a white screen.  My question is is there a way to get windows off that hard drive while its installed in the MBP? I've tried every command I could find online to push when I power on the MacBook but it does nothing. I bought a copy of snow leopard 10.6 factory sealed and put it in the super drive but it just spins for a while and then stops. The fans constantly run also but I'm new to MacBook so I don't know if that's suppose to happen. I got the disk management to come up one by holding down option and power on but it didn't give me the option of choosing the SuperDrive and I can't get it back up. It's almost like the keyboard isn't working. If there's any suggestions y'all can give me I'd appreciate it.

    Startup - Gray, Blue or White screen at boot, w/spinner/progress bar
    Startup - Gray Screen
    Startup Issues - Resolve
    Startup Issues - Resolve (2)

Maybe you are looking for