Upgrading the drive...what to consider?

I am wanting some more space but have never fooled with the drive before and I am not a computer guy to begin with.
What things do I need to consider?
Size and and rpm of course but what else?
What's about buffer size, seek time etc?
What about balance...noise and speed and power consumption?
Are there specific drives for mac?
What kind of warranty can you get?
Also if money is no option....is there a premium drive out there?
Thanks!
Message was edited by: Michael Renwick

For notebook drives you can get drives with 8 MB and 16 MB caches. Individual drive performance is determined by many factors. Looking at benchmarks can help identify which drives may be best for your use and needs. Look for benchmarks at Bare Feats, Storage Review, and Tom's Hardware Review.
Any 2.5" SATA notebook drive that is not higher than 9.5 mm will fit in a MBP 15" model.
Warranties are typically 3 or 5 years depending upon manufacturer, drive model, and how much you pay.
No, there is no "premium" drive out there.
You can find suitable drives at:
MacSales.com
NewEgg.com
Buy.com
And many other vendors that you can search for via Google.

Similar Messages

I have a macbook white with osx 10.6.8 and the software update wont work anymore for upgrading the software ,what should i do?

some of the apps that i just downloaded are not compatible with my software and when I tried to upgrade to mavericks from the app store, in my download list it wont download. Before ive tried download it, it worked, but i paused it, so when i tried again, nothings changed
Please help, should i download mac os x 10.7? and where?
thank you

Software Update won't take you beyond 10.6.8 which is the highest incremental update for Snow Leopard. The fact that it won't let you upgrade to Mavericks suggests that your Mac is not compatible.
You should start by checking that your Mac can handle Lion, for which the requirements are:
Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor
2GB of memory
OS X v10.6.6 or later (v10.6.8 recommended)
7GB of available space
The original early 2006 MacBooks have only a Core Duo processor and so are not compatible, but the models from late 2006 on have a Core 2 Duo and so should be.
Lion is available in the Online Apple Store ($19.99). You will get a code which you can use to download it from the Mac App Store.

I want to upgrade the hard drive in my MacBook Pro

I bought one of the first MacBook Pros that only came with a 100gb drive. I want to buy at least a 250gb drive for it. The problem is that I would like to maintain what I already have on the existing drive. I am getting Leopard on Monday so I'm not sure if using Time Machine will help. I guess what I am trying to say is that I like my computer just like it is as far as what I have installed and configured on it. Can anyone offer suggestions to how I can upgrade the drive and maintain all of my stuff. I have an externl drive much larger than 100gb to use should I need to back some stuff up. Any hel would be greatly appreciated.

The hard drive is not a user upgradeable part. This means that technically speaking if something goes wrong with your installation, you may void your warranty/AppleCare. Some authorized service centers may be able to maintain your warranty while doing such an installation, but that really varies by service center. I know when I install a new hard drive in my iMac, I had to put back in the original hard drive before before Apple would be willing to diagnose the logicboard of my iMac. So consider that before installing a new hard drive. You can put the SATA 2.5" drive inside a Firewire enclosure which supports it to maintain your hard drive contents while you put in the new drive. http://www.ifixit.com/ and http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/ are the most common places to find instructions to do such installations yourself. Mind you, because as an external drive, it is more liable to fall, and break, backing it up before you take it out is highly recommended as my FAQ* explains:
http://www.macmaps.com/backup.html
And that's highly recommended before you install Leopard in anycase. So do that first, and worry about whether Time Machine will give you the abilities you need later. There is a new Leopard forum on the board where you can see what people have found out about Time Machine.
http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=235
- * Links to my pages may give me compensation.

Is it a mistake for not upgrading the hard disk of new iMac to 1TB Fushion Drive

I have just bought a new iMac 27" in Fortress in HK for Video editing by Final Cut Pro X and Motion 5, may be After Effect later. I am thinking if I have made a mistake for not upgrading the driver to Fushion Drive. The followings are my spec:
Intel qual core-i7 3.4 GHz
16 GB RAM
1TB SATA
GTX 680 MX
Because my budget was within HKD 20,000, so I am considering if my decision for the upgrades were correct for video editing. To be honest, I really want to try Fushion Drive

I don't think it is a mistake. The Fuse Drive is a combination of both a Real SSD and a spinning mechanical hard drive. With that system if either drive fails you lose all your data.
There have been many articles on how to Make a Fuse drive, when there is both an SSD and Spinner installed in the system, and how to Break one up so you can use both drive independently, SSD and spinning drive as 2 separate drives.
The reason Apple came up with this system is for people that have no concept of how to use 2 separate disks in their systems. It allows them to still have the speed of a SSD along with the storage capacity of the large spinning hard drive without knowing how and where to store the data they have or may accumulate over the life of the system.
Also the way Apple want the user, almost Forces users, to store there files is in the User area that is located on the Boot drive. That will fill up a SSD very fast (depending on how much data the user or users have).
It does have overhead that will slow the system down compared to a system with independently accessed SSD and spinners.
Not sure what model iMac you bought as I didn't think the newest 27 inchers were out yet. But you should be able to add your own SSD so you can use it for the OS and program files and store your data on the mechanical, spinning, hard drive. And you can do that for much less them what Apple charges for a SSD. You could also combine them into a Fuse drive if you like. Just do a Google search for "Make Fuse Drive".

Upgrading the Hard Drive - can it be done by Apple?

So, I bought a standard, from the store, in a box Macbook. I have discovered that 250gb is WAY too little for my needs, and would like more. However, I am not about to tackle this myself, so is it possible to take my Macbook into an Apple Store and have an employee do it for me, transferring my current Hard Drive's contents onto a 500gb Drive? Is there a charge for this, beyond the cost of the Drive? How much would the drive be?
Thanks.

How about buying an external drive to store your extra data? Easy as plugging it in to a usb port.
Any opinions on how this may limit how you work with the external drive that the OP may want to consider?
Personally I would upgrade the drive, use a firewire case to transfer your data(clone the old drive onto the new) and windup with your old drive in the case as a external backup/extra storage drive. This is totally a totally new idea to me, but told it is easy; this will be my spring break upgrade project, should be a total under $150 I think.

I can't put cds into itunes, I upgraded the dvd driver software. I was able to before but now I can't. I'm a new ipad/pod owner 2 weeks.

So what do I do next I put the cd in it doesn't read it in itunes, worked before doesn't now. Upgraded the driver software ofr the toshiba optical drive no avail.

Hi KT. I restored my information back to November 10th and the one app that I need the info on is still empty like I just downloaded it. Do you have another suggestion? I was able to track down my serial number but can't get the UDID without plugging it in and I no longer have it. Suggestions?

Which inf file to use for HP LaserJet Pro 200 color m251nw, when updating the driver?

My printer is LaserJet Pro 200 color Printer M251nw. I visited the support page and found there is a newer driver.
Driver (61.117.01.15301)
Currently my driver version is 61.117.1.11493. I want to upgrade the driver.
After downloading and unzipping the files into the folder, I found there are 3 inf files in the folder:
hpcm251u.inf
hpcm251c.inf
hpbuio70l.inf
So which one should I install? I am disappointed at the lack of information and inconvenience in upgrading the driver.
June

Hi CJKim,
Welcome to the HP Forums.
I see that you are trying to update the driver and are not sure which .inf to choose.
I will be happy to help you.
Since it is running through the add printer wizard you can select any one of the .inf files you listed
to update the drivers.
Thank you for posting on the HP Forums.
Have a great day.
Please click “Accept as Solution ” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.
Click the “Kudos Thumbs Up" on the right to say “Thanks” for helping!
Gemini02
I work on behalf of HP

How Do You Install The Driver For A USB-GPIB-HS?

I have a USB-GPIB-HS module. I'm trying to install it on a Dell Latitude E6510 laptop running Windows 7. I have LabVIEW 2011 installed on that computer along with the version of NI488.2 and NI MAX that came with LabVIEW 2011. During the process of debugging I've upgraded NI488.2 to the latest version from the NI website, v14.
The USB-GPIB-HS shows up in the Device manager in the Control Panel. It has a yellow exclamation mark (a "bang") next to in. It says that the device driver isn't working "This Device Cannot Start (Code 10)". If I "Troubleshoot" the device from the menu there it tries to download a newer driver, but it can't find one. The driver version is 14.0.0.49152. If I try to upgrade the driver in Device Manager it says that it's up-to-date.
In NI MAX the device shows up, but can't be used. It's name and serial number are given but the normal controls to use it don't appear.
I've heard that tinkering with the "GPIB Enumeration Service" can help, but I can't find where that service is.

The problem was that the USB-GPIB-HS modules I tried was physically broken. I tried another and everything worked.

Upgrading the Apple TV harddrive

It only comes with a 40gb HD. Has anyone tried to upgrade there drive yet? Say to a 120 or 160GB? 40GB is no way big enough for my iTunes and iPhoto library. Yes it can stream. But I doubt that I'm going to stream 20mb raw photos one after another.

To all contemplating upgrading the drive, it should be noted that the Apple TV has a fairly limited cooling system (& most likely not much reserve power in its power supply).
This means you should be very careful about selecting a replacement drive that won't over-stress the device, leading to early failure, particularly since you will have voided the warranty.
For reference purposes, you may find the O.E.M. drive specs handy:
Fujitsu MHW2040AT Full Specifications
For best results, do not use a drive that requires appreciably more power or has lower operating temperature specs.

Upgrading the 60 GB Hard Disk

Now that Apple is offering up to 200 GB hard disks in the MacBook, I wonder if I can upgrade my 60 GB MacBook drive. Previously I was told (Apple Store) that 60 GB was the largest hard drive I could use in my MacBook.

would you say that it is better to buy a 200 or 250GB HDD by my self und keep the original 120GB as a external instead of upgarde from 120 to 200GB for approx. 130 Euro if I buy the MacBook ??
I would buy the 250 GB because it is a 5400 RPM drive. The 200 GB Apple offers is 4200 RPM. I would not upgrade at apple. I would buy the stock MacBook and then later you can upgrade the drive and the RAM yourself.
These are very good instructions on How to Upgrade Your MacBook's Hard Drive. The apple instruction linked to by Kappy are good but they left out the Torx # 8 needed that Michael mentions.

I am considering a base 21" iMac ($1099 @ Best Buy) for home use. It would be my first Mac. Is the base model powerful enough for everyday home use and some light video editing or should I upgrade the CPU, Ram and to a Fusion drive?

I am considering a base 21" iMac ($1099 @ Best Buy) for home use. It would be my first Mac. Is the base model powerful enough for everyday home use and some light video editing or should I upgrade the CPU, Ram and to a Fusion drive?
Purchasing with the upgrades through Apple would add about $800 over the Black Friday deal at Best Buy. Just looking for some advice if I will be satisfied with the based model.

All models will do what you want. Upgraded models will do it faster than the standard models.
Just why are you thinking of switching to a Mac?

I have what I consider the best smart phone on the market, but I resently upgraded my Windows Vista PC to Windows 8 and my Itunes went away. Is there anything that I did wrong or aren't the two compatible?

I have what I consider the best smart phone. I recently upgraded my PC from Windows Vista to Windows 8 and my Itunes went away. Did I do something wrong or aren't the two compatible?

If the update did not preserve all your Applications you may simply have to download iTunes again and instrall it on Windows 8.
There's nothing strange about an update not preserving installed Applications.

HI, I HAVE A MacBook Pro 2.3GHz dual-core Intel i5 AND I WAN'T TO UPGRADE THE HARD DRIVE UP TO 750GB AND ALSO THE RAM MEMORY TO 8GB. WHAT SPECIFIC MODEL OF HARD DRIVE AND RAM MEMORY SHOULD I BUY??? THANKS

HI, I HAVE A MacBook Pro 2.3GHz dual-core Intel i5 AND I WAN'T TO UPGRADE THE HARD DRIVE UP TO 750GB AND ALSO THE RAM MEMORY TO 8GB. WHAT SPECIFIC MODEL OF HARD DRIVE AND RAM MEMORY SHOULD I BUY??? THANKS

No need to type in all caps - we HEAR you!
I would take a look at the internal drives offered by both Crucial (click the link "Internal Hard Drives Now Available") and OWC. I would stay away from Western Digital drives as they seem to have problems on a number of Mac models.
You can also shop for RAM at Crucial and OWC - just select the System Scanner tab at the Crucial website to find out which memory is right for your machine.
Good luck,
Clinton

What is the best upgrade hard drive for a A1342?

What is the best upgrade hard drive for an A1342 (white macbook)?

Absolutely. I put a Samsung 840 in my early 2009 white macbook and it is the best computer upgrade I've ever done. I've also put an OWC SSD in my late 2009 iMac and highly recommend their drives. http://eshop.macsales.com

Is it possible to upgrade the Mac Pro with SCSI/SAS drives?

Hi guys I am considering to move on to a Mac Pro from my old PC.
The Mac Pro enclosure is quite unique in its hard drive holders as no cables are used and all drives are connected with a plugin mechanism.
So I am curious if that will allow me to upgrade to a SCSI/SAS storage system which requires cable connections between drives and the SCSI/SAS card on the PCI-E slot. I dont know if this will be possible with the Mac Pro enclosure.
Has anyone tried to do this？
Btw is there any Ultra320 or SAS(preferably) interface card available for Mac OS X?

The connectors for SATA drives can be used with SAS drives. However, the controller needs to be SAS compatible. I have never installed a SAS drive in the Mac Pro bay to see what happens. If some one has a SAS drive and wants to try this I would be interested in the results.
My guess is that the Mac Pro would not see the drive.
Areca sells the Mac Pro PCIe bootable ARC-1680 SAS controller in several configurations. This controller allows the user to utilize SAS or SATA hard drives connected to the card. The ARC-1680x comes with two external mini SAS connectors that can support eight direct connect hard drives or up to 128 devices (in theory) when used with SAS expanders.
The ARC-1680LP has one internal mini SAS port and one external mini SAS port. I looked at the Mac Pro internal SATA connectors and they can unscrew from the frame but there is only about 1/2" of clearance in that area of the case. In addition, I would want the hot swap bays to still operate and I did not see an easy way to patch into the existing SATA connectors. It would be nice if the Mac Pro factory connectors used snap on SATA connector on the back of the backplane so that users could interface the 4 SATA bays with an internal PCie controller. However, its hard wired in the existing configuration. With the new Mac Pro PCIe RAID 5 card on the market there must be alternative connectors that allow this type of installation to work properly.
Based on the ease at which the Areca SAS controller can be added as an external using the ARC-1680x I went with that option. I am using it with eight direct connect SATA hard drives now. I plan to expand the storage by adding a SAS expander in the form of a hub or an enclosure with SAS capabilities. I have been looking at a 16 bay SAS enclosure but I am not sure how loud it will be
Details on the ARC-1680 can be found here:
http://www.areca.com.tw/products/pcietosas1680series.htm
Its very cool to have SAS or SATA capability along with a bootable card that can support tons of hard drives and RAID levels 0, 1,1E, 3, 5, 6, 10, 30, 50, 60 or JBOD . I booted the Mac Pro with a 2TB Mac OS X 10.4.10 RAID 6 volume and ran Xbench. It shows a 400MB/sec. hard drive setup and raises the overall Xbench score substantially.
While I doubt I will boot the Mac Pro from the RAID 6 volume much, it is very cool that that function is available. This is the only PCIe host adapter I have found with boot capabilities besides Apples new $999 4 port SATA internal card. SAS has lots of expansion capabilities. Users that want pretty much unlimited hard drive connectivity will enjoy the new ARC-1680x.
Have fun!

Upgrading the drive...what to consider?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for