Macbook Pro + SSD + Optibay

CallMeSteve

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Has anyone done it? Any noticeable issues?

I have a 120GB SSD and have ordered an optibay equivalent to try it out. The optibay caddy is coming from China so it'll be a couple of weeks but I can't wait! I'll be putting in a 500GB hard drive in to store pics/vids etc and leave the SSD for the OS and apps.

Since having an SSD I can't believe how it's changed my Mac experience. Makes my i7 iMac feel slow. :)
 
I have just installed a Vertex 2e in my MBP, the difference is amazing.

Considering they have a 3 year warranty, I have not bothered doing the optibay.

The change is incredible.

G.
 
I've got the Vertex 2e too. :) I want to try a RAID combo at some point in the future so the optibay is really for that by the extra 500GB will be useful, even if I use some of it for Time Machine.
 
What SSDs are you using chaps? I have a 320 WD 7200prm drive (only about half used) but want a SSD in my C2D MBP, what do you recommend?
 
After a lot of research, the two that were most recommended were the OWC Mercury Extreme and OCZ Vertex 2/2e. Since the OWC is only available from the US (they ship to the UK), I went with the OCZ Vertex 2e. I also had a Crucial C300 for a short while and it was fine but the OCZ is cheaper and has better performance in a Mac.

EDIT: You could always get a 80/90GB SSD and put the 320GB in an optibay caddy. I paid £11 for mine.
 
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Some folks on this forum have installed the Seagate XT hybrids - and the performance is just as jaw-dropping. Apart from reports elsewhere that these hybrids are giving some power management trouble, they're pretty compatible so far.
 
I've done exactly that :)

MBP 13" + Intel X25 80GB SSD + 500GB WD Blue HDD in an Optibay.

I went for the Intel as the reviews on it's long-term performance, stability and reliability were right up there with the best - it's hard to find too much negativity about it. 80GB is also an ideal size for the OS and applications, as even with big Apps like MS Office and Adobe Photoshop, as well as a good amount of other Apps, I'm around half full.

Performance is as instant as you'll get. The speed of the SSD makes a bigger difference than any CPU could when it comes to daily activities, like powering on, resuming from standby, opening applications and documents etc. It's impressive, very impressive.

I think I've got the perfect combination now. Lightning fast operations with loads of storage :)

With the launch of the Mac App Store in Jan next year, the need for an optical drive will decrease even further than it has already so sacrificing it really isn't a big deal, IMO.

Installation was straight forward too, FWIW. Took about 20 minutes from opening the case to having it in and working.
 
I've done the same, have 2x256Gb Crucial SSD's, one obviously in the opti-bay.

Love that I can run VM's on a seperate SSD, makes it lightning fast!!
 
Put an OCZ Vertex 2 in my Mac Mini a long with 8Gb of ram, very impressed with the results. Really, fast snappy, tiny PC.
 
I currently have 160GB Intel x-25 and 160GB 5200RPM drive installed and it's running great, although don't be ripped of with the optibay one (if it's the £100 one) I got mine off eBay for £10 and it's been great.

I would get a USB DVD Drive though for the time when you do need it, very rare but I carry it in my laptop bag just incase.

My Unibody Macbook (late 2008) is quite a beast now with this + 8GB RAM just need a larger resolution :(
 
I'll be putting in a 500GB hard drive in to store pics/vids etc and leave the SSD for the OS and apps.

If your not going to edit the videos this would be fine, but you would loose the benefit of the SSD speed for viewing photos instantly.

I have all my pictures on my SSD but then use symbolic links to place my users download folder and iTunes music folder (not artwork) on to the normal drive. This gives me instant loading in iTunes or iPhoto.

I'd have a good think of what you will use as anything on the normal drive will of course be limited to the drive speed even if the application is running of the SSD.
 
I currently have 160GB Intel x-25 and 160GB 5200RPM drive installed and it's running great, although don't be ripped of with the optibay one (if it's the £100 one) I got mine off eBay for £10 and it's been great.
Do you have a link? I thought that $99 plus shipping plus tax etc for the one from OWC for a piece of pressed aluminium was a bit rich. I have sadly come to the conclusion that I cannot currently justify replacing my current 17" MBP which is just over 2 years old so a cheap'n'cheerful upgrade with an SSD & extra RAM could at least make me feel better about that decision.
 
I currently have 160GB Intel x-25 and 160GB 5200RPM drive installed and it's running great, although don't be ripped of with the optibay one (if it's the £100 one) I got mine off eBay for £10 and it's been great.

I would get a USB DVD Drive though for the time when you do need it, very rare but I carry it in my laptop bag just incase.

My Unibody Macbook (late 2008) is quite a beast now with this + 8GB RAM just need a larger resolution :(

Can you have 8GB on an aluminium unibody Macbook? I thought 6GB was the max. I have 4GB and have been wanting to upgrade to 8GB. I already have OSX, iLife and my main apps on an external HD. I'll probably get an enclosure for the Superdrive to use as an external drive.

If your not going to edit the videos this would be fine, but you would loose the benefit of the SSD speed for viewing photos instantly.

I have all my pictures on my SSD but then use symbolic links to place my users download folder and iTunes music folder (not artwork) on to the normal drive. This gives me instant loading in iTunes or iPhoto.

I'd have a good think of what you will use as anything on the normal drive will of course be limited to the drive speed even if the application is running of the SSD.

Sounds like a good idea, I'll give that a go. Any instructions on how to do it?

Do you have a link? I thought that $99 plus shipping plus tax etc for the one from OWC for a piece of pressed aluminium was a bit rich. I have sadly come to the conclusion that I cannot currently justify replacing my current 17" MBP which is just over 2 years old so a cheap'n'cheerful upgrade with an SSD & extra RAM could at least make me feel better about that decision.

This is the one I went for. Got it for £11.
 
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This looks very interesting. I simply could not justify the huge amount of extra money Apple wanted for the 500gb SSD when I ordered by Macbook Pro around 4 months ago but I can justify buying a 120gb SSD and putting my existing 500gb HD in this optibay thingy. I don't really use the optical drive anyway to be honest.

How do I stand warranty-wise if I switch the SSD for the hard drive? What about installing the optibay, would that void my warranty?

How easy is it to do? I used to repair PCs and Laptops for a living so shouldn't be too difficult I guess?

cheers
Mark
 
How do I stand warranty-wise if I switch the SSD for the hard drive? What about installing the optibay, would that void my warranty?

Technically yes, the OptiBay voids your warranty, but you'd have to be a special kind of idiot to not remove it first :)

If you fit the OptiBay and your laptop later has a problem, remove the Optibay and second HDD. The main HDD is considered user-upgradeable so wont void your warranty - unless the problem is with the HDD, then you're on your own.
 
You need a delicate touch, but it's fairly straight forward. As said before, you can have it done and tested within 20 minutes if you're reasonably confident in this sort of thing :)
 
Does anyone know what brand of SSDs are factory installed by Apple?
 
I personally prefer my ODD so won't do an optibay but I fully (hope) plan to get an SSD next year, I'm hoping for the Intel G3 300GB and think it will have comparable performance to the Vertex, I'll also add 8gb ram. If the Intel isn't up to scratch I'll get a 256gb Vertex 2.

Reading the Mac forums though doesn't imply anyone has trouble doing an optibay transformation.
 
Some folks on this forum have installed the Seagate XT hybrids - and the performance is just as jaw-dropping. Apart from reports elsewhere that these hybrids are giving some power management trouble, they're pretty compatible so far.

Yep, I've done exactly that cheap, lots of space frequently used apps open instantly. Absolutely brilliant for the money.
 

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