Solid state drives are making their way to replace hard drives in Mac computers. Today, Apple installs them not only in laptops and desktop computers.
Many users, when choosing a potential computer, prefer all-in-one PCs. Large quality screen with high resolution, excellent performance and relatively compact body. All this combined makes the iMac a great choice for almost everyone. But Apple all-in-one PCs have one very significant drawback. We'll talk about it today.
Remember the good old days, when in a couple of minutes you changed the battery, added RAM and installed additional storage? If you are a user, all this is a thing of the past for you, but upgrading your hard drive is still possible, and Apple developers still allow us to do it. In 2010, Apple introduced its proprietary solid-state drives - “blade” SSDs. The company touts their read and write speeds and reliability, but rarely explains the details of the technology used in SSDs, which are designed only for Apple computers.
If you happen to have a Mac mini 2011 or 2012 or an old / MacBook Air, do not rush to send them to retirement ahead of time and run to buy a new generation of computer, which costs much more. Most accessible computer V Apple line It's pretty upgradable and with an SSD you can give it a second life.
Now almost every home has some type of data storage device: hard drives and solid-state drives () in computers and laptops, USB flash drives, microSD cards and so on. True, all these devices have a common serious drawback. Due to the complexity of the technology used in their production, there is always a chance that the drive will fail, “burying” all the available information: photographs, collections of home movies or music. Hard drives and SSDs have a limited data rewriting resource, which the average user cannot always track. But even if the drive fails, this does not mean that the data is lost forever. In most cases, them.
Few would argue with the fact that Apple creates the best computer technology, and has been doing so for a long time. The company's laptops and desktop computers have a beautiful and stylish design, convenient operating system and, most importantly, they work stably. But what's even better is that even old Mac computers can last for many years because they have ample upgrade options.
I admit I'm a big fan external drives. Back when computers were equipped with hard drives with a maximum capacity of 30-40 GB, I already had external drive the same capacity - due to constant moving, I wanted to be as mobile as possible and always have the necessary files at hand. Time is running, and now even solid-state drives (
It so happened that two weeks after my Macbook Air 13" ran out of Apple Care, the SSD died. I didn’t want to go to the official representative, or to the wrong laboratories. In the first case, the price of the test was not at all adequate; in the second, I and couldn’t get the lab to give me a repair price if it turned out that it was only the SSD that was really broken.The problem was made worse by the fact that I wasn’t 100% sure that it was the SSD and not motherboard for example, that’s why surrogates were not ordered from well-known and not so well-known brands, for example, OWC. Another difficulty was that Apple deliberately makes its devices as difficult to repair as possible, even to simply unscrew the cover you had to ask a friend for a set of screwdrivers, so it’s not surprising that you couldn’t just take the first SSD you came across and check.
Fortunately, this tricky nut also had its own threaded bolt, namely, an adapter for using standard Macbook SSD drives. I came across it quite by accident and I think that few people know about this possibility of replacing a disk, so I decided to talk about my experience here. The experience is that I ordered an adapter for $4 from aliexpress, on the second attempt I found a 128Gb Samsung SSD lying around at a friend’s place, which worked like a native one. I didn’t particularly measure performance, but visually opening and installing programs as if they were native. No glitches were noticed either. Trim mode was enabled manually, according to the instructions in this article. As a result, the repair cost much less than if I had bought a compatible surrogate disk or, moreover, an original one.
Please note that there are adapters for different models SSD and Macbooks, prices range from 4 to 20 dollars. Sometimes the disc is without any apparent reason doesn’t fit, so if it doesn’t start with one disk, and the adapter is chosen correctly, then try with another disk. Choose very carefully, visually they are all very similar. It is better to write to the seller your specific Macbook model so as not to guess. In my opinion, the same adapters are sold for $4 and $20, the only difference is in the inscriptions on the board. You can buy them on aliexpress, ebay, amazon, and there are sites that specialize in them. A couple of photos of what it looks like are at the end of the article (sorry for the quality, it was taken in haste with a phone). I hope my experience will help someone.
Update, I received this comment some time ago from user Helytdoff:
Good day!
After reading this material habr.com/ru/post/400279, I ordered an adapter, but it didn’t fit :(
Everything is fine with it, only the Chinese made a board thicker than the original SSD for the Mac and it just stupidly doesn’t fit into the slot. It might be worth adding a warning to the article that this could happen.
P.S. I rarely write in Russian, if there are mistakes (and there are), please write to me in a personal message, I will correct them.
P.P.S. Thanks a lot
A solid state drive (SSD) has many advantages over a regular one. hard drive(HDD) - it is faster, more reliable and takes up less space during installation. But the choice specific model of a specific manufacturer almost always ends with the words “all are the same, I’ll take the one that’s cheaper.”
When choosing an SSD for Mac, you need to know what types of solid-state drives exist and what is suitable for your case. And we will help in this matter.
Why install an SSD at all?
- SSD is faster than HDD - read/write speed increases significantly. This speeds up system loading, launching and working with applications. For example, we took MacBook Pro 15″ 2009:
- SSD is more reliable than HDD - in case of falls and impacts, the probability of SSD failure is much less, since the drive has no moving parts inside, unlike HDD
Which SSDs can be installed in Mac
There are two types of SSDs that come in Macs: the 2.5-inch format and Apple's proprietary format, which is very similar to the M.2 form factor. The first type is the most common, which is what all solid-state drive manufacturers focus on. Such disks are universal and can be installed in any computer (where there is room for it).
In the case of Apple computers, a 2.5″ solid-state drive can be installed in:
- MacBook (late 2008 – mid 2010)
- MacBook Pro 13″ Unibody (mid 2009 – mid 2012)
- MacBook Pro 15″ (early 2006 – mid 2012)
- iMac (early 2006 – late 2015)
- Mac mini (late 2005 – late 2012)
The drive in MacBook Air starting from 2008 can also be replaced, but this laptop model is equipped with an SSD of a proprietary form factor. Apple also began using this format in the MacBook Pro with Retina display(since 2012). There are much fewer such drives on the market, they are more expensive, and they also differ depending on the year of manufacture and model of the MacBook. In most cases, owners simply replace proprietary SSDs with the same ones, but with an increased capacity. This is what these drives look like: 
What is the difference between SSDs from different manufacturers?
Solid state drives may differ in write/read speed, reliability, stated service life and, accordingly, price. UiPservice specialists recommend drives from two manufacturers for installation: Intel and Samsung. That's why:
- Reliability tests show that Intel and Samsung drives are among the most durable on the market
- components from these manufacturers are used by Apple itself
- not all SSDs can function adequately on a Mac, while Intel and Samsung drives work without errors and do not cause the system to freeze
- The optimum ratio of price and quality
In the case of drives of a proprietary form factor, which are installed in MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with a Retina display, there is also a choice: original components from Apple (more expensive), drives from Transcend and OWC (cheaper). Drives from Transcend and OWC can come with an optional case that turns the internal SSD drive into an external USB drive. Also, depending on the MacBook model and year of manufacture, SSDs from Transcend and OWC may differ slightly from the original ones in read/write speed.
How much does it cost to install an SSD in UiPservice
It all depends on what kind of Mac you have and how much storage you need - it requires less time and skill than, for example, a 2015 iMac. In addition, prices for SSD drives change regularly - you can find out the latest information from UiPservice managers: in Messenger on the website or by phone.
Today I would like to tell you about my personal experience Installing a solid state hard drive, also called an SSD. The point of installing such a disk is very big: the system literally starts working much faster. You can find out which drive I chose for myself, how I installed it, and whether I was impressed by reading this article.
The article was actually written by the administration of OA 3, and was not taken from any third-party resource. It all started when I noticed how my Mac started to slow down a little. This fact amazed me, because I bought a computer in March 2013, we can say that this is completely new car. Without thinking twice, I decided to upgrade my computer. It was immediately clear that an SSD and an increased amount of RAM could give me a performance boost.
The RAM in the MacBook Pro 13’ 2012 without retina, which is exactly what I have, can be increased to 8 GB, at least that’s what it says on the Apple website. But it turns out that the well-known company Corsair produces special RAM that works great with computers like mine, and its volume is 16 GB. The RAM must have the following characteristics DDR 3 SO-DIMM 204 pins. But I did not increase the amount of RAM, since most experts advised me to choose an SSD drive.
SSD selection.
Certainly, RAM will give an increase in performance, but not as big as an SSD drive. The place to start when choosing a disk is the format. You can find the disk in Yandex.Market. Choose a 2.5-inch SSD drive for laptops.
Next let's move on to volume hard memory disk. The size of the SSD drive will no longer affect performance, so analyze how much memory is currently occupied on your Mac and choose the appropriate one hard model disk.
On my HDD disk there were 500 GB, of which I only took 45, so I realized that a 120GB SSD would be more than enough for me, and I was not mistaken.
Which hard drive is better?
Let's start with the company. I advise you to consider Plextor, OZI Vertex, Intel, Samsung, Corsair, and Transcend - I chose the drive from this company for myself.
Which hard drive is more powerful?
There are three main factors to consider here.
Write speed - Read speed - Random write speed (4Kb blocks).
For me these figures reach numbers of (520-550-82000).
In principle, this is where we can finish telling what a hard drive should be like.
SSD installation on Mac.
How to install a hard drive. I’ll say right away that I’ve never taken apart my Mac, and I never thought about it until I saw how much they were asking for. service centers for replacing the hard drive. So I armed myself with screwdrivers and started disassembling my Mac. I did this according to instructions from IFIXIT.COM, which I recommend to everyone.
To begin, I opened the lid of my laptop, disconnected the battery, and removed the hard drive. Up to this point everything was going very smoothly, but then I ran into a problem. Co old tough disk, you need to remove the bolts, and I didn’t have the appropriate screwdriver, so I took pliers, carefully wrapped their jaws with a cloth so as not to damage the bolts, and got to work.
Fortunately, everything went well and within five minutes these bolts were sitting on the new SSD drive. Naturally, then we do everything in reverse order and install new disk to the place where the old one was.
Installing OS X on an SSD.
That’s it, the SSD drive is there, but it’s empty, how can we install the system there? There are several ways to do this very simply.
1) You can create a full backup of your system in Time Machine, to do this, open Time Machine on your Mac and connect an empty external hard disk. Then the program will do everything
2) The second method will prompt you to create bootable USB flash drive, or boot disk. This is the method I wanted to use, but in the end Mac didn’t see the flash drive, and I had to use the third method.
3) Finally, the third method that I used. When you turn on a Mac with an empty SSD, you can connect to your WiFi networks and your computer will download and install the OS from the Internet, which is very cool and convenient.
What to do with HDD?
Where to put the HDD that was taken out of the Mac? You can install it directly on your Mac using Optibay. That is, you replace your DVD drive hard drive, and eventually your Mac will have a large number of HDD+SSD memory, it turns out a kind of Fusion Drive. But this option did not suit me. I decided to make an external hard drive out of my former HDD by buying a box for it, which cost me 300 rubles.
The box is a box that looks like an external hard drive, only it opens and the HDD is inserted into it. Very convenient, and now this disk can always be with me.
Impression.
I'm amazed at what happened to my computer. Now it turns on in 12 seconds, instead of the usual 55 seconds; after turning it on, you can immediately start working on it, launching “heavy” programs. I haven’t encountered any lag since installing the SSD, and professional programs such as Photoshop CS 5 Extended open in 2 seconds. All standard applications open instantly. The computer runs silently and does not heat up at all, although before this it worked quietly.
The hard drive itself cost me 3,800 rubles, which is not that much money. Therefore, I strongly recommend that anyone who is not satisfied with the speed of their Macintosh perform this procedure.
Now there is a large selection of external hard drives. When choosing, you should consider speed, strength, size and much more. We have collected for you the best HDD and SSD drives for Mac and PC.
Before the purchase hard drive you must understand what you will use it for and what characteristics are more important to you. Let's look at the main ones.
SSDorHDD
SSDs or solid state drives are very popular. They do not have removable parts, unlike HDDs (hard drives) with a rotating plate inside.
SSDs will last longer due to the lack of moving parts, but you'll get less storage unless you're willing to pay a premium.
SSDs are also significantly faster than traditional ones hard disks.
Ports
It is very important what ports are on your computer - Micro USB, USB-C or Thunderbolt 3. Data transfer speed is also important.
New hard drives contain USB-C port, as well as a USB-C/USB-C or USB-C/USB-A cable included to work with almost any computer.
Thunderbolt 3 is the newest and fastest technology, but drives with this connector are more expensive than others.
RAID
There are a few different types RAID hard drives, but the most popular of them is RAID 0.
If there are two disks inside the device, it reads and writes to both at once, almost doubling the speed. RAID drives 0 fast and efficient.
Now let's move on to the list itself.
If you don’t know how to buy on Amazon from Russia, you can read our instructions:
Western Digital My Passport SSD
The Western Digital My Passport is one of the most popular options, and also one of the most affordable.
U new version USB-C connector, and the kit includes an adapter for older computers.
It's an SSD, so the drive is fast. The only negative is that fingerprints remain on the case.
- Small size, simple design
- Fingerprints remain
- USB-C cord and adapter
- From 256GB to 1TB, price from $99 to $296
OWC Envoy
OWC is famous for its huge selection memory options. The company has a unique product – Envoy.
You can buy ready-made HDD or a Mac modification kit. They both allow you to increase internal memory Mac.
There is no USB-C support yet, but you can always buy a cord separately.
If you buy a modification kit, choose the right model and be confident in your skills.
- Separately or as a set
- Aluminium case
- Lots of different options, including a $279 Pro model.
Samsung T5
We couldn't help but include the Samsung T5 in the list. This hard drive is very small, fast and popular.
It supports USB-C and comes with a USB-A cable.
- Great design
- USB-C and USB-A support
- Fast Samsung memory V-NAND
- Available in options from 250GB to 2TB for 8800-18000 rubles.
Satechi USB-C Enclosure
You can create your own external hard drive by purchasing a Satechi case. It is metal and very easy to assemble.
The speed depends on the type of drive you're using, but the case supports USB-C anyway.
- Made from aluminum
- Easy to assemble
- Any disk can be used
- Available in space grey, silver and gold
- Available on Amazon for $34.99
Seagate Ultra Slim+
Seagate is another popular company. The Ultra Slim+ drive is quite thin, and inside there is a traditional HDD. The design is quite modern and has a nice logo at the bottom.
The model has not yet been updated for USB-C, but as usual you can buy an additional cord. Due to the HDD inside, this disk is accessible in price. The 2TB model can be purchased for just $79.
- Silver or gold color
- Affordable price
G|Drive R-Series SSD
G|Drive is considered a more premium brand. This hard drive looks absolutely amazing.
This hard drive is IP67 certified and can withstand 450kg weight and a 3m drop. It is very fast, speed reaches 560Mb/s. This is faster than the 540Mb/s of the Samsung T5.
- Good protection, incl. and from water
- Great design
- 5 year warranty
- 500GB, 1TB and 2TB options available
Oyen Digital Raid Enclosure
The Oyen Digital drive is similar to Satechi, but allows you to add additional disks. There are several types of RAID available, but the best one is RAID 0.
Instead of buying a 1TB SSD, you can buy two 500GB ones for much less and put them together. This drive will bring them together, and you will get an excellent hard drive.
The body, although large, is durable. It is made of aluminum and is easy to assemble.
- An affordable option for creating a fast SSD
- Good quality
- Space for two SSDs (or HDDs)
- USB-C support
- Available on Amazon for $99
Crucial SSD
If you are going to buy just an external case, then you will need disks for it. You may already have them.
If not, you can buy a Crucial SSD, it's reliable and fast, but not too expensive.
- Collect your drives
- Affordable price and high speed
- Can be purchased from 256GB to 2TB
Glyph Raid Atom SSD
Glyph has the fastest portable SSD. There are two V-NAND memory blocks inside, which means the speed is really high.
This drive can reach speeds of 770MB/s, which is much faster than others.
The case is quite reliable, the aluminum is covered with an anti-slip lining. There is USB-C support. If speed is your top priority, choose Glyph.
- Speed 770Mb/s
- Anti-slip
- USB-C
LaCie Porsche Design
LaCie produces premium wheels with a simple design. This drive is thin, beautiful, and supports USB-C. He does a great job. This disc will look great next to any Mac.
- Porsche Design available in gold, copper-gold and silver
- Chrome corners
- USB-C
- 1TB for 5290 rub.
CalDigit Tuff
CalDigit's Tuff is one of the most durable drives on the list. The set includes a case in which you can carry additional discs.
The aluminum drive is covered in a neon green casing that should protect it from drops. The ports are protected from dust and water. The disc can be immersed for 30 minutes in water to a depth of 1 m.
There are SSD and HDD versions, all with USB-C support.
- Lasting
- Case
- Water, dust and drop protection
- The 2TB version is available on Amazon for $179
LaCie Rugged
Over the years, this company's discs have changed. The version with USB-C has a detachable cord, which is very convenient. If it ever stops working, you won't have to change everything.
The drives are available in SSD and HDD variants and with different amounts of memory.
- Protection against falls and rain
- USB-C
- Unique design
- Available with 2 TB RUB 13,110.
LaCie 2Big Thunderbolt 3
