I think I need a new HDD.

[cosus]

So... I use a MacBook and would like to upgrade my HDD. Down to my last GBs (hah! Last few gigs... that line cracks me up, still seems so much, but the more I get, the more I need!) and don't feel safe about so little wiggle room. I decided I want a 500GB 7200 RPM disk and for under USD 140. Do I really even need 500GBs? No idea, but at < USD 140, it seems like I can live with excess.

Now that you have backstory, lets get to my questions:
1) Anyplace other than newegg that would have this and is reliable?
2) Can I use a time machine backup to restore my computer or would I need to backup a disk image?

Thank you.

Yours truly,
Michael

[Dorian Gray]

There is only one 2.5-inch, 7200 rpm, 500 GB hard disk in the world, so just plug it into your favourite comparison shopping engine and take your pick. (It's the Seagate 7200.4 (http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/products/laptops/momentus/momentus_7200.4/) by the way.)

Not sure about your second question. SuperDuper is easy to use and would do the job for sure if you don't want to risk using Time Machine for something it's not designed for.

[cosus]

Oh yeah, I had a third question, what kind of performance boost, more accurately, change would 7200 RPM on a 500GB HDD over the 160GB HDD my mac came with?

[PB PM]

Well actually, Seagate makes two 7200prm 500GB drives now.

Seagate Momentus 7200.4 500GB 2.5IN SATA 7200RPM 16MB
and the (lacks SMS)
Seagate Momentus Gforce 7200.4 500GB 2.5IN SATA 7200RPM 16MB
the later is about $10 more, but features motion detection technology that stops the heads (SMS) , much like those that come stock with all Apple notebooks.

There is a big boost. Even a 500GB 5400rpm drive would be noticeably faster, because the heads must move faster to access more data in a smaller amount of space.

[cosus]

Neat, my last mac died because a hard disk failure after I dropped it. :P

[PB PM]

Well, the drive could still fail even if the heads are stopped if you drop it.

[Dorian Gray]

Well actually, Seagate makes two 7200prm 500GB drives now.
Alright, well spotted. :p Same performance of course.

Oh yeah, I had a third question, what kind of performance boost, more accurately, change would 7200 RPM on a 500GB HDD over the 160GB HDD my mac came with?
Quite a bit regardless of which drive came with your Mac, but it would help to know the precise model. The Seagate 7200.4 has decent accent times for a 7200 rpm disk (better than most (all?) 5400 rpm drives), and the highest sustained transfer rates of any 2.5-inch disk thus far (peaking in excess of 100 megabytes per second). Probably close to twice as fast as your Mac's original disk in terms of sustained transfer rates, but access times won't be vastly lower.

[PB PM]

Alright, well spotted. :p Same performance of course.

:lol: What can I say, I'm a hardware nerd. ;)

[cosus]

Well, the drive could still fail even if the heads are stopped if you drop it.

I'm the kind of person that thinks the ostrich was ahead of the game.

[cosus]

What's the easiest way to transfer data? Should I just get superduper on an external drive? I really don't want to get the install disks for this computer (that and they might be lost).

Also, how many firewire HDDs can you daisy-chain?

[PB PM]

A clone or a Time Machine backup (if you have 10.5) would work.

[cosus]

So time machine doesn't require reinstalling from restore disks first? Sweet deal. That's perfect then.

[cosus]

Ok, I gave in and just ordered a 320GB 7200RPM HDD from newegg. :/

[MBHockey]

I installed a 320 GB, 7200 rpm drive in my MBP (WD Scorpio). The installation was a bit hair raising, but all went well and the drive is great. Your installation will be much easier :)

[RowdyScot]

For the record, avoid getting the 7200.4 with the SMS. It's apparently caused some kernaling according to several reviews I've seen. Funny ya started this thread, cosus, since I'm about to purchase this myself. Not liking the month wait on availability, though. I'm tempted to upgrade to the 5400.6, since the data density is better on that than on my 160 GB 7200 RPM that's currently in here.

My question is regarding having AppleCare with my MBP. I'm fairly certain that doesn't cover upgrades, but I thought I'd just ask to be sure. After the scare I had a few weeks ago losing both the graphics card and the logic board, I'm not about to do something to put my AppleCare in jeopardy. I work 20 feet in front of an Apple-certified hardware technician, so finding a place to have it done is no issue, but the extra cost may deter me for a bit.

[PB PM]

If a certified tech does the installation it wont void the warranty, but Applecare only covers the original hard drive. So if the new drive fails you have to deal with the reseller (within 15-30days) or the manufacture, meaning you'd have to pay a certified tech to remove said drive, and replace it as well.

[cosus]

I got the Seagate Momentus 7200.3 and will be upgrading a MacBook3,1.

Then I'm using this 160GB HDD and upgrading my 40GB PS3. :P

[RowdyScot]

If a certified tech does the installation it wont void the warranty, but Applecare only covers the original hard drive. So if the new drive fails you have to deal with the reseller (within 15-30days) or the manufacture, meaning you'd have to pay a certified tech to remove said drive, and replace it as well.

That's what I figured. Ah well, the space is worth it, and the guy may be willing to do it for free so long as he has no other projects going. I'll ask him. I know the Hardware Support guys in the back get bored, so maybe he'll do it just for fun. ;)

[Frank777]

Does anybody have any feedback on the Hitachi Travelstar 320GB drive?
That's what I'm looking at as a possibility for my MacBook Pro.

Also, the 'hard drive protection' that Apple advertises for the MBP. Is it a hardware feature of the HD itself?
Do I give that feature up once I replace the Apple-installed drive?

[bassplayinMacFiend]

Only if your new drive doesn't have the SMS (Sudden Motion Sensor?).

[PB PM]

I believe that all 2.5" Hitachi models have the sensor needed to make SMS work, while Seagate makes two lines, ones with the sensor, "Gforce" models, and cheaper 2.5" drives without the sensor. Not sure about WD or Samsung 2.5" drives though.