Yet another question about SSDs in a MacBook...

[rampancy]

So the long and the short of it is that I snagged a Core Duo MacBook for cheap off of Kijiji, which needed more than a little TLC. Now that I've got it fixed up, I've thought of upgrading it with an SSD - but I don't know what (if any?) compatibility issues I should look out for. I've seen tidbits here and there of people who purchased off the shelf 2.5" SSDs for use in their MacBook/Pros/Airs and ran into issues with the OS installer not seeing the disk, but I've not seen anything consistent...

Also, any advice on what make/model to look out for would be really appreciated too. I'm not really looking for "OMG Ludicrous" speed, but something decently faster than a traditional hard drive.

Thanks in advance - I seem to recall some AppleNovians talking about their experiences with SSDs but I don't remember who my searches of the forums draw a blank!

[MBHockey]

I have had a lot of success with the OCZ Vertex drive that, coincidentally, I'm currently selling (http://forums.applenova.com/showthread.php?t=33260).

/shameless plug

:)

[screensaver400]

FYI, I believe that MacBook is limited to 1.5Gbps SATA, as opposed to the newer 3.0Gbps.

The fastest SSDs can nearly max out the 3.0Gbps standard in terms of throughput. If you get one of those--like the Vertex--you'll be limited to a theoretical max of about 185 MB/s on 1.5Gbps SATA.

Still, that's about twice as fast as most hard drives. You'll also get the lower latency of an SSD and the improved random read and write speeds, which are really more important than sequential speeds on a day-to-day basis.

That said, the Intel X25-m is almost universally regarded as the best mainstream SSD. The retail price for a 160GB model is supposed to be $499, but shortages have driven the market price to over $600 last time I checked. Be sure to get the second gen model--it has a silver casing and G2 in the name.

The Vertex line is great as well, and available in larger capacities. The cost pet megabyte is comparable to the Intel (perhaps a bit cheaper, especially with the retailer overcharging for the X25). The Vertex used to sometimes cause problems, but I think they've been mostly ironed out with the new firmware and the recent batches.

[Maciej]

FYI, I believe that MacBook is limited to 1.5Gbps SATA, as opposed to the newer 3.0Gbps.


I think they fixed that bug with a firmware update a while back. Here (http://support.apple.com/downloads/MacBook_Pro_EFI_Firmware_Update_1_7_).

[chucker]

I think they fixed that bug with a firmware update a while back. Here (http://support.apple.com/downloads/MacBook_Pro_EFI_Firmware_Update_1_7_).

He's talking about a white Core (1) Duo MacBook, though. I'm pretty sure its chipset only does SATA 150.

[Maciej]

He's talking about a white Core (1) Duo MacBook, though. I'm pretty sure its chipset only does SATA 150.

Oh snap! My bad, serves me righ for trying to do too many things at once. Feel free to disregard my post completely. Thanks for catching that chucker.

[MBHockey]

I have had a lot of success with the OCZ Vertex drive that, coincidentally, I'm currently selling (http://forums.applenova.com/showthread.php?t=33260).

/shameless plug

:)

Well, that seems to have to jinxed it. My SSD suddenly died this morning. Working off a USB drive clone is unbelievably unbearable.