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    Upgrading HDD and Ram in Macbook Pro 13"

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by umhaha, Sep 18, 2011.

  1. umhaha

    umhaha Notebook Consultant

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    I'm thinking of buying a Macbook Pro in the near future and was wondering how easy it is to upgrade the HDD and Ram in those. Is it similar to other PCs where you just open the bottom and unscrew it? and For rams, do you have to buy a specific ram just for Macbooks or just any ram?
     
    umhaha, Sep 18, 2011
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  2. kornchild2002

    kornchild2002 Notebook Deity

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    It is a little more difficult than traditional notebooks in that you have to manage ~10 screws and take off the entire bottom panel. It still takes only about 2 minutes to open the bottom and it doesn't void the warranty. After that, installing RAM and a new hard drive is pretty much just like any other system. I recently put an SSD in my 13" MBP taking out the hard drive and the entire process took me about 6 minutes.

    As for the RAM, you do not need MBP specific sticks but you do need ones that meet certain specifications (just like RAM for any other notebook). It doesn't matter if the RAM is made by Crucial, Kinsington, etc.
     
    kornchild2002, Sep 18, 2011
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  3. GP-SE

    GP-SE Notebook Consultant

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    what year macbook pro?
    most likely just normal laptop DDR 3 (1066 or 1333mhz) will be fine, and a SATA hard drive.
     
    GP-SE, Sep 18, 2011
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  4. kornchild2002

    kornchild2002 Notebook Deity

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    The OP said they were thinking of buying a 13" MBP so I assume that means they are looking at the 2011 models. Also keep in mind that not all notebook DDR3 1066 or 1333MHz RAM is created the same. It needs to meet certain specifications. Additionally, all 2011 MBPs use SATA III so buying a SATA hard drive would be a downgrade.
     
    kornchild2002, Sep 18, 2011
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  5. AppleUsr

    AppleUsr Notebook Deity

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    im tempted to upgrade my machine to a 720gb hard drive and 8 gigs of ram but im afraid i will strip the screws. ive heard of horror stories of stubborn screws and having to drill them out.
     
    AppleUsr, Sep 18, 2011
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  6. GP-SE

    GP-SE Notebook Consultant

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    When I said SATA I didn't mean SATA 1, I meant SATA in the connector type sense. I didn't know how computer technical the OP was, so I said SATA in the general sense, so he wouldn't choose PATA/IDE. I also agree not all ram is created equal, but there is no need to get "apple compatible ram" when any DDR 3 will work. I suggest G.Skill, cheap, and has excellent reviews in MacBook Pro's. Also if you're buying a new (2011) MacBook Pro then get DDR 3 1333mhz.

    As for the screws, just make sure you have a precision screwdriver set and take your time, you'll be fine.
     
    GP-SE, Sep 18, 2011
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  7. kornchild2002

    kornchild2002 Notebook Deity

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    You just need the right phillips head 00 screwdriver. Some are thicker than others causing problems in that they can't grip the screws. The smaller ones seem to do better and, for the most part, I tend to find those in screwdriver sets that also contain the appropriate hex head you will need to take the hard drive out. I have opened the bottom of my MBP twice and all of the screws are still fine.

    Again, that isn't the case especially when some DDR3 RAM sticks use different latencies. Buying any stick of DD3 RAM would be bad. The OP needs to make sure it is compatible with the MBP first. It doesn't have to carry an Apple logo on the RAM and there is no point in going through Apple for a RAM upgrade. It just has to have a certain latency setup, otherwise it may not work and cause OS X random freezing. Telling the OP to just buy any stuck of DD3 RAM is a bad idea. Instead, if you wanted, you should link them to RAM that will work with the 13" 2011 MBP.
     
    kornchild2002, Sep 19, 2011
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  8. ClearSkies

    ClearSkies Well no, I'm still here..

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    Indeed, and correct ... folks need to be careful about making recommendations that can/will cost members in time and money if followed.

    Apple notebooks can have issues with downclocking RAM from 1333 to 1066 correctly, and using the former may cause kernel issues and freeze/boot problems if placed in a 1066 system ... reports of such can be found with some searching online. One has to be sure to use the right frequency RAM, which depends on what the MBP has installed already, and then as suggested any major manufacturer should be sufficient.

    NEgg has fire-sale pricing on both 1333 and 1066 RAM lately @ $35-40 for 8GB (2x4).
     
    ClearSkies, Sep 19, 2011
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  9. GP-SE

    GP-SE Notebook Consultant

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    I have a 2010 MBP that runs at 1066mhz, I'm using G.Skill 1333mhz ram without issue:
    Newegg.com - G.SKILL 8GB (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Laptop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBSQ

    it's 1333mhz CL-9, when running at 1066mhz it runs at CL-7.
    No issues at all for me, and if you read reviews many 2010 MBP users have this ram without issue running at 1066mhz. I just didn't want the OP to think he has to buy apple certified ram which costs more, when *almost any* DDR 3 will work.
     
    GP-SE, Sep 19, 2011
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