Question for a "newbie" :)

Joined
Aug 6, 2011
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
1
I currently have a unibody macbook which I was planning on selling to get a new one but decided to just upgrade her. Might as well; she run great! I do need advice on what to get for memory, processor and hard drive though. Here is a pic of "My Mac" stats. The hard drive is only 120GB! Any info would be GREATLY appreciated. I'm starting Biomed school this upcoming year and just want a blazing fast macbook. Thanks! ;D

My%252520Mac.png
 

cwa107


Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
27,042
Reaction score
812
Points
113
Location
Lake Mary, Florida
Your Mac's Specs
14" MacBook Pro M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
Unfortunately, upgrading the processor is not possible.

If the machine runs great right now, why upgrade it? Now, if you're having a specific problem (like running out of space with the HD), then I might recommend some targeted upgrades. But I wouldn't recommend fixing what isn't broken ;)
 
Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Messages
68
Reaction score
2
Points
8
Location
United Kingdom
To speed up your Mac (after all that's why most of us upgrade things) you can upgrade several things.

The first thing you can do quite cheaply is upgrade your RAM from 2GB to 4GB - an upgrade from the official Apple store can be expensive but if you buy from an alternative company like Kingston or Crucial then it's a lot cheaper.

The next thing you can do is upgrade your hard disk drive (this will mean you'll need to re-install your OS and all other software).

When it comes to the hard disk drive it's not just the size but the speed of the disk that is important. Most laptop SATA hard drives run at 5400rpm as standard. You can get slightly faster hard drives that run at 7200rpm. Most recently you can now get SSD hard drives that are extremely fast but have a price tag to match! You can also get hybrid drives that have the standard SATA hard disk with a small amount of SSD in them where all the most commonly accessed files are automatically copied on to SSD section for you making it nice and fast!

Another upgrade you can look at is installing Lion.

I have a 13" Unibody MacBook 2GHz Core 2 Duo and I have upgraded the RAM to 4GB and swapped the hard disk for a 500GB 7200rpm drive that has some anti-shock protection built in to it.

If you have the money then getting an SSD hard drive will make the most difference to your Mac experience with boot times even quicker than they are now!
 
OP
N
Joined
Aug 6, 2011
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Thankyou HelpdeskRules! I always wanted to get an SSD drive and then just get an external harddrive for files. Your advice is greatly appreciated!
 

cwa107


Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
27,042
Reaction score
812
Points
113
Location
Lake Mary, Florida
Your Mac's Specs
14" MacBook Pro M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
Thankyou HelpdeskRules! I always wanted to get an SSD drive and then just get an external harddrive for files. Your advice is greatly appreciated!

Just be sure to look before you leap as not all SSDs are created equal. Also, the SSDs on the market today, despite being much improved from their predecessors, are still very much a nascent product.

Before you plunk down a healthy sum, make sure you know the specific model's caveats in terms of throughput, compatibility with OS X, MTBF, wear-leveling algorithms, TRIM support and compatibility with your particular Mac's hardware.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top