Questions, questions, questions!

Joined
Dec 22, 2010
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Omaha, Nebraska
Your Mac's Specs
13" MacBook Pro 7,1 2.4Ghz C2D stock
Greetings, I'm new here.

I've got a 13" MacBook Pro, latest revision. I have a few questions about a range of topics.

First and foremost, I want to upgrade to an SSD, and move my existing HD to an optibay in the optical drive spot.

1. Is there any official word on warranty violations with this procedure?
2. Is the 60GB SSD from MacSales/OWC a good choice?
3. How often does the optibay power down?
4. With the removed optical drive, am I able to connect it to a SATA to USB adapter and use it like that? Or will I need to find a dedicated external enclosure?
5. For formatting an SSD, post use, is zeroing it bad? Can cause issues with trash/writing speed etc? I read the post about OS X and SSDs, but it's not clear on this issue.
6. Is there a cheaper optibay caddy from ebay or some other place? The one from OWC is quite pricey.

Thanks!
 

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
Greetings, I'm new here.

I've got a 13" MacBook Pro, latest revision. I have a few questions about a range of topics.

Welcome, you've come to the right place.

First and foremost, I want to upgrade to an SSD, and move my existing HD to an optibay in the optical drive spot.

I'd say look before you leap - SSDs are still in their infancy and there are some technical issues that could lead to shortened life. Also, since OS X doesn't support TRIM, there is a potential for diminished performance over time.

1. Is there any official word on warranty violations with this procedure?

There is some controversy here. I've heard it said that if a part is not deemed user-serviceable by Apple, monkeying with it will constitute a warranty invalidation.

I was told by an Apple authorized tech that they don't care if a user has changed out parts, just so long as they don't damage anything related to the part in the process. And of course, the machine warranty doesn't apply to that particular part.

I'm going to guess that the optibay is a substantial enough modification that it might raise an eyebrow or two should the machine need to be serviced. I would definitely have plans in place to put the machine back to factory config should there be an issue.

2. Is the 60GB SSD from MacSales/OWC a good choice?

Since OWC specializes in Mac parts, yes, I'd say it's one of the best.

3. How often does the optibay power down?

The Superdrive hangs off the SATA bus, so it should work in much the same way your hard drive would.

4. With the removed optical drive, am I able to connect it to a SATA to USB adapter and use it like that? Or will I need to find a dedicated external enclosure?

Providing you can find a case, this shouldn't be an issue. But it might be less expensive to just pick up a slimline USB optical drive as they can usually be had for less than $50. Then, just hang onto the drive in the event you need warranty service.

5. For formatting an SSD, post use, is zeroing it bad? Can cause issues with trash/writing speed etc? I read the post about OS X and SSDs, but it's not clear on this issue.

Generally speaking, you want to reduce the number of writes to any given sector of an SSD. A zero out should not be necessary.

6. Is there a cheaper optibay caddy from ebay or some other place? The one from OWC is quite pricey.

Thanks!

Not that I'm aware of. It is very much specific to that application, and you'll pay for that exclusivity.

To be honest, I would give this very careful consideration - especially during the warranty period.
 
OP
Z
Joined
Dec 22, 2010
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Omaha, Nebraska
Your Mac's Specs
13" MacBook Pro 7,1 2.4Ghz C2D stock
Welcome, you've come to the right place.



I'd say look before you leap - SSDs are still in their infancy and there are some technical issues that could lead to shortened life. Also, since OS X doesn't support TRIM, there is a potential for diminished performance over time.



There is some controversy here. I've heard it said that if a part is not deemed user-serviceable by Apple, monkeying with it will constitute a warranty invalidation.

I was told by an Apple authorized tech that they don't care if a user has changed out parts, just so long as they don't damage anything related to the part in the process. And of course, the machine warranty doesn't apply to that particular part.

I'm going to guess that the optibay is a substantial enough modification that it might raise an eyebrow or two should the machine need to be serviced. I would definitely have plans in place to put the machine back to factory config should there be an issue.



Since OWC specializes in Mac parts, yes, I'd say it's one of the best.



The Superdrive hangs off the SATA bus, so it should work in much the same way your hard drive would.



Providing you can find a case, this shouldn't be an issue. But it might be less expensive to just pick up a slimline USB optical drive as they can usually be had for less than $50. Then, just hang onto the drive in the event you need warranty service.



Generally speaking, you want to reduce the number of writes to any given sector of an SSD. A zero out should not be necessary.



Not that I'm aware of. It is very much specific to that application, and you'll pay for that exclusivity.

To be honest, I would give this very careful consideration - especially during the warranty period.

Thanks for the advice. Upon secondary consideration I've decided to forgo the optibay slot. However, I am worried about running out of space on my main drive. And I don't want to invest any more money than $150 in a technology that you said is... in its infancy.
 

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