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MacBook 2GHz Intel Core Duo Upgrade Yes or No

  • 24-02-2012 10:15am
    #1
    snollup
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,464 ✭✭✭


    I have a 2006 MacBook (as above) and am considering upgrading to a solid state HD with a view to extending its life. The current HD is starting to creak a little. Just wondering am I wasting my time & money with this upgrade?

    Thanks in advance.


Comments

  • #2
    J-blk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭J-blk


    Not at all - the SSD is one of the best possible upgrades you can make on an older machine. I have a 2008 aluminum unibody MacBook with the same clock speed as yours (though it's a Core 2 Duo) and stuck an 80GB Intel SSD in there quite awhile back. It makes a massive difference over any HDD and makes the machine feel way snappier, could not recommend it more.


  • #3
    jimmymal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 228 ✭✭jimmymal


    Hey guys what sort of cost are ye talking about? For both the harddrive and the istallation?
    Ive a similar macbook to J-blk except 2.4ghz and its seems pretty sluggish these days. am going to wipe the hard drive and reinstall with maybe a view to upgrading the os to lion but it might benefit from any additional boosters.


  • #4
    J-blk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭J-blk


    I got my 80GB well over a year ago and it was around the €200 mark. That kind of money will probably get you a 120 to 160GB these days:

    http://www.dabs.ie/search?q=intel%20ssd

    You can probably get a decent 60GB for around the €100 mark and that would be more than enough for the OS and all your basic apps too. You could always use an external HDD or do what I did: remove the optical drive (and make it external) and mount an HDD in its' place (I now have the 80GB SSD and a 1TB HDD) using something like this:

    http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/drive_bracket/datadoubler/


  • #5
    snollup
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,464 ✭✭✭snollup


    Thanks for that J-blk.

    Looking at either a 128GB w/ data transfer kit for €175 from crucial.com. Will have a bit of a shop around before I take the plunge tho'. Will try to muddle through the install myself, no doubt with help from youtube!


  • #6
    J-blk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭J-blk


    snollup wrote: »
    Will try to muddle through the install myself, no doubt with help from youtube!

    It's very easy, I've swapped out hard drives on older plastic MacBooks as well, nothing to it really and plenty of tutorials out there, so you should have no problem as long as you have the right screwdrivers for everything.

    Definitely shop around and remember that even a mid-performance SSD will be a huge speed increase over an HDD, no need to get an absolute top speed one. Try Dabs.ie (linked above), Amazon or even Komplett.ie, you should get free delivery from all of them for the cost of the SSD.

    Best of luck with the upgrade.


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  • #7
    54kroc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,376 ✭✭✭54kroc


    A SSD would be a cracking upgrade alright, the new crucial one's are wicked fast and great value at the moment.


  • #8
    wazzoraybelle
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 659 ✭✭✭wazzoraybelle


    I recently upgraded my macbook pro 2006 with a 500gb hybrid drive. Much cheaper than a full ssd and it's incredibly quick, much quicker than my laptop was when new, and boots quicker than my partners new mac air. Safari and iphoto start in 2 bounces and booting up takes about 25 seconds. It's not noisy and doesn't make any vibrations like I had read about. couldn't be happier with the choice.

    I'd recommend if you're swapping out the drives yourself that you give the fans a good clean while you have the body open.


  • #9
    snollup
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,464 ✭✭✭snollup


    wazzoraybelle wrote: »
    I recently upgraded my macbook pro 2006 with a 500gb hybrid drive. Much cheaper than a full ssd and it's incredibly quick, much quicker than my laptop was when new, and boots quicker than my partners new mac air. Safari and iphoto start in 2 bounces and booting up takes about 25 seconds. It's not noisy and doesn't make any vibrations like I had read about. couldn't be happier with the choice.

    I'd recommend if you're swapping out the drives yourself that you give the fans a good clean while you have the body open.

    Thanks wazzoraybelle, have not heard of hybrid drives before. Where did you get your?


  • #10
    wazzoraybelle
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 659 ✭✭✭wazzoraybelle


    I got mine here:

    http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/6367981/art/seagate/momentus-xt-st95005620as.html

    I also bought the 2.5" enclosure you see at the bottom of the page to back up the hard drive on the new one using Carbon Copy Cloner, easy as pie.


    Mine was the old version, and I think they updated it towards the end of last year, there is a 750 gb version now.

    iFixit.com has excellent guides on how to swap it out yourself.

    If you're brave enough, remove both fans and clean out the grills behind them. Mine were full of lint and dust, my fans used to regularly hit speeds of 6000 rpm and were noisy as hell, I don't hear them these days and they hover around the 2000 rpm mark, which has also extended time between battery cycles

    Wazzo


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