Macbook Pro 15 2010 Ssd

How exercise you upgrade the hard drive in the "Mid-2009" through "Mid-2012" Unibody MacBook Pro models? What type of difficult bulldoze do these models support? How practice you supercede the hard drive with an SSD?

Please note that this Q&A is upward-to-date and covers pre-Retina "Unibody" MacBook Pro models. EveryMac.com as well provides instructions for upgrading the storage in the subsequently introduced 13-Inch and fifteen-Inch Retina Brandish MacBook Pro models.

Upgrading the difficult drive in the "Mid-2009," "Mid-2010," "Early on 2011," "Belatedly 2011" and non-Retina Brandish "Mid-2012" MacBook Pro models requires a screwdriver, but information technology withal is a uncomplicated and straightforward procedure. If a hard bulldoze was installed by default, it is quite possible to replace the stock hard drive with an SSD, too.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. ("Unibody" MacBook Pro Models)

Identification Help

If you lot're not sure which "Unibody" MacBook Pro model you have, many of these systems share Model Numbers, unfortunately. EMC Numbers are not externally listed, either.

As a result, they merely can be externally differentiated past the Serial Number courtesy of EveryMac.com'south Ultimate Mac Lookup feature.

Withal, in software, it also is possible to get "shut plenty" to an exact match to determine hard drive compatibility and SATA connection type by Model Identifier. In plough, each model can be uniquely identified via model identifier and one or more secondary identifiers (similar processor speed and/or processor blazon).

To locate the model identifier in software, select "About This Mac" under the Apple tree Menu on your computer and click the "More Info..." push button. If the MacBook Pro is running OS X x.vii "Lion" or after, you will need to click the "Arrangement Report" button after clicking "More Info..." too.

For example, the 13-Inch "Mid-2010" MacBook Pro models -- which back up 3.0 Gb/southward SATA 2.0 -- can exist identified past the model identifier MacBookPro7,1. As well, the not-Retina Display 15-Inch "Mid-2012" MacBook Pro models -- which support 6.0 Gb/due south SATA 3.0 -- tin can be identified by the MacBookPro9,ane model identifier. A full chart is provided below.

More than details about specific identifiers are provided in EveryMac.com's extensive Mac Identification section.

Difficult Bulldoze Types & SSD Replacement Options

All of these MacBook Pro models support a 2.five" notebook hard drive or SSD that is upwards to 9.five mm alpine (0.37 inches) and use a SATA interface, but the maximum SATA interface speed of unlike models varies.

When the "Mid-2009" MacBook Pro models first were released, systems configured with a difficult bulldoze simply had 1.v Gb/southward SATA enabled, whereas systems configured with an SSD had faster 3.0 Gb/s SATA 2.0 enabled. This caused a great deal of discontent among those across the blogosphere interested in performing their own SSD upgrades, merely thankfully Apple tree quickly corrected this outcome with a software update.

The "Mid-2010" MacBook Pro models were properly enabled with iii.0 Gb/s SATA 2.0 by default, and subsequent models are equipped with faster 6.0 Gb/s SATA 3.0.

The Serial ATA (SATA) standard for each of these specific models along with its precise corresponding Model Identifier may be helpful:

MacBook Pro	Subfamily	Model Identifier	Serial ATA
"Core ii Duo" 2.26 13"	Mid-2009	MacBookPro5,v	three.0 Gb/s (2.0)*
"Cadre ii Duo" 2.53 13"	Mid-2009	MacBookPro5,v	three.0 Gb/due south (2.0)*
"Core ii Duo" 2.53 15"	Mid-2009	MacBookPro5,iv	3.0 Gb/south (2.0)*
"Core 2 Duo" two.66 15"	Mid-2009	MacBookPro5,three	3.0 Gb/s (2.0)*
"Core 2 Duo" 2.8 15"	Mid-2009	MacBookPro5,3	3.0 Gb/s (ii.0)*
"Core two Duo" three.06 15"	Mid-2009	MacBookPro5,3	3.0 Gb/s (2.0)*
"Core 2 Duo" ii.8 17"	Mid-2009	MacBookPro5,2	3.0 Gb/southward (ii.0)*
"Core ii Duo" 3.06 17"	Mid-2009	MacBookPro5,2	3.0 Gb/s (two.0)
"Core ii Duo" 2.4 xiii"	Mid-2010	MacBookPro7,i	three.0 Gb/southward (two.0)
"Core ii Duo" 2.66 13"	Mid-2010	MacBookPro7,1	3.0 Gb/s (2.0)
"Cadre i5" ii.4 15"	Mid-2010	MacBookPro6,2	3.0 Gb/south (2.0)
"Core i5" 2.53 15"	Mid-2010	MacBookPro6,2	3.0 Gb/s (two.0)
"Core i7" 2.66 fifteen"	Mid-2010	MacBookPro6,2	three.0 Gb/s (2.0)
"Core i7" 2.8 15"	Mid-2010	MacBookPro6,2	iii.0 Gb/s (2.0)
"Core i5" 2.53 17"	Mid-2010	MacBookPro6,ane	3.0 Gb/s (2.0)
"Core i7" ii.66 17"	Mid-2010	MacBookPro6,1	three.0 Gb/due south (ii.0)
"Core i7" ii.8 17"	Mid-2010	MacBookPro6,one	3.0 Gb/s (ii.0)
"Core i5" two.3 13"	Early 2011	MacBookPro8,1	six.0 Gb/south (3.0)
"Core i7" 2.vii 13"	Early 2011	MacBookPro8,1	6.0 Gb/s (three.0)
"Core i7" 2.0 15"	Early 2011	MacBookPro8,2	6.0 Gb/s (3.0)
"Core i7" two.two 15"	Early on 2011	MacBookPro8,2	6.0 Gb/s (3.0)
"Core i7" 2.iii 15"	Early 2011	MacBookPro8,2	6.0 Gb/southward (3.0)
"Core i7" 2.ii 17"	Early 2011	MacBookPro8,3	6.0 Gb/s (3.0)
"Core i7" two.3 17"	Early 2011	MacBookPro8,iii	six.0 Gb/south (3.0)
"Core i5" 2.4 13"	Belatedly 2011	MacBookPro8,one	6.0 Gb/s (iii.0)
"Core i7" two.8 13"	Belatedly 2011	MacBookPro8,1	half dozen.0 Gb/south (3.0)
"Cadre i7" 2.2 15"	Belatedly 2011	MacBookPro8,2	half-dozen.0 Gb/southward (3.0)
"Cadre i7" 2.iv xv"	Belatedly 2011	MacBookPro8,ii	6.0 Gb/south (three.0)
"Core i7" two.5 15"	Late 2011	MacBookPro8,2	vi.0 Gb/due south (three.0)
"Cadre i7" ii.4 17"	Tardily 2011	MacBookPro8,three	6.0 Gb/s (three.0)
"Cadre i7" 2.5 17"	Late 2011	MacBookPro8,3	six.0 Gb/due south (three.0)
"Cadre i5" 2.v 13"	Mid-2012	MacBookPro9,two	half-dozen.0 Gb/s (3.0)
"Core i7" 2.ix 13"	Mid-2012	MacBookPro9,2	6.0 Gb/s (3.0)
"Core i7" 2.3 15"	Mid-2012	MacBookPro9,1	6.0 Gb/s (3.0)
"Cadre i7" two.half dozen 15"	Mid-2012	MacBookPro9,1	6.0 Gb/due south (3.0)
"Core i7" two.7 xv"	Mid-2012	MacBookPro9,1	6.0 Gb/s (three.0)

* These models back up three.0 Gb/southward (SATA 2.0) if the software has been updated from the default installation.

For storage compatibility details for each Mac, including all MacBook Pro models, refer to EveryMac.com's Mac Storage Upgrade Compatibility Guide.

Hard Drive Upgrade Instructions

Apple explains how to supersede the hard drive starting on page 35 of the thirteen-Inch, xv-Inch, and 17-Inch "Mid-2009", 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch "Mid-2010," and 13-Inch, 15-Inch and 17-Inch "Early 2011" MacBook Pro User Guides, respectively, and this provides most of what you need to know to upgrade the default storage.

The "Late 2011" MacBook Pro models are so similar to the "Early 2011" models that Apple didn't bother to release an updated teaching manual. For the "Mid-2012" MacBook Pro line, Apple tree'south "Quickstart" Guide does not embrace hard bulldoze installation, but it is the same process every bit it is for earlier models.

The Apple manuals provide installation instructions complete with drawings, and definitely should be reviewed prior to upgrading the hard drive, just even meliorate, site sponsor Other Globe Computing provides convenient step-by-footstep videos of the process for the 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch models alike.

thirteen" MacBook Pro Hard Drive/SSD Upgrade Video
Mid-2009 (MacBookPro5,5)

13" MacBook Pro Hard Drive/SSD Upgrade Video
Mid-2010 (MacBookPro7,1)

13" MacBook Pro Hard Drive/SSD Upgrade Video
Early 2011 (MacBookPro8,1)

13" MacBook Pro Difficult Bulldoze/SSD Upgrade Video
Non-Retina Mid-2012 (MacBookPro9,two)

fifteen" MacBook Pro Difficult Drive/SSD Upgrade Video
Mid-2009 (MacBookPro5,three)

15" MacBook Pro Hard Bulldoze/SSD Upgrade Video
Mid-2010 (MacBookPro6,2)

15" MacBook Pro Hard Drive/SSD Upgrade Video
Early 2011, Late 2011 (MacBookPro8,2) & Non-Retina Mid-2012 (MacBookPro9,1)

17" MacBook Pro Difficult Drive/SSD Upgrade Video
Mid-2009 (MacBookPro5,2)

17" MacBook Pro Hard Drive/SSD Upgrade Video
Mid-2010 (MacBookPro6,1)

17" MacBook Pro Hard Drive/SSD Upgrade Video
Early 2011 & Late 2011 (MacBookPro8,three)

After watching these videos, information technology should exist clear that upgrading the hard drive in these models is straightforward.

Difficult Drive Cablevision Replacement Instructions

When you lot are upgrading or replacing the hard drive, you may notice that the original hard drive cable has become brittle or damaged and needs to exist replaced. Site sponsor Other World Calculating provides convenient footstep-by-stride videos of the process to supervene upon the hard bulldoze cablevision in many of these models, too.

13" MacBook Pro Difficult Bulldoze Cable Replacement Video
Early 2011 & Late 2011

xv" MacBook Pro Difficult Drive Cablevision Replacement Video
Mid-2010, Early 2011, & Late 2011

13" MacBook Pro Hard Drive Cable Replacement Video
Mid-2012

xv" MacBook Pro Hard Drive Cable Replacement Video
Mid-2012

If you can handle the process to upgrade the difficult drive, replacing the hard bulldoze cable should be fine, as well. All the same, if you lot do non experience comfortable -- or have the time -- to perform these upgrades yourself, hiring a professional always is a adept choice.

MacBook Pro Storage Buy Options

In theory, only about whatsoever difficult bulldoze or SSD that meets the minimum requirements should work in the MacBook Pro. Withal, it always is best to purchase from a trusted company with Mac knowledge for the most problem-free experience.

In the Us (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Calculating sells storage upgrades in improver to retention for the MacBook Pro models (and all other Macs equally well).

In the U.k. and Ireland, site sponsor Flexx sells MacBook Pro compatible hard drives and SSDs with complimentary aircraft. The company provides flat rate shipping to France, Germany, and Switzerland and inexpensive shipping for all of Europe, besides.

In France, site sponsor MacWay sells MacBook Pro uniform SSDs with fast aircraft, costless returns, and more.

In Commonwealth of australia, site sponsors Macfixit and Upgradeable sell MacBook Pro compatible hard drives and SSDs with fast shipping, a coin-back guarantee and more.

In New Zealand, site sponsor Upgradeable New Zealand sells MacBook Pro difficult drives and SSDs with fast delivery to all corners of the state, precise compatibility, a lifetime warranty, and a coin-back guarantee.

Also encounter:

How practise you upgrade the RAM in the "Mid-2009" through "Mid-2012" MacBook Pro models? What blazon of RAM do they use? How much RAM does each model actually support?
How do you replace the optical drive in the "Unibody" MacBook Pro models with a hard drive or SSD? Is information technology possible?

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