Best Internal Ssd for Macbook Pro – When your old MacBook Pro runs slow or starts to act up like freezing up randomly, it’s better to watch out as there could be something wrong with the hard drive.
In my case, I’ve personally experienced internal hard drive crash with my mid-2012 MacBook Pro.
Fortunately, you don’t need to abandon your old Mac and get a new one. Replacing the internal hard drive with a solid-state drive has been a great way to boost your Mac performance while spending less.
However, choosing the best MacBook Pro SSD isn’t an easy task because there are so many factors you may want to consider.
Plus, the installation process could easily go wrong if you don’t know what you are doing. Anyway, I hope this guide above has given you some useful directions.
ROUND UP
Also, don’t underestimate the SSD installation part as it could be quite time-consuming if you don’t have the right tools at hand.
back to menu ↑1.LaCie LAC9000298
Features
- Shock, drops up to 4 feet, dust and water resistant for all-terrain use
- For Mac compatibility this Hard Drive requires reformatting. Refer to Application Guide for more details
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑2.SanDisk 1TB
Features
- Save time storing and transferring data with powerful NVMe solid state performance featuring up to 2000MB/s read/write speeds. (Requires compatible devices capable of reaching such speed. Based on internal testing; Performance may be lower depending on host device, interface, usage conditions and other factors. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes.)
- A forged aluminum chassis acts as a heatsink to deliver higher sustained speeds in a portable drive that’s tough enough to take on any adventure.
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑3.SAMSUNG T7
Features
- TRANSFER IN A FLASH: Transfers files nearly 9.5x faster than external hard disk drive (HDD). Reads up to 1,050 MB/s / Writes up to 1,000 MB/s on USB 3.2 gen 2 supported devices*.
- *SAMSUNG RECOMMENDS users to download the latest firmware update via the included Portable SSD Software 1.0 to ensure optimal performance
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑4.Crucial X8 1TB
Features
- Incredible performance with read speeds up to 1050 MB/s
- Works with Windows, Mac, iPad Pro, Chromebook, Android, Linux, PS4, and Xbox One with USB-C 3.1 Gen2 and USB-A connectors
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑5.Transcend 480GB
Features
- Compatible with MacBook Air 11" & 13" (Mid 2013 – 2017), MacBook Pro Retina 13" & 15" (Late 2013 – mid 2015), Mac Mini (Late 2014), and Mac Pro (Late 2013)
- Up to 1, 600 MB/s Read; 1, 400 MB/s write
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑6.Owc 1.0TB Aura
Features
- The ultimate storage upgrade
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑7.Western Digital
Features
- Product 1: Conquer tough workloads with enterprise-grade WD Gold HDDs. Available in 1TB to 14TB* capacities. | *As used for storage capacity, one terabyte (TB) = one trillion bytes. Total accessible capacity varies depending on operating environment.
- Product 1: Enhanced reliability with up to 2.5M hours MTBF
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑8.MCE Technologies
Features
- All-in-one flash drive upgrade solution means you have everything you need to get the job done quickly and correctly. Compatible with all Mac OS 10.7 (Lion) through Mac OS 10.14.x (Mojave)
- Highest-performance drive ever created for your MacBook Pro (540MB/s Read, 520MB/s Write) that is able to keep up with the way you work.
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑9.Fledging 2TB
Features
- [Turbocharged Performance] Using the latest in PCIe NVMe interface technology, reach speeds of up to 3100 MB/s read and 2700 MB/s write with virtually no speed drop offs regardless of capacity used. Up to twice the speeds of the original drive.
- [Innovative Technology] Whether you are a gamer, creator, or a student, our drives are designed for the highest deliverable speeds at optimal temperatures. Keeping the Mac you love running faster, longer, and cooler than before.
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑10.MacBook Pro
Features
- Designed ONLY to be compatible with
- It is made of high quality materials.Hard plastic material is 100% high-quality, durable and eco-friendly.Exquisite finish plastic hard shell case protects your MacBook from scrapes and scratches.
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑Best Internal Ssd for Macbook Pro – BUYER’S GUIDE
back to menu ↑Budget
Although the price of SSD has been falling, the range still varies a lot. For example, the cheapest SSDs cost more than a hundred US Dollars while the most expensive ones are priced at over $1000 which could allow you to buy a new Mac machine.
So, the first thing is to ask yourself — how much can I afford to get an SSD for my MacBook? For example, between $100 and $150, or around $200, etc.
Note: a cheaper SSD does not mean it’s not good, there are many other factors such as drive size, the brand, etc. that affect the price.
back to menu ↑Storage Capacity
The volume of an SSD is one of the most important factors you should consider. At this moment, it’s not common to see SSDs available for sale that is less than 500GB in size. In other words, 500GB is almost the base capacity you could choose from most manufacturers.
This is because smaller drivers are often slower and more expensive considering the cost per gigabyte. Also, as camera technology improves, photos and videos often have much larger file sizes.
If you are used to syncing these files with your Mac, the chances are that your Mac will be filled up much faster than ever before. So, consider a 750GB or 1TB if you have a need for large storage.
You could consider 4TB, but in my opinion, it is an overkill, and a 4TB SSD is usually way more expensive.
back to menu ↑Performance
There is a saying in the storage world that even the worst SSD is miles ahead of an HDD in terms of speed. But not all SSDs are made equal. Drives with larger capacities tend to be faster in writing and reading, thanks to an SSD’s speed advantage that comes from parallelization.
But the difference wouldn’t be night and day.
For most MacBook Pro users, a cheaper yet high-capacity SSD is enough to meet your daily computing needs.
For those of you who make a living in fields like design, development, or workstation, etc. that requires a MacBook Pro to move large files and handle request very quickly, then consider a high-budget, high-performance SSD.
back to menu ↑Brand
Buying an SSD is a big investment, and it’s serious business as the drive carries all your personal or business data.
You don’t want to get an SSD that is insecure, defective or from a manufacturer that doesn’t offer quality customer service.
That’s why choosing a brand is important.
In general, I buy products from brands that are trustworthy like Apple, Samsung, Crucial, SanDisk, etc. For SSD manufacturers, another factor why brand matters is that quality and warranty.
For example, during my research, I know Samsung makes its own SSD controllers, memory, and firmware, which gave me confidence that the company is capable of designing and putting together the entire SSD from start to end.
Also, brands like Crucial and Samsung all offer 3-5 year warranty for their SSDs…another bonus.
Compatibility
Not all Macs support SSD upgrade and not all SSDs fit into the Mac model you own. For example, the most recent MacBooks are all with SSDs and they are blazing fast and based on 4-channel PCIe interface (Source: 9to5mac), there is no need to upgrade unless you have particular reasons.
If you are using a Retina MacBook Pro or Air that was made mid-2013 or later, it’s almost impossible to upgrade the hard drive because PCIe-based SSDs don’t use standard connectors.
Even if your Mac like MacBook Pro/Air prior to 2013 is able for SSD upgrade, you should be careful because MacBooks don’t use standard SSD designs and MBPs and Airs share different types with each other.
Fortunately, MacBook Pros from 2012 and before are compatible with 2.5-inch SATA drives which most SSD manufacturers provide.
back to menu ↑WRAP UP
Are you still using an old 2012 MacBook Pro? Yep, that’s my model (mid-2012). I love my MacBook, but well, when it’s starting to show its age, it’s not that speedy anymore.
Fortunately, there is a quick way to increase the performance of an old Mac — upgrading the internal hard drive to SSD (solid-state drive).
If you are like me, who still loves the old MacBook and yet to decide to invest in a new yet pricey MacBook, then this guide is for you.
Amazon.com