Matt’s Desk: Editor’s Blog

One of the first things I did after receiving my MacBook 13.3" Unibody notebook was upgrade the RAM and hard drive.  The 2.4GHz unit that is $1599 (MSRP) comes with 2GB of DDR3 RAM and a 250GB hard drive.  I wanted to double each of these.

Upgrading your MacBook does not void the warranty; this is a myth. Apple provides, quite openly, instructions on how to perform each of these upgrades.  Just know that if you make some horrible mistake while upgrading, this will make Apple less willing to help you!

I doubled the capacity of both the hard drive and the RAM: 250gb -> 500GB hard drive and 2GB -> 4GB DDR3 memory.  These two upgrades cost $157 – from Apple the memory upgrade alone would have been $100 (I paid about $65 for mine), and Apple doesn’t yet offer a 500GB drive option. With the extra 2GB of memory and a doubling of the storage space, my MacBook is really rockin’.

The upgrade components I used were:

• Western Digital Scorpio Blue 500GB 2.5" SATA Hard Drive
• Crucial CT2KIT25664BC1067 2x2GB DDR3 SODIMM

These components were chosen after a couple of hours of research.  Apple computers can be prickly about what components they work well with, and these received high marks in many users’ reviews.

Concerns

I have been using the upgraded MacBook for several days with no lock-ups and no errors.  But I was worried this wouldn’t be the case.  [UPDATE 2010: Almost a year and no problems.]

I was concerned the new Crucial RAM might cause system freezes or errors.  I was worried the Western Digital hard drive might be loud, create vibration or cause the unit to get too hot.  None of these concerns were justified, and I’ve had no problem whatsoever.

The Scorpio Blue hard drive is very, very quiet and the vibrations are minimal (perhaps even less than the included hard drive).  I’ve noticed no change in heat from either the RAM or the HDD.

Performing the Upgrades

Replacing the hard drive in a Unibody MacBook is a simple as (1)removing the access door from the bottom of the unit, (2)unscrewing the bracket at one side of the drive, (3) moving the mounting screws from the old drive to the new, and (4) connecting the new drive to the SATA data and power cable.

Removing the mounting screws requires a Torx T6 screwdriver.

You should either back up your data using Time Machine before replacing the hard drive or perform the upgrade before you put any new data on the system.  You will have to install the Mac OS on the new drive from the install disc that shipped with your MacBook.

Removing and replacing the RAM modules is a bit more involved; you must remove the entire bottom case of the MacBook which is held in place by eight screws (there are three different screw types – note which screw goes where).

Removing the bottom case requires a #00 Philips screwdriver.

Once the bottom case is removed, you must eject the old RAM modules and carefully replace them with the new.

Both the hard drive and RAM upgrade procedures are detailed in the MacBook User Manual [PDF] in the Boost Your MacBook section.  Read it carefully before getting started.  Also be sure to discharge static electricity in your body by touching a metal surface before you begin; you should also work in a static-free environment.

If you have any questions about this post, please feel free to email me.  I’d love to hear from you!

Helpful Links

• Unibody MacBook Hard Drive Installation (Video)
• Unibody MacBook RAM Installation (Video)
• Restore Data From Time Machine After New Drive Installation
   
  Many thanks to those who have provided such excellent information for Mac users.

April 2010 Update

It’s been nearly a year since I posted this article.  Prompted by an email from a reader, I wanted to post a brief update to let all of you know I’ve had no problems with either the WD drive or the RAM.  As far as I can remember, I haven’t had a single system lock up or mysterious shutdown. 

At the time I posted the upgrade article above, the largest Scorpio Blue was the 500GB version I purchased.  Today, however, there are also 750GB and 1TB versions.  That 1TB Western Digital notebook drive is pretty tempting.