MacBook PRO SSD RAM Upgrade

Upgrading my 2011 MacBook Pro stock HDD -320 GB/5400rpm- to a Samsung 830 Series SSD -128GB- and the RAM memory from 4 GB (1333 Mhz) to 8 GB (Corsair 1333 Mhz)

NOTE: This tutorial works on ALL unibody MacBook Pros (all the models beginning from 2008)

TOOLS YOU’LL NEED:

– Philips (PH) #00 screwdriver for taking the back cover off

Link: http://www.ifixit.com/Tools/Phillips-00-Screwdriver/IF145-006

– Torx T6 screwdriver for removing the HDD mounting screws

Link: http://www.ifixit.com/Tools/T6-Torx-Screwdriver/IF145-004

Upgrading my 2011 MacBook Pro stock HDD -320 GB/5400rpm- to a Samsung 830 Series SSD -128GB- and the RAM memory from 4 GB (1333 Mhz) to 8 GB (Corsair 1333 Mhz)

NOTE: This tutorial works on ALL unibody MacBook Pros (all the models beginning from 2008)

TOOLS YOU’LL NEED:

– Philips (PH) #00 screwdriver for taking the back cover off

Link: http://www.ifixit.com/Tools/Phillips-00-Screwdriver/IF145-006

– Torx T6 screwdriver for removing the HDD mounting screws

Link: http://www.ifixit.com/Tools/T6-Torx-Screwdriver/IF145-004

HOW TO DO IT:

1) Turn off your MBP and let it cool down for at least 10 min, before taking the back cover off. DON’T forget to take out ANY connected devices (such as USB dongles/receivers)

2) Remove all of the 10 screws holding the back cover (3 long 14.4 mm screws and 7 short 3.5 mm screws) and take the back cover off.

3) Touch a metal surface (such as the optical drive) in your MBP to discharge any static energy from your body. This is a really important step, because otherwise it can damage the internal components of your MacBook Pro.

RAM UPGRADE:

1) Buy 2 RAM modules of the same frequency as your stock RAM. To check out your frequency, go to Apple-About This Mac and you should see your required RAM memory.

DUAL CHANNEL setup: Don’t forget to buy 2 RAM modules instead of just 1. By filling both of the RAM modules inside your MBP, it will perform much faster than with just 1 filled module.

2) Take out your old RAM modules by pressing the levers onwards( sideways) and gently take out your RAM. Repeat the process with the 2nd RAM module.

3) Now insert your new RAM modules by holding them at a 40 degree angle (and no, you don’t have to measure it 😛 ) and again, GENTLY insert your RAM into the RAM slots.

HDD UPGRADE:

!!!!! Before buying a new driver, be sure to check your motherboard drive connector!!! Modern SSD’s support speeds of up to 6GB/s (SATA 3), so you should make sure your laptop supports SATA 3, before buying a new SATA 3 drive. Otherwise you’ll just end up with a slower SSD/HDD than advertised.

1) Buy a faster and a more spacious HDD, such as a 500 GB Velociraptor 7200 RPM HDD.
I highly suggest buying an SSD instead, because they are EXTREMELY FAST, they are DEAD SILENT, they are immune to drops and/or movement and finally , you get about 2h of more battery.

2) Remove the plastic bracket holding the stock HDD in place, by unscrewing the 2 recessed screws using your Philips #00 screwdriver. Also, remove the plastic tab holing the hard driver in place and attach it to your new drive.

3)Take out your old drive and remove the mounting screws using the Torx T6 screwdriver. After that, mount them to your new drive and put it in place. Don’t forget to connect the SATA 3 connector and you’re good to go.

RECOVERING YOUR DATA:

A) You own a 2011 or newer MBP and an external HDD.

All you have to do is backup your MBP to the external HDD through Time Machine. After switching the HDD all you have to do is boot it up while holding the Cmd+R keys. This will bring up the Recovery Mode and you’ll be able to download OS X Lion/Mountain Lion from Apple’s Servers and restore your data from your backup, once the download and install has finished (this usually takes up to 1h).

B) You own a 2011 or newer MBP but you DO NOT have an external HDD or any kind of backing up device.

What you want to do is buy an external HDD enclosure. This lets you connect your new driver to your MBP through USB (so it’s basically an SATA to USB adapter).
The next step is to clone your internal HDD to your new one, using an App called Carbon Copy Cloner.

Links: External-HDD-enclosure: http://tinyurl.com/External-HDD-enclosure
Carbon Copy Cloner: http://www.bombich.com

C) You DO NOT own a 2011 or newer MacBook Pro

Method 1) Follow Step B) and buy an external HDD enclosure.

Method 2) Make a bootable Lion/Mountain Lion drive and restore from your time machine backup.

Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVthgQdox5U

That’s it!

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