(Part 3) Best products from r/mac

yeah definitely! tons of online videos. i wouldn't consider myself an expert in computer knowledge, but i've built a couple of basic rigs and done work on my macbook. hardest part about replacing the hard drive is making sure you either

a.) have the necessary files to complete a full reinstall or


b.) can work a program like disk utility or carbon copy cloner to make an exact clone of your HDD (this is super simple either way)



I put a kingston SSDnow v300 120gb in my early 2011 macbook pro. it has a 2.7 i7, 16gb of ram (another easy and huge upgrade, technically overkill but i do graphic design and photography for a living) my mbp is great now.

I've read some trouble about the negotiated link speed on older gen MacBooks getting locked at 1.5gb/s instead of the 3 gb/s SATA II standard. This isn't really a problem, you can fix it i believe with a firmware patch, basically it means instead of getting ~200-210mb/s read and write, you'll get more like 128 mb/s and 170 mb/s ish. still A LOT faster than your standard hard drive. boot up time is dramatically reduced, and opening programs becomes a split second ordeal.


Here is the SSD i just installed | $69.99 (very good price for decent 120gb drive)

here is the connector to mount the SSD outside of the macbook to format it and clone your HDD to it. technically this isn't necessary, but its 8 bucks that might save you from pulling the computer apart again when you can't boot from the SSD.

-----------------------------------------------

Here's a good video that shows how straightforward replacing the HDD is in the older macbooks


Helpful video on how to clone an HDD with Carbon Copy Cloner


Great comparison on how drastically this improves your machine

Here's a few useful links:

Crucial.com | Sells RAM and SSD's, high quality and Mac compatible. Another alternative if you want to explore options


Carbon Copy Cloner download site. I used this to copy my HDD, had no issues

Samsun 840 EVO 120gb | Good price for a great SSD

OCZ Vertex 460 | Another great SSD

I'd recommend doing a RAM upgrade if you only have 1gb, that wouldn't run you much either. SSD is more bang-for-your-buck than RAM upgrade is IMO. Hope this helps! Feel free to pm me with any more questions!

> I have an old 21.5 inch 2011 iMac and the highest OS it supports is High Sierra I know there are ways to upgrade it to Mojave but I was wondering if they affect the performance at all?

Yes, using the unofficial macOS 10.14 Mojave upgrader will affect performance, and not in a good way. The internal GPU of the iMac doesn't support Metal, but Mojave relies on Metal for the graphical acceleration of the user interface. Therefore, the UI will be slow as hell in Mojave, like this:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94ldOksTXR8
  
  Unusable, if you ask me. Again, this has nothing to do with CPU, SSD, or RAM. The GPU isn't Metal-compatible, and the Mojave patcher doesn't suddenly change that.
  
  -----
  
  > I'm only upgrading for the dark mode lol and I plan to do music production on it or is it worth sticking with High Sierra or even downgrading further to get better performance?
  
  If you want to speed up the iMac, you should upgrade its RAM and exchange the internal HDD for an SSD.
  
  As for the RAM:
  
  The iMac 2011 supports up to 32 GB RAM (4 x 8 GB RAM modules). Apple claims that it only supports 16 GB RAM, but this is due to the fact that 8 GB RAM modules weren't common back in the day, so they tested with 4 GB RAM modules. 4 x 4 GB RAM = 16 GB RAM. It has been proven time and again that it actually supports up to 32 GB RAM. Apple just never bothered to go back and update their support information.
  
  The RAM you need should match the following specifications:
  
  PC3-10600 1333 MHz DDR3, 204-pin
  
  Here are some examples of RAM modules that should work:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Certified-Laptop-Memory-CMSA16GX3M2A1333C9/dp/B006ON5KZC
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Patriot-SODIMM-204-Pin-SO-DIMM-PSA316G1333SK/dp/B006BMBUAA
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Timetec-PC3-10600-Unbuffered-Notebook-Computer/dp/B014E29G0E/
  
  I recommend 8 GB RAM at the bare minimum, 16 GB RAM if you want to keep the iMac for years to come or do more than the most basic workflows.
  
  This video shows you the procedure of upgrading the RAM:
  
  
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8Sj10wYXAI
  
  As for the SSD:
  
  The iMac supports SSDs that meet the following criteria:
  
  
• 2.5" form factor (3.5" would be better, but I am not aware of any such SSDs)
  
• SATA3-compatible
  
  You'll need a 2.5" to 3.5" adapter for the SSD, as the built-in HDD is 3.5" in size, while SSDs are ordinarily 2.5" in size. Furthermore, you'll need a new thermal sensor:
  
  
• https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/DIDIMACHDD11/
  
  The thermal sensor of the iMac is hardwired to the internal HDD and reads out the temperature. If you remove the internal HDD, you'll also have to remove the internal thermal sensor. If you don't insert a new thermal sensor, the fans of the iMac will be running constantly, because the iMac will have no way to know the temperature anymore.
  
  OWC offers related kits, oftentimes including the adapter, the thermal sensor, and the SSD itself:
  
  
• https://eshop.macsales.com/search/?q=imac+2011
  
  The procedure of upgrading the SSD is quite complicated, here is a guide:
  
  
• https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+27-Inch+EMC+2429+Hard+Drive+Replacement/7555
  
  If you don't feel confident enough to do the SSD upgrade yourself, I recommend that you let an experienced repair technician do it.
  
  -----
  
  Last but not least, I don't think downgrading macOS is a good idea. Doing a RAM and / or SSD upgrade will deliver a greater speed boost than any macOS downgrade. How well macOS runs on the machine mainly depends on the hardware anyway. Furthermore, downgrading macOS will expose you to security issues that are no longer present in newer macOS releases. It also means reducing the compatibility with third party software, as most third party software requires newer versions of macOS.

I wrote this for another thread on the same subject a while back. The main bottleneck/expense is moving from single processor to dual processor. If I had it to do over (and hadn't come across a 2009 model at a bargain price) I'd get the 2010 chassis. The 2009 model uses a very odd lidless processor design which is unique to that year and complicates upgrading. The 2010's also have faster RAM which means you won't have to buy new RAM to upgrade the processor.

Upgrades:-

• Highpoint Technologies Rocket 640L for SATA 6Gb/ps combined with any SATA SSD.
  
  
• For true speed OWC offer a range of M2 SSD PCIE cards, although these are expensive they will give you current generation SSD speeds. There are plenty of cheap M2 SATA PCIE cards available and the drives themselves are reasonably priced, but many unfortunately can't be used as boot drives in the Mac (NVME issues). MacProSSDOptions offers a list of ones that work.
  
  
• Any recent nVidia card will work with nVidia's web drivers (bloody hard to find, search the Hackintosh sites for current links and ALWAYS upgrade the drivers before you upgrade the OS). I have GTX 970 which drives three monitors happily and offers HDMI out. What you won't get with the non-mac nVidia cards is the grey boot screen, you need a Mac card for that hence the advice I offer about the EFI cards later on. I've run twin 9800 GTX's, an 8800 GT and a GTX 970 in my 2009 model without issues - you just need to make sure the card you buy has 6 pin power connectors on the card itself and you'll need a set of 6 pin PCiE power connectors for the Mac Pro Backplane.
  
  
• If you can find a 2010 processor board and processor for reasonable money a hacked firmware upgrade for the 4,1 to the 5,1 is available, and it's a really simple upgrade to perform. This also allows you to use faster 1333 MHz RAM - if you already have RAM for the 2009 model it will work in the 2010 board (it's not expensive c. £100 for 32Gb), but you will need to replace it to take advantage of the faster RAM support. /u/firefly416 claims a 2010 board in a 2009 machine will cause problems with the fans - but I've done this and experienced none of these issues.
  
  
• Inateck Superspeed 4 Ports PCI-E to USB 3.0 Expansion Card for rear facing USB 3.0.
  
  
• An Apple BCM94360CD card and adapter will provide Bluetooth 4 LE, and 802.11 ac connectivity (which provide continuity and handoff).
  
  Advice:-
  
  
• Always keep a Mac EFI graphics card in the machine or handy, I have one of the old GT120's, inevitably when the OS upgrades you'll forget to upgrade the Nvidia web drivers first and that renders the mac useless without an EFI card available.
  
  
• There is plenty of space in the CD drive enclosure for SSDs and other upgrades - they're much more knowledgeable about third party parts and driver issues than the Mac crowd who generally don't deal with these things too much. I've frequently found information there on PCiE SSDs, video drivers, even sound drivers, that I couldn't get help for elsewhere.
  
  
• The dual core 2009 series is the best one of the 2009 models to own, the processors can be upgraded to the point where it comes near the 2013 Mac Pro Geekbench score. If you don't have a dual processor board from the get go then the upgrade to one is very expensive indeed and the parts are hard to find.
  
  
• The 2.66 Ghz 4,1 uses lidless processors (as do all of the other 2009 models) which are impossible to find upgrades for. You will have to convert the board or do the riskiest upgrade of your life in order to use the better processors. Information on the board conversion is hard to find (I'm looking if anyone out there has it!).
  
  
• Lots of helpful information is available at TonyMacx86 and other Hackintosh forums. In my experience they are more knowledgeable about third party hardware and driver issues than the Mac crowd and much more willing to help.
  
  
• If you can find a 5,1 (2010 tower) at a price you can afford go for that one as it has standard heat shielded processors rather than the lidless version in the 2.66Ghz 4,1 - always check the serial number before you buy as many 5,1 machines are really 4,1's with the hacked firmware.
  

If $200 is your budget, I would personally go with the RAM package I linked above and then put the remaining in a 128GB SSD. If you've hardly touched 100GB on your computer now, then you may as well go for something that will really benefit you. The only additional benefit you get from a new HDD is storage space. You could wipe your current drive clean and be more or less just as fast compared with a new HDD. I push the 256GB just because I write a lot of data so using under 100GB is foreign to me, definitely ignore that in your case. As for upgrading to a MBP, that's more of a long term decision I think. If you ever did go Mac again, you sound like exactly the person the Air was made for anyway. Stay tuned and I'll edit this with a few HDD you may be interested in.


EDIT
Ok, this should be perfect for you if you're dead set on HDD. I saw above that you linked a drive which was 750GB for $100. While that is a great price, it's not worth it if you aren't going to use the space. The package I linked will include all of the tools you need as well as an external casing so that you can still use your old drive. You can also try this setup which comes with 90GB more space for $12 more dollars. I've never used these brands of drives so I can't comment on that, though I'm sure (since they're listed on macsales) they are just fine. Here is a full list of other options. And, as always, a 128GB Crucial M4 can be found for $130 here.


Anything else?

The Data Doubler is the name OWC gave to its product to allow you to put a hard drive or ssd into the optical bay. It is just a piece of plastic that holds the drive in place.

It is not optimal for a spinning hard drive to be in the data doubler chassis, as it is not really designed to keep the spinning drive stable. It is really meant for SSDs.

http://www.amazon.com/OWC-Doubler-Optical-Mounting-Solution/dp/B00724W0N2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1457537224&sr=8-2&keywords=data+doubler

You can find cheaper versions of this around amazon and ebay, and even get an external enclosure for your optical drive, turning it into a USB super drive, but the OWC version has the best ratings.

If you are going to do only 1 SSD, put it in the data doubler. If you are going to do two SSDs, then put an SSD in both places, and possibly even RAID them together so that you get a single drive with increased performance, BUT MAKE SURE TO BACK UP YOUR DATA!

Let me know if you have more questions.

Edit: This is the one I bought: http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Unibody-MacBook-SuperDrive-Replacement/dp/B0058AH2US/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1457537224&sr=8-3&keywords=data+doubler It is better for holding the spinning standard HDD since it is a bit stronger than plastic, and holds the drive in with four screws.

For when I'm on-the-go I usually just leave these two things in my bag:

Aukey (30W) charger for my rMB 2016. Great for the 29W requirement of the rMB, but I don't think it will charge the current MBPtb as fast as the included Apple charger. There are certainly similar alternatives available on Amazon that are better suited for the power requirement of the MBPtb though.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LX063QN/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Cable Matters USB-C Cable
Only for charging. Data transfer with this cable is at USB 2.0 speeds (like the Apple cable included in the box). I prefer this to the apple cable because the adapter is at a right angle, and thus sends the cable directly backwards instead of off to the side. This is far less obtrusive/annoying when I'm sitting at my desk at work.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N41JUI4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1for charging

When I'm at home I use the Dell WD-15 as a dock. This charges my rMB at full speed in addition to being a source of USB 3.0 ports, 3.5mm audio out, and my HDMI/VGA/Mini-displayport monitor connection with a single USB-C input. This dock will definitely charge your MBPtb, but it will do so at a slower speed because it only uses around 60W(?) for charging. I believe Dell makes another dock that has a greater power output if slower charging speed is a big issue for you.
https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Dock-WD15-Adapter-Type-C/dp/B01C8PHWQY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1501694857&sr=1-1&keywords=dell+wd15

Well, I see you've sent the adapter back...still I'll offer my experience. I own a late-2011 MBP (2.4 GHz i7) running OS X Lion 10.7.4 as well, and I run it through to a monitor with this:

http://www.amazon.com/Mini-DisplayPort-HDMI-Adapter-Cable/dp/B003OC6LWM/ref=pd_cp_e_2

I have had no hiccups with that. I also have an Asus monitor. I feel it must be something to do with your adapter. When I connected them up my first time, it detected both automatically. So don't worry, you didn't just throw money away. You can get this to work. Make sure that the monitor is turned on (I'm positive you're smarter than that, but you would not believe some people who don't do this) and also that your computer is plugged into a power source. I will monitor this thread for your update. Good luck!

You can also add another drive to the computer by removing the optical drive (DVD Drive), buying this, and placing a 2.5" drive into it. You can add another HDD or SSD.

I have done this and I can say it works great. I have the default drive that came with the Mac in the default drive bay, and then a 750GB Hybrid Drive in the OWC Data Doubler.

Dual booting Windows on the stock drive and Mac on the Hybrid Drive did take some troubleshooting if your interested in that, but if your only interested in increasing storage it is very easy!

If it helps I use this in my MBPr with a 128gb micro SD card, flash storage has gotten bigger and cheaper since I got it but haven't had the need to update. It also sits flush in the SD port so you don't notice it and it was a great way to increase my storage by 50%.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B012F8ALBC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_R0i.Bb96952R8

As far as I know there's no size limitation, but those MacBooks took SATA I drives, so theres no point in buying a SATA II or III drive - you can probably find a sizable SATA I drive online for cheap. If you can't, SATA II or III will work, you just won't be able to take advantage of the higher speeds.

Also, you should consider putting in an SSD. The speeds will make your laptop feel new again, and Amazon has some pretty big discounts right now, like this 500 GB drive, or this 1 TB drive.

Alright, so based on some great advice from you guys I am going to go ahead with the SSD upgrade. I am going with the 500gig Samsung EVO. I found it on Amazon (see link below). Do i need to also buy the bay converter, or is that only if I were to put it where the disk drive is? Apart from some small screw drivers and torx driver i should be good? Or are there other things apart from the physical SSD that i need in order to do a replacement?

Link: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-500GB-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-7TE500BW/dp/B00E3W19MO/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1418005487&sr=8-5&keywords=internal+512+ssd+mac

Thanks - I think it would be a good idea to go for the SSD if I'm going to spend the time and energy refurbishing this thing. Would something like this be a good choice? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IAGSD68/ref=abs_brd_tag_dp?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

This is the best thing I found, only $7 and does the job, happy I got it!

nonda USB Type C to USB 3.0 Adapter Aluminum with Indicator LED for MacBook Pro 2017/2016, MacBook 12-inch and Other Type-C Devices (Space Gray) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015Z7XE0A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_oHA3tDyJ3Sclp

i paired one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/BASEQI-aluminum-microSD-Adapter-MacBook/dp/B012F8ALBC?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

with one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-128GB-Adapter-MB-MP128DA-AM/dp/B00P3NMVVU?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

the write performance cant compare to a PCIe SSD, but the read is terrific. i highly recommend it.

I did the same but didn't notice that much of a difference. Now upgrade to an SSD like I did and be amazed.

OP doesn't need all that peripheral device support for web surfing and class assignments. Too often people shoe horn the macbook as a desktop replacement, but realistically it is meant to easily/quickly travel around like an iPad.

ethernet - we're in a wireless world

USB printer - most university printer are wireless, even at home office it is now

external hd - you'll just need a small$10 adapter, but again people can do backup to cloud like Carbonite or dropbox to transfer.

The best external SSD solution I've found and have been using is this $10 USB 3.0 SATA cable. IO speed is right around 420Mbps. It doesn't look half bad using the Samsung Evo 850 bare.

Hey! Upgrading the classic macbook pro to an SSD is one of the most effective upgrades you can make as far as upgrading a laptop goes. It's very straightforward, and relatively low risk. Any 2.5" SATA SSD will do the job (I personally recommend Crucial MX500 drives), you'll also need a torx t5 and small phillips head driver. Work carefully, following the ifixit steps (removing the battery is key!), and you shouldn't cause any damage.
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Mid+2012+Hard+Drive+Replacement/10378

Before installing the drive, be sure to either make a time machine backup, or acquire a sata-to-USB adapter like this, or you'll lose access to your data! https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-2-5-Inch-Adapter-Optimized-EC-SSHD/dp/B011M8YACM

I have this USB-C to HDMI adapter and it works well.

Cable Matters USB-C to HDMI Adapter

Edit: I also have this USB-C to Displayport cable, and it works great too.

Pluggable USB-C to Displayport Cable

Apple's "Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2" adapter states on Apple's web site that it will not work for DisplayPort, it can only be used for Thunderbolt accessories.

"DisplayPort: This display requires a third-party USB-C to DisplayPort adapter. The Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter doesn't support this display." from https://support.apple.com/en-nz/HT207443

Which was the other adapter you used? Make sure it says USB-C to DisplayPort, even better if it says for MacBook or MacBook Pro, this one for example https://www.amazon.com/Plugable-DisplayPort-1-8m-Chromebook-Thunderbolt/dp/B01EXKDRAC

USB-C supports DisplayPort natively even without thunderbolt

http://www.amazon.com/Mini-DisplayPort-HDMI-Adapter-Cable/dp/B003OC6LWM/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1368547126&sr=1-1&keywords=mini+displayport+to+hdmi

This is what I bought. Works great. Audio works as well.

Yes – you can use your MacBook Pro with any Bluetooth mouse. If the mouse requires connecting it via a cable to pair it initially, you can get a fairly inexpensive USB-C-to-USB-A adapter on Amazon in order to accomplish that.

Here are 2 links to the SSD and RAM I was looking at getting, can you guys just confirm that it is compatible and that the price is fair.

[SSD] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004W2JL2A/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER)

RAM

Thanks!

I have a 2009 mbp with a Samsung ssd and I just put a 525gb Crucial ssd in a 2012 mbp. Both work great. A Crucial drive is $180 cdn on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B01IAGSD68/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485306167&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=crucial+525+ssd&dpPl=1&dpID=51Hqg6dEuvL&ref=plSrch

The best one I know of is the Dell Inspiron 15-7559 Dell's USB-C to HDMI/VGA/Ethernet/USB.

They also make one wiuth more I/O and enough power to charge your device while connected.

This is a great little adapter that matches Mac laptops:
nonda USB Type C to USB 3.0 Adapter, Thunderbolt 3 to USB Adapter Aluminum with Indicator LED for Macbook Pro 2018/2017, MacBook Air 2018, Pixel 3, Dell XPS, and More Type-C Devices(Space Gray)

then add a basic mouse:

Belkin 3-Button Wired USB Optical Mouse with 5-Foot Cord, Compatible with PCs, Macs, Desktops and Laptops, Black - F5M010qBLK

Check the specs with your serial number on the Apple site. I replaced a drive in a similar model few months ago. Highly likely that you have a HDD and not SSD... You'll see the difference in speed and is totally worth the upgrade non the less. Just ensure you buy a compatible SSD. Apple is quite fussy when it comes to compatibility. I always use Crucial SSDs, they always work. Here's what I usually use.

I have this older model from crucial --> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IRRDHVW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Crucial and Samsung look to have similar price right now...so 850 Evo is probably a good bet!

Some companies make SD Card adapters for MicroSD Cards specifically meant to add permanent storage to the MacBook Pro without the SD card sticking out. I'm using one with a MicroSD card and it works great and looks likes it's built into the MacBook. I keep Starcraft 2, Final Cut Pro, Motion, Unity, and other heavy duty apps on the MicroSD card and have had no issues with performance whatsoever.

We use the Dell USB-C docks at my work. They're a little pricey and less portable than I'd like, but they work well.

http://www.reddit.com/r/mac/comments/2iibwe/psa_imo_the_best_portable_thunderbolt_25_drive/

plus

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electronics-EVO-Series-2-5-Inch-MZ-7TE500BW/dp/B00E3W19MO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412643628&sr=8-1&keywords=500gb+ssd

or

http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-2-5-Inch-adapter-Internal-CT512M550SSD1/dp/B00IRRDHVW/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1412643628&sr=8-9&keywords=500gb+ssd

gets you up to a total of 756GB for about $300. The internal SSD will be faster than anything external, but I'd put an extra 250GB above a ~5% speed increase.

This one works amazing.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01EXKDRAC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This also seems legit, but I am tempted to just have the Display Port Cable instead.

https://www.amazon.ca/Plugable-USB-C-HDMI-Chromebook-ThunderboltTM/dp/B01FIVSC6Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1493836186&sr=1-1&keywords=usb+c+to+hdmi+2

Certainly!

These are what I bought.

I’d really recommend The Missing Manual series by David Pogue (tech writer for the New York Times)…his writing is clear, concise and easy to understand without making the reader feel stupid.

Since you’re a “switcher” from PCs, I’d recommend you start with this one:
Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Mavericks Edition

Don't spend a lot of money, Here is a 120GB for $64
http://amzn.com/B00A1ZTZOG

Do a fresh install of Yosemite when it comes out, transfer only what you need, use web based email and big photo libraries music libraries keep on an external USB

Also max out the RAM EveryMac says you can do 8GB (2x 4GB)

2 x 4gb link here for $79- http://amzn.com/B008LTBJFM

So for $145 you'll have a blazing fast computer

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Mavericks Edition


|Country|Link|
|:-----------|:------------|
|UK|amazon.co.uk|
|Spain|amazon.es|
|France|amazon.fr|
|Germany|amazon.de|
|Japan|amazon.co.jp|
|Canada|amazon.ca|
|Italy|amazon.it|
|China|amazon.cn|




This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.

this is the same exact one i bought. it is cheap and a descent length. what more do you want!

I have a 2017 MBP 13 and use a dell universal USB-C dock to project onto 2 monitors for a total of 3 displays. It says it's capable of projecting onto 3 external displays but the MBP might limit that. It also seems to charge my laptop as fast if not faster than the included charger Apple bundled.

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-452-BCYT-D6000-Universal-Black/dp/B071YTQBXM/

There are probably options that are a bit cheaper and include a little less but this works fine with a MBP once you install the Displaylink drivers.

Edit: I originally linked to the d3100 dock but turns out I'm using the D6000.

Are you referring to this one

Someone else recommended them so I may take a look.

I would get the smaller one. Better quality display, plus it is "retina" density so it will match your built-in monitor better. A 27" 4K monitor is sort of a weird in-between resolution: not really dense enough for retina mode, but too dense for normal display mode. But there is also something to be said for "bigger is better", especially if you want to watch movies or don't care so much about retina resolution.

If you're willing to forgo USB-C charging there are some other cheaper models you could look at. E.g. Dell has a decent 24" 4K screen for around 350 USD. You would need a USB-C to DisplayPort cable to make that work.

Forget the USB-C dongle you have. Connect the MBP directly to the monitor with a cable like this.

I went with this one because it was cheap. Unbelievable how much faster it is. Mine is a 2006 mac mini.

http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Digital-SSDNow-SV300S37A-120G/dp/B00A1ZTZOG/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1453365699&

You could always put the main OS on the SSD, and buy an external USB enclosure. Put your Mac's factory hard drive in the enclosure and install OSX on your new SSD. Then plug in your factory HD to USB.

https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-Desktop-Converter-Mounting-BK-PCBS/dp/B00UN550AC/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2TIS3M7Z1GD27&keywords=sabrent+3.5+to+2.5-inch+sata+hard+drive+adapter&qid=1567656891&s=gateway&sprefix=Sabrent+3.5”+to+%2Caps%2C160&sr=8-2

We use these all the time for clients who are upgrading to SSD’s

Unless the SSDs and HDDs are thunderbolt, there isn't much of a reason to run them through the the thunderbolt ports over USB-A unless they're higher speeds than USB3.0. You can connect your monitor using a USB-C to DisplayPort cable, I use one to connect a 4K monitor to my 2017 MacBook Pro, and it runs at 60hz.

Link to the cable I bought: https://www.amazon.com/Plugable-USB-DisplayPort-Adapter-Resolutions/dp/B01EXKDRAC/ref=asc_df_B01EXKDRAC/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312780390407&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6701388570838587492&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9026843&hvtargid=pla-406302874305&psc=1

For direct USB-C to Display Port:
https://www.amazon.com/Plugable-DisplayPort-Thunderbolt-Supports-3840x2160/dp/B01EXKDRAC

Dell Dock WD15 with 180W Adapter, USB Type-C https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C8PHWQY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_0aXMybDENMVT2

500GB SSD

8GB RAM

HD Enclosure

HD Replacement Tutorial

RAM Replacement Tutorial

It took me about an hour to complete which involved me forgetting to reconnect the battery cable so I had to reopen it for that.

edit: forgot to link tutorials

https://www.amazon.ca/Plugable-DisplayPort-Thunderbolt-Supports-Resolutions/dp/B01EXKDRAC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1536071873&sr=8-3&keywords=usb+c+displayport

Most people do not need a 512GB SSD (and they are not anywhere near $450 new http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electronics-EVO-Series-2-5-Inch-MZ-7TE500BW/dp/B00E3W19MO/)

I have used several of Apple's adapters and this Nonda adapter with no issues. Your mileage may vary.

It seems that your hard drive has failed :( I would recommend buying a new SSD or a new hard drive.

So get Amazon to send the right one maybe?

If the replacement is shit too, then try this: http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Channel-204-Pin-SO-DIMM-CMSA8GX3M2A1066C7/dp/B00505EZYW/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1412614730&sr=1-2&keywords=1066mhz+ddr3+sodimm+pc3+8500

OWC is usually more expensive for no reason.