MacBook Early 2009 SSD Compatibility

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Level 1

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MacBook Early 2009 SSD Compatibility

Hello. My MacBook is early 2009 with 2GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, 120GB Hard Disk Drive. Now running OS X 10.6.8 but planning to upgrade to El Capitan.

I want to upgrade my Hard Disk to a Solid State Drive. Transcend SSD370S series is available at my place.

Can I use 256GB SSD of this series on my MacBook without any problem?

Here is the link for the Transcend website. Compatibility list on their website doesn't include Apple notebooks.

http://www.transcend-info.com/Products/No-631

Thank you.

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.5.8), Intel Core 2 Duo 2 GHz, 4GB Memory, 120BG HDD

Posted on Jan 1, 2016 4:48 AM

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Answer 1

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SeaPapp

Level 7

26,492 points

Jan 1, 2016 5:28 AM in response to Shishira

I have an early 2009 Macbook and put a Samsung (pre Evo) 840 SSD into it and the speed is amazing, it feels like a brand new computer. Your Macbook has an Nvidia MCP79 3Gb/s SATA controller and there's a conflict between the controllers on some 6Gb/s SSD's that will only allow them to run at SATA 1.5Gb/s so you have to be careful. The conflict I'm aware of for sure is with SSD's using a Sandforce controller but recently someone posted on here about their drive with a Marvell controller only running at half speed so there may be others. Transend is using what they call a TS6500 which is actually a rebranded SiliconMotion SM2246EN controller and I can't find evedience either way if it will work at SATA 3Gb speed with the Nvidia controller. Confused yet? I think the bottom line is that we're putting 2015 (ok 2016) technology into 2009 computers and in computer terms that 6 year span is huge, there may be incompatibilities. Probably the BEST way to avoid is to find a 3Gb SSD or a 6Gb SSD that is guaranteed to work in your Macbook. OWC has a line of 3Gb drives that are more expensive but guaranteed to work http://eshop.macsales.com/

If you have to pay a little more to get a compatible drive it's well worth it. Adding SSD's to both my Macbook and my late 2009 iMac have been the best computer upgrades I've ever done.

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