Using an Optibay for new macbooks in warranty, should I?

[V-Hoff]

Hey Macheads!

I'm near to buy my first macbook and after the article from yesterday:
Super Power Your Laptop with a SSD Double Swap! , that fits well for upgrade propouses, I kept myself thinking about what are the options for those buying new macbooks.

My option will be the cheaper 13'' version with some modificated spec.

My main purpose is to have an SSD disk for the SO, DJ softwares/drivers and other heavily used software (browser, media player, etc).

I have two main questions:

With the Optibay mod I will loose my warranty? (this answer affects directly my other questions)

Should I buy a new macbook with what HD?

1. Optibay HDD 500gb 7200rpm + Apple SSD 128gb = $200 + $250 = $450
2. Apple HDD 500gb 5400rpm + Optibay SSD 64gb = $50 + $224 = $274
3. Apple HDD 320gb 5400rpm exchanged by Seagate Hybrid HDD 500gb 7200rpm with 4gb SSD = $0 + $100 = $100 and a spare HDD for external case
4. Other options? Suggestions?

I now the budgets above vary too much, but I'm a bit lost. Please ppl, help me choose

Thanks!

[lexion610]

According to the white books, only the RAM and the HDD are user-replaceable.
However, there are no warranty void if broken stickers on the optical drive though, so i think you may just get away with it.

[mostapha]

I called AppleCare because I couldn't get a straight answer out of anyone else, and they said that it does void the warranty. But, the guy I talked to did not seem like a tech guy and had no idea what the thing was.

[TwistedPanda]

If you don't use the drive in the Optibay as your boot drive, you shouldn't have a problem at all. If for some reason you need to take your computer into the Apple store, just put the DVD drive back. It'll boot up no problem for them and you won't have anything to worry about.

[V-Hoff]

The optibay mod doesn't break any warranty seals or something like that?
I can "unmod" it easly if I need to send the macbook to fix something?

And another question: if I use a HDD 500gb 7200 rpm in the Optibay will I have any heating problem?
I mean, my bootable drive would be the SSD, and because of "warranty issues" it would stay on the HD place lefting the optibay place for the HDD...

[fullenglishpint]

Don't know if this will help, but I'm about to buy all the stuff to do an optibay mod on my unibody 13".

I have the 250GB OEM HD. My plan is to pick up:

• the same OCZ 240GB SSD as they used in the video (£345)
• a 750GB Western Digital Scorpio Blue (5400rpm)(£71)
• newmodeUS optibay equivalent caddy ($42, just ordered)

I'll setup a snow leopard boot disk on a flash drive, then temporarily install the SSD on the optical side so I can clone the original drive. I'll then swap the drives over, and install the 750GB HD in the optibay. (Can anyone see any problems with this method, or think of a better one??)

I'm also buying a slimline external optical drive for £25, and 8GB of RAM. My MBP should be pretty beastly after that

Since I'll pack up and keep the original HD in its current condition and the superdrive, I'm not too worried about the applecare as I can always swap them back in.

P.S. I'm going for 5400rpm for battery life and heat reasons.

[V-Hoff]

Nice to know that you are going this route, keep us posted please ...

Are you going to use the SSD or the HDD on the optibay?
Can you post something about the heating on the optibay after you mod it?

[fullenglishpint]

Nice to know that you are going this route, keep us posted please ...

Are you going to use de SSD or the HDD on the optibay?
Can you post something about the heating on the optibay after you mod it?

SSD in the original HDD slot, HDD in the optibay is the plan. It'll take me a few weeks but yeh, I'll probably post a thread on it once I get round to it!

[V-Hoff]

I will buy my mac in a month or two, I can wait your thread

[fullenglishpint]

It's already been a long time coming, I've been trying to convince myself to do this for a while. The article was the push I needed!