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Basically the Title:

Is is possible to replace the CD drive in a 17" macbook Pro with a SSD/second HD?

I'm looking at buying a 17" MBP, and I am having a hard time deciding if I want a HD or SSD.

My MBA has a SSD, and it's very fast. However, I am already almost out of space.

My desktop (a windows box) has a SSD for the OS and often used programs, and a HD for long term storage. It works extremely well

Also, I think I have used the CD drive in my desktop about twice in two years, so I don't really need one, particularly in a laptop.

What I would Ideally like to do is simply replace the CD drive with a big HD, and use a SSD for the OS.

Is this possible? I can make up a custom bracket to hold the SSD in the CD-drive enclosure. However, I do not know what kind of interface the CD drive uses.

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  • It depends which model MacBook Pro you have. If you post the Model Identifier (like MacBookPro5,3) and whether the CD drive is on the SATA bus by looking at the system profiler.
    – bmike ♦
    Apr 28, 2011 at 18:05
  • A friend of mine bought his MBP in this configuration from one of the shops.... if you have an Apple Store or similar near your place you could also asked them to do it (if this is an option for you).
    – Felix
    Apr 29, 2011 at 22:38

3 Answers 3

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System Profiler is an application that will show you hardware information to determine which bus the CD drive is connected. Once you know your hardware specifications, you can shop better.

Check MCE optibay and OWC Data Doubler for housings that work physically with SATA connectors. Also check Remiel's article on the issues you might face moving to an SSD / HD combination.

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    I wound up buying a OWC data doubler. It's quite nice!
    – Fake Name
    Feb 14, 2012 at 21:38
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Other World Computing offers the Data Doubler bracket ($75) that allows you to do this. It allows you to replace the optical drive with a second drive, either a hard drive or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The internal optical drive uses a SATA interface. They offer various bundles with combinations of hard drives/SSDs, or you can simply get the bracket kit and supply your own drives.

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Here is a good How-To Guide from Stammy http://paulstamatiou.com/how-to-apple-macbook-pro-raid-0-array-with-2-intel-x25-m-ssds he describes how he had done the job with two Intel X25-M SSDs Good Luck!

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  • can one get RAID to work with this?
    – romeovs
    Nov 2, 2011 at 13:07

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