Migrating from HDD to SSD on an Apple Mac Pro

Posted in Computer Hardware, Hackintosh, Tips & Tricks

For one of my Mac customers I have to install a OCZ Vertex 3 240GB into a Mac Pro 8-Core Xeon 2.4Ghz. And although OCZ is so kind to provide a 2.5″ -> 3.5″ mounting kit, it won’t fit ! What you need instead is a 2.5″ -> 3.5″ harddrive enclosure:

Of course there’s always the $5-6 DIY solution howto at http://www.macprossdinstall.com… but when you have the money for Mac Pro and SSD? Then please spend a few bucks more to do things right!!

Very common in servers or SANs, but a pretty rare accessoiry to buy separately. The only mainstream manufacturer that has them is Icy, modelnumber: MB882SP-1S-1B. And that’s a product that’s very hard to find in stores in Holland!

2.5″ to 3.5″ SSD & SATA Hard Drive ConverterICY DOCK’s MB882 series can convert most of 2.5” SATA and SSD hard drive into a 3.5” SATA drive. It has enough ventilation to keep the 2.5” drive cool and can protect your drive. Installing a 2.5” drive requires no screws or tool whatsoever. Whether you use a SATA or SSD drive, you will maintain the transfer speed while using this case. With this converter, mounting a 2.5” drive into a desktop will be simple without having to purchase any special attachments or systems, allowing more convenience in recovering data from laptops or OS boot up onto a desktop. Mostly, it is designed to fit into most common PC cases, 3.5” HDD duplicator, 3.5” SATA HDD enclosure, mobile rack, backplane modules and servers without having to purchase any attachments for the 2.5” drives. This state-of-the-art case will revolutionize the way 2.5” drives are presently used. Overall, a sturdy, reliable construction with easy access to the drive, perfect for system integrators and IT professionals.

Features:– Converts your 2.5” SATA I/II HDD or SSD to a 3.5” SATA hard drive, for 3.5” SATA drive bay usage.– Heavy Duty with Easy Access to Drives.– Airflow vents for heat dissipation with shockproof design.– Universal mounting holes for most common PC case.– Compatible with most 3.5” HDD enclosures.– Compatible with Mac Pro.– Screw-less design for quick & easy installation.– Perfect for System Integrators and IT Professionals.

The good news is Kingston selling an OEM version of it, under model number SNA-DC/35. Which is pretty much for sale at every large webstore, selling for as low as €16,99 at for example Alternate … which BTW also sells the ‘Icy version’ for just €19,99… more commonly know as ‘Icebox’, ‘icy box’, ‘icy dock’, or ‘icybox’. Isn’t it great, suppliers keeping the original product name? *sigh*

Installation then becomes super easy, when you follow this excellent You Tube video:

Once the harddrive is built in you can then use CCC (Carbon Copy Cloner), or SD (SuperDuper!) to clone to the SDD.

Update: Better late than never … found this excellent ‘upgrade path’ guide at the Kingston website, that not only tells me what bracket to get, but also a memory upgrade to 32GB only costing 275EUR instead of 1549EUR at Apple!

#2 Update 2014: search for “Cremax ICY Dock MB882SP-1S-2B”