Chosen Solution
I bought a 13” 2012 MBP as-is without the hard drive and battery for so little, the gamble makes sense for what the one I chose has spec wise (i7-3520M/8GB RAM from the factory). However, due to the lack of a drive out of the box, I need to address the drive issue before I can truly use the machine. When the machine arrives, I’m going to need to test and repair the base unit, and then install a SSD. Out of all of the SSDs that are known to be good in these Macs, which one is the best for the money? I can survive with a 256GB class SSD (240-256GB range), if that helps. I’m looking into the Samsung SSDs as one option, but there may be better options.
Personally use Samsung drives. But! There are cheaper options. It all depends on what your needs are. A cheaper drive will be likely slower than Samsung. Both ADATA and Fledgling offers nice drives as well, but the warranty will be shorter as well as its lifespan. As far as size 250GB is as small as you want, I find even that gets tight after a year of collecting stuff. I would really go with a 512GB class drive or larger. I would also recommend going with 16GB of RAM and lastly replace the HD SATA cable! Your Hard Drive Cable Is A Ticking Time Bomb placing a strip of electricians tape down on the upper case to help protect the cable. Also don’t fold the cable! Creasing damages it!
