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Retina Display MacBook Pro Q&A
Update Published January 28, 2021
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How do you upgrade or replace the storage in the 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models? Is it even possible?
By default, all 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models are configured with either 256 GB or 512 GB of SSD storage.
As originally introduced on June 11, 2012, Apple only offered 768 GB of storage for the high-end MacBook Pro "Core i7" 2.6 15" (Retina). However, as first reported by C|Net, starting on or around August 2, 2012, Apple also added 512 GB and 768 GB storage options for the entry-level model. Via custom configuration, the "Early 2013" models had 768 GB of storage as a option and all subsequent models have had 1 TB as an option.
Officially, it is not possible for an end user to upgrade the storage in any Retina Display MacBook Pro model after purchase. However, as first discovered by site sponsor Other World Computing, the SSD is installed as a removable module in all of these notebooks, but different lines use different types of proprietary "blade" SSD modules and it is particularly important to identify the MacBook Pro and the SSD precisely as a result.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro)
Identification Help
The 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models can be quickly identified collectively as they lack an internal optical drive and all earlier 15-Inch MacBook Pro models have one. As of the date last updated (see top), all 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models also share a unique Model Number -- specifically A1398.
However, as the "Mid-2012" and "Early 2013" lines use one SSD, the "Late 2013" and "Mid-2014" lines another, and the "Mid-2015" models yet another, the model number is not precise enough identification for the purpose of upgrading the SSD. For this purpose, it will be necessary to use the external EMC Number or the Model Identifier in software.
As always, EveryMac.com has painstakingly hand documented these details for your convenience:
Retina MacBook Pro |
Subfamily |
EMC |
Model Identifier |
15-Inch |
Mid-2012 |
||
15-Inch |
Early 2013 |
||
15-Inch (Intg. Graphics) |
Late 2013 |
||
15-Inch (Dual Graphics) |
Late 2013 |
||
15-Inch (Intg. Graphics) |
Mid-2014 |
||
15-Inch (Dual Graphics) |
Mid-2014 |
||
15-Inch (Intg. Graphics) |
Mid-2015 |
||
15-Inch (Dual Graphics) |
Mid-2015 |
EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Lookup feature additionally can uniquely identify each of the 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models by their serial numbers.
Upgrade Obstacles & Compatible SSD Details
Apple does not intend for end users to upgrade the SSD in these models themselves. The company even has used uncommon "pentalobe" screws -- also called five-point Torx screws -- to make the upgrade more difficult. However, access is straightforward with the correct screwdriver, the SSD modules are removable, and Apple has not blocked upgrades in firmware, either. There are two significantly different SSD designs for these models, though.
Specifically, the "Mid-2012" and "Early 2013" models use a 6 Gb/s SATA-based SSD whereas the "Late 2013,""Mid-2014" and "Mid-2015" models use a PCIe 2.0-based SSD. These SSD modules are neither interchangeable nor backwards compatible with earlier systems.
As a result, third-parties, like site sponsor OWC have released a 6 Gb/s SATA-based SSD upgrade with a compatible connector for the "Mid-2012" and "Early 2013" models and another PCIe 2.0-based flash SSD with a compatible connector for the "Late 2013" and subsequent MacBook Pro models.
By default, from testing the "Late 2013" and "Mid-2014" models, OWC discovered that when a "blade" SSD from a Cylinder Mac Pro is installed in one of these systems, it "negotiates a x4 PCIe connection versus the stock cards, which negotiate a x2 PCIe connection." This means that these Retina MacBook Pro provided more than 1200 MB/s drive performance, a huge jump from the standard SSD.
Apple boasts that the "Mid-2015" systems have "up to 2.5 times faster flash storage than the previous generation" of 15-Inch MacBook Pro models. In independent testing, OWC confirmed that the stock SSD in these models have read speeds around 2000 MB/s and write speeds around 1200 MB/s. These numbers are in line with Apple's performance claim compared to the SSDs that the company offered with the previous models, but not compared to the maximum speed that the previous systems unofficially can support.
Consequently, all of these models can support larger SSDs than the ones provided by default, but some models can (at least theoretically) support faster SSDs, as well.
OWC additionally sells an Envoy Pro bus-powered external enclosure so the original SSD can be repurposed as an external drive.
Upgrade Video Instructions
The bottom plate of the 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro is held in place with ten screws of differing lengths, but when the bottom of the notebook is removed, it's simply a matter of disconnecting the battery and removing one more screw to pop out the SSD.
OWC provides straightforward upgrade videos for the SSD in each 15-Inch "Retina Display" MacBook Pro model:
"Mid-2012" and "Early 2013" 15-Inch MacBook Pro
"Late 2013", "Mid-2014" & "Mid-2015" 15-Inch MacBook Pro
How to Install Original SSD in External Case
This video explains how to install the original SSD from your 15-Inch MacBook Pro in OWC's convenient "Envoy Pro" housing to repurpose it as an external drive:
By watching these videos, you should be able to determine if you feel comfortable performing this upgrade yourself or if you would instead prefer to hire a professional.
SSD Purchase Options
In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computer sells the compatible Mercury Aura Pro 6 Gb/s SATA and PCIe-based SSDs as well as compatible external peripherals.
In the UK and Ireland, site sponsor Flexx sells 15" Retina Display MacBook Pro compatible SSDs with free shipping. The company provides flat rate shipping to France, Germany, and Switzerland and inexpensive shipping for all of Europe, too.
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