MacBook (White or Black) Upgrades
MacBook Black

This page covers all the upgrades we sell for the white and black MacBook laptops, made between 2006 and 2010. Choose the type of upgrade you are looking for from the tabs below. (Not the right Mac? See here for more MacBooks and MacBook Pros, or here for all Macs.)

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If you want specific upgrades for your exact model, choose it from the Model ID links below, or enter your serial number here:


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MacBook White

History

This page deals with the White and the Black MacBooks. The Aluminium MacBooks released October 2008 are covered here.

The MacBook was introduced in May 2006, and completed the transition of Apple's laptop lineup from PowerPC to Intel CPUs, following the MacBook Pro 17" in April and the MacBook Pro 15.4" in January. The last revision was made in May 2010.

The MacBook succeeded the iBook G4 as Apple's consumer focused laptop. Unlike the iBook however the MacBook has optical audio in/out, gigabit ethernet and is capable of true dual monitor support (spanning as opposed to mirroring), leaving the main differentiations between the consumer and professional models as screen size, expansion slots (none on the MacBook), graphics subsystem (the MacBook uses Intel integrated graphics) and FireWire 800 (not present on the first revision of the 15" MacBook Pro).

Apple specs for the original MacBook can be found here.

In November 2006 Apple upgraded the MacBook to use the Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Apple specs here. A speed bump up to 2.16GHz on the high end models was introduced in May 2007. Apple specs here.

In November 2007 the MacBook moved to the Santa Rosa chipset. These MacBooks have a marginal CPU speedbump, use an improved Intel integrated graphics card and an increase of the front side bus from 667MHz to 800MHz. Importantly these MacBooks can take a maximum of 6GB RAM rather than the 2GB on all previous models. Apple specs here.

In February 2008 the MacBook moved to the Penryn processor running at 2.1GHz or 2.4GHz, with the default RAM increased to 2GB and default hard drives increased on the black model. Compatibility for upgrades was unchanged. Apple specs here.

In October 2008 Apple released the MacBook Aluminium, while continuing to sell the then current generation of the white MacBook along side it. White MacBooks purchased after this date are dealt with on this page, for the Aluminium MacBooks please go here.

In January 2009 the White MacBook was updated, and continued to be sold alongside the Aluminium model. The major change in this revision was the replacement of the integrated Intel graphics chipset with an NVidia GeForce 9400M and a change in the front side bus to 1066MHz. Apple specs here.

An update in May 2009 increased the memory bus to 800MHz (from 667MHz), this model changes the RAM type used from DDR2 PC5300 to DDR2 PC6400. Apple specs here.

In October 2009 the range was updated with the white Unibody MacBook. This model has a redesigned case and the memory bus upgraded to 1066Mhz taking up to 8GB of DDR3 PC8500 memory. The battery was changed to a non-removable type and the FireWire port was dropped. Apple specs here.

In May 2010 a minor update increased the processor speed and upgraded the graphics card to the NVidia 320M. Upgrade compatibility remained unchanged in its stock configuration, however models running 10.7.5 or later with the latest EFI update can run 16GB in 2 x 8GB modules. Apple specs here.

The MacBook name was reused for the MacBook Retina ranges in Early 2015 and Early 2016, but these machines are a single totally unupgradeable board, and are closer to being an iPad running OSX than a Mac.

How to Identify these Machines

The white MacBook looks fairly similar to the previous iBook G4, although it has a wide aspect ratio glossy 13.3" screen, as opposed to standard ratio 12" and 14" matt screens available for the iBook. The black MacBook is very distinctive.

System Profile can be used to identify the CPU type, which will be Intel Core Duo or Core 2 Duo in the MacBook and PowerPC G4 for the previous iBook. The other Intel Core Duo Apple laptops are the MacBook Pro 15.4", the MacBook Pro 17", and the MacBook Aluminium, all of which have a silvered finish.

Memory Upgrades

Please note this RAM is compatible with White and Black MacBooks only. For Aluminium MacBooks please go here.

The white and black MacBooks made up until May 2009 take DDR2-PC5300 SODIMM memory modules, the model released then uses DDR2-PC6400 SODIMM modules, and that released in October 2009 takes DDR3-PC8500 SODIMM modules. Like all the Intel based Macs with integrated graphics, RAM modules ideally should be installed in matched pairs - this gives the memory bandwidth necessary to a graphics system that uses normal system memory.

To identify your exact machine, open System Profiler (Apple menu > About This Mac, then click the More Info button). On the hardware overview that comes up, you will find the "bus speed" of your MacBook, this is the front-side bus. On the left-hand list of options in System Profiler, select Memory. This will give you a break-down of the memory installed, in the Speed column you will see the memory bus speed.

MacBooks made up until November 2007 can take a maximum of 2GB in 2 x 1GB PC5300 modules. For identification, these MacBooks have a front-side bus speed of 667MHz and a memory speed of 667MHz.

MacBooks made after then but before May 2009 can take a maximum of 6GB in 1 x 4GB and 1 x 2GB PC5300 modules. For identification, these MacBooks have a front-side bus speed of 800MHz or 1066MHz and a memory speed of 667MHz.

MacBooks made after May 2009 but before October 2009 can take a maximum of 6GB in 1 x 4GB and 1 x 2GB PC6400 modules. For identification, these MacBooks have a front-side bus speed of 1066MHz and a memory speed of 800MHz.

MacBooks made after October 2009 can take a maximum of 8GB in 2 x 4GB PC8500 modules. For identification, these MacBooks have a front-side bus speed of 1066MHz and a memory bus speed of 1066MHz. This model comes in the new unibody case and the FireWire port present on all previous models has been dropped.

The mid-2010 revision is the same as the previous revision in its stock configuration, however models running 10.7.5 or later with the latest EFI update can run 16GB in 2 x 8GB modules

To tell the difference the best way is to use System Profiler. Front-side bus speed is listed in the Hardware Overview as "Bus Speed", and memory speed can be seen in the Memory section, which gives you the speed of any modules installed.

DDR3 1066MHz PC8500 for post-October 2009 "Unibody" Revisions

Corsair DDR3 PC8500 SODIMM - 4GBStock: Available£22.41 + vat (£26.89)1
OWC DDR3 PC8500 SODIMM - 8GB Kit (2 x 4GB)Stock: Special Order£43.16 + vat (£51.79)2
OWC DDR3 PC8500 SODIMM - 16GB Kit (2 x 8GB) - see product page for detailed system requirementsStock: Available£84.32 + vat (£101.18)3

DDR2 667MHz PC5300 for pre-May 2009 Revisions (2GB not suitable for earlier models – see footnotes)

OWC DDR2 PC5300 SODIMM - 2GBStock: Special Order£15.50 + vat (£18.60)4
OWC DDR2 PC5300 SODIMM - 4GB (1 x 4GB)Stock: Available£64.13 + vat (£76.96)4
OWC DDR2 PC5300 SODIMM - 6GB Kit (4GB + 2GB)Stock: Available£73.14 + vat (£87.77)4
1Suitable for the Unibody White MacBooks released in October 2009, and the model released in mid 2010.
2Suitable for the Unibody White MacBooks released in October 2009, which have a 1066MHz bus speed, and a 1066MHz memory speed.
3Compatible with mid-2010 models (Model ID: MacBook7,1), but only those running 10.7.5 or later with the latest EFI update. See here for details.
4Suitable for MacBooks released after November 2007 and before May 2009. These MacBooks have a bus speed of 800MHz or 1066MHz, and the installed memory has a speed of 667MHz. They can use up to 6GB in 1 x 4GB + 1 x 2GB.

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Difficulty 3 / 5 - Reasonably easy.

Turn off the machine and remove the power cable.

For the pre-Unibody (pre-October 2009) MacBooks, the RAM is accessed via the battery cover on the bottom of the machine, which is secured by a latch turned by a coin. Open this and remove the battery. This reveals an 'L' shaped bracket secured by 3 captive screws. Loosen these to reveal the RAM.

Full illustrated instructions can be found on Apple's website here.

For the Unibody MacBooks it is a bit more complex. You first need to remove the bottom case by undoing the 8 screws which secure it, then lifting off the case from the hinged side (the screws along the front are different from those along the back, so keep the screws separate).

Then locate a memory socket and push the levers on the side of the memory module outwards to release the old module, and remove it. Take the new module, align the notch along its base with the notch of the socket, tilt the card and push it into the socket. Gently but firmly push the module down into the socket until you here it click into place. Repeat the procedure for the other memory socket.

Full illustrated instructions can be found in the user manual for this MacBook, available here.

See OWC installation videos here.

CD/DVD/Blu-ray Drive Upgrades

All MacBooks come with a Combo Drive or SuperDrive as standard. It is possible to use an external device via FireWire or USB 2.0.

INSTALL SERVICE - Internal CD/DVD Drive in a MacBook, MacBook ProStock: Available£29.00 + vat (£34.80)
Optical Drive Enclosure - USB 2 enclosure for 9.5mm & 12.7mm SATA Optical DrivesStock: Unavailable£20.00 + vat (£24.00)1
Internal SATA DVD-RW 9.5mm for most unibody MacBook Pros and MacBooksStock: Available£59.00 + vat (£70.80)2
REFURB Super-Slim 9.5mm IDE SuperDrive for MacBook, MacBook Pro 15Stock: Available£59.00 + vat (£70.80)3
External USB 2.0 CD/DVD-RW Drive - Bus PoweredStock: Special Order£29.00 + vat (£34.80)
1Suitable for MacBooks from the Early 2009 revision onwards.
2Compatible with the mid-2010 white Unibody models only - not compatible with any model where the battery is removed with a coin lock on the bottom of the machine.
3Suitable for MacBooks released before the Early 2009 revision.

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

 

Internal Hard Drive & SSD Upgrades

The MacBook uses a 2.5" SATA hard drive. All of the following drives are compatible with the MacBook.

If you don't want to fit a new hard drive yourself, you can take advantage of the MacUpgrades Installation Service. Add the installation service from the list below to your cart along with your chosen hard drive. We can also clone your existing hard drive onto the new one, simply add the Clone Original Hard Drive service below to your cart.

Once you have booked the service, send your machine to us, we will carry out the work and return it to you. Alternatively, we do offer a Collection Service with our courier, please see here for details.

Installation Services

INSTALL SERVICE - Internal Drive in a MacBook/MacBook ProStock: Available£29.00 + vat (£34.80)
INSTALL SERVICE - Clone Original Internal DriveStock: Available£25.00 + vat (£30.00)
INSTALL SERVICE - Fit Customer Supplied PartStock: Available£17.50 + vat (£21.00)

Hard Drives Spinning at 5400RPM

Western Digital Scorpio Blue 500GB 2.5" 7mm SATA 5400RPMStock: Available£42.73 + vat (£51.28)
Seagate Laptop Hard Drive 2TB 2.5in SATA 600 5400RPMStock: Available£85.05 + vat (£102.06)

Hard Drives Spinning at 7200RPM

Western Digital Scorpio Black 500GB 2.5" SATA 7200RPMStock: Available£50.69 + vat (£60.83)
Seagate Barracuda Pro 1TB 2.5in SATA 600 7200RPMStock: Available£72.10 + vat (£86.52)

Internal Solid State Disk (SSD) Drives

OWC Mercury 120GB Electra 3G 2.5" SATA 300 SSDStock: Available£29.26 + vat (£35.11)
OWC Mercury 250GB Electra 3G 2.5" SATA 300 SSDStock: Special Order£43.08 + vat (£51.70)
OWC Mercury 500GB Electra 3G 2.5" SATA 300 SSDStock: Special Order£71.13 + vat (£85.36)
Samsung 860 EVO 250GB SSD SATA 600Stock: Available£51.79 + vat (£62.15)1
Samsung 860 EVO 500GB SSD SATA 600Stock: Available£77.40 + vat (£92.88)1
Samsung 860 EVO 1TB SSD SATA 600Stock: Available£139.10 + vat (£166.92)1
Samsung 860 EVO 2TB SSD SATA 600Stock: Available£259.10 + vat (£310.92)1
Samsung 860 EVO 4TB SSD SATA 600Stock: Available£526.40 + vat (£631.68)1

HDD Mounts for Optical Bay

Optical Drive Bay Hard Drive Caddy IDE - SATA for 9.5mm DrivesStock: Special Order£19.00 + vat (£22.80)2
Optical Drive Bay Hard Drive Caddy SATA - SATA for 9.5mm DrivesStock: Available£19.00 + vat (£22.80)1
1Suitable for MacBooks from the Early 2009 revision onwards.
2Suitable for MacBooks released before the Early 2009 revision.

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Difficulty 3/5 Reasonably Easy

The hard drive in a MacBook is a user serviceable part, full instructions for doing so can be found in the user manual: here for the pre-Unibody (pre-October 2009) MacBooks and here for the Unibody models.

See OWC installation videos here.

Graphics Cards and Displays

The MacBook uses an Intel integrated graphics architecture which cannot be upgraded.

REPAIR SERVICE - Replace LCD Panel on MacBook 13" pre-Unibody - Fitting & Part Stock: Available£119.00 + vat (£142.80)1
1For pre-Unibody models only - battery is removed by turning a coin-lock on the bottom of the machine. For both white and black models.

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Expansion Card Upgrades

The MacBook does not have any expansion slots, therefore the only expansion card it can take is an Airport Extreme card - which is fitted by default on all models.

There are none available.

 

Keyboards & Mice

The MacBook can use external keyboards and mice through USB or Bluetooth.

Trust 3 button USB Optical MouseStock: Available£6.75 + vat (£8.10)
Cherry Strait 3.0 USB Keyboard - UK Mac LayoutStock: Available£32.00 + vat (£38.40)

Power Supplies & Batteries

Listed below are power supplies, batteries and related products we supply for this Mac.

Apple 85W AC Magsafe 1 for MacBook/MacBook ProStock: Special Order£55.00 + vat (£66.00)
Apple 85W AC Magsafe 1 for MacBook/MacBook Pro (without plug adaptor)Stock: Special Order£49.00 + vat (£58.80)
Battery for MacBook White Unibody (October 2009 and Later) with ToolsStock: Special Order£69.00 + vat (£82.80)1
1Suitable for the Unibody White MacBooks released in October 2009, which have a 1066MHz bus speed, and a 1066MHz memory speed.

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Cables & Tools

Listed below are power cables, tools and related products we supply for this Mac.

Cables & Adaptors

USB-C to USB 3 (Type A) M/F AdaptorStock: Available£5.00 + vat (£6.00)1
USB 3 (Type A) to USB-C M/F AdaptorStock: Available£6.00 + vat (£7.20)2
USB 3 to 2.5in SATA Drive Cable (for accessing a 2.5in SATA drive via USB)Stock: Available£6.49 + vat (£7.79)
FireWire 400 - 800 Adaptor Cable M/M (6pin - 9pin) 6 ftStock: Available£11.00 + vat (£13.20)
Mini DisplayPort - VGA M/F Video AdaptorStock: Available£15.72 + vat (£18.86)3
Mini DisplayPort - DVI M/F Passive Video AdaptorStock: Available£12.50 + vat (£15.00)3
Mini DisplayPort - DVI M/F Active Video AdaptorStock: Available£28.00 + vat (£33.60)3
Mini DisplayPort - HDMI M/F Passive AdaptorStock: Available£14.00 + vat (£16.80)3
Mini DisplayPort - HDMI M/F Active AdaptorStock: Available£26.15 + vat (£31.38)3
Mini-DVI - DVI M/F Video AdaptorStock: Available£10.50 + vat (£12.60)4
Mini-DVI - HDMI M/F Video AdaptorStock: Available£12.50 + vat (£15.00)4
Mini-DVI - VGA M/F Video AdaptorStock: Available£12.50 + vat (£15.00)4
USB-C to HDMI M/F Video AdaptorStock: Available£19.75 + vat (£23.70)5
USB-C to DVI M/F Video AdaptorStock: Available£27.70 + vat (£33.24)5
USB-C to VGA M/F Video AdaptorStock: Special Order£27.06 + vat (£32.47)5

Tools

Precision Screwdriver Set, 31 Piece - Phillips/Torx/TR6Stock: Available£12.50 + vat (£15.00)
Anti Static Wrist StrapStock: Available£8.50 + vat (£10.20)
1Only for the 12in Retina MacBooks.
2For older (pre 2015) MacBooks.
3For models with a Mini DisplayPort video output port.
4For models with a Mini-DVI video output port.
5For the Retina MacBooks (2015 and later) with USB-C ports.

External Drives & Enclosures

The MacBook can use a wide range of external hard drives through both FireWire 400 and USB 2.0. See below for a list of compatible drives and enclosures.

3.5" USB 3 External Drives

SanDisk Extreme Portable 1TB USB-C & USB 3 External SSDStock: Available£151.66 + vat (£181.99)1
SanDisk Extreme Portable 2TB USB-C & USB 3 External SSDStock: Available£281.24 + vat (£337.49)1
WD Elements USB 3 (USB 2 compatible) 3.5in External HDD - 4TBStock: Available£91.46 + vat (£109.75)2
WD Elements USB 3 (USB 2 compatible) 3.5in External HDD - 6TBStock: Available£141.51 + vat (£169.81)2

2.5" USB 3 External Drives

Seagate 1TB Portable 2.5in USB 3 External Hard DriveStock: Available£41.73 + vat (£50.08)
Seagate 2TB Portable 2.5in USB 3 External Hard DriveStock: Available£58.21 + vat (£69.85)

3.5" USB Enclosures

Startech USB 3.0 Enclosure for 3.5in SATA DrivesStock: Available£33.67 + vat (£40.40)3

2.5" USB Enclosures

Startech USB 3.0 (USB 2 compatible) Enclosure for 2.5in SATA Drive with UASPStock: Available£17.27 + vat (£20.72)
OWC Envoy Pro for Mid 2013 - 2015 MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac Pro SSDsStock: Special Order£90.11 + vat (£108.13)4
1MacBook Retina 2015 and later models only.
2Requires OSX 10.6 or later.
3This can be connected to this Mac to access a 3.5in SATA drive. But this Mac does not use a 3.5in SATA drive internally.
4For MacBook Air Mid 2013 - Early 2015 revisions.

Complete Machines - Refurbished

Any complete machines of this type or similar that we have for sale are listed here. Please note that these are refurbished models with a 3 month warranty, and that delivery is likely to take 3 - 5 working days. These can be purchased online with the standard website courier delivery charge for the mainland UK only. Please contact us for a quote on shipping to other areas.

There are none available.

Repair Services for this Mac

Here are the various repair services we offer for this Mac. You can have us take the machine in for evaluation, or book a fixed-price repair if you already know what the fault is and the service is listed below (for services without parts, please see the relevant tab on this page for compatible parts that we sell). If you know what the fault is, but we don't have a fixed-price repair listed below, please contact us for a quote.

Evaluation Services

Mac Repair - Evaluation ServiceStock: Available£39.00 + vat (£46.80)

Repair Services

Mac Laptop Logic Board Repair Service - NO FIX, NO FEE!Stock: Available£150.00 + vat (£180.00)1
REPAIR SERVICE - Replace LCD Panel on MacBook 13" pre-Unibody - Fitting & Part Stock: Available£119.00 + vat (£142.80)2

Installation Services (parts not included)

Collection ServiceStock: Available£24.68 + vat (£29.62)
INSTALL SERVICE - Internal Drive in a MacBook/MacBook ProStock: Available£29.00 + vat (£34.80)
INSTALL SERVICE - Clone Original Internal DriveStock: Available£25.00 + vat (£30.00)
INSTALL SERVICE - RAM in an Apple LaptopStock: Available£10.00 + vat (£12.00)
INSTALL SERVICE - Internal CD/DVD Drive in a MacBook, MacBook ProStock: Available£29.00 + vat (£34.80)
1For the old white/black models only - we cannot repair the 12in Retina MacBooks.
2For pre-Unibody models only - battery is removed by turning a coin-lock on the bottom of the machine. For both white and black models.