SSD over a normal HD in a MBP. Can someone explain why they are better?

[seb]

Only got a 160gb HD in my mbp but have seen talk that it is possible to add a SSD to do the OS stuff and that this will make the MBP lightening quick?

I didn't know a MBP had space for another HD.

If it makes any difference mine is a 13 inch mid 2009 MBP 2.26 core 2 duo and 2gb of RAM.

Can anyone explain to me in idiot terms the benefit of a SSD.

Would it be simpler to just replace the old HD with a SSD one, say a 256gb one? Was looking on crucial. Seems like 8gb of RAM is an idea too.

 

[Tom]

If you did the latter your machine would be crazy fast.

 

[seb]

I have looked on youtube and it looks a bit tricky swapping the HD over... The bit that worries me is transferring the whole data over.

So is an SSD just much quicker at transferring data?

http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=1C588A5AA5CA7304 Good value? £172 for 256 GB SSD

 

[Tom]

Yeah massively quicker.

 

[SC03OTT]

Better value. CLICK

 

[Silent_Scone]

Best upgrade you could possibly make to it

 

[Danny133]

Here you go ..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004W2JL2A/?tag=cliospnet01-21

Its an easy swap and makes a huge difference!

Is 8GB RAm compatible with your machine?

 

[Tom]

http://www.dabs.com/products/samsun...rce=td&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_content=TB00

 

[Rob]

Seb, in simple terms.. SSD's will read and write data much faster, they're also faster from the "off" so to speak as there's no spinning up of a disc.

Installing an SSD would mean that data could be written/read/everything'd a hell of a lot faster. It'll feel like a new machine TBH.

I'd do the RAM at the same time to give it an all round awesome upgrade.

 

[seb]

The crucial website says it can have 8gb.

 

[Tom]

Yeah 8gb is your limit. But with the two combined...

 

[Rob]

8GB gives you awesome capacity to have stuff open etc, the big SSD gives you lightening fast everything else. Winner.

 

[seb]

Seb, in simple terms.. SSD's will read and write data much faster, they're also faster from the "off" so to speak as there's no spinning up of a disc.

Installing an SSD would mean that data could be written/read/everything'd a hell of a lot faster. It'll feel like a new machine TBH.

I'd do the RAM at the same time to give it an all round awesome upgrade.

Well that is nice to know cheers. I think doing the SSD and some RAM would make it very beastly.

I only use it for internet, photos, iTunes, word processing and excel etc. Just want it to be rapido.

Was considering selling and then buying a newer one but tbh, this one works fine, just want to speed it up a bit and expand the HD size. Would be all in for under £200. Not bad imo.

 

[Danny133]

Personally i would get the SSD & 8GB from amazon .. will cost you under £200 and yes your machine will rocket.

When they arrive download Carbon Copy Cloner ... make a complete backup of your drive to the new SSD.

Restart your machine with this new SSD connected via USB or something and test that its bootable. If all worked fine then open the Mac and swap hard drives .. job done all data and settings identical.

Honestly its easy. If you want help PM

 

[seb]

Plus I like the fact it is a 13 inch MBP. Perfect size imo.

Does anyone have a good guide for backing up the entire HD to do the swap? Quite a bit on YT but not sure what one would be best.

 

[Silent_Scone]

Make the most of it, the new Pros are all propitiatory and practically non-upgradable. Although looking at the specs you probably won't need to.


You want to clone your old HDD. Best way to do this is to fit your old HDD to a USB enclosure and fit the SSD. I'm not all that up on Macs but I'm sure theres still clone functionality within Mac OSX

 

[seb]

Cheers i'll look into it

 

[ChrisR]

Samsung can be had a little cheaper here too

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-150-SA&groupid=701&catid=2104&subcat=1427

Probably going to get one for mine

 

[Silent_Scone]

Bit old but the utility has probably not changed:
http://www.cultofmac.com/48861/how-and-why-to-clone-your-mac-hard-drive-macrx/

 

[seb]

mega tempted

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

I run SSDs in both my MBP and iMac. They both absolutely fly.

THE best upgrade you can do to a computer. Simple.

 

[Munson]

I have an OCZ Vertex 3 in my gaming rig. Never seen an operating system run so slickly, and that's Windows.

SSD's FTW. No new computer I ever own will have a mechanical hard drive.

Do it.

 

[Munson]

FYI.

 

[SC03OTT]

Nice one. Will come in handy this week.

 

[jenic]

Are some SSDs of different speeds then?

There seems massive variations in price.

I was going to go down the HDD in optical bay route, but don't like the fact it spins constantly so now thinking of getting a large (500GB) SSD, just the £300 price tag putting me off...

 

[Jay_A]

I've just upgraded from a sata 2 ssd to a sata 3, and can safely say its a massive improvement in speed. If you are going the ssd route, make sure your motherboard supports at least sata 2. A friend of mine uses hybrid drives which are part ssd, part mechanical which he raves about.

 

[SamP]

I have an OCZ Vertex 3 in my gaming rig. Never seen an operating system run so slickly, and that's Windows.

SSD's FTW. No new computer I ever own will have a mechanical hard drive.

Do it.

So baller spec that you store mass data on SSD's? Wish I had that much money...

 

[Munson]

I have an 8TB NAS server for data :rasp:

 

[Munson]

Gonna outfit my tired old 17" with an SSD and a further 4GB of RAM. I'm hoping it'll give a decent speed boost, and mean I won't have to compromise with a 15.4" that lacks the connectivity that I need.

 

[SC03OTT]

Mine has been dispatched. Exciting.

 

[n2x]

Mate just bought a SSD hdd. Epic fast he says. 7,9 win experience rating and all that. 500/500 read/write.

 

[Rasclart]

My next upgrade I reckon. SSD and 8GB

 

[seb]

The bit that worries me is how does it copy the old HD over? I am just about to watch the video put up by Roy and see if I am confident at doing it... I guess i did previously build a PC so it can't be that tricky??

May well order this afternoon.

 

[Danny133]

i told you Carbon Copy Cloner ..

 

[Adam.]

i told you Carbon Copy Cloner ..

This.

CCC is epic. I have used it a lot. Put the drive in a caddy and "clone" it. Then restore it to the new SSD and it will just work.

 

[Rob]

I think I'm going to do this on my 13.

 

[seb]

I have a external hd that I use for back ups etc. used it when I replaced my ps3 hd.

When I do this back up for the mbp does the new ssd I have been looking connect via USB to put the back up onto?

 

[Adam.]

I have a external hd that I use for back ups etc. used it when I replaced my ps3 hd.

When I do this back up for the mbp does the new ssd I have been looking connect via USB to put the back up onto?

If you have 2 macs then you can use firewire transfer mode - if not you will need a caddy of some sort.

 

[seb]

No only have the macbook.

http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=488F44B9A5CA7304

Need a kit like this then i guess?

 

[Munson]

The bit that worries me is how does it copy the old HD over?

Don't IMO. Copy your data (Apps and Home) to external drive. Then paste it into the new system. Fresh installs FTW. I do all my machines at least once a year anyway.