2012 Macbook Pro, considering adding an SSD

[Drifty_Child]

Hello, I'm not particularly knowledgeable about computer hardware, so I could use advice. I was considering buying a new Macbook Pro, in order to get better speed and new features. But a person suggested I consider simply buying an SSD to either:
- Replace my current hard drive, or
- replace my disk drive (which I never use) and make the SSD my primary drive, and my hard drive my secondary.

I don't know how good an idea this is, or the logistics of doing so. If I do, I'd also want more info:
- Which of those two suggestions sounds ideal?
- Does a 1TB SSD give best longevity?
- Ideal SSD brand and build for a 2012 Macbook Pro, if I upgrade to High Sierra? (Ideally not Apple due to prices)
- What files will benefit most from being on an SSD as opposed to the secondary hard drive (other than apps and OS)?
- If I replace my current hard drive with the SSD, would I need a USB harddrive to back up onto, to transfer the files? (I have a lot, making cloud storage too slow an option)

Any and all thoughts welcome. I can give further information if requested. Thanks in advance.

Edit: More information
- 2012 15 inch Macbook.
- I mainly use my computer for multimedia creation, and online entertainment / downloading.

 

[treekram]

We need some clarification - if you could add "internal" and "external" when you refer to "current hard drive" and "disk drive" it would help. I'm also presuming you have a non-Retina 2012 MBP.

To answer some of the other questions:
Does a 1TB SSD give best longevity? If you can afford it, a larger SSD will typically last longer than a smaller SSD if you use the same amount of space on either one. The reason for this is that presuming there's nothing unusual that goes wrong, the main determinant in the life of a SSD is the number of erase/write cycles it goes through. As you write files on the SSD, the controller on the SSD will spread out the writes over all of the blocks in the NAND chips. So because you have more blocks in the larger SSD, it should last longer than the smaller SSD, again given you don't use more of the SSD just because it's larger. Now, this may never come into play as the number of erase/write cycles is such that a lot of people would never approach the limit of erase/write cycles even in a smaller SSD.

Ideal SSD brand and build for a 2012 Macbook Pro? There are different opinions on this and it would in large part on how large your wallet is (although the difference in price is not really that large), what your usage is, etc. Whether you use High Sierra or not would not make a difference in a recommendation. Apple will not sell you a SSD on it's own - they only sell them as part of their computers. For an example in prices, the one held in very high regard is the Samsung 850 Pro - 1TB is $427 at Amazon. Very good and also well-regarded is the Samsung 850 Evo at $299. A somewhat more generic brand, the Mushkin Triactor is $259.

What files will benefit most from being on an SSD as opposed to the secondary hard drive? Generally, most people won't know the difference between a HDD and SSD if the files are small and they're being accessed one at a time - for example, word-processing files, spreadsheets, etc. For media files, for playback, there's not much difference unless you have a very high-resolution video file. Having the OS on a SSD definitely makes a difference as does having the non-data user files (so files in the Library sub-directory in the home directory). If you edit videos, depending on the video editor you use, using the SSD when editing it could make a big difference.

 

[Drifty_Child]

Yes that's right, I have a non-Retina 2012 MBP. I'm referring to internal things only. I would use the SSD to be my OS host and contain all my apps and largest files, if not more. By disk drive, I mean the one built into my computer model. I never use the internal disk drive, and was told it can be removed to make space for a second internal drive. My end goal is to speed up my computer, as it's lately shown a lot of age in performance. Does that clarify?

To continue from your answers...
SSD Longevity - I see. So is the lifespan of an SSD nothing to worry about at all? I only ask because I read that their life spans are shorter than traditional hard drives.

Ideal SSD Brand - If I installed an SSD, I would update to High Sierra. So I saw the Samgung 850 Evo on Newegg, and was considering that one. That's quite a price difference to the 850 Pro. How do those two compare?

Which Files Benefit - I see. And do apps such as web browsers or games run better on an SSD? On that topic, is it true what I heard, that if RAM is used up, the computer can use the SSD as makeshift RAM effectively?

 

[treekram]

So to be clear - you replaced the optical drive with a hard-disk drive (HDD) and use that HDD and no longer use the original HDD (or the HDD that is in the slot meant for the HDD). Is that correct? Or maybe you bought it used and some owner before you replaced the optical drive.

Most people find that a SSD provides a significant noticeable difference in performance if one is using a newer Mac OS, say something after Mountain Lion. So the advice to upgrade to a SSD is a sound one. Whether you will still find it too slow would depend on you. Logistically, with the 2012 non-Retina MBP, putting in a SSD to replace either of the HDD's is not difficult. If you did the optical drive replacement before, it's about the same level of difficulty. If you don't want to replace it yourself, you can go to an Apple-authorized service provider and they may charge $50 (a guess on my part based on what other people report paying for similar repairs) for the labor. As to which one to replace - maybe the smaller one or the one that has been used more?

In terms of longevity, there's various factors which come into play in terms of HDD vs. SSD.

The main difference between the Samsung 850 Evo and Pro is that the Pro uses different NAND chips so it's a little bit faster and should last longer. The Pro has a 10-year warranty (last I saw) and the Evo has a 5-year warranty. No consumer HDD has a 10-year warranty that I'm aware of and it'd be difficult to find one with a 5-year warranty. So there's that to consider in terms of HDD vs. SSD longevity. For most people with typical computer usage, the Evo 850 is fine. The Evo does use more power - not a great deal more and if that's important to you, you can research what the difference would be in practical day-to-day use. I have 3 of the 850 Evo's and they've worked fine. I also have a couple other brands of SSD's so I'm not a Samsung loyalist. I also appreciate what Samsung does with the Pro vs. Evo SSD's so I have a 960 Pro instead of a 960 Evo (those SSD's are used in computers with a different type of connector which demands higher performance standards). But for the 2012 MBP, I think the 850 Evo's represent good value for the money.

Apps which do a lot of read/writes to the disk will benefit from a SSD, others that just load into memory and don't touch the disk afterward will only see a difference upon initial loading. Browsers tend to do a lot of read/writes, a lot of games which can load completely into memory won't. If you find that you're running out of memory and swapping to disk, you should get more RAM (RAM is still much, much, much faster than a SSD) but having a SSD vs. a HDD will certainly make a difference if the system swaps memory.

Also, if you put in a SSD, you should also have the cable replaced - they tend to develop problems as it gets older. The cable shouldn't cost more than $20 or so.

 

[Drifty_Child]

No, I haven't replaced the optical drive. Rather, that's what I want to do. My Macbook currently has only its original components in it, and I want to either replace its original hard drive with an SSD, or remove the optical drive and place an SSD in its place. In the latter case, I would make the SSD the primary volume, while the original drive (still in its original place inside the computer) would act as a second volume for storing files I don't frequently use. I never use CDs / DVDs, so I wouldn't mind removing the optical drive to make space for adding a solid state drive. But I would also be okay with simply replacing the original hard drive with the SSD, and keeping the optical drive in place, if the other plan sounds isn't recommended. In other words, I'm completely new to changing my computer's internal hardware, and am looking to hear which of those two plans sounds good, and how to do it correctly. Sorry for being unclear.

Sounds like the EVO is the right choice for me, then. Thanks. One more question on it: You mentioned that it uses more power than the Pro. Does it also use more power than my original non-SSD hard drive would?

So if I have 8GB of RAM already, would you say it'd be more worthwhile to buy more RAM, than get an SSD? (I don't know a lot about the hardware aspect of computers, so sorry if that's a dumb question.)

Can you link me to the kind of cable I might want to buy, so I can get it along with an SSD?

 

[treekram]

If you don't need the optical and the HDD is working, I would suggest replacing the optical with the SSD. This would have the added benefit of not worrying about the cable (at least until the HDD starts having problems). This is not a strong suggestion, replacing the HDD with the SSD is also fine.

If you replace the optical drive, you need a bracket. For my 13" 2012 MBP, I used the OWC Data Doubler.
https://www.amazon.com/OWC-Doubler-Optical-Converter-Solution/dp/B00724W0N2

There are cheaper options, such as:
https://www.amazon.com/ZXUY-Unibody-Laptop-DVD-ROM-Replacement/dp/B0058AH2US

https://www.amazon.com/J-DEAL®-bracket-insert-interface-suitable/dp/B01FXM7WJQ

Some people have had problems with the cheaper brackets as the connector has electronics in it so it's not just a simple connector. I don't find paying a few dollars more to avoid headaches in situations like these. If you can deal with that (possible returns, etc.), a cheaper bracket is viable.

People say that the HDD will consume more power. You can see people's viewpoints at:
https://www.quora.com/Do-SSDs-use-more-or-less-power-than-HDDs-and-by-how-much

For memory, you should check your memory usage. Go through typical scenarios that you have with your computer while monitoring your memory usage using the Activity Monitor app. The following link has instructions (go to the Memory section). If you memory pressure shows consistent yellow or red, extra memory would help. If you keep your computer on all the time, you should do a complete shutdown and restart before starting this exercise.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201464

If you need extra memory, you would need to replace your existing memory (assuming that it has the original memory), which would be about $120-$150. If you need the extra memory and you could only spend $300 total for the upgrade, I would get a 500GB SSD and the memory rather than just a 1TB SSD. (Of course, you may have different preferences.)

If you replace the HDD and want to replace the cable - you can search Amazon (or wherever) for "macbook pro 2012 hdd cable". It will tend to look something like the following:
https://www.amazon.com/Eathtek-Replacement-without-Bracket-821-1480/dp/B01N2JJLSB

Keep in mind that if you plan to upgrade to a new model in a couple years or so, neither the memory nor the SSD can be put into a new MBP. You can take the SSD and put it in an external enclosure and use it that way but the memory will have no use in any current or future Mac's.

 

[Fishrrman]

My suggestions:

YES -- replace the internal hard drive with an SSD. This is VERY EASY to do, and EVEN YOU CAN DO IT.

NO -- DO NOT muck around with the internal DVD drive, more trouble than it's worth, especially if you are unfamiliar with working inside computers.

To see what's involved, go to this page:
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Mid+2012+Hard+Drive+Replacement/10378

You'll need THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB:
- Phillips #00 driver
- TORX T-6 driver
USE THE RIGHT TOOLS!

ANY SSD will do. I recommend "Sandisk Plus" series drives.
I recommend that you DO NOT buy a 1tb SSD unless you really want to spend the money.
512gb will do fine.
After you do the drive swap, you can still use the old hard drive.

I also suggest you get something like this when you order the new SSD:
https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-2-5-...478&sr=1-2-spell&keywords=sabremt+usb3+to+ssd

With this little dongle/adapter, you can "prep and test" the new SSD BEFORE you install it. This way it will be "all set up and ready to go" once you put it in.
I STRONGLY ADVISE you to do it this way. It could save you from a lot of grief. And after the job is done, you can connect the old HDD to it and use it that way.

Get all this stuff together, then report back here and we'll tell you what to do with it.

 

[Drifty_Child]

Thanks for your answers, both of you. So, from the sounds of it, here's the breakdown I'm hearing:
- Putting both your suggestions together, replacing the optical may have bigger advantages, but is difficult for a beginner and I could get the same effect by simply buying the hard drive adaptor dongle.
- An SSD will speed up my computer, but buying more RAM could also do so, depending on my activity.

Is that all accurate?

New relevant information:
- According to my activity monitor, I generally use around 7 GB of RAM, while my total capacity is 8 GB.
- My computer currently uses around 750 GB of memory, which is too much for a single 512 GB drive to hold.

I have new questions, based on what I've heard:

RAM Questions:
1. How simple is it to install new RAM? Would I need a solder anything?
2. How do I know the right RAM to buy?
3. Given my RAM usage mentioned above, is 7 used out of 8 GB an indication that upgrading my RAM would make a big difference?

SSD Questions:
1. I read that the optical drive connection is slower than the hard drive's connection. In that case, if I were to replace my optical drive, then would I get better milage out of my SSD by putting it in my HDD's place (and putting the HDD in place of the optical drive)?
2. I've read that SSDs improve battery, heat and machine noise. Would this still be true if I had both an SSD and HDD inside the computer, with the SSD as the primary drive? Or would the continued HDD's presence keep the battery, heat and noise from improving, even with the SSD?

Based on my budget, I've narrowed my options down to the following:
A: Buy the 1TB SSD and replace my 1TB HDD. (As said above, my file collection exceeds 512 GB) Use the 1TB HDD as external memory using a dongle.
B: Buy the 512GB SSD and replace my 1TB HDD, despite holding less storage than I currently use. AND buy 16 GB of RAM (to replace my current 8 GB). Use the 1TB HDD as external memory using a dongle. This is not preferred, as I wouldn't like to carry external memory with me.
C: Buy the 1TB SSD and replace my optical drive (with either the SSD or HDD, depending on the answer to the questions above)
D: Buy the 512GB SSD and replace my optical drive (with the same variants of plan B above) AND buy 16 GB of RAM (to replace my current 8 GB).

If you think upgrading my RAM would make a significant difference given the above information, then I like plan D the best. However, it sounds the most difficult for a beginner, as it involves both installing new RAM and replacing the optical drive. I am okay with a different plan if it's less risky. What are your thoughts?

(I hope to make an order tomorrow, since I don't know when Newegg's sale will end.)

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Okay a few comments, don’t look at ram numbers on your usage OSX uses all the ram available whenever it can, unused ram is wasted, but much of this may be caches. Run your most intensive use case then look at activity monitor the only important factor is the graph if it stays green or occasionally drifts into orange you are fine it’s that simple. If you never come out of the green on you activity for ram more ram will make very little difference.

Ram is easy to upgrade you will have 2x 4gb in yours you will need 2x 8gb replacing both for 16gb or 1x8gb replacing one 4gb to give you 12gb ram.

Yes put the ssd in the main HDD bay if you go with your HDD in the dvd bay then you can easily set it up as a fusion drive and OS X will organise your storage for optimum speed with no input from you seeing both drives as one volume this will be an issue when your HDD inevitably dies though so i’d Use a new HDD for this as yours is pushing 6years old.

Guide for dual drive

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing+MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Unibody+Mid+2012+Dual+Hard+Drive/10987

Guide for setting up fusion

https://www.macworld.com/article/2014011/storage-drives/how-to-make-your-own-fusion-drive.html

 

[Fishrrman]

"RAM Questions:
1. How simple is it to install new RAM? Would I need a solder anything?
2. How do I know the right RAM to buy?"

Adding RAM is easy while you have the back off to install the drive.
You already have 8gb, right?
That means you have 2 4gb DIMMs installed.
What I would do:
Buy ONE 8gb DIMM, and just "swap out" the uppermost RAM DIMM while you have the back off. That will give you 12gb of RAM. Plenty of headroom.

Some others are going to jump in and say that 2 "dis-similar" DIMMs will run more slowly than 2 that are "alike".
My reply: don't worry about it. You won't notice the difference, especially with the SSD install as well.

Again, my recommendations:
- Get a 512gb SSD. Probably not worth spending the money for 1tb for an older MacBook
- Get just ONE 8gb DIMM. Again, saves money and you WILL enjoy the extra "RAM room".
- DON'T muck with the DVD drive. Again, in your very own words, "I'm not particularly knowledgeable about computer hardware". DO THE EASY STUFF, and leave the harder stuff alone. That's a recipe for success.

And don't forget the USB3/SATA adapter/dongle. It will give you an easy way to access the old drive later on -- and remember to "prep and test" BEFORE you do the drive/RAM swap!

 

[treekram]

I replaced both the HDD and optical in my 2012 MBP a couple of years ago and my recollection is that doing the optical replacement was easier than expected while doing the HDD replacement was more difficult than expected so in the end, they seemed to be about the same difficulty. Working on the 2012 MBP was easier than any other Mac I've had to open (this includes some Mini's, a 2006 iMac, a 2007 MacBook, 2002 iBook). The biggest thing is that the components are small.

For your situation, it doesn't seem that a memory upgrade should be a high priority. I would get 2 memory sticks from the same manufacturer bought at the same time, but doing something different (provided they have the correct specs) will work most of the time. If you buy memory from places like Crucial, B&H, Newegg (I think, not sure), they will have a process that you can specify your computer and it will come up with the memory that will work. If you use Amazon, you can search using your model # and buy directly from Amazon so that if you get the wrong memory, it can be easily returned.

For the 2012 MBP, there is no difference in the port speed between the HDD and optical.

The SSD should use less power than the HDD. If you keep the HDD, in System Preferences, under Energy Saver, you can choose to shutdown the HDD when not in use. If you select this, there's a slight delay if the HDD is shut down and you need to access it, but for internal 2.5" drives, the delay isn't that bad.

For your situation, probably going with the 512GB and keeping the HDD, considering the price difference, is probably the way to go. This recommendation presumes that a lot of your files are media files like audio and video files. Personally, my preference would be not to use a Fusion drive, but that can be decided once you have your new hardware installed and I would need to know more about your computer usage to make a recommendation. Since there doesn't seem to be a big need for RAM at the moment, you may want to wait, RAM prices are relatively high right now and some are saying that supply will get better, maybe towards the middle of next year (but predicting RAM supply and prices are like predicting oil prices). In any case, I don't think RAM prices will take a big spike anytime soon, even considering holiday pricing.

 

[jerryk]

Hello, I'm not particularly knowledgeable about computer hardware, so I could use advice. I was considering buying a new Macbook Pro, in order to get better speed and new features. But a person suggested I consider simply buying an SSD to either:
- Replace my current hard drive, or
- replace my disk drive (which I never use) and make the SSD my primary drive, and my hard drive my secondary.

I don't know how good an idea this is, or the logistics of doing so. If I do, I'd also want more info:
- Which of those two suggestions sounds ideal?
- Does a 1TB SSD give best longevity?
- Ideal SSD brand and build for a 2012 Macbook Pro, if I upgrade to High Sierra? (Ideally not Apple due to prices)
- What files will benefit most from being on an SSD as opposed to the secondary hard drive (other than apps and OS)?
- If I replace my current hard drive with the SSD, would I need a USB harddrive to back up onto, to transfer the files? (I have a lot, making cloud storage too slow an option)

Any and all thoughts welcome. I can give further information if requested. Thanks in advance.

Edit: More information
- 2012 15 inch Macbook.
- I mainly use my computer for multimedia creation, and online entertainment / downloading.

I would just get a decent SSD and replace the current hard drive (I prefer Samsung, but all of the SATA 3 SSD are good). Do a clean install to get rid of old stuff. To transfer over your data you need to retain just get an USB drive, like one of these https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-Tool...3361934&sr=8-16&keywords=usb+drive+hard+drive for $8.

Another option is to pull the DVD player and install a cheap drive caddy in it place, like this one https://www.amazon.com/Optical-Supe...62112&sr=1-3&keywords=macbook+pro+drive+caddy. About $9. Then your old drive will be available for storage.

This guide walks you through the steps, https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Mid+2012+Hard+Drive+Replacement/10378 I used this guide and was able to replace my old hard drive with an SSD in about 15 minutes. Amazing change. Boot time went from 30 seconds to under 10. Apps launched with no beachballs (waiting icon).

 

[0002378]

One idea is to do what I did:

- In the main HDD bay, install an SSD like the Samsung 850 EVO (one of the best out there). Maybe not so large ... like a 250GB or 512GB. Use this drive for the OS and for project files (i.e files you regularly read and write). And yes, as treekram explained, an SSD will go a long way in speeding up your computer.

- In the optical drive bay, install a larger storage drive, like a 2TB hybrid drive (i.e. part SSD, part regular drive). This drive could hold data that you don't access very often, so it doesn't need to be super-fast. In essence, this drive is kind of an "archive".

This configuration is working very well for me, and my laptop is even older than yours (mine is a mid-2009).

 

[organicCPU]

My 2012 MBP 15" has 16 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD Samsung 850 PRO. Works great.

Though, I like to mention that the maximum officially supported amount of RAM in these models is 8 GB. That means, anything more than 8 GB RAM is considered as an unsupported setup and if you ever take it to a Apple Store Genius Bar they won't inspect it like they would do with a supported setup. In other words, if you extend the RAM, you should keep your original 2*4 GB (8 GB RAM) to be able to swap it back in case you need some service from Apple directly.
Starting with Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks the memory management was optimised drastically, so that if you don't use Lion or Mountain Lion (Mac OS X 10.7 or 10.8) as your OS, it's usually not necessary to upgrade the 8 GB of RAM. I'd wait with that. It can be done easily at any time later.

Concerning the SSD, initially I had a Crucial M4 512 GB, then went to a 512 GB Samsung 850 EVO and ended up with the 1 TB Samsung 850 Pro. All mentioned drives have been perfectly working with the 2012 MBP. The initial warranty covered exchange of the somewhat snappier Crucial to the Samsung EVO SSD was just caused by some error in Adobe software that erroneously suggested a hard disk exchange as a fix. For me the size and the expected 10 years of lifetime were the most influencing aspects for my latest decision for the 850 PRO, the EVO is great, too. I do always enable TRIM support for third party SSDs, but that's another topic with different opinions.

If battery operation is very important for you, I wouldn't consider the approach with two disk drives and simply swap the internal HDD with a SSD of at least equal size.
If battery is not such important, in case you use the MBP as a mobile desktop substitution in the first place and need another cheap and fast integrated SSD for video cutting or stuff like that, then put another SSD in to replace the optical drive. IMO, it's a big benefit to have a Superdrive installed and therefore I don't recommend deinstallation.
Putting another HDD in place of the optical drive doesn't make much sense for me as you can connect it externally at your USB 3 port and would have almost the same speed and only additional battery consumption if attached. Keep in mind that your external Thunderbolt port can achieve 10 Gbps, your two external USB 3 ports can reach up to 5 Gbps and your both internal SATA hard drive and optical drive connections can serve 6 Gbps. All your possible options are serving you with a good contemporary speed.

I vote for your conclusion in plan A, where dongle can also be real USB 3 hard drive case:
- exchange the internal HDD with an internal SSD (10 to 20 minutes of work)
- leave the optical drive at its place and attach a still quite expensive but fast external Thunderbolt SSD or a cheaper external HDD (maybe your recent one) at the USB 3 port or go for a RAID solution.
- don't upgrade RAM

 

[StoneJack]

Hello, I'm not particularly knowledgeable about computer hardware, so I could use advice. I was considering buying a new Macbook Pro, in order to get better speed and new features. But a person suggested I consider simply buying an SSD to either:
- Replace my current hard drive, or
- replace my disk drive (which I never use) and make the SSD my primary drive, and my hard drive my secondary.

I don't know how good an idea this is, or the logistics of doing so. If I do, I'd also want more info:
- Which of those two suggestions sounds ideal?
- Does a 1TB SSD give best longevity?
- Ideal SSD brand and build for a 2012 Macbook Pro, if I upgrade to High Sierra? (Ideally not Apple due to prices)
- What files will benefit most from being on an SSD as opposed to the secondary hard drive (other than apps and OS)?
- If I replace my current hard drive with the SSD, would I need a USB harddrive to back up onto, to transfer the files? (I have a lot, making cloud storage too slow an option)

Any and all thoughts welcome. I can give further information if requested. Thanks in advance.

Edit: More information
- 2012 15 inch Macbook.
- I mainly use my computer for multimedia creation, and online entertainment / downloading.

replace the notebook

 

[Drifty_Child]

I'm sorry for the long wait. I had a lot of catch-up to do on unfinished business this winter break. Back to the discussion, I've made my purchase.

In the end, I decided that I want to future-proof my Macbook. So instead of settling for a smaller SSD in order to include RAM in my order, I went for the best of both worlds. A couple days ago, I purchased a 1 TB SSD, the Samgung 850 Evo, and when I next upgrade my computer eventually, I'll buy larger RAM. Even though I can live without that RAM now, I know that programs become more demanding as the years pass, and it certainly wouldn't hurt to be able to open more programs at once. (Right now I limit myself.)


Thanks
First off, thanks for all the answers and advice from all of you above. I considered everything that each of you said, before making my decision, so it was decisive help.

And thanks for the tip on watching RAM in the activity monitor, Samuelsan. However, I don't think I want to make a fusion drive, as I'd be happiest keeping things more modular, and like you said, my HDD is getting old.

Also, thanks for the tip on keeping me original 4 x 2 RAM, organicCPU, for retaining support from Apple should I need my computer looked at.


New Questions
Now, my SSD has arrived in the mail, and I am at a standstill on what to do with it. As many of you have said, I will need to either buy either a USB dongle to connect my HDD externally, or a caddy for fitting it into my optical drive space. Which one to do, I can't decide.

I know that I've been urged in this thread not to touch the optical drive. However, having watched a few tutorials on youtube, it seems simple enough to pull off. I think I can handle it, if I decide to do that.

I think the main thing leaving me unsure of whether to use the dongle or caddy is that it'd be most convenient to not have an old HDD sitting on my desk, and I wouldn't need to worry about it when taking my computer out of the house.

Can I have more in-depth pros and cons on both? In addition, these are some questions:

1. How would including the HDD in place of my optical drive affect power consumption?

2. How would it affect noise?

3. How would it affect heat?

4. How do the answers to the above questions change, if, in Energy Saver, I opt to shut down the HDD when not in use?

(I've seen answers to a couple of these questions in this thread already, but now I'm asking them explicitly, hoping for more input and detail. Thank you those of you who've already put in some info on the above questions.)


Useful Info
Since some of you asked for more information on my computer usage, here's an overview:
- Much of my time is spent either building projects in Unity Engine, or creating / editing assets in Autodesk Maya, and Adobe applications such as Premier, Animate and Photoshop. Occasionally, I open Xcode or Terminal for various purposes. Usually, no more than 2 such programs are open simultaneously.
- Much time is spent in Google Chrome or Firefox, with very poor browsing habits often resulting in several dozen tabs being open at once. Many are youtube, and many are long articles. I also download from my browser a lot, as I collect and horde nearly any "ASMR" audio that I like.
- At almost all times during usage, I have some form of audio playing on my computer.
- I often have multiple digital copies of full college textbooks open on my computer, for my college classes each term. Not applicable during breaks.
- Some time is spent on playing games on Steam, most of which are not particularly heavy, or have optimizable settings. At times, I also use Steam for chatting, and I also use Discord for this purpose.
- I use my computer perhaps more than 8 hours per day, and I bring it to college with me during the academic terms, where it often goes hours running on the battery unless I find a good place to sit with a power cord plugged in.
- My computer's temperature gets quite high during intense media creation, and its fans turn on when exporting video.

I hope that helps. Feel free to ask more questions.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"Now, my SSD has arrived in the mail, and I am at a standstill on what to do with it. As many of you have said, I will need to either buy either a USB dongle to connect my HDD externally, or a caddy for fitting it into my optical drive space. Which one to do, I can't decide.
I know that I've been urged in this thread not to touch the optical drive. However, having watched a few tutorials on youtube, it seems simple enough to pull off. I think I can handle it, if I decide to do that."

If you are at a "standstill on what to do with it" right now, my advice remains as it was before:
DON'T TOUCH THE DVD DRIVE.

If your skills are limited, DO NOT press your luck.

Replace the existing HDD with the new SSD -- and be done with it.

Also -- GET THE ADAPTER DONGLE.
This one will do fine:
https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-2-5-...478&sr=1-2-spell&keywords=sabremt+usb3+to+ssd
I have one sitting right here on my desk, it works as intended.

You want to initialize, then "prep and test" the new SSD before you put it into the MB.

Get the adapter, and if necessary, we'll put up a simple step-by-step guide on what to do next.

OK....?

 

[treekram]

As I mentioned in a previous post, I did the HDD and optical replacement a couple of years ago. People have mentioned to leave the optical alone and I had to look at at the iFixit website to see if it would jog my memory because I don't remember it being a big deal. I also then looked at the instruction booklet that came with the OWC Data Doubler (bracket to replace optical) that I used. The iFixit method is more involved (with the Airport/Bluetooth card and the speaker) and I can see how it can cause problems if followed. What OWC had in the instruction booklet (and I guess the video, I have not re-viewed that) works around this by just removing the screws on the Airport/speaker assembly necessary to remove the optical drive. Again, as I mentioned in a previous post, this was easier than what I thought it would be. Doing the HDD was more difficult than I thought it would be and I do distinctly remember this because removing the bracket and cables took more work than I thought it would. It seemed that smaller hands would have helped even though I'm sure that my hands are not larger than average. Now, experiences vary from person to person and it could help if you search on the web (Amazon reviews is a good place) for what people's actual experiences were.

I would say that if do the optical replacement, get a toolkit with the necessary screwdrivers (if you don't already have them) and nylon spudgers. These help, IMO. One like the black one with the pointed end and the and green one on the right in the link below (you can search for nylon spudger on Amazon and it will come up with a lot of options). If you get the OWC get, it should come with the screwdrivers and the green spudger.

https://www.amazon.com/Professional-iPhone-Screen-Non-abrasive-Spudgers/dp/B00KRO8HO0

 

[0002378]

I don't remember it being a big deal

I agree; installing a drive caddy in the optical bay is not a big deal (I also did it). It's just that it requires a fair bit of caution because a lot of critical wiring runs around the optical bay - wireless, bluetooth, speakers, etc. Damaging one of those can really cause a PITA.

So, the process itself is not all that complex, but requires attention to detail and caution to prevent damaging of critical wiring. There are plenty of instructional videos on YouTube that show how to do it, however, so just follow one of those, and you'll be fine.

Here are the tools I used (includes a plastic spudger to lift up wires that are in the way during installation, without damaging them)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015F734P0/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And here's the drive caddy in which I put my second drive:

https://www.amazon.com/Proster-Inte...01I978OSA/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

 

[thekev]

Yes that's right, I have a non-Retina 2012 MBP. I'm referring to internal things only. I would use the SSD to be my OS host and contain all my apps and largest files, if not more. By disk drive, I mean the one built into my computer model. I never use the internal disk drive, and was told it can be removed to make space for a second internal drive. My end goal is to speed up my computer, as it's lately shown a lot of age in performance. Does that clarify?

To continue from your answers...
SSD Longevity - I see. So is the lifespan of an SSD nothing to worry about at all? I only ask because I read that their life spans are shorter than traditional hard drives.

Ideal SSD Brand - If I installed an SSD, I would update to High Sierra. So I saw the Samgung 850 Evo on Newegg, and was considering that one. That's quite a price difference to the 850 Pro. How do those two compare?

Which Files Benefit - I see. And do apps such as web browsers or games run better on an SSD? On that topic, is it true what I heard, that if RAM is used up, the computer can use the SSD as makeshift RAM effectively?

It's not makeshift ram. Your computer uses virtual addressing, which means that a memory page within the virtual address space need not be in physical memory. If you go to access a page that is not in memory, it's swapped with one that is in physical memory. The process is just a bit faster with an ssd, but it in no way implies that your machine treats the ssd as ram. It treats the disk as a buffer for ram, and an ssd just happens to be a faster buffer than an hdd.

 

[LarryJoe33]

All good suggestions here. See my signature for my upgrades, including upgrading to 2133 RAM. I would keep the optical drive. I know you almost never use it, but you might and it's good for flashing firmware and things like that. The EVO is the choice here, but it is expensive. Look at Crucial MX300 or Sandisk options. Your system SATA speeds or limits will have all these drives running the same speed. In terms of "files" that would benefit, it is more about the applications and how fast they will load with an SSD. No more bouncing app icons. It's an incredible upgrade in terms of speed to launch. Go to 16GB of memory and get two 8GB sticks. The Hyper X Overclocking 2133 memory is expensive. At least go to 1600mhz is you can't afford the HyperX. I would also recommend dropping in a new battery while you are in there if it's the original. After you swap the HDD for the SSD, keep it for an external backup. Oh, on that, you will need a USB enclosure to do the swap and CCC5 to image. I highly recommend getting a powered USB enclosure. I can give you more details if you like regarding specifics on how to swap, image (clone), etc. if you want. Good luck, it will feel like you just bought a new machine when done.

 

[organicCPU]

1. How would including the HDD in place of my optical drive affect power consumption?

According to the specs, the Samsung EVO 850 does have a power consumption of 4.0 W (Active) / 50 mW (Idle).
You didn't mention the exact model of your old 1 TB HDD. E.g. a 1 TB Toshiba HDD 5400 rpm would have 1.65 W (A) / 0.60 W (I). Your model could be from a different manufacturer with different specs, see Apple menu () -> About This Mac -> System Report -> SATA...
The specs of the optical drive are hard to find, try your luck searching for a data sheet of Matshita (Panasonic) UJ-8A8, Apple Part 661-6501.
I guess that the power consumption would be (slightly) higher with a HDD in place of an optical drive. The only real way to find out how much this affects your battery is to compare both configurations with similar usage scenario.

2. How would it affect noise?

Also depends on your HDD, we don't know the model. The 1 TB Toshiba HDD would have idle 22 dB and seek 23 dB. The Evo SSD is noiseless and the optical drive is quite loud if used, but I couldn't find specs for it.

3. How would it affect heat?

I guess a spinning HDD or an optical drive is producing more heat than a SSD, but there is no such detail in the specs.

4. How do the answers to the above questions change, if, in Energy Saver, I opt to shut down the HDD when not in use?

See the Idle (I) values in comparison to the Active (A) ones.

 

[Macdctr]

Drifty, if you haven't done this yet I would buy an external hard drive enclosure to put your new SSD hard drive in so you can format it and install your OS by plugging it into your USB port. Then after you have the system software installed, swap out your current internal hard drive and install your new SSD in it's place.

The advantage of having an external hard drive enclosure is that you can take your old hard drive and put it in there when you upgrade hard drive storage (assuming you're going to keep your optical drive).

For the RAM by all means upgrade to the full 16GB that your computer is capable of using. At this point anything you would do requiring Apple support will come out of pocket as the 2012 computers are no longer under warranty. I am running two internal hard drives and 16GB RAM in my 13 inch i7 MBP with absolutely no issues.

 

[LarryJoe33]

I often wonder how people find a month plus old thread and reply to it like no one has already (with the same exact suggestions). They obviously don't read through it.