Adding Second SSD and Best Setup

[STxMacUser]

Hi everyone,

It has been a while since I added an extra drive to a computer, (never on an Apple) and I haven't found much info on installing a second SSD on a MacBook Pro. So I have a few questions.

I am adding an Intel 520 series 240GB SSD to my mid 2010 MacBook Pro. The current drive is the Apple 256GB SSD. I only have 20GB left on the Macintosh HD Partition and 6GB on the Boot Camp (Windows 7) partition. My OS is the Mac OS X Lion version 10.7.3.

I have my Macintosh HD info backed up to an External Network backup drive...so for the ultimate setup I can start from scratch if it is best.

What would be my most efficient setup with the two SSDs? (Should I just add the new SSD to the Optidrive slot and use it for storage?)

Would I need an Optibay mount for the second SSD that will be installed in place of the Optidrive?

Do I need to configure the new setup (RAID, SATA) after the install? If so, how do I access a controller (BIOS) to configure the new setup?

Thanks in advance for any tips or comments....

 

[macmastersam]

Have you tried just replacing you current 256GB SSD with a 512GB SSD? Then adding the extra 240GB SSD into optical drive meaning that you have nearly 700GB of SSD storage? Or you can go cheaper and replace the 256GB SSD with a 750GB hard drive? And make your chosen apps boot up on the 240GB SSD that is in the optical bay ?

 

[heisenberg123]

out of curiousity what were your search terms because this info is very easy to find with even video tutorials on how too.

yes using a bracket you can replace the optical drive with a 2nd hard drive, since your machine is a 2010 its will only have 3gbs SATA speed in the optical drive so no need to by a 6gbs for that.

Google Search Macbook Pro 2010 2nd Harddrive

 

[STxMacUser]

since your machine is a 2010 its will only have 3gbs SATA speed in the optical drive so no need to by a 6gbs for that.

Yes, I was aware of the limits of my current MacBook Pro with regards to SATA speed. I wanted to get the 6GB/s SSD so that I can move it to a newer model MacBook Pro whenever I upgrade....(which will hopefully be soon after the next release).

I did search online but could not find much on adding a second SSD. I have never done more than adding RAM memory to my MacBook Pro and didn't find a single article online about adding a second SSD....so pardon me for my ignorance. I just want to be sure that I understand everything before I dive into the project.

I am not sure about how to setup RAID on a MacBook Pro...I'm not even sure how to access the controls for changing out RAID/SATA settings. If anyone can help to educate me about this...I would be very grateful. From what I have read...a RAID 0 setting would be appropriate for two SSDs?

(Thanks in advance for your help).
[/QUOTE]

 

[WhoisMedina]

Here's a tutorial, you didn't mention what size but all videos you need should be on the site...

http://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/macbookpro_15_unibody_mid10_dd/

 

[HBP]

Save some money and throw an HDD (large capacity) into the optibay, instead of another SSD.

My setup is a 128GB SSD + 640GB HDD. I keep the OS, Apps (+virtual machine), and documents on the SSD. The HDD gets my music, photos, movies etc. (all the data that doesn't need the speed).

If you're insistent on adding a dual SSD setup, it's the same way as adding an HDD to the optibay--tons of videos and guides online.

 

[STxMacUser]

Thanks for the suggestions....good info!

I am still not clear about what to do after I install the drive. Do I need to manually change SATA or RAID settings or does Lion automatically recognize what I installed in the optical drive bay and use it as storage?

 

[HBP]

The SSD will be automatically detected as another, empty drive (if not, just go to disk utility and format it appropriately).

To set up RAID 0, I'm pretty sure you'll have to back-up and reinstall OSX (setting up RAID in disk utility during installation). Make sure you keep a regular back up of your data if you're running RAID 0, because if either SSD fails you're gonna have a bad time.

I see no benefit to running RAID 0 with dual SSD's. I feel like the difference in speed would almost be imperceptible by any regular user. If you want to avoid the reinstall process, just use the secondary drive as storage.

This may of be interesting for you: http://blog.macsales.com/9769-testing-raid-0-in-a-macbook-pro-using-the-data-doubler

 

[STxMacUser]

Thank you. You have been very helpful.

 

[risotto]

I've summarized my own hybrid setup on my blog. I've kept my old mechanical HDD for media and added and SSD for the OS. While it's truly two SSDs, it should still show you how to work with two volumes and use them efficiently. Just think of the HDD as your second SSD. Hope it's helpful!