Battery life & SSD ram upgrade (2012 MBP)

[mrperfectshun]

Hello, Not sure where to post this, Recently acquired a mid 2012 mpb and it has a cycle count of 45 which I'm aware is still very healthy, Was wondering how do I keep the battery healthy, is it bad to keep it plugged in all the time? Also, I've read people doing SSD and ram upgrades, currently its 4gb ram with 500gb hdd, this is my first MacBook. Any downsides to upgrading to 8gb-12gb ram and a 500gb ssd? All I've heard was positive feedback, just want to make sure. thanks. If upgrading the ram to lets say 16gb and a fast SSD, How comparable is the performance to a 2018 MBP? I've used windows all my life although having iPhones and I found it quite nice with the integration of the devices, so I won't be going back to windows

 

[Fishrrman]

Upgrade to an SSD. 2.5" SATA SSD's are cheap right now.
A 500gb SSD would probably do fine.

You might also consider getting a USB3/SATA adapter like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011M8YACM/ref=nosim/macintouchcom-20?&tag=macintouchcom-20

You can use it to "prep and test" the new SSD BEFORE you open up the MBP.
Once you swap drives, you can use it to connect the old HDD (for a backup or for extra storage).

I'd just buy a SINGLE 8gb DIMM, and put that into "the top slot" when the back is off for the SSD upgrade. That will give you 10gb of installed RAM.

You'll need a Phillips #00 driver and a TORX T-6 driver for the drive swap.
Go to ifixit.com to see what's involved.

 

[mrperfectshun]

Upgrade to an SSD. 2.5" SATA SSD's are cheap right now.
A 500gb SSD would probably do fine.

You might also consider getting a USB3/SATA adapter like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011M8YACM/ref=nosim/macintouchcom-20?&tag=macintouchcom-20

You can use it to "prep and test" the new SSD BEFORE you open up the MBP.
Once you swap drives, you can use it to connect the old HDD (for a backup or for extra storage).

I'd just buy a SINGLE 8gb DIMM, and put that into "the top slot" when the back is off for the SSD upgrade. That will give you 10gb of installed RAM.

You'll need a Phillips #00 driver and a TORX T-6 driver for the drive swap.
Go to ifixit.com to see what's involved.

Sounds great, Will definitely order a SSD soon & I Never thought about a single 8gb ram stick. Thank you very much for the detailed response.