Booting from SSD...

[Tonecrafter]

Is it possible or even advised to use an external SSD as a boot drive? If so, how do you go about doing it?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

It is possible, as you can do the same with an external HDD.
If you have an SSD in an external Firewire 800 or ThunderBolt enclosure, you will see speed gains, even with the "slow" FW 800.
Once you put the SSD into the enclosure and connect it to your Mac, you either clone the existing OS (maybe except the user account you use, but with a new admin account, as it will probably less storage space taken than your user account) to the SSD or you just reinstall Mac OS X onto the SSD.

How to format a new HDD/SSD to install Mac OS X or make a bootable copy onto​

 

[Tonecrafter]

Thanks for the input. I looked on newegg, but didn't see much in the way of FW800 enclosures. I'd like to go Thunderbolt, but it's expensive and I don't see many options available.

Any suggestions?

 

[jmcgeejr]

Thanks for the input. I looked on newegg, but didn't see much in the way of FW800 enclosures. I'd like to go Thunderbolt, but it's expensive and I don't see many options available.

Any suggestions?

Sadly nothing that is affordable right now, give it some time now that windows boxes will be coming out with TB too.

 

[philipma1957]

the best external thunderbolt will cost you.

here is a thread. btw i built a few of them.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1280118/

here are photos of them when I put them up for sale on ebay. none sold I am using them as boot drives for my two mac mini servers


http://www.ebay.com/itm/16069266617...X:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1560.l2649#ht_2292wt_1297


http://www.ebay.com/itm/15070469033...X:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1560.l2649#ht_3028wt_1297

note to the mods I am not selling these items they are not listed on ebay for sale.

these are what a diy builder can do today if he does diy.


the lowest cost fast setup would be about 600 to build.


a pair of 64gb ssd's can cost 200 a lacie is 400 so 600.

frankly it is a lot of money this is why no one wanted to buy them even the 512gb size was costly.

if you buy a pegasus r4 from provantage it is 991



http://www.provantage.com/promise-technology-pr401us~7PROM1KU.htm


you can set it up any way you want with 3 of the included hdds and put a ssd in tray you emptied. so 991 plus 150 for a ssd is

about 1150 for this you get 4 1tb hdds and 1 ssd like this

http://www.provantage.com/corsair-cssd-f90gbgt-bk~7CMHD00J.htm


this is a costly setup but you get real speed the ssd with 3 hdds as storage

 

[Weaselboy]

Thanks for the input. I looked on newegg, but didn't see much in the way of FW800 enclosures. I'd like to go Thunderbolt, but it's expensive and I don't see many options available.

Any suggestions?

Give it a month or so. OCZ and El Gato announced some external TB SSDs at CES.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/09/elgato-thunderbolt-ssd/

Here is the El Gato device.