Duel Drives in 2010 i7 macbook pro - which drive where?

[mgacam2]

So I'll be picking up an Optibay for my 2010 15 inch i7 macbook pro. I was wondering can my stock 500 GB hard drive be put in the place of the optibay or will this cause problems when the computer is moved around. Also if I do put the SSD on the Optibay side and install my main OS there will I run into any problems and will it be significantly slower? Will it boot up like normal? Finally, any suggestions for an SSD? I was looking at getting atleast 300 GB SSD drive so any of the new ones or old ones a good choice? Power consumption and price are my primary concern.

 

[stordoff]

IIRC, deep sleep doesn't work properly with the SSD/Main OS drive in the Optibay.

 

[Coburn]

IIRC, deep sleep doesn't work properly with the SSD/Main OS drive in the Optibay.

I think that's just from Sandforce SSDs, and is only an issue with the drive's firmware, not the bay selection. Also, I believe that the latest firmware update to these drives, hence what current Sandforce drives ship with, has resolved this problem.

I think putting the SSD in the optibay would be the better choice because the HDD could use the SMS in the HDD bay. You shouldn't see any difference in speed regarding your bay selection as they are identical SATA2. I've read that many people are happy with this setup. As long as you have your SSD set to boot and it has your OS and Apps, there shouldnt be a problem.

As far as what SSD to get, Ive been looking at OWC's line up because all users I've seen are very happy with their products and service (minus the fixed hibernation/sleep issues). OWC also offers bundled kits like a data doubler, the SSD of your liking, and the necessary tools for installation at a decent discount. I've read that the data doubler is the best option for optibaying, although not the cheapest.

Cheers.

 

[aznguyen316]

For the past year I've had the SSD in the main drive and HDD in optical and been happy. After swapping both just to try it out. After two days it's going back to previous positions. I dunno, maybe it's just me but I noticed the vibrations in the right palm rest more, which is where the main drive slot resides. I much prefer it in the optibay. Plus now I just put in a 750GB WD black which has a built in free fall protection so I turned off SMS. No big deal!