How to max out my MacBook Pro i5

[smallnshort247]

I have the 15 inch i5 MacBook Pro. Pretty much the base model of the 15 inch MacBook Pros that are currently out. What can I possibly do to max out the performance of my MBP? Not only that, but what changes can I make that would make the most difference performance wise. I hear upgrading the ram from 4GB to 8GB wont make much difference since most people don't use all the ram anyway. As for the hard drive, maybe switching to a SSD? And if I did, would Apple install it for me? Are there any other possible ways I can max out performance? Its a great laptop, and I love it..I just want to make it the best it can be.

Thanks guys for the advice.

 

[GGJstudios]

http://guides.macrumors.com/MacBook_Pro_FAQ

 

[Hellhammer]

Adding an SSD would make the biggest difference in everyday usage. It's not hard to do it yourself, here is tutorial.

RAM upgrade would also speed up but it's hard to say is it worth it since I don't know what is your usage.

 

[alust2013]

The biggest thing you can really do is upgrade to SSD. If the price is off-putting, you could get a 7200 RPM HDD or a hybrid drive, both of which will provide a pretty good performance upgrade.