Library files on SSD or Optibay HDD

[moez]

Hey guys,

So I have a non-Unibody Macbook Pro 15" (2.2Ghz, 4GB RAM).

Recently, I had bought a 40 GB OWC SSD in an attempt to give some life to this laptop as it was even having hiccups playing 720p videos.

So, what I have done is I installed the SSD in place of hard drive and the 7200rpm in place of Superdrive. Since my MBP had an PATA Superdrive, I had bought a cheap one from eBay.

My question is, is it better to have the Library files on SSD or if it is okay to have it on the Harddrive? The SSD is so small that there is no way my Documents or Downloads folder can fit but the Library (with 10GB space) is able to (barely) fit in the SSD.

If the Library goes to the SSD, then I could just create a symlink for Documents and Downloads folder and be done with it and still have 2GB of free space left on that drive.

Any advice / recommendation?

Thanks for the help.

P.S: Are the speeds listed in the test below okay for my type of laptop or is it too slow?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Do you mean the Macintosh HD / Library folder or the Macintosh HD / Users / YOU / Library folder?
If it is the latter, then yes, as the whole Home Directory (Macintosh HD / Users / YOU) can be located on another volume.
If it is the first, then I doubt it. Maybe you delete some of the stuff you don't need in Application Support, or do you need them?
Take a look at DiskInventory X, OmniDiskSweeper, JDisk Report or GrandPerspective to see where your HDD space went to.

Btw, an SSD will not make the playback of a 720p film faster, as most compressed HD films are having a bit rate of 1 to 2 MB/s. I can even play 1080p content on my 2007 iMac with 2GHz.

 

[moez]

Do you mean the Macintosh HD / Library folder or the Macintosh HD / Users / YOU / Library folder?
If it is the latter, then yes, as the whole Home Directory (Macintosh HD / Users / YOU) can be located on another volume.
If it is the first, then I doubt it. Maybe you delete some of the stuff you don't need in Application Support, or do you need them?
Take a look at DiskInventory X, OmniDiskSweeper, JDisk Report or GrandPerspective to see where your HDD space went to.

I am talking about Macintosh HD / Users / YOU / Library. I currently have it on the hard drive but was wondering if putting it on SSD would speed up the things.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

I am talking about Macintosh HD / Users / YOU / Library. I currently have it on the hard drive but was wondering if putting it on SSD would speed up the things.

Not really. Except Safari (or the browser you use) I suppose, as data is written and read faster, thus the Mac hiccups more seldom.

 

[terzinator]

I have a similar setup (128GB SSD in stock location and 750GB HDD in optibay) and I kept Users/home > etc... on the SSD. I put the big real-estate things on the HDD: iTunes and iPhoto libraries, and movies, that sort of thing.

I find that the users/home folders don't get too big if I keep that stuff out. If you've got giant artwork files in your personal documents, you could move those to the HDD when you're done actually working on them.

I just figure there are lots of apps that talk to the users/home/library directories enough for preferences and whatnot, that I'd rather just have it all stay on the SSD for speed/efficiency's sake.

 

[moez]

Hey... thanks for the info both of you.

My library folder is 10GB so considering that I ran out of space on my SSD using Photoshop, I think ill just have the Firefox profile and Photoshop scratch disk on the SSD and the Library, along with the home folder on the Harddrive.

Edit: And Mac OS X Installation is in the SSD btw