MBP 2009 Optical Drive -> SSD/HDD Replacment

[twjames]

I am currently in the process of revamping my Mid-2009 Macbook Pro 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 8GB RAM, 240GB Crucial M500 SSD, A new battery, and replacing the SuperDrive with a Seagate Momentus XT 750GB using a hard drive caddy.

From doing some research I am to understand that my connection for the Optical drive as well as the HD slot is SATA II rather than SATAIII. If I put a 6GB/s drive (SeagateXT) into this connection will I experience any problems or just a slow down of speed? Will I be able to reach 3GB/s in my optical drive, or would it slow down to a negotiated speed of 1.5GB/s? Would there be any difference in speed if I just transferred my 5400RPM 500GB drive in this slot?

I notice my stock 500GB HD in the HD bay has a 3GB/s connection but runs at a negotiated speed of 1.5GB/s. Will my M500 SSD be able to reach 3GB/s in the main HD slot?

Any other things I should be aware of during this process, Enabling TRIM? Reformatting my computer? Fresh install of Mavericks? Or any complications I may experience along the way? I just want to be able to make sure that I get my moneys worth and maintain the boost my computer needs to be able to support FCPX video editing and overall stability.

 

[TacticalDesire]

If you aren't replacing the drive that the primary install is on you shouldn't have to reinstall. And using a Sata II connection won't cause any problems. The speed will just be throttled down to Sata II speeds. As far as the negotiating transfer speeds I can't help you there.

 

[twjames]

Thanks for the reply. I will be replacing the main HD with the Crucial SSD, so I guess a fresh install will be in order.

I just did a speed check of my stock 5400RPM 500GB HDD and the read/write speeds are both around 30mb/s!!! There has to be something very wrong, hopefully it's just age, it is 5 years old now... I'm hopping that the speed of the SSD I put into the main HD slot is not throttled down to 1.5GB/s. Anyone know if it's the connectors that determines the negotiated speed or the quality of the drive? Is there anyway to bring this 1.5GB/s back up to 3.0?