I'm hearing consistent loud buzzing sounds from the original 500 GB internal HDD in my mid-2009 17" MBP (2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, Macbook Pro 5,2, 8GB RAM). I assume the HDD is dying and have backed up all its data appropriately (Carbon Copy Cloner).
I ordered a 1 TB Seagate SSHD from Other World Computing to replace the original HDD. Will arrive in a couple of days. ($127 shipped with an external enclosure to do the copy/format/swap.)
Here's the thing: my father-in-law gifted me an 80GB 2.5" SSD about a year ago and it is just sitting in a drawer not doing anything. I gave a thought to just installing it in my MBP to replace the dying HDD, but figured 80 GB was way too small.
Anyway, the thought occurred to me that maybe I could put the 80 GB SSD in the original internal drive spot, and the 1 TB SSHD that's on its way to me in the optical bay slot, and make a Fusion drive out of the two of them.
Any suggestions, criticisms? I've never done a DIY fusion drive before. Would it makes sense with an 80 GB SSD and a 1 TB SSHD? Would the SSHD alone be about the same?
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more background:
(I'm not willing to spend more money on a larger SSD. For that kind of money I'd rather put it toward an entirely new machine. But I figure I would have to replace the dying internal HDD to sell the MBP successfully on ebay anyway, so might as well make this one last upgrade.
(Were I to do a fusion drive, I'm guessing the OS and all my applications would probably take up most of the 80 GB SSD.)
We mainly use this machine for iPhoto Library management and iMovie for editing home movies of our kids, as well as for an iTunes server for our Apple TVs and an EyeTV DVR (We record the shows and then auto-export to the iTunes library so the Apple TVs can see them.)
The point is: 80% of the time this machine is in always-on mode being an iTunes server of tv shows, movies, music, and photos to our Apple TVs. The other 20% of the time we are using it for iPhoto, iMovie, and ripping DVDs (personal use of purchased DVDs of course).
Boot time doesn't matter to me, since we rarely restart the machine. What WOULD matter to me would be faster iPhoto browsing or iMovie editing. Would a fusion drive help in this regard (note most of the photo/movie data would be sitting on externals)? Or should I not bother and just be happy with the 1 TB SSHD alone?
I ordered a 1 TB Seagate SSHD from Other World Computing to replace the original HDD. Will arrive in a couple of days. ($127 shipped with an external enclosure to do the copy/format/swap.)
Here's the thing: my father-in-law gifted me an 80GB 2.5" SSD about a year ago and it is just sitting in a drawer not doing anything. I gave a thought to just installing it in my MBP to replace the dying HDD, but figured 80 GB was way too small.
Anyway, the thought occurred to me that maybe I could put the 80 GB SSD in the original internal drive spot, and the 1 TB SSHD that's on its way to me in the optical bay slot, and make a Fusion drive out of the two of them.
Any suggestions, criticisms? I've never done a DIY fusion drive before. Would it makes sense with an 80 GB SSD and a 1 TB SSHD? Would the SSHD alone be about the same?
--------------
more background:
(I'm not willing to spend more money on a larger SSD. For that kind of money I'd rather put it toward an entirely new machine. But I figure I would have to replace the dying internal HDD to sell the MBP successfully on ebay anyway, so might as well make this one last upgrade.
(Were I to do a fusion drive, I'm guessing the OS and all my applications would probably take up most of the 80 GB SSD.)
We mainly use this machine for iPhoto Library management and iMovie for editing home movies of our kids, as well as for an iTunes server for our Apple TVs and an EyeTV DVR (We record the shows and then auto-export to the iTunes library so the Apple TVs can see them.)
The point is: 80% of the time this machine is in always-on mode being an iTunes server of tv shows, movies, music, and photos to our Apple TVs. The other 20% of the time we are using it for iPhoto, iMovie, and ripping DVDs (personal use of purchased DVDs of course).
Boot time doesn't matter to me, since we rarely restart the machine. What WOULD matter to me would be faster iPhoto browsing or iMovie editing. Would a fusion drive help in this regard (note most of the photo/movie data would be sitting on externals)? Or should I not bother and just be happy with the 1 TB SSHD alone?