Optical Drive to SSD [Macbook Pro mid-2012]

[RyanFrizey]

Hey guys, first post here so please excuse anything i may do wrong .

I've been doing a bit of research recently and have decided that I want to replace my optical drive with a new SSD and upgrade my RAM. I've watched a thousand tutorials on how to physically change over the hardware but have seen very little on how to clone the OS (OS X el Capitan) onto the new SSD. My question is, is it at all possible to do this without removing my current HDD and cloning it externally? Everything I find has people removing the HDD and cloning the OS through an external USB adapter. If so how does one go about doing this, because I don't really want to have to remove the hard drive, purchase a external USB adapter, then have to re-install the hardware. I also want to bootcamp into windows 10 once I perform the upgrades, so if this at all affects this please let me know.

Also, if anyone could give a little advice onto what SSD's (256 - 550gb) and RAM (16gb) are compatible, reasonably priced (don't really want to spend anymore than $300ish) and performs well, I would be eternally greatful!

(edit)

I live in Australia, if that is an factor.

 

[Rhinoevans]

From what i can summarize from your post is that you are installed a new SSD in place your optical and leaving the original HHD in place?? If that is the case just install the SSD, OS X will see it, format and start using. If it were me I install the new SSD in the current HDD location, and install a new version of OS X on the SSD from a bootable USB. If you need the storage, then put the HDD in the optical slot. Personally, I would install 2 SSD's. Size is based on your own personal need. I replaced my HDD with a Samsung EVO 256 and that is all i really need. All there other stuff in on a USB drive. Not sure on prices in Australia, but in US a 512 SSD is about $160, Optical adapter $30, 16G Ram about $120. Hope this helps

 

[RyanFrizey]

From what i can summarize from your post is that you are installed a new SSD in place your optical and leaving the original HHD in place?? If that is the case just install the SSD, OS X will see it, format and start using. If it were me I install the new SSD in the current HDD location, and install a new version of OS X on the SSD from a bootable USB. If you need the storage, then put the HDD in the optical slot. Personally, I would install 2 SSD's. Size is based on your own personal need. I replaced my HDD with a Samsung EVO 256 and that is all i really need. All there other stuff in on a USB drive. Not sure on prices in Australia, but in US a 512 SSD is about $160, Optical adapter $30, 16G Ram about $120. Hope this helps

I haven't actually changed any hardware over yet but what I want to do is install an SSD in place of my optical drive, use that to boot the OS, and use the HDD the macbook came with as extra storage. Question was, is it possible to clone the OS from the existing hard drive onto the SSD, along with bootcamp'd windows 10, and have the 500gb HDD as storage.

 

[simonsi]

I haven't actually changed any hardware over yet but what I want to do is install an SSD in place of my optical drive, use that to boot the OS, and use the HDD the macbook came with as extra storage. Question was, is it possible to clone the OS from the existing hard drive onto the SSD, along with bootcamp'd windows 10, and have the 500gb HDD as storage.

Yes its possible, just install both, boot and use Carbon Copy Cloner to copy the OS partition/drive to the SSD, inc the Recovery Partition. Not sure about the bootcamp partition, no experience with that.

 

[RyanFrizey]

Yes its possible, just install both, boot and use Carbon Copy Cloner to copy the OS partition/drive to the SSD, inc the Recovery Partition. Not sure about the bootcamp partition, no experience with that.

Can this be done with the SSD already installed? What I've read and seen so far, people are using and external adapter. If I have the SSD and HDD in, will Carbon Copy Cloner work in the same way?

 

[simonsi]

Can this be done with the SSD already installed? What I've read and seen so far, people are using and external adapter. If I have the SSD and HDD in, will Carbon Copy Cloner work in the same way?

Yes, no problem if you install the SSD in the optical bay and then clone to it internally. Ideal setup IMHO (see my sig) ;-) you only need an external adapter if you will be installing the SSD in place of the HDD without removing the Optical Drive.

 

[RyanFrizey]

Yes, no problem if you install the SSD in the optical bay and then clone to it internally. Ideal setup IMHO (see my sig) ;-) you only need an external adapter if you will be installing the SSD in place of the HDD without removing the Optical Drive.

Thanks for that, much help!

Do you think it would be wise to install the SSD in the optical drive slot, because i saw somewhere that I might not get the same speeds running the SSD through the optical drives cables? Just a thought, but if im spending the money, i want it to be as fast as possible.

 

[simonsi]

Thanks for that, much help!

Do you think it would be wise to install the SSD in the optical drive slot, because i saw somewhere that I might not get the same speeds running the SSD through the optical drives cables? Just a thought, but if im spending the money, i want it to be as fast as possible.

Some early 2011 models had issues running the SATA3 interface in the Optical Bay at SATA3 speed, in those cases it is better for performance to have the SSD in the main drive bay and the HDD in the optical where SATA2 is no bottleneck. In all other cases it is better to have the HDD in the main drive bay so it maintains its Sudden Motion Sensor protection of the HDD.

I was lucky, my early 2011 runs at full SATA3 speed in the optical bay so that is where my SSDs have all been without any issues.