RAM & SSD Upgrade?

[MacCrank]

Looking at replacing my 2x2GB Ram (4GB) to a Crucial 8GB - £60 or 16GB - £120. More towards a 16GB to prevent any regrets.

Also looking at replacing my 500GB HDD for a Crucial 480SSD.

I see there are options of taking out the disk drive and piggy back one in there instead of replacing the HDD or even running 2x SSDs. But then I don't like the thought of loosing the disc drive and having to buy and carry external drive if need be.

What's the best and recommended config? Keep 500GB HDD and getting a 128GB SSD or just replacing the entire 500GB HDD?

I'm more towards swapping out the entire drive for an SSD so the whole MBP runs 480GB SSD and be done with it but that's £200 where as a 128GB is £57, 240GB is £100.

How would a second drive work, (in this case a SSD) in the place of the disk drive?
Do you have to choose a drive each time it is being used and boot times/ tasking, how would this improve if you have an HDD and a SSD?

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

There's no best or recommended setup. It depends solely on your needs.

You can replace the current HDD with an SSD if you want speed, and you can replace the DVD drive with a HDD or SSD, depending on wether you need storage or speed (Or have loads of $$$).

A second drive would just show up in Finder so you have a second place to store files. If you've ever had an external harddrive or USB stick in your machine, it behaves exactly like that.
You set your startup drive in System Preferences, so it always boots from the same drive.

 

[MacCrank]

Ok, many thanks! Makes sense now.

I think just getting the 480SSD would be best in my case.

Would I expect to see less heat from the SSD as there no moving parts?
My MBP runs hot when in clamshell in a stand vertically when gaming but think that's mainly the battery which can't be temporary removed like my old one.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

No, it won't make a meassurable difference. The HDD is mostly dormant when gaming, since most game assets are loading into the game at the beginning. What taxes your system heat wise is the CPU and GPU, making 3D calculations. There's really nothing you can do except making sure it is well ventilated and sitting on a surface that properly conducts heat. I'd recommend not gaming in clamshell mode, due to the amount of heat being produced.

 

[Marty62]

I've had issues with Crucial SSD's and it's been reported here over the last year
or so, not sure how the newer versions are, mine was an M4.

I would highly recommend the Samsung 840 EVO series, Apple uses Samsung
SSD tech in many of the newer MBP's.

They are not expensive in the 128/256gb versions.

I put my original 750bg HD in an £8 enclosure from Ebuyer.com as I still
find the DVD useful.

Just my 2C's opinion.

Martin.

 

[MarvinHC]

I've had issues with Crucial SSD's and it's been reported here over the last year
or so, not sure how the newer versions are, mine was an M4.

I would highly recommend the Samsung 840 EVO series, Apple uses Samsung
SSD tech in many of the newer MBP's.

They are not expensive in the 128/256gb versions.

I put my original 750bg HD in an £8 enclosure from Ebuyer.com as I still
find the DVD useful.

Just my 2C's opinion.

Martin.

The M4s have a terrible reputation, the M500 is supposedly a lot better.
But I also played it safe and went for the 840 Evo.

 

[yjchua95]

I'd recommend either Samsung 840 Pro (or Evo if you're on a budget), or an OWC Extreme Pro 6G.

 

[Ei kukaan]

Samsing 840PRO is absolute fastest SSD you can have at present time.

 

[MacCrank]

WOW cheers guys!! Done hours of reading but not come across other alternatives and just had tunnel vision with the Crucial SSD and tbh not come across a bad review of the Crucial SSD but now I'm going to look at the Samsung as these sound great.
I also wondered what Apple username their models but couldn't find this info either.

So am I ought in saying the 8/ 16GB RAM from Crucial is still OK? Or is there better?

 

[yjchua95]

WOW cheers guys!! Done hours of reading but not come across other alternatives and just had tunnel vision with the Crucial SSD and tbh not come across a bad review of the Crucial SSD but now I'm going to look at the Samsung as these sound great.
I also wondered what Apple username their models but couldn't find this info either.

So am I ought in saying the 8/ 16GB RAM from Crucial is still OK? Or is there better?

In the previous generation Ivy Bridge cMBPs, Apple used a Samsung 840 Pro-based SSD.

 

[MacCrank]

There's really nothing you can do except making sure it is well ventilated and sitting on a surface that properly conducts heat. I'd recommend not gaming in clamshell mode, due to the amount of heat being produced.

In clamshell mode it is in a vertical stand and I run it upside down (Apple logo wrong way up), so the vent is at the top, allowing the heat to escape as it rises. This has concerned me and I have done quite a bit of R&D and the keyboard doesn't seem to give any cooling as it's blanked off from the inside.
Some have even run tests and found it to be cooler in a stand vertically, which I can't comment on, however I can say - I think with the body being exposed 100% to the air at all times, it should allow for less restriction and increased surface area for air to cool naturally.