Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

SSD + external VS SSD + 5400 HDD

L

LemPh

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 14, 2014
43
0
Which solution do you think will work better?
I'd keep app & data separately to get more performance.
I already have an external 1TB hard drive and I'd like to use it, as I bought recently.

For what I know if I want to use 2 hard drives (SSD+HDD) I need to sacrifice my optical disc drive. :mad: For this reason I was thinking about SSD + External and not SSD + 5400 HDD.

Oh, everything on a 13 MBP. ;)
 
LemPh said:
Which solution do you think will work better?
I'd keep app & data separately to get more performance.
I already have an external 1TB hard drive and I'd like to use it, as I bought recently.

For what I know if I want to use 2 hard drives (SSD+HDD) I need to sacrifice my optical disc drive. :mad: For this reason I was thinking about SSD + External and not SSD + 5400 HDD.

Oh, everything on a 13 MBP. ;)
Click to expand...

Keep the SSD in your MBP and save all your media/data in your external.
 
When did you last use your DVD drive ??

If it's really no "loss" then that's a neat solution to having more storage
and not carrying an external.... you have to watch the "height" of the extra
internal HDD though ! ( could be 11mm Max IIRC )

For me, I don't mind, I have an SSD system drive and a 1tb Lacie Thunderbolt
external for data and that works fine.

M.
 
I actually do not use the optical drive very often but I'd like to keep as I have a lot of movies on CD/DVD.
Is it possible that files of the same app are stored in both HD and SSD? I don't want to miss something if I unplug the external one. :confused:
 
LemPh said:
Is it possible that files of the same app are stored in both HD and SSD? I don't want to miss something if I unplug the external one. :confused:
Click to expand...

It depends on the app. Some apps you can just install the app on an external drive and all there would be left on the internal is perhaps a small plist file that contains the apps settings. Other apps install needed file in your user ~/Library/Application Support folder and other places, and those files will need to stay there.

This is very hit or miss. Many apps need to be in the main /Applications folder to work properly. If I were you, I would just install all apps normally on the SSD in /Applications and then just store your data on the external.
 
Perfect. I understand. My concern is about apps that create catalogs like Final Cut, iMovie and so on.
 
LemPh said:
Perfect. I understand. My concern is about apps that create catalogs like Final Cut, iMovie and so on.
Click to expand...

I see. If it is just a specific app like FC, you might be able to get away with moving the catalogue to the external then use a symlink to point to the correct path on the external.
 
Weaselboy said:
I see. If it is just a specific app like FC, you might be able to get away with moving the catalogue to the external then use a symlink to point to the correct path on the external.
Click to expand...


Oh wow. Never heard about this thing. Sounds easy and time-saving :)
 
LemPh said:
I actually do not use the optical drive very often but I'd like to keep as I have a lot of movies on CD/DVD.
Is it possible that files of the same app are stored in both HD and SSD? I don't want to miss something if I unplug the external one. :confused:
Click to expand...

That's why you take your DVD drive and stick it in an enclosure, that way you still have it.
 
Super drive in enclosure

The previous poster was suggesting that if you put a large HDD in the opti drive bay you can buy a cheap opti drive external enclosure (about £10 on amazon) and put your optical drive in this then when you need cd dvd you just run from that through USB.
 
Samuelsan2001 said:
The previous poster was suggesting that if you put a large HDD in the opti drive bay you can buy a cheap opti drive external enclosure (about £10 on amazon) and put your optical drive in this then when you need cd dvd you just run from that through USB.
Click to expand...
Which is what I just gave a link to :)
Even though OWC is rather expensive, the solution is the same.
 
Samuelsan2001 said:
The previous poster was suggesting that if you put a large HDD in the opti drive bay you can buy a cheap opti drive external enclosure (about £10 on amazon) and put your optical drive in this then when you need cd dvd you just run from that through USB.
Click to expand...


Ohhh! :) I got it. Sounds great. And I can keep the remaining HDD as a backup drive in case of loss. I think I'll act this way. Thank you guys!!
 
Marty62 said:
you have to watch the "height" of the extra
internal HDD though ! ( could be 11mm Max IIRC )
Click to expand...

The optical bay should only be able to fit a 9.5mm drive, at the moment the biggest capacity of such drive is 2TB Seagate, next is 1.5TB Hitachi. Anything higher will only fit in the main HDD bay, which for this generation of MBP should be reserved for SSD due to the problems of getting SATA3 speed through the SATA connector on the opti bay.
 
Chancha said:
The optical bay should only be able to fit a 9.5mm drive, at the moment the biggest capacity of such drive is 2TB Seagate, next is 1.5TB Hitachi. Anything higher will only fit in the main HDD bay, which for this generation of MBP should be reserved for SSD due to the problems of getting SATA3 speed through the SATA connector on the opti bay.
Click to expand...


Ah , thanks for that good to know.

M.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back