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SSD + optibay advice

C

cdubb80

macrumors member
Original poster
May 15, 2011
63
0
Considering getting SSD for my 2011 13" MBP.

If I get a SSD and move my current 500 gb HD to optibay what size of SSD is recommended? 128 vs 256 gb?

Also looking at Crucial M4 vs Samsung 830 as heard the recent Crucial drives having failures

Another option is just getting a 512 gb Crucial M4 on sale for $370
 
cdubb80 said:
Considering getting SSD for my 2011 13" MBP.

If I get a SSD and move my current 500 gb HD to optibay what size of SSD is recommended? 128 vs 256 gb?
Click to expand...
Whatever size accommodates your needs. There is no right or wrong capacity.
 
Perhaps figure out what a comfortable capacity might be based on your current usage, then get as much more on top of that as your wallet can stand? ;)
 
Use Get Info to calculate the current size of your Applications and System folders. These are what you will have on your SSD. Your Users folder has most of the stuff that will go on that HDD of yours. I can get away with 120GB for an SSD, but would rather have a 240 to keep my Aperture Library on the SSD for speeds sake.

Edit: Check to see if your system is sata II or III. A sata III drive will work on a sata II bus, but you will be paying for transfer rate you can't use.

Dale
 
I just recently made this change and I say "great choice!". I got a 120GB and have 30GB left with CS6 and many other large programs, but honestly I wish I had gone larger. I keep my development folder on there to speed the things I do most often up, but now that I have a taste for the SSD difference I wish I had more space.
 
Designer Dale said:
Use Get Info to calculate the current size of your Applications and System folders. These are what you will have on your SSD. Your Users folder has most of the stuff that will go on that HDD of yours. I can get away with 120GB for an SSD, but would rather have a 240 to keep my Aperture Library on the SSD for speeds sake.

Edit: Check to see if your system is sata II or III. A sata III drive will work on a sata II bus, but you will be paying for transfer rate you can't use.

Dale
Click to expand...

Ok, well my Applications + Systems folders = 13 gb

I theoretically could afford the 256 gb SSD, but moving to Australia this month so trying to save $$$

Wife won't let me buy a newer laptop, so trying to upgrade current one affordably
 
Last edited:
cdubb80 said:
Ok, well my Applications + Systems folders = 13 gb

I theoretically could afford the 256 gb SSD, but moving to Australia this month so trying to save $$$

Wife won't let me buy a newer laptop, so trying to upgrade current one affordably
Click to expand...

Without doing a bunch of shopping research, the cost difference is around $100 USD. When you do upgrade your computer, you could switch the larger one to the newer computer. An instant upgrade for the new one.

Dale
 
Thanks for advice guys.

Ended up buying a Samsung 830 256gb drive. Waiting for my optibay to arrive.

Just question about installing SSD - do I only partion it if I plan to boot camp Windows7? Right now I just use it in Parallels in OSx.
 
no bootcamp will make the partition when you set it up. There is no need to set anything up.

just use the ssd like a noraml hdd when you install your os and such
 
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