SSD Optimization?

[apthai86]

I'm considering purchasing the new 15" Macbook Pro with the factory 128GB SSD since for student it's only $90 more. I haven't had a mac for awhile and am wondering if the information on this site is legitimate.

http://poller.se/2010/08/optimizing-mac-os-x-for-ssd-drives/

Thanks.

 

[Hellhammer]

Sounds pretty nonsense to me. Just enjoy it. Apple now supports TRIM so you don't even have to worry about the writes.

 

[MarkMS]

I agree with Hellhammer. It's nonsense. I've had my Intel SSD for about a year now and have had no issues whatsoever. OS X 10.7 Lion will have TRIM so that will help in the long run, but for now ... just get the SSD if possible and enjoy the blazing speeds!

 

[axu539]

I'm considering purchasing the new 15" Macbook Pro with the factory 128GB SSD since for student it's only $90 more. I haven't had a mac for awhile and am wondering if the information on this site is legitimate.

http://poller.se/2010/08/optimizing-mac-os-x-for-ssd-drives/

Thanks.

I've been using tips 1-4 since I got my Intel x25-M last year. I've enabled these tweaks in my MBA as well as my new 2011 MBP. To me, they make sense.

1. How often is your machine actually going to die from the battery draining, that you actually need your RAM info stored on your drive to access it when the computer comes back on? That's a 4-8 GB chunk of storage saved on your SSD if it's not storing your useless sleepimage.
2. Your SSD doesn't really need to go to sleep.
3. While the SMS doesn't have any effect on the SSD, when the computer issues the park head command, the SSD probably just ignores it. However, the command being issued might lead to some unnecessary writes on your drive.
4. In my opinion, this is probably the best tweak. In the short-term, you PROBABLY won't see any performance degradation effects from unnecessary writes, but it's always better to be safe. Access time simply labels your files for when they were last accessed. This is a completely useless command, and I'm not sure if it's the site you linked, or some other site that pointed out, even the iPhone has noatime enabled. By doing so, you eliminate the need to make a small write every time your file is accessed.

Overall, you probably won't have any issues with any of these tweaks enabled, but I figure, since I paid top dollar for my SSD, a couple of small tweaks is easy enough to try and prolong the performance of my SSD.

 

[adnoh]

I've been using tips 1-4 since I got my Intel x25-M last year. I've enabled these tweaks in my MBA as well as my new 2011 MBP. To me, they make sense.

1. How often is your machine actually going to die from the battery draining, that you actually need your RAM info stored on your drive to access it when the computer comes back on? That's a 4-8 GB chunk of storage saved on your SSD if it's not storing your useless sleepimage.
2. Your SSD doesn't really need to go to sleep.
3. While the SMS doesn't have any effect on the SSD, when the computer issues the park head command, the SSD probably just ignores it. However, the command being issued might lead to some unnecessary writes on your drive.
4. In my opinion, this is probably the best tweak. In the short-term, you PROBABLY won't see any performance degradation effects from unnecessary writes, but it's always better to be safe. Access time simply labels your files for when they were last accessed. This is a completely useless command, and I'm not sure if it's the site you linked, or some other site that pointed out, even the iPhone has noatime enabled. By doing so, you eliminate the need to make a small write every time your file is accessed.

Overall, you probably won't have any issues with any of these tweaks enabled, but I figure, since I paid top dollar for my SSD, a couple of small tweaks is easy enough to try and prolong the performance of my SSD.

+1

Im using 1-3 on my x25

 

[^^BIGMac]

May be a little off topic but...

Let's say at some point I want a larger SSD in my 15" MBP but I'm not comfortable in replacing it myself. Where would I take it --- to Apple? To an authorized Apple Reseller? And if an authorized dealer installed a different (larger) SSd would the warrant and Apple Care be voided? I wouldn't think so but I've never done anything like that before. Maybe somebody here has experience.

 

[Hellhammer]

May be a little off topic but...

Let's say at some point I want a larger SSD in my 15" MBP but I'm not comfortable in replacing it myself. Where would I take it --- to Apple? To an authorized Apple Reseller? And if an authorized dealer installed a different (larger) SSd would the warrant and Apple Care be voided? I wouldn't think so but I've never done anything like that before. Maybe somebody here has experience.

From what I've heard, Apple does not offer hard drive upgrades but resellers do. It does not void your warranty but obviously, the new drive is not covered by Apple. To be honest, replacing the HD/SSD is so easy that I would just do it myself. Even that does not void your warranty unless you damage something.

 

[Weaselboy]

May be a little off topic but...

Let's say at some point I want a larger SSD in my 15" MBP but I'm not comfortable in replacing it myself. Where would I take it --- to Apple? To an authorized Apple Reseller? And if an authorized dealer installed a different (larger) SSd would the warrant and Apple Care be voided? I wouldn't think so but I've never done anything like that before. Maybe somebody here has experience.

It is very easy to do. Here is a step by step video.

 

[^^BIGMac]

It is very easy to do. Here is a step by step video.

Ummm...I feel like a complete idiot. Yes, nothing could be much simpler than that. Thanks for posting that video. Now I wish I would have bought a standard config and replaced the HDD with a larger after market SSD like shown in the video. Oh well...when the time comes I'll do it myself.