Hi there,
I have a 15" Macbook Pro from the early 2011.
Mainly use it for editing such as photoshop, illustration, iMovie, etc. and recently I've started to notice it struggling to keep up with my work - lots of delays and lags.
I've already doubled the RAM, so Im wondering if this problem gets worser will it be worth upgrading with something like an SSD? (I've been thinking this for a while to replace the superdrive) or invest in a new macbook pro?
Please let me know your thoughts!
Many Thanks,
Hi,
Considering you have a 2011 model with maxed out RAM, I can almost guarantee your HDD is bottlenecking your system. I know the 2011 models had some issues with Radeon graphics cards, so be wary of that before deciding to upgrade. The SSD will definitely benefit your system, but getting a new computer will obviously improve your performance more.
The 2011 models are fine in general, and your computer is only 3 years old. The HDD should not have too much an effect in the middle of your workflow, so think of the best performance your system has during a project. If that is too slow for you, then you should probably look into getting a new computer. The HDD will not have too much an effect on that, unless you are still capping out your RAM. You can always look in Activity Monitor to see what is bottlenecking.
Get a new rMBP if you can afford it and feel that even in the best case scenario, your computer does not do what you want. Get an SSD if your computer is lagging in general, but you can still do your work. The SSD will breath new life into your computer.
Cost of a 512 GB 840 EVO/M500: $260/$225
Cost of a new Baseline 15" rMBP: $1900
I personally think that the SSD will be fine for you, but you know what work you need to complete better than I do. If you get an SSD and are still unhappy with the performance of your computer, you will be out about $60. It will definitely boost performance though, so hopefully it will at least last you until the next upgrade cycle. SSDs are so much cheaper than they used to be, even a year ago. Definitely check them out. I think it will be totally worth it for the cost.
Matt
