Macbook Pro to SSD or not to SSD

Niels Neeskens

Niels Neeskens

Well-known member
Hey everybody,

I want to upgrade my macbook pro which I bought 5 years ago with the specifics below. But I am twisting around the question whether to buy it with the SSD drives or stick with the 500 GB 7200 rpm drive.

I'll use it for editing AVC-Intra 100 HD files so I need a fast drive. Yes, I will use a lot of external hard drives, but I would like to edit from the internal hard drives for certain situations. Next to that I will be
off loading a lot of stuff on it. I need at least the 512 GB so I am looking at another 1100 euro's for it. Is it worth it?

If I buy it with the 500 GB 7200 rpm drive now, is it easy to upgrade the macbook pro with a SSD drive afterwards?

Thanks in advance

Cheers Niels

  • 2,2-GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
  • 8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB
  • 500 GB seriële ATA, 7200 rpm
  • SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
 
Depends what you mean by easy. It can be done but it's brain surgery for anyone not a Mac IT expert. That said, the 7200RPM is more than up to the task of editing. I happen to use a MacBook Air these days for most of my editing work with a 250 GB SSD drive. I keep most of my media on external USB drives which works like a charm. The SSD as system drive is a lot quieter and more durable than a mag drive would be. But bottom line is to each his own.

Noah
 
I use an SSD (Intel 320) on my early 2011 MacBook Pro and I will NEVER be going back to a normal HD on my laptop if I can EVER help it. It is AWESOME!!! :)
 
Thanks guys! I think I'll go for the 500 GB 7200 rpm drive and I'll buy a SSD drive myself. I'll put this one at the place of the DVD drive and use the DVD drive extern with usb.
 
I have the Intel 320 in my 17inch early 2011 MacbookPro. I have one issue. If I turn my laptop off and on immediately, it won't boot. If I wait five minutes, it boots fine. After all the reading and research, I believe the problem to be with the feature in the Intel drive that if power is lost, the drive stays on to finish writing data using internal stores (I am assuming capacitors) and that the time I have to wait is for that to discharge. Other than that, no issues. I only mention this because the article talks about others drives having problems and this is true.
 
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