NEW 2011 15" Macbook Pro SDD or HDD in place of the Optical Bay.

I am going to purchase the new 15' 2.2GHz MBP. I am just unsure right now about which Data drive to get. I currently have a 500GB 7200rpm HDD that I would like to put in my NEW Macbook Pro with the OWC Data Doubler( http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/DDAMBS0GB/ )by taking out the Optical bay and replacing it with a second data drive. If I do this I would like to get the 128GB SDD with my new MBP and then install the second drive as the 500GB HDD I already have. I could always get the 500GB 7200rpm and then install my other 500GB 7200rpm, but would this cause too much heat and battery lose running both? I know how to install them and everything but I do not know how to set them up through the Disk Utility application. I have 4 options I could do......
Creating an individual volume with its own desktop icon.
(With this option my OS and all the applications would be installed on my SDD and everything would be ran quicker. I would then use my HDD for data. Can someone give me examples of this?)
Combining a new drive with the existing internal drive for one larger volume (SPAN).
(This would defeat the purpose of getting a SDD)
Combining a new matching drive with existing internal for high-performance RAID-0 Stripe volume.
(I would love to use this for the gain in performance but I don't know if I can if the drives are different size/make/technology)
Configuring a new drive as a Time Machine™ backup drive.
(dont want this)
Formatting one drive for the Mac OS and the other dedicated for Windows.
(Would like to format the SDD for Mac OS and applications, and my HDD for data. But having only 128GB as the main disk with the OS, I dont want random things to get on it.)
I will be using my new MBP for HD video editing, photo editing, web searching, maybe games, and music and movie downloading from itunes)
HOW WOULD I SET UP THESE DRIVES TO WORK WITH EACH OTHER. ANY HELP WOULD BE GRATEFULLY APPRECIATED.
Message was edited by: Pinn

the answer marked as correct is incorrect
check exactly yours MBP - cos part of 2011 MBP's have 6/3 Gbps link to HD/Opti and part - 6/6
modern SSD's can utilise this so you can get ~500 MBps in HD bay and only ~260 in optibay.
MacRS4, C300 is good drive, but to see difference you need some M4 or intel510 or Vertex3 or OWC 6G class drive - they are of new, 500 MB/s delivering generation
Even on C300 you can get 350-360 MBps on reading over SATA 6G and only ~260-270 MBps on SATA3G

Similar Messages

  • Why is 64 bit Windows 7 Professional running so slow on my new 2011 15" Macbook Pro?

    I installed 64 bit Windows 7 Professional onto my new 2011 15" Macbook Pro and while the Mac partition runs fine, everything about the Windows partition seems to be slow.  There's hangups, random loading icons for processes that shouldn't require any work at all (even browsing through Windows Explorer will do this from time to time).  I don't undertand why this is happening, I thought running 64 bit would unleash the full power of my new Mac.  Should I just wipe it and do a clean install of Windows 7 32 bit instead?  I've never had issues/compatibility problems with installations of 32 bit Windows.

    Well if you just installed it, then perhaps it's not validated yet and when it does there will be Windows Updates to increase the performance.
    I'm sure you followed all the Bootcamp instructions about installing the Apple drivers and all that.
    The only thing I can suggest is you reinstall it again after a few days and all the Windows Updates applied if it speeds up or not. Keep hitting it over and over. Make sure you have the free Microsoft Security Essentials installed or you'll get pwned really fast.
    Also you have to remember that when Bootcamp carves out a Windows partition it's doing so at the bottom slowest part of your hard drive, the innermost sectors which are much smaller than the sectors OS X uses, therefore Windows will always be a bit slower than OS X, and there really isn't anything you can do about it unless you had a SSD.
    I don't think you can install 32 bit Windows, even though it may run, it's only going to use half the registers of your 64bit processors.
    Windows 7 64 bit runs fine in my virtual machine, I even get over 45 fps on Cube 2 Sauerbraten, but of course it's a rather light 3D game.
    If you got the 2.0 Ghz 15" MacBook Pro, that could explain things, it's has a rather weak video card.

  • I have a late 2011 model MacBook Pro running Mountain Lion.  I love the AirPlay mirroring feature with Apple TV...BUT, how do I mirror with TVs that don't have Apple TV?  I used to run a cable from my mini display port to the HDMI input of a TV.

    I have a late 2011 model MacBook Pro running Mountain Lion.  I love the AirPlay mirroring feature with Apple TV...BUT, how do I mirror with TVs that don't have Apple TV?  I used to run a cable from my mini display port to the HDMI input of a TV.  This feature seems to be lost in the Mountain Lion upgrade.  Did Apple feel that once Mountain Lion came out that EVERYONE would have Apple TV?  There are no settings in System Preferences/Display like there used to be...only for AirPlay Mirroring.

    Running a cable to the HDMI port is still supported. (and still works on mine).
    If the Arrangement tab in System Preferences > Displays isn't present then it doesn't recognize the physical connection.  Double check all cables.  If that doesn't work try a PRAM reset:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1379

  • How to instal OS 10.7.5 on a new HD in my late 2011 15" macbook pro

    Hi there,
    I have just got a late 2011 15" macbook pro i7. My plan is to fit a NEW hard drive.
    My older 15" Mid 2010 i5 machine came with discs for OS 10.6 and I would like to move to the 10.7.5 OS that is currently on the OLD hard drive from the NEW macbook.
    However I would still like to be able to copy my Data and Aplications from my OLD Macbook to the NEW drive in the NEW macbook.
    Sorry I apriciate that is all a little confusing to read.
    If i had a hard coppy of OS 10.7 i would be happy. But im new to this Download OS thing.
    Thanks for advice!

    Hi there,
    I have just got a late 2011 15" macbook pro i7. My plan is to fit a NEW hard drive.
    My older 15" Mid 2010 i5 machine came with discs for OS 10.6 and I would like to move to the 10.7.5 OS that is currently on the OLD hard drive from the NEW macbook.
    However I would still like to be able to copy my Data and Aplications from my OLD Macbook to the NEW drive in the NEW macbook.
    Sorry I apriciate that is all a little confusing to read.
    If i had a hard coppy of OS 10.7 i would be happy. But im new to this Download OS thing.
    Thanks for advice!

  • I m havind 15inch 2011 late macbook pro lap i7 processor 8gb ram 1tb hdd can i use avid media composer and final cut pro in this specifications?

    i m havind 15inch 2011 late macbook pro lap i7 processor 8gb ram 1tb hdd can i use avid media composer and final cut pro in this specifications?

    Can't speak about avid, since I am not familiar with the software.
    You can certainly use FCP X on that machine. It should work better if you use a fast external drive for your media and projects.
    There is a free trial, so try it out and see how it goes. You should also follow some good video tutorials, if you are not familiar with the application. FCP X is a lot different from Avid, Premiere or even Final Cut Pro 7.

  • How to Make my Macbook Pro's internal HDD external, when I get a SSD?

    Hey, I know there are other posts on what enclosure you can use and if it's a possibility, but I haven't seen any that tell me how I get OS X on the SSD without a disc? Can I download the installer on a flash drive somehow? Also, I am wondering if this really is a good idea, using my Macbook Pro's HDD for a backup HDD, instead of buying one? I have no use for it anyway, if and when I get a new SSD. BTW, the HDD is the upgraded factory 500gb 7200rpm. Also, do you think it's smarter to have a bigger backup drive than internal drive? In other words, I would like to get a 1TB Samsung 850 Pro SSD, and my current HDD is only 500GB.... I am a musician and need a lot of storage for musical purposes. I use Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro X, Ableton Live 9, Office, and Photoshop.... My Macbook Pro is a Late 2011 Macbook Pro 15.4' 2.2ghz quad core i7 8gb RAM. Oh yeah and a mother thing is, I think I should get an enclosure that has a thunderbolt port with usb, what are your thoughts?

    How to Make my Macbook Pro's internal HDD external, when I get a SSD?
    Get an externel enclosure at the same time.
    You can order from OWC
    http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/hard-drives/2.5-Notebook/
    Put the SSD in the externel enclosure and use something like Carbon Copy Cloner,  to clone the internal drive and all it content to the SSD.  Then swap them out.
    Always good to have more than one backup.

  • Macbook Air 13" 2011 vs Macbook Pro 13" for a uni student?

    Hi all,
    I am a university student studying Humanities and Psychology, so I write a LOT of essays. My other computer activities include watching movies, surfing the web, the occasional MMO (WoW and/or EVE Online) and listening to music.
    I have a 1Tb external HDD connected to my wireless so hard drive space isn't an issue.
    I am torn between the new MacBook Air 13" 256Gb, 4Gb RAM, and the 13" MacBook Pro 500Gb, 8Gb RAM.
    The cost of either isn't an issue.
    Let me know what your experiences are with either, and leave your opinion on which would be the best for me.
    Thanks.

    First off EatsRainbows, DO NOT get a new computer without a solidstate drive (SSD) it is the most important component of your computer (prorams open faster, saving is faster, transfering files is faster, everything happens fast). IMO the better screen, slightly better keyboard of the Air will be better for you. Also it wins in my hardcore comparision:
    2011 13” MacBookAir vs. 2011 13” MacBook Pro
    Both are the base models, the Pro has the optional128GB SSD to match the Air.
    Cost:
    MacBook Air - $1299
    Macbook Pro - $1449
    Winner = MacBook Air
    Screen:
    MacBook Air –  13.3” 16:10 1440x900
    Macbook Pro - 13.3” 16:10 1280x800
    Winner = MacBook Air
    CPU Performance:
    MacBook Air – i5-2557M
    Macbook Pro – i5-2410M, Single Thread 5.5% faster,Multithread 13.5% faster
    Winner = MacBook Pro
    GPUPerformance:
    MacBook Air – 384MB Intel HD 3000 (IntegratedGraphics)
    Macbook Pro - 384MB Intel HD 3000 (IntegratedGraphics)
    Winner = Tie
    Size:
    MacBook Air – 0.68 in thick max, 45.2 in^2
    Macbook Pro – 0.95 in thick max, 108.5in^2
    Winner = MacBook Air
    Weight:
    MacBook Air – 2.96 lbs
    Macbook Pro – 4.5 lbs
    Winner = MacBook Air
    BatteryLife:
    MacBook Air – 50WHr, 7 hours
    Macbook Pro – 63.5WHr, 7 hours
    Winner = Tie
    Winner:
    13.3”MacBook Air by A LOT
    So you give up slight loss in single thread speed,for something that is much heavier, much larger, and has a worse screen. Basically you would be mad to pay more for aMacBook Pro.

  • OCZ Vertex 3 not showing up on Disk Utility (2011 17" Macbook Pro)

    I have a problem with my 120GB Vertex 3 installed on my 2011 Macbook Pro. It wouldn't boot after the apple logo after using it for a while...I tried starting up my mac with safe mode, commad+c,command+v,and command+option+p+r but it didn't help.
    So I took out the vertex form my mac and then replaced it with the original toshiba hard drive, opened disk utility but the vertex didn't even show up.
    before that, I also tried booting with the mac os x disk (vertex inside the mbp) and opened disk utility from it but I had the same result.

    Chris,
    I had a similar problem. This was with a brand new Vertex 3 that I tried to install into the system. It would not be recognized by Disk Utility or Time Machine Restore from the OSX 10.6 boot CD.
    Here is my solution to the problem:
    1) I put the original 250GB HDD back into the system. I used Disk Utility to format it to only use the first 120GB of the disk, leaving the rest blank (OSX reserves a 200MB partition, so the exact size of the system partition is 119.69 GB (119,690,170,368 bytes)). You can always make it 1-2 GB smaller, to be safe.
    2) I used Time Machine to restore the system onto the original HDD.
    3) I placed the OCZ Vertex 3 into an external USB enclosure. I then re-booted the system into Gparted using a Linux live CD (http://gparted.sourceforge.net/)
    4) I used the Linux command dd (http://enwikipedia.org/wiki/Dd_(Unix)) to make a byte-for-byte copy of the two disks. dd will stop when the Vertex 3 becomes full, so you need be absolutely sure that your partition is small enough.
    Here is the dd syntax: if stands for input file (source disk), of stands for output file (target disk). It takes a really long time, and has no indication of its progress. You can tell it is working by seeing the external enclosure LED blink.
    >dd if=/dev/sda of=/dev/sdb
    dd is a standard UNIX command and comes with OSX too. You could always try this from the Terminal application from the OSX boot CD. I did it using Linux, because I am slightly more famailiar with Linux over Unix command line.
    The internal (standard HDD) hard drive should be mounted on sda. The Vertex 3 (inside the USB enclosure) might be sdb, but if there are other disks present it might not be. Use dd with extreme caution! I highly suggest that you detach all other disks (such as the Time Machine disk) before attempting this. If you set of= to the wrong disk, it will completely wipe it out.
    5) Swap drives. Computer boots, everything works!
    6) (Optional)... if you made the partition smaller than the Vertex 3, you can try to resize it to use the full capacity of the disk with Disk Utility from within OSX.
    Let me know if this was helpful. Send me a reply or PM if you need any more detailed instructions. I would be glad to help.
    -Sam

  • Is it safe to use an 85watt adapter from a 2006, 17" macbook pro on a late 2011 15" macbook pro?

    Hi. My question is pretty much as the heading says :
    Is it safe to use an 85watt adapter from a 2006, 17" macbook pro on a late 2011 15" macbook pro?
    As far as I can tell from googling and searching around, it does appear that it is safe to do so.
    Specifically this page
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2346
    But I just wanted to double-check for confirmation that it is indeed safe to use the adapter from such an old mbook pro in a newer one.
    The wattage is the same.
    I wish to do so as I prefer the T-connector, and my older adapter has a much longer extension cord on it.
    If not I may order another one from ebay.
    Any idea how to check that an adapter from ebay is a true / legitimate / authentic apple adapter?
    Thanks for your help.

    Benway1 wrote:
    Is it safe to use an 85watt adapter from a 2006, 17" macbook pro on a late 2011 15" macbook pro?
    Yes.
    I recommend you buy one directly from Apple. There are many counterfeit power adapters on the market that could damage your MacBook Pro or potentially cause a fire.
    Any idea how to check that an adapter from ebay is a true / legitimate / authentic apple adapter?
    Nearly all of them are, even if the seller insists it is "genuine OEM". Legitimate adapters from eBay are likely to be used, not new. There is nothing wrong with used, as long as you know what you're getting.
    Identifying a counterfeit is possible only through close examination.

  • Late 2011 17" Macbook Pro upgrade advice needed

    Hey everybody, I would like to u[grade my Late 2011 17" Macbook Pro.
    8GB DDR3 RAM
    750GB HDD
    OSX 10.7.4
    So after reading on Crucial.com that I could house 16gb ram, despite what apple said, I investigated this and according to people this is tr
    So my next question is, will i be able to fit a 512GB SSD from Crucial into my MBP? THe only reason I feel it's a valid question is I had the option of 1 and 2Tb Hdds WITH a 256GB SSD.
    Thanks for reading everybody

    The only way that you can use both a SSD in your drive bay and another hard drive is to install the hard drive in your optical bay. If you're willing to give up your optical drive, OWC sells kits to do just that.
    Then you could use your external drives for data storage & backups.
    Is this a workable option?
    Clinton

  • You can't upgrade to a 7200rpm hard drive in the Early 2011 13" MacBook Pro. It is not supported. Period.

    I tried unsuccesfully to upgrade the hard drive in my Early 2011 13" MacBook Pro to a 750GB 7200RPM hard drive. After several attempts with different hard drives I realized that the kernel panic that showed up was due to the lack of compatibility with the drives to the MacBook Pro. I had a Mid 2009 13" MacBook Pro that I did not have any issues with whatsoever. I sold that MacBook Pro and was able to upgrade to the brand new base model without any out of pocket cost. Upon purchase of the new 13" MBP I maxed out the RAM to the full 8GB. After 2 months of freezing, lockups, spinning rainbow wheels and having to force shutdown I tried one last ditch effort to see if a faster drive would help. After speaking with the Apple telephone reps and the Apple Store Genius Bar we discovered that Apple doesn't even offer the option of a 7200RPM drive on their website - a fact that I found quite disturbing. The concensus is that it is a power management issue that causes the incompatibility and the reason the drives are not offered on the 13" models. The problems I had were the end of the line for me. I just switched out that train wreck for the Early 2011 15" MacBook Pro base model. I got home and immediately installed the 750 GB 7200RPM Western Digital Scorpio Black hard drive and it was recognized within seconds. I'm back in business with gleeful abandon.

    Sadly... they don't have all the answers. As someone who use to serve in the capacity (Mac Genius) it can definitely be a challenging position. You're "the voice" of Apple's service policy & procedures. Sounds like the person you spoke with got it wrong this time. It's definitely worth a follow up, because like I said, I've got a machine in my household that's living proof of compatibility between a 7200 RPM drive and 13" MBP (Early 2011).
    Apple is very good about support documentation when there's incompatibility or unsupported configurations, the fact that there isn't one for 7200 RPM drives would tell me that the people/person you spoke with was misinformed.
    I know I always appreciated when a customer made it known to me that I was wrong on something and supplied the right answer. I sure as heck don't have all the answers and if I can lead from my mistakes, well, I won't make them anymore.

  • 2011 17" Macbook Pro battery won't charge

    Troubleshooting for my kid.   A 2011 17" macbook pro was taken in for a new logic board a year ago.  When she got it home she just put it in a closet and used her newer MacAir.  Now that a real fix is available she's dragged it out and hooked it up.  It fails to charge.  The light on the magsafe is green.  It will operate on being plugged in but as soon as the cord is removed it dies.  We aren't quite sure what the issue maybe because she never booted it up immediately after the logic board was installed and they did not wipe the hard drive as they told her that did.  We've tried the SMC reset to no avail.  I'd just like some opinions before I take it back to the Apple store for her.  Thanks
    17" 2011 Macbook Pro running whatever OS X was before Mavericks.

    It may be a bad battery.  Post this from System Information>Power:
    (make certain that the charger is attached)
    Ciao.

  • I have read that new purchases of macbook pro will get free upgrade to LION OS. When and how do I go about this?

    I have read that new purchases of macbook pro will get free upgrade to LION OS. When and how do I go about this?

    http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/06/06lion.html
    The Mac OS X Lion Up-To-Date upgrade is available at no additional charge via the Mac App Store to all customers who purchased a qualifying new Mac system from Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller on or after June 6, 2011. Users must request their Up-To-Date upgrade within 30 days of purchase of their Mac computer. Customers who purchase a qualifying Mac between June 6, 2011 and the date when Lion is available in the Mac App Store will have 30 days from Lion’s official release date to make a request.
    Currently that's the only information available. I suspect more will be posted as we get closer to launch.

  • Jump from 2.8 Dual Xeon Mac Pro to new 2.4GHz Macbook Pro with LED Cinema?

    So about a month ago I decided to upgrade an older Macbook Pro to my dream computer... I bought the Octo 2.8GHz Xeon Mac Pro, added 1.6TB of drive space, 10GB of RAM, the Nvidia 8800 GT, and a 23" Apple Cinema Display.
    I LOVE the machine. That said...
    Stopped over at Apple the other day and saw the new Macbook Pro connected to the 24" LED Cinema Display. GORGEOUS. Love it. Long story short, I am considering moving back to the Macbook Pro and new ACD to go with it.
    So my question is this : What kind of performance drop am I going to take if I do this? Are people really using these new MBPs as full desktop replacements? Has anyone jumped from Mac Pro to new MBP and been 100% happy?
    I have found with my Mac Pro that I am NEVER stressing the machine, ever. No matter what size file I am working with, no matter what game I am playing, the thing is always fast and smooth. But while playing with the MBP (it was 2.4GHz) and new LED ACD at the Apple Store I noticed that things like Photoshop and Illustrator launched every bit as fast as on my Mac Pro - even Aperture was speedy and extremely usable! I think the dock magnification seemed a touch jerky when compared to my Mac Pro - but maybe not... can't find any real stats on it.
    I normally work in Aperture and Photoshop/Illustrator, have iTunes running, iCal, Pages and Numbers, Keynote, Mail, and do just a touch of video compression every now and then (format conversion). I realize these tasks don't pose any challenges to the Mac Pro - but what about the newer MBP?
    I would be ordering the MBP with 2.4GHz, upgrading the RAM to 4GB, and the HDD to a 320GB 7200RPM Seagate.
    My main motivation is to be able to continue to work on the Cinema Display that I have grown to LOVE, while also becoming a bit mobile again! It IS nice to sit on the couch sometimes and web browse. It wouldn't be worth it to me to gain mobility and lose all the power though, so...
    How about it? Given what I do, is the 2.4GHz MBP a suitable replacement for the Mac Pro that I have?

    Thanks for reading through the small book I wrote there and adding some info to it - greatly appreciated.
    I have found on the Mac Pro I am simply astounded by the way games look at 1920x1200 on 'Very High' settings! But... I also have pretty much stopped playing them. Working on the Mac Pro all day, it would be very nice to sit back on the couch if I want to play a game. Granted the PS3 I have just can't compete with the Mac Pro in quality, but it's decent enough for the small bit of games I play and the Blu Ray drive is nice too for movies. So, I'd say I'm ok losing the gaming part of the Mac Pro as the PS3 is sufficient enough and more convenient so I can actually sit back and relax.
    I think you're absolutely correct on the rendering. When I work with video, I usually am converting 2-8 minute Quicktime Movies in to Flash Video format using QT Pro. The Mac Pro SCREAMS through this in 1-2 minutes, my older Macbook Pro was about 5-7 mins for the same file.
    Looking back, my MBP wasn't as old as I thought (I had an iMac in between there I don't care to remember) : it was a 2.4GHz Penryn with 200GB 5400 HDD, and 2GB RAM with 256MB VRAM. So basically, the new MBP and the "old" MBP I had are very close to each other... biggest differences are the new 1066mhz front side bus and Nvidia GPU - other than that, these are identical machines!
    I was never very happy working on the MBP full time - but I now know that was due to the screen size. Working on the Cinema is great and selling my current Mac Pro and Cinema and getting the new MBP and Cinema will allow me to work and be mobile, as well as put $1000 back in my pocket.
    Might be nuts, but man I'd love to see some comparisons between the Mac Pro and MBP from Bare Feats or Ars. I'm definitely in the minority here - no one using Quickbooks and Photoshop as much as I do "needs" an octocore Mac Pro. But, I've got one and love it. It seems for what I'm doing the decrease in performance might be negligible, if not undetectable entirely (aside from gaming and enconding).

  • Apple original battery for the Early 2011 17" MacBook Pro

    The original battery is failing on an Early 2011 17" MacBook Pro (MacBookPro8,3), 2.3GHz - it has lasted 43 months according to coconutBattery. Often refuses to charge at all, holds about 6750mAh as compared to the original 8450mAh it could hold upon delivery. The battery has gone through 848 "loadcycles", not so far off from Apple's suggested 1,000 cycles, which I assume they meant should have taken place during the AppleCare period which ended 3 years after purchase = April 2011 - April 2014. The battery began having charging problems in June-July 2014, after 3 years and 3 months.
    Have looked for a replacement battery and found many. What they have in common is they are (with one exception) not Apple, and specs differ from the original (the original specs taken from the battery the MBP was delivered with as new are 31CP90/44/89-2  Li-ion Polymer 10.95V 95.0Wh Model No. A1383).
    An Apple certified service center in Stockholm Sweden offers an original Apple A1383 battery with identical specs, but: they only offer a 3-month guarantee! Even worse, they claim that they cannot discern the manufacturing date (or will not provide it).
    I contacted OWC (macsales), have always been happy with their products and service and knowledge. They hold that they cannot offer this battery at all but that it should be available in the Apple Store, ie online. But we cannot find it there, one of the few models missing.
    Probably a lot of people with an Early 2011 17" MacBook Pro 2.3GHz will be having this problem right around now. Has anyone found a great solution?

    Have you tried ifixit or PowerBookMedic?
    Clinton

Maybe you are looking for