Best external bootable SSD solution for 2015 MacBook Pro 15" ...?

[Turnpike]

I use my near mint 2015 MBPro Retina 15" for an un-updated verison of Adobe InDesign and Photoshop that I purchased back then and don't want to change computers because then I'd have to use (and pay for) a newer version of Photoshop that can see and save my data and forces AI and Cloud and junk on me. I know how to use the old version and it does everything I want, so I'm going to stick with this.

I'm going to do another project on it, and this one will be a bigger one and I want to use an external SSD to boot from so I have all my old stuff on my Macbook just as it is as well as an external drive to keep this project completely separate. I realize the computer is considered old at this point, so I'm not sure what options I do or don't have because of newer standards and all that. If someone knows of an ideal external SSD to use for speed and whatever else, whether it's some kind of USB, SSD, enclosure, or already built external drive for this era of Macbook, I'd appreciate it.

If it helps, there's no USB C on it, it's running Sierra 10.12.5, 2.5GHz Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, and Iris Pro 1536 which was the upper end at the time, but I'm sure now isn't half what the cheapest M1 machine can do.

 

[Fishrrman]

Hmmm...

Why can't you just keep "booting" from the internal drive, while storing all the components of your new project on an external drive?

You don't have to boot from the external to create/work on a project that is "stored externally".

(perhaps I'm missing something)

In any case...
For a drive, I'd suggest a Crucial X9 USB3.1 gen2 SSD.
Small. Fast. A "little gem":

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-1TB-Portable-SSD-CT1000X9SSD902/dp/B0CGW1FQV4?th=1

 

[raythompsontn]

This actually cheaper and includes a USB-A to USB-C adapter.

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-Portable-USB-Adapter-CT1000X9SSD902/dp/B0CJK6RJG3?th=1

Strange Amazon pricing.

 

[Turnpike]

I want to keep this project separate from everything, yet keep what's on my computer as it is. So an external bootable hard drive keeps this like it's on it's own Macbook in a way. That looks like a nice option, thanks! It's nice to buy something you know is likely a good fit for what you have. I appreciate the help.

 

[bzgnyc2]

I recommend going for a Thunderbolt 3/NVMe SSD drive when at all possible. In your case this would require upgrading to High Sierra and using a Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter:

Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter

Effortlessly connect your Mac to a Thunderbolt 2 device with the Apple Thunderbolt 3 Adapter. Buy now at apple.com

www.apple.com

I don't have personal experience with that adapter or your laptop but others have reported using it for situations like yours. Connecting an NVMe drive to a Mac requires a hacked version of Sierra or just going to High Sierra, which is what I would do if possible (don't recall downsides of High Sierra over Sierra but understand you may be tied to the older version for one reason or another).

 

[genexx]

The fastest solution would be to use Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter and an Thunderbolt enclosure with a WD SN770 NVME.
20Gbit/sec

But for a Mac this old, an external USB3 Enclosure with a Crucial MX500 type SSD should do the job, is an easy Solution and cheaper.

I had very good experience with the Ugreen Hard Disk Enclosure linked above but could not find any on Amazon US.
The Crucial MX500 SSD are also very Mac compatible and ultra reliable.

 

[Turnpike]

The fastest solution would be to use Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter and an Thunderbolt enclosure with a WD SN770 NVME.
20Gbit/sec

But for a Mac this old, an external USB3 Enclosure with a Crucial MX500 type SSD should do the job, is an easy Solution and cheaper.

I had very good experience with the Ugreen Hard Disk Enclosure linked above but could not find any on Amazon US.
The Crucial MX500 SSD are also very Mac compatible and ultra reliable.

YES!! This is what I use for the iMacs, a USB3 enclosure and a Samsung SSD, but I didn't know if there was something better or faster for this. Nice. And as someone else was saying about updating to High Sierra or a hacked version, I need to keep the OS exactly as it is, so those options are out. Then I'll likely go with the enclosure since I already have those, and one of my used 2TB SSD's. Awesome. Thank you!