HELP! Macbook Pro setup

[Catbug has fleas]

Hi I'm fairly new too this but I have a 15-inch early 2011 Macbook Pro.
It has a 2GHz Intel Core i7, 16GB 1333 MHz DDR3, Intel HD Graphics 3000 512 MB, and a 500GB Macintosh HD. I'm trying to upgrade it with an SSD. The SSD I've ordered is Samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD. I plan to remove the Optical drive and put my old Hard drive in the optical bay with a caddy/adapter, and put the SSD where the Hard drive would be. The main use for the computer is for music editing, recording, and film scoring on Logic Pro X (and maybe play some Starcraft 2). I'm not sure what's the best way to optimize the drives; whether or not to a do RAID 0 or do RAID 1. Mayde use the two drives separately or any other options that would work please let me know. I'm not doing any intense video or photo editing just music. I plan in the future to get more samples of instruments and those take up a decent amount of space. I want to optimize it so Logic runs smoothly and fast without crashing or overloading. I'm also going to use a WD My Passport 4TB Portable External USB 3.0 Hard Drive for Mac to use as my backup drive/time machine. I know that I need to enable TRIM on the SSD but is there anything else I need to know, please let me know. It would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bart Kela]

I don't understand why you'd try to make a RAID volume out of an SSD and a rotational hard drive if it's even possible.

I would install the operating system, apps, and user accounts on the SSD: make that the boot drive. Use the spinner for larger data like photos, iTunes Library, maybe your Logic Pro X files. Stuff that doesn't need fast access.

I've never used Logic Pro X so I don't know how disk intensive that application is. However if any application needs fast disk access, leave that data on the SSD. If it doesn't, put it on the spinner.

Not sure if one needs to deliberate enable TRIM on a modern OS like High Sierra. I haven't futzed with this for a couple of years but my 2010 Mac mini still shows that TRIM is enabled on my SSD.

Good luck.

 

[Catbug has fleas]

I don't understand why you'd try to make a RAID volume out of an SSD and a rotational hard drive if it's even possible.

I would install the operating system, apps, and user accounts on the SSD: make that the boot drive. Use the spinner for larger data like photos, iTunes Library, maybe your Logic Pro X files. Stuff that doesn't need fast access.

I've never used Logic Pro X so I don't know how disk intensive that application is. However if any application needs fast disk access, leave that data on the SSD. If it doesn't, put it on the spinner.

Not sure if one needs to deliberate enable TRIM on a modern OS like High Sierra. I haven't futzed with this for a couple of years but my 2010 Mac mini still shows that TRIM is enabled on my SSD.

Good luck.

okay, how do I make the SSD into a boot drive and the HD for larger data? Sorry i'm pretty new to this

 

[Fishrrman]

"how do I make the SSD into a boot drive and the HD for larger data?"

I suggest you "prep and test" the new SSD -EXTERNALLY- before you install it.
Much better chance of success, easier to resolve problems while you STILL HAVE A WORKING MACBOOK.

Download CarbonCopyCloner -- FREE to download and use for 30 days:
http://www.bombich.com/download.html

Then, connect the SSD using either a USB3 enclosure, a USB3/SATA "dock", or a USB3 dongle/adapter like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011M8YACM/ref=nosim/macintouchcom-20?&tag=macintouchcom-20

Initialize it using Disk Utility.

Now, launch CCC.
Put the source drive (old HDD) on the left.
Put the SSD to the right.

In the lower-left-hand-corner of CCC's window, there is the option to "pick and choose" what you wish to be cloned over.
You will have to go through this carefully and choose what to DE-select.

What you DO want to clone:
The System folder
Applications folder
Library (root level)
Other OS-related folders

What you want to be careful about:
Users folder

This really depends on how much space you've used up on the HDD, vs the size of the new SSD.
IF it "won't fit" you could try things like this:

Again, using CCC's "de-select" option.

DO NOT deselect your home folder
Open the home folder
DO NOT deselect documents, downloads, movies, music, pictures.
NOW...
You will have to manually open each of the above
IF your photo libraries are too large to fit on the SSD, deselect them.
Same with movies, music, etc.

You want the "first level of subfolders" (documents, downloads, movies, music, pictures) to get "cloned over", even if the stuff inside gets left behind.

Afterwards, you can pick and choose what goes where.
But it's important that those sub-folders get moved to maintain the integrity of your account.

The "other way to do it" is to create a NEW user account on the SSD, but then you will have to "manually migrate" things (not using CCC).

Doing all the above will involve some time and thought.
But that's required if you want to do it right...

 

[Catbug has fleas]

okay thanks