Migrating to new Mac with smaller SSD/HDD

[Le Big Mac]

I am planning to buy a new Mac, which will have a smaller SSD capacity than my current 2TB Fusion iMac. That drive is a bit over half full. I expect a problem when using Migration assistant.

Obviously I expect to have to move a bunch of stuff - mainly photos/videos - to an external once I migrate.

But tips/pointers on how best to do this? I realize "clean install" is one way . . . but I desperately worry I may forget to move something.

 

[herbert7265]

Some questions upfront:

How much of you smaller SSD would already be utilized even you move your photos and videos to an external disk?
Why a smaller SSD in general? Budget constraints?
What could you possibly forget when migrating, even when doing a clean install on the new computer?

From my point of view:

Calculate carefully the necessary size of your internal SSD. You do not want to go too small and later on have the need to move content to an external disk that would benefit from a faster internal disk.

When migrating with a clean install keep your old machine alive until your new machine is completely set up and working as you expect it. Normally there is not a lot to forget, it’s about programs, settings, and data that needs to be migrated. A clean install also is a good opportunity to “clean” your system…!

Herbert

 

[Fishrrman]

This isn't really that good an idea (migrating to a smaller drive), but if you must do it, I'd suggest this:

Perhaps the time to "move photos and videos" to an external drive is NOW -- so you can "pare down" the internal to a size that will then be suitable to migrate.

I'd suggest something like a Samsung t7 "Shield", 1tb or 2tb. At amazon:

SAMSUNG T7 Shield 1TB, up to 1050MB/s, USB 3.2 Gen2, Rugged, IP65 Rated, for Photographers, Content Creators and Gaming, Portable External Solid State Drive (MU-PE1T0S/AM, 2022), Black

Samsung T7 Shield Portable SSD delivers high performance on-the-go, not matter the terrain. It has an IP65 rating for water1 and dust2 resistance, with Dynamic Thermal Guard to manage heat control. Transfer huge files instantly. USB 3.2 Gen 2 and PCIe® NVMe achieve soaring sequential read/write ...

www.amazon.com

(a bargain, these are nice drives, I have two)

Then, start moving things over to it.
Move the videos FIRST. They usually consume the most space (for the least usage).
Then move photos. Keeping a photo library on an external drive is not difficult.

I'd recommend you "keep moving stuff" until you get the internal drive down to around 600gb, tops.

Then it ought to be "ready to migrate" to a new Mac.

And finally -- get at least a 1tb SSD.
Don't scrimp here.
You need plenty of "extra room" for the future.

 

[Le Big Mac]

This isn't really that good an idea (migrating to a smaller drive), but if you must do it, I'd suggest this:

Thanks . . . but, yeah, 1TB SSD +$200, 2TB SSD +$600. Obviously would like to avoid a smaller SSD, but also money . . .

 

[kpluck]

Obviously I expect to have to move a bunch of stuff - mainly photos/videos - to an external once I migrate.

Why wait until you migrate? You could setup your current system in the same way. Treat your Fusion Drive as if it is the same size as the internal storage of the new machine and start moving data to your external drive until the internal drive is downsized to whatever you need. Then use migration assistant for your boot volume and just plug the external into the new machine.

Or, you could simply clone your current machine (SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cloner) to a back up external HD. Then, stick with a clean install and manually move things to where you need them. If you don't have an extra HD to use for the cloned backup that would be an extra expense but it is a simple way to keep an easily accessible copy of your old computer.

-kp

 

[herbert7265]

Thanks . . . but, yeah, 1TB SSD +$200, 2TB SSD +$600. Obviously would like to avoid a smaller SSD, but also money . . .

Correct me if I am wrong, but this statement could be interpreted in a way that you are thinking to go for a 512 GB internal SSD? On the other side, your original post indicated that you are handling videos and images, means you are doing editing of these?

Questions: What computer, what configuration, are you thinking about? What do you want to do with your new computer?

Even without this information some thoughts from my point of view:
Yes, you can move data, even programs, to an external drive. But you normally want to keep programs, that benefit from a fast drive, on the internal SSD.
Also keep in mind that
- depending on the overall configuration of your computer your internal SSD may be used for swapping memory
- you may not want to fill your internal drive above 80-90% of its capacity, as it may have negative performance effects

Therefore, but that’s just my very personal opinion, in case you want to use your new computer for more than just occasional web browsing, videos and maybe some office work you will definitely benefit from a configuration that has sufficient RAM and a reasonably sized internal SSD.

Herbert

 

[Le Big Mac]

Thanks @herbert7265 - I was mentioning prices of SSD upgrades as a reason to think carefully about whether to use an external, and how much internal storage I need. Obviously $600>>$200 so would prefer to get only 1TB and spend the additional on externals with more capacity/$ if it makes sense.

Most of my data use is photos and video, which I am not heavily editing on a regular basis.

 

[herbert7265]

For what I understand from your explanations the 1 TB SSD may make sense. Maybe you could even survive with the 512 GB, but personally I would not consider that small size anymore in these days, for me it would be too limiting on a mid- and long term.

Yes, the saving vs a 2 TB SSD you could (for example) spend in external SSDs, something like the Samsung T7 (Shield) with 2 TB. Such a SSD is around $120, means you could get one for your videos and images and two more for the backups. I use these SSDs for the same purpose and from my point of view they are a good compromise in between size, speed and cost.

Herbert