Should I upgrade internals on my 2011 MBP?

[nfouts]

I have an Early 2011 MacBook Pro 13" that runs well but has been a bit slower than I want it to be. A few years ago, I upgraded the RAM from 4GB to 8GB when I started using Adobe software regularly. I still have the stock 320GB Hitachi HDD. Forgive me if I am not clear, I am not very well versed in language to talk about this, but I have the knowledge to do the possible upgrades I am considering. Feel free to ask more questions, I am happy to clarify or provide more info.

I guess my question is: Would it benefit me to do the upgrades I am about to mention? Could I get a few more good years out of this laptop before having to upgrade?

I am looking to possibly upgrade the RAM to 16GB. I know that Apple technically only recommends/supports up to 8GB in this model, but I have heard that others have upgraded to 16GB with no issue. What are people's thoughts on this? How much improvement would I see performance-wise? Any recommendations on brands of RAM to purchase?

I would also like to upgrade the internal storage mostly because I am constantly struggling with running out of space. I would like to upgrade to something that's 1TB, but I am not sure whether to go with an HDD or an SSD. How much of a performance difference would I see by upgrading to an SSD over an HDD? I'm not too worried about the price at this point because even if the laptop doesn't last, I can use the drive as an external drive in the future. Nevertheless, I am strongly considering the Samsung 850 EVO.

Do you think I can get a few more good years out of this laptop if I put a few hundred $ into it? I would rather do that than fork over a grand for a new one at this point. And, frankly, I'm not ready to give up my CD drive and USB ports yet

 

[bbrks]

My daughter has the same model. A year ago I upgraded the internals with 16 GB RAM and the same Samsung EVO SSD. What can I say......completely different fast computer running perfectly and I am sure nothing will change in the next couple of years. And she is also designer using mostly only Adobe software.

 

[nfouts]

My daughter has the same model. A year ago I upgraded the internals with 16 GB RAM and the same Samsung EVO SSD. What can I say......completely different fast computer running perfectly and I am sure nothing will change in the next couple of years. And she is also designer using mostly only Adobe software.

That's great to know, thanks for your reply!

 

[0002378]

Yes, I say absolutely ! An upgrade from HDD -> SSD will make a huge difference in responsiveness. I can attest to this because I did the same with my mid-2009 Macbook Pro. This is the single best upgrade you can perform, hands down.

I can also vouch for the Samsung 850 EVO SSD, because that is exactly the SSD I installed, and it works great !

To be honest, a RAM upgrade will only help if you do a lot of multi-tasking or use apps that are memory-intensive. I don't use Adobe products and cannot comment on how much memory they consume. It surely can't hurt adding RAM, but it will only boost speed if your usage exceeds the 8GB that you currently have.

So, I say first upgrade your HDD to an SSD. Then, use it like that for a while. See how it works. Also, install a memory monitoring app like Memory Monitor - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/memory-monitor-speed-up-your/id748212890?mt=12&ign-mpt=uo=8. Then, keep an eye on memory usage. If you find it constantly maxing out, then maybe you would benefit from a RAM upgrade as well.

 

[nfouts]

So, I say first upgrade your HDD to an SSD. Then, use it like that for a while. See how it works. Also, install a memory monitoring app like Memory Monitor - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/memory-monitor-speed-up-your/id748212890?mt=12&ign-mpt=uo=8. Then, keep an eye on memory usage. If you find it constantly maxing out, then maybe you would benefit from a RAM upgrade as well.

Good idea to just do one thing at a time. My mind went straight to "upgrade it all while you have it open!" But my wallet will be happier if I don't do upgrades that I may not need. Thanks!
[doublepost=1513507669][/doublepost]On a side note, any recommendations on software or applications to clone my HDD to a new SSD? I already have a SATA-compatible docking station to plug the new drive into my laptop via USB. Is it possible to do a clean OS install? Is that a thing? Would I be better off with a clean install and just moving over my files and downloading apps manually?

 

[ZapNZs]

If you are on a budget, upgrading to a SSD only will transform your machine. The 8 GB you have now is sufficient for most tasks (although certain usage will certainly benefit from 16 GB). You really can't go wrong with the EVO.

I recommend doing a clean install if all of your upgrades to date have been in-place so that you get a fresh start without transferring over remnants of older OS/Apps/data. You can do this making a USB flash drive installer. It is more of a pain than a clone given you have to reinstall Apps manually and manually import data from the old HDD, but after 7 years I think it is justifiable.

 

[Fishrrman]

Put an SSD into it.
NOTHING ELSE will have such a dramatic effect on overall performance.

You don't have to spend much -- a 480-512gb size SSD will do fine.
Go to ifixit.com to see what's involved.

It's so easy that EVEN YOU CAN DO IT in about 15 minutes or so.

You will need THE RIGHT TOOLS:
- Phillips #00 driver
- TORX T-6 driver

You should also buy a USB3/SATA "dongle-adapter" like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-2-5-...478&sr=1-2-spell&keywords=sabremt+usb3+to+ssd

Then, connect the SSD to it BEFORE you do the drive swap.
Use this to "prep and test" the SSD -BEFORE- you install it.
Doing it this way can save A LOT of grief.
You can also use the dongle to access the old HDD afterwards.

As far as which SSD to get -- I recommend the "Sandisk Plus" line. Cheap and reliable.

Regarding RAM -- I wouldn't put more into it unless you're getting "out of memory" warnings.
Again, it could be the (slow) speed of the HDD that's making the computer feel "sluggish".
An SSD will change that completely.

 

[bbrks]

On a second thought, indeed 8 GB RAM could be more than sufficient , however SSD is definitely a must!

 

[parseckadet]

I’ll add to the chorus of folks saying to upgrade to an ssd. I have the 2011 15” with at 7200 RPM drive and ran some speed tests the other night. I was able to write at 60MB/s and read at 100MB/s. Your machine probably has a 5200 RPM drive, so would be even slower. I don’t have numbers for a ssd upgrade in a similar machine, but it should be able to fully saturate the SATA connection. So my guess would be that you could write around 350MB/s and write around 500MB/s.

What you might find surprising is that this would even help your memory situation without upgrading the RAM. Not everything that’s in memory is always in active use. So when the memory fills up the computer starts writing the non-active memory to a swap file on the disk to make more room for active memory. The speed of this process is entirely dependent on the speed of the hard drive. And spinning hard drives are very slow. Upgrading to an ssd can improve the situation noticeably. You would still notice a slow down, but it wouldn’t be as severe.

All of this being said, I think you need to evaluate your goals for the machine. How much longer do you need it to last you? Just a year? Two years? More? If it’s just a year or less you might be better off just toughing it out. Any longer and I would suggest doing as many upgrades as you can afford now. The benefits of upgrades will diminish over time when compared to the gains of just getting a newer machine. I was recently in the same boat as you, but decided to just buy new.

 

[BenK01]

An SSD is a worthwhile addition to that machine. I am typing this on my wife's early 2011 MBP. Upgraded it a while back with a 500 GB SSD from Crucial. Wow. It is like a new machine. I do have 16 GB of memory, but it is the SSD that makes it fly. If the machine is generally in good shape, I bet you could extend its useful life by several years with an SSD upgrade.

 

[mikzn]

I still have the stock 320GB Hitachi HDD. Could I get a few more good years out of this laptop before having to upgrade?I am looking to possibly upgrade the RAM to 16GB. Nevertheless, I am strongly considering the Samsung 850 EVO.Do you think I can get a few more good years out of this laptop if I put a few hundred $ into it? I would rather do that than fork over a grand for a new one at this point. And, frankly, I'm not ready to give up my CD drive and USB ports yet

As per many above have stated . . .

I have the same 2011 MBP ( 2.3 ghz, i7 processor, etc.) except it is 15" screen - i upgraded the memory first to 16 gb and it made almost no difference - but the EVO 850 SSD made huge difference - worth every penny for the purchase.

I used to boot the laptop and go for a coffee - now it boots in 10 seconds or so - big difference.

Also nice to rip an old CD into itunes - have a CD/dvd for old software etc. and I still have firewire drives etc - so the extra connection ports are handy.

 

[0002378]

any recommendations on software or applications to clone my HDD to a new SSD?

I would just clone the drive instead of a clean install. Less hassle, but as someone else pointed out, a clean install also has its advantages: a clean system vs a system with many years of gunk in it. I suppose a clean install is worth the time, if it is time you have.

I used Carbon Copy Cloner and it worked like a charm (also tried Super Duper but preferred CCC in the end) ! 30 day trial though, so make sure to use within 30 days of installing it.

I also wanted to recommend the following SATA - USB adapter cable that worked like a charm for me: https://www.amazon.com/USB-SATA-IDE...00D76J1KO/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Here is the toolbox I purchased for the job (because I didn't already have them): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015F734P0/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Like the guy above said, the hardware work is a 10 minute job at most. Give cloning anywhere from 1 to 4 hours depending on the size of your data.

Here's an instructional YouTube video showing how to do the SSD upgrade + clone on your specific Macbook Pro model (there are many, but this one seems decent):

 

[MBP_187]

I have an Early 2011 MacBook Pro 13" that runs well but has been a bit slower than I want it to be. A few years ago, I upgraded the RAM from 4GB to 8GB when I started using Adobe software regularly. I still have the stock 320GB Hitachi HDD. Forgive me if I am not clear, I am not very well versed in language to talk about this, but I have the knowledge to do the possible upgrades I am considering. Feel free to ask more questions, I am happy to clarify or provide more info.

I guess my question is: Would it benefit me to do the upgrades I am about to mention? Could I get a few more good years out of this laptop before having to upgrade?

I am looking to possibly upgrade the RAM to 16GB. I know that Apple technically only recommends/supports up to 8GB in this model, but I have heard that others have upgraded to 16GB with no issue. What are people's thoughts on this? How much improvement would I see performance-wise? Any recommendations on brands of RAM to purchase?

I would also like to upgrade the internal storage mostly because I am constantly struggling with running out of space. I would like to upgrade to something that's 1TB, but I am not sure whether to go with an HDD or an SSD. How much of a performance difference would I see by upgrading to an SSD over an HDD? I'm not too worried about the price at this point because even if the laptop doesn't last, I can use the drive as an external drive in the future. Nevertheless, I am strongly considering the Samsung 850 EVO.

Do you think I can get a few more good years out of this laptop if I put a few hundred $ into it? I would rather do that than fork over a grand for a new one at this point. And, frankly, I'm not ready to give up my CD drive and USB ports yet

I'm using a Late 2011 MBP, 13'.

I bought it refurb with Samsung EVO SSD (512Gb) in it, so cannot comment on difference, but have read from the Forum that it might be the single most important upgrade for the model we are using.

I did upgrade my RAM to 16Gb, and am happy to report that it works well with no issues.

I wish you good luck with your upgrades.

 

[nfouts]

Thanks everyone for your advice! I got the Samsung 850 EVO 500GB in the mail this morning and promptly cloned my hard drive using Carbon Copy Cloner, as suggested. It took about 5 hours to copy everything (I have about 300GB of data), much shorter than I anticipated, and CCC worked as expected. I just finished swapping out the hard drive for my new SSD, put it all back together, said a prayer, and turned it on. I was shocked at how fast it started up! If anyone else is reading this thread and thinking of doing this, know that this is the best upgrade you can do for your MacBook. Everything is super fast, and the process of replacing the drive wasn't too difficult or lengthy at all. Between cloning the drive and installing it, it took maybe 5 1/2 hours in total. And you don't even have to be around for the cloning! Super easy and well worth it!

 

[0002378]

Awesome, congrats ! If you're curious about performance of the SSD, you can download and run BlackMagic disk speed test:

https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/38019/blackmagic-disk-speed-test

BTW, I would recommend checking to make sure your SATA connection speed is properly negotiated to SATA II (i.e. 3 Gbps). System Information > Hardware > SATA/SATA Express > (Your chipset's name) > Negotiated Link Speed. It should say "3 Gigabit" (assuming your connection is SATA II).

If it says "1.5 Gigabit" or something else, you might have to do some troubleshooting.

This is not likely (i.e. everything should be ok), but just in case !

 

[nfouts]

Awesome, congrats ! If you're curious about performance of the SSD, you can download and run BlackMagic disk speed test:

https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/38019/blackmagic-disk-speed-test

BTW, I would recommend checking to make sure your SATA connection speed is properly negotiated to SATA II (i.e. 3 Gbps). System Information > Hardware > SATA/SATA Express > (Your chipset's name) > Negotiated Link Speed. It should say "3 Gigabit" (assuming your connection is SATA II).

If it says "1.5 Gigabit" or something else, you might have to do some troubleshooting.

This is not likely (i.e. everything should be ok), but just in case !

Under "Negotiated Link Speed" as well as "Link Speed" it says "6 Gigabit". Is that normal? It's definitely not lover than 3 Gigabit.

 

[treekram]

Under "Negotiated Link Speed" as well as "Link Speed" it says "6 Gigabit". Is that normal? It's definitely not lover than 3 Gigabit.

For the 2011 MBP, it should be 6Gbps - so that's correct.

 

[0002378]

For the 2011 MBP, it should be 6Gbps - so that's correct.

Yes, when I said 3 Gigabit, I was assuming the OP had a SATA II connection.

OP, you're better than fine