But most people will want to store much more than that on an internal drive save, perhaps, for large iTunes libraries and large photo/movie libraries. This is certainly the least expensive approach. Now you may want to install a 120-128GB SSD and simply use it as a boot device and as a place to store your most frequently used applications. It’s just my opinion, but the bigger the better. But you may still want to use the SSD in an enclosure or in another machine.īefore you purchase a SSD, there are a few questions that you need to ask: Why? Because you may want to upgrade your Mac sometime in the future… although you'd likely be upgrading to a Retina model these days. Note that I only recommend using a SSD in 2009 and later MacBook Pros with a 3.0Gbps to 6.0Gbps interface speed – and I recommend buying a 6.0Gbps SSD regardless of the fact that models with a SATA II interface won’t be able to use the full-negotiated speed of 6.0Gbps. Many people come to the MacBook Pro forum asking about SSD upgrades, so this user tip is applicable to those, primarily, who have already made the decision to upgrade. If you’ve already upgraded your RAM and simply want more speed, you may want to consider upgrading your old hard drive with a SSD (Solid State Drive). There are, with most MacBook Pros (exclusive of the Retina display models) only two modifications that you can make without voiding your Apple warranty or AppleCare extended warranty – upgrading the RAM and upgrading the drive in the hard drive bay.

(Note: while some portions of this user tip can be used when installing a new hard drive in your MacBook Pro, it is intended only for those upgrading to a SSD.)

Clone macbook hard drive to ssd