User profile for user: IntermediateNovice
IntermediateNovice Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Is it possible (and worthwhile) to upgrade my Macbook Pro 2011(early)?

My Macbook Pro 2011 (early) 13" has served me very well. I have taken the approach of resisting many updates over the past 1.5 years or so).

Over the past 6 weeks, however, it has really begun to slow down. I'm not too keen on the storage options in the 2015 Macbook Pros so not sure I want to buy just yet. I've never tried to upgrade the macbook -- so I don't know how easy/possible/worthwhile it is to do so. These are my specs.. can anyone tell me if this can be upgraded and if so, if it's worthwhile ($-wise)?


2.7 GHz Intel Core i7

4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3

Intel HD Graphics 3000 384 MB

296 GB free of 498 GB


Contains 2 memory slots, each of which accepts a 1333 MHz DDR3 memory module. Each slot already has 2 GB.


No gaming -- I use it mostly for work (freelance marketing/communications - writing, presentations, art direction) and home (photos/home movies, internet, device backup).


Slow down mostly occurs in switching between programs, using MS products -- sometimes opening/closing new/old docs. Internet connectivity still generally ok but switching between windows in Safari slow.


Any suggestions, help would be very much appreciated. I want to make a decision soon before the whole thing starts to die.

MacBook Pro (13-inch Early 2011), OS X Yosemite (10.10.2)

Posted on Apr 14, 2016 7:31 AM

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13 replies
User profile for user: IntermediateNovice
IntermediateNovice Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Apr 14, 2016 8:17 AM in response to OGELTHORPE

Thanks. This is the report:


EtreCheck version: 2.9.11 (264)

Report generated 2016-04-14 10:59:32

Download EtreCheck from https://etrecheck.com

Runtime 5:10

Performance: Below Average


Click the [Support] links for help with non-Apple products.

Click the [Details] links for more information about that line.


Problem: Computer is too slow

Description:

Slow especially switching between apps, within MS products, switching windows.


Hardware Information:ⓘ

MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011)

[Technical Specifications] - [User Guide] - [Warranty & Service]

MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro8,1

1 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7 CPU: 2-core

4 GB RAM Upgradeable - [Instructions]

BANK 0/DIMM0

2 GB DDR3 1333 MHz ok

BANK 1/DIMM0

2 GB DDR3 1333 MHz ok

Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported

Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n

Battery: Health = Normal - Cycle count = 520


Video Information:ⓘ

Intel HD Graphics 3000 - VRAM: 384 MB

Color LCD 1280 x 800


System Software:ⓘ

OS X Yosemite 10.10.2 (14C1514) - Time since boot: about 5 days


Disk Information:ⓘ

Hitachi HTS545050B9A302 disk0 : (500.11 GB) (Rotational)

EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB

Macintosh HD (disk1) / : 498.88 GB (296.85 GB free)

Core Storage: disk0s2 499.25 GB Online


MATSHITADVD-R UJ-898 ()


USB Information:ⓘ

Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver

Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)

Apple Inc. BRCM2070 Hub

Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad


Thunderbolt Information:ⓘ

Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus


Gatekeeper:ⓘ

Mac App Store and identified developers


Kernel Extensions:ⓘ

/Library/Extensions

[not loaded] com.leapfrog.driver.LfConnectDriver (1.12.0 - SDK 10.10 - 2016-04-10) [Support]


/System/Library/Extensions

[not loaded] com.leapfrog.codeless.kext (2.0 - 2015-10-08) [Support]

[not loaded] com.olympus.CamBlockCommandsDevice (2.0.0 - 2015-10-08) [Support]

[not loaded] com.olympus.CamBlockCommandsDeviceUP (2.0.0 - 2015-10-08) [Support]


/System/Library/Extensions/OlympusDSCDriver.kext/Contents/PlugIns

[not loaded] com.olympus.CamFWSerialBusProtocolTransport (2.0.0 - 2006-11-30) [Support]

[not loaded] com.olympus.CamUSBMassStorageClass (2.0.0 - 2006-11-30) [Support]


System Launch Agents:ⓘ

[not loaded] 5 Apple tasks

[loaded] 139 Apple tasks

[running] 61 Apple tasks


System Launch Daemons:ⓘ

[not loaded] 47 Apple tasks

[loaded] 129 Apple tasks

[running] 85 Apple tasks


Launch Agents:ⓘ

[not loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist (2012-03-27) [Support]

[running] com.brother.LOGINserver.plist (2015-03-12) [Support]


Launch Daemons:ⓘ

[loaded] com.adobe.SwitchBoard.plist (2012-03-27) [Support]

[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist (2016-04-05) [Support]

[loaded] com.leapfrog.connect.authdaemon.plist (2015-01-11) [Support]

[loaded] com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist (2011-03-10) [Support]

[loaded] com.skype.skypeinstaller.plist (2014-11-06) [Support]


User Launch Agents:ⓘ

[loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist (2011-06-05) [Support]

[failed] com.apple.CSConfigDotMacCert-[...]@me.com-SharedServices.Agent.plist

[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist (2016-03-02) [Support]

[loaded] com.leapfrog.connect.monitor.plist (2015-10-08) [Support]

[running] com.microsoft.LaunchAgent.SyncServicesAgent.plist (2016-04-08) [Support]


User Login Items:ⓘ

iTunesHelper Application (/Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunesHelper.app)

Microsoft Database Daemon Application (/Applications/Microsoft Office 2011/Office/Microsoft Database Daemon.app)

Solution Browser Application (/Applications/ConceptDraw Office/Solution Browser.app/Contents/MacOS/CDSBAutostart.app)


Other Apps:ⓘ

[running] com.brother.utility.NETserver.63932

[running] com.brother.utility.USBserver.55128

[running] com.csodessa.solutionbrowser.CDSBupd.84380

[running] com.microsoft.Outlook.157936

[loaded] com.microsoft.SyncServicesAgent.49164

[running] com.microsoft.alerts.daemon.46324

[running] com.microsoft.autoupdate.fba.63364

[running] com.microsoft.outlook.databasedaemon.91480

[running] jp.co.canon.cijscannerregister.69044

[loaded] 359 Apple tasks

[running] 174 Apple tasks


Internet Plug-ins:ⓘ

FlashPlayer-10.6: 21.0.0.213 - SDK 10.6 (2016-04-07) [Support]

QuickTime Plugin: 7.7.3 (2014-11-06)

Flash Player: 21.0.0.213 - SDK 10.6 (2016-04-07) [Support]

AdobePDFViewer: 9.5.5 (2013-05-17) [Support]

Default Browser: 600 - SDK 10.10 (2015-02-10)

SharePointBrowserPlugin: 14.5.5 - SDK 10.6 (2015-10-06) [Support]

Silverlight: 5.1.10411.0 - SDK 10.6 (2012-09-21) [Support]

iPhotoPhotocast: 7.0 - SDK 10.7 (2012-05-10)


User internet Plug-ins:ⓘ

CitrixOnlineWebDeploymentPlugin: 1.0.105 (2013-04-25) [Support]


3rd Party Preference Panes:ⓘ

Flash Player (2016-04-05) [Support]


Time Machine:ⓘ

Skip System Files: NO

Auto backup: NO - Auto backup turned off

Volumes being backed up:

Macintosh HD: Disk size: 498.88 GB Disk used: 202.03 GB

Destinations:

My Passport for Mac [Local]

Total size: 499.94 GB

Total number of backups: 6

Oldest backup: 2012-07-11, 4:12 PM

Last backup: 2016-02-10, 7:24 PM

Size of backup disk: Too small

Backup size 499.94 GB < (Disk used 202.03 GB X 3)


Top Processes by CPU:ⓘ

6% mdworker(8)

2% kernel_task

2% com.apple.WebKit.WebContent(5)

2% Safari

1% hidd


Top Processes by Memory:ⓘ

970 MB kernel_task

856 MB com.apple.WebKit.WebContent(5)

135 MB Safari

70 MB Microsoft Outlook

66 MB mdworker(8)


Virtual Memory Information:ⓘ

48 MB Free RAM

3.95 GB Used RAM (313 MB Cached)

44 MB Swap Used


Diagnostics Information:ⓘ

Apr 13, 2016, 04:38:26 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/com.apple.WebKit.WebContent_2016-04-13-163826_[ redacted].cpu_resource.diag [Details]

/System/Library/StagedFrameworks/Safari/WebKit.framework/Versions/A/XPCServices /com.apple.WebKit.WebContent.xpc/Contents/MacOS/com.apple.WebKit.WebContent

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User profile for user: OGELTHORPE
OGELTHORPE
User level: Level 9
57,329 points

Apr 14, 2016 8:57 AM in response to IntermediateNovice

First make certain that you have a recent backup.


Additional RAM would help a little. You MBP can accept up to 16 GB RAM but 8 GB RAM would probably be enough. The best sources of Mac compatible RAM are OWC and Crucial.


Boot into the recovery partition and select Disk Utility. Run Disk Utility>First Aid. (The Etrecheck report indicates poor performance with the HDD)


You might consider installing El Capitan. It has been suggested that it is more efficient than Yosemite.


Make certain that you have the latest versions of all third party applications.


Ciao.

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User profile for user: KimUserName
KimUserName
User level: Level 4
1,900 points

Apr 14, 2016 9:05 AM in response to IntermediateNovice

The first thing to do is make a complete backup as suggested by OgelThorpe.


Get an external hard drive, they are quite cheap now.

Then you can use a third party application such as Carbon Copy Cloner Carbon Copy Cloner (Not free, but worth the price) or Super Duper to copy all data from the internal HDD as well as the recovery partition.


I also have a Early 2011 13" Macbook Pro.

I am running El Capitan and have upgraded RAM to 8GB and have replaced the HDD with a 500GB Samsung 850 EVO.

Both of these upgrades made a huge improvement in speed, especially the SSD.


Also check out Roaring Apps https://roaringapps.com/appsto see which apps are compatible with El Capitan.


Kim

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User profile for user: KimUserName
KimUserName
User level: Level 4
1,900 points

Apr 14, 2016 9:19 AM in response to IntermediateNovice

Note:


There is a difference between backups done by TimeMachine and something like Carbon Copy Cloner.

Carbon Copy Cloner makes a complete bootable clone of your hard drive.


This can be important if for example you upgrade to El Capitan and decide you want to go back to Yosemite.


Also you would be able to boot from the external drive into Yosemite if needed.


Also here is some information which might be helpful:


You can upgrade your RAM to 16GB and change your HD to an SSD.

I have a Early 2011 13 inch Macbook Pro and I have done the same.


OWC is a good place to go for upgrading your Macbook Pro.

OWC SSD's: OWC SSD's


I upgraded my Early 2011 13 inch Macbook Pro using a Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB SSD and I have seen a dramatic speed increase.


Once you decide on an SSD, I suggest that you install it in an enclosure OWC external case or using a USB to SATA adapter USB to SATA adapter and connect it to your MBP via USB.


Open Disk Utility>Erase and format the SSD to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and a GUID partition.


Then use a third party application such as Carbon Copy Cloner Carbon Copy Cloner (Not free, but worth the price) or Super Duper to copy all data from the internal HDD as well as the recovery partition.


The clone will be a exact copy of your hard drive and it will be bootable.


Boot the MBP with the OPTION key (Startup Manager) and select the new SSD. How to choose a startup disk on your Mac


If it boots the MBP, perform the physical swap of drives.


Also now that you have your computer open you may want to upgrade the memory. It is very easy.

OWC OWC memory or crucial Crusial Mac memory are good places to get memory.


You could look at a video guide to see how much is involved.

OWC install videos

Note the model identifier of the computer you have as most applications are shown in page.


Check this link to identify your MacBook Pro model.

• How to identify MacBook Pro models - Apple Support


Data Doubler from OWC OWC Data Doubler


Kim

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User profile for user: KimUserName
KimUserName
User level: Level 4
1,900 points

Apr 14, 2016 10:41 AM in response to IntermediateNovice

It probably looks more complicated than it is.


1. Buy an SSD.

2. Buy an external case

3. Put SSD in external case

4. Erase and format the SSD

5. Buy and install Carbon Copy Cloner $40.00

6. Clone your hard drive to SSD. Software will guide you through it.

Now you have an exact copy or clone of your internal hard drive.

You have not even removed the cover from your computer.


Now shut down your computer and with the external hard drive (SSD) connected via USB boot your computer while holding Option key.


At this point you will get a menu with your original HDD or the external SDD.

Chose the SSD and it will boot your computer to SSD.

At this point you are running on the SSD and you can test the system performance.


If all has worked up until this point, you can open the case and replace the hard drive with the SSD.

What the OWC install video first and it will show you how to remove the back cover and replace the hard drive.


After replacing the hard drive with SSD, test it and if it works ok, you are done.

If not put the original Hard drive back in.


Kim

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User profile for user: Leopardus
Leopardus
User level: Level 4
1,303 points

Apr 14, 2016 12:20 PM in response to IntermediateNovice

It is only the clever ones that poses the right questions. Your questions really dealt with price vs performance. It is possible to post the complete study on upgrading exactly your model vs replacing the one's that we have with 35 new (at the time), ones taking the faster 1600Mhz RAM. In short, the answer for us were to upgrade, and the RAM prices and SSD prices have been in a steady decline! We are now upgrading the same one's again from 8 to 16GB Crucial RAM and some are now getting the 1TB MX200 Crucial SSD's. That for a little more than the equivalent of about $350 per Mac. The SSD's that we remove goes all in one stack. Nothing gets thrown away and the RAM modules will populate slots on some iMacs where applicable.


The process has been described in detail above, and it is a solid guide. It will also serve you well to have a look at https://www.ifixit.com/Device/MacBook_Pro_13%22_Unibody_Early_2011 where you will find excellent guides for RAM replacement, HDD replacement and lots more.


Have fun


Leo

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Is it possible (and worthwhile) to upgrade my Macbook Pro 2011(early)?

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