I have a late 2011 MBP. It has started to run hot, and slow down. I have purchased RAM to speed it up, but should I get a SSD to keep it running cooler/longer? I can't afford a new MBP until next school year, so will this be a good fix to extend the life of my Mac?
MacBook Pro, macOS Sierra (10.12.6)
It may not help if you have stuff that's running hot, but I think it's a good idea for any of the Unibody MBPs. I installed one a few weeks ago and it's made mine considerably more pleasant to use. Almost no "beachballing", Finder shows all files almost instantly, opening/closing programs has little lag, and it just runs considerably better.
I was talking to an employee at an Apple Store, and when I mentioned that I installed an SSD, he said that's typically the best thing that someone with a Unibody MBP can do. It may not be as fast as the newer Macs with faster SSD-only interfaces, but it can make typical lag times imperceptible. A new one might be a nice shiny toy with a nicer display, but for routine use an SSD can make a Unibody (especially one with SATA III speeds) feel pretty close.
It may not help if you have stuff that's running hot, but I think it's a good idea for any of the Unibody MBPs. I installed one a few weeks ago and it's made mine considerably more pleasant to use. Almost no "beachballing", Finder shows all files almost instantly, opening/closing programs has little lag, and it just runs considerably better.
I was talking to an employee at an Apple Store, and when I mentioned that I installed an SSD, he said that's typically the best thing that someone with a Unibody MBP can do. It may not be as fast as the newer Macs with faster SSD-only interfaces, but it can make typical lag times imperceptible. A new one might be a nice shiny toy with a nicer display, but for routine use an SSD can make a Unibody (especially one with SATA III speeds) feel pretty close.
An SSD may make it run faster but you should address the reasons why it may be running hotter and slower before spending more money on it. It may be as simple as incompatible software. Post an etrecheckreport so that we may see if anything may be contributing to your issues.
The HDD is far and away the slowest item in your Mac, replacing it with something much faster makes a considerable difference to the overall performance of the Mac.
I would recommend that you go ahead with the SSD.
I also recommend that you follow the advice given to run Etrecheck.
WhoaBaby wrote:
should I get a SSD
Certainly will change your life, highly recommended upgrade. However you need to trouble shoot hot & slow.
OWC SSD Upgrade Kits For MacBook Pro 2011
MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2012), macOS (10.13.3), i7 480GB SSD 16GB RAM iPhoneSE iOS11.2.5 Parallels13.0.1, HP OfficeJet Pro 8620
Will installing SSD For Late-2011 MBP keep it going?
