suntouched wrote:
I have a 17 " MacBook Pro computer with 8 G Ram that is just a little over 3 years old. When it was new it flew like the wind but with all the software I have added it has slowed down. Outside of that the computer functions fine. I moved my older photos to external drive, cleaned up my emails and downloads and it helped a little. This computer is maxed out at 8G Ram.
I run PS, LR, OnOne
* 2 Questions* (Cost is a factor but not the primary factor)
1. Would installing a SS drive improve performance on this computer?
2. If I buy a new computer should I get 16 G Ram or would 8 G Ram be sufficient with SS drive they now come with?
Please keep your answers simple as I have just enough computer knowledge to be dangerous.
*Wish to remain an APPLE user
I have a 17 " MacBook Pro computer with 8 G R... (
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YES on both counts. An SSD will definitely speed up the time it takes to read and write files to/from storage.
I once watched Adobe Master Trainer, Julieanne Kost, do a Lightroom demo on a 2011 MacBook Pro that had maximum RAM and a 512MB SSD. She was opening full-size 21MP files and rifling through them as if they were tiny thumbnails.
However, it sounds like your MBP was made between 2008 and 2010, if it only accepts 8GB RAM. The 2011 models take 16GB.
Check out Other World Computing's options for RAM and SSDs.
http://eshop.macsales.com/Find the model number (Apple Menu > About This Mac... > More Info (button) > Hardware Overview > Model Identifier: X,Y), and then use the information on OWC's web site to determine RAM availability for sure.
If you can add more RAM *and* an SSD, I'd do that.
Something that I do every three years is to back up everything, using Carbon Copy Cloner. Then I do a low-level format of my drive, using Disk Utility on the installation disc that came with the Mac (or an image on an external drive). Then I reinstall the OS, re-update the OS, reinstall my applications, and copy my data back to where I wanted.
If you put a new startup drive (SSD) in your computer, you should consider this process! It can blow an entire weekend, but I've found it to be worth it.
Just be sure you have ALL your software installation codes, serial numbers, etc., because if you change the startup drive, you have to reinstall the software. You may have to UNINSTALL certain software from your old drive, first.
Why do this? Well, over time, systems become polluted with thousands of files you don't need... Getting rid of the crud and keeping on your internal drive *only what you need right now* reduces the Finder overhead, frees up LOTS of space on the drive, and gives the OS breathing room for virtual memory. It also forces you to get organized and store backups of important files...