You need to install macOS on the new drive so the machine will even boot. You need the proper tools to remove the old drive and mount the new one. First, you want to have a full backup of your entire drive in case anything goes wrong. If you replace the hard drive with an SSD, you have to go through the hassle (and risk) of taking things apart, removing the old drive, installing the new drive, and transferring everything over. However, there are other things to consider, which ultimately led to me deciding to buy a new machine instead: You can upgrade to a 1 TB SSD and 16 GB of RAM for ~$320 ($199 for the SSD and $120 for the RAM), and the performance difference will be huge.

If you're going to upgrade, I'd recommend buying from Other World Computing since they specialize in Mac upgrades and can guarantee compatibility.

I had this exact machine and went through the same debate – should I upgrade to an SSD and more RAM, or just move to a new machine? Sorry for the ignorance, but when upgrading the RAM, do I really need to strictly purchase a 1333 MHz DDR3 (8GBx2) in order for it to be compatible?.Is a Samsung 850 Pro (1TB) a good investment and is compatible with my early 2011 MacBook Pro? I was thinking of just installing this SSD into my new laptop when the time comes, so I thought it might be a good investment to opt for one of the 'best' SSD with a larger capacity and longer 'life'/warranty.Bu in running multiple memory heavy apps, isn't it better to upgrade the RAM instead of the SSD? Since booting apps or my laptop isn't really an issue. I know it's better to upgrade SSD first before RAM.I'm not really verse with hardware, and since upgrades are very pricey, I kinda need some assurance that my choices are sustainable and the right ones. For now, I'm stuck with my current 2.3GHz MacBook Pro. So, I was considering in using my savings to upgrade my MacBook's RAM and SSD until I raise enough budget to purchase a newer MacBook Pro with a better CPU and better capacity for upgrades(probably in about 5-7 months). I run memory and CPU intensive applications, especially with virtual machines and programming applications, and my MacBook just couldn't these heavy apps (deadly beach ball icon). I'm a graduating Computer Science student using a MacBook Pro early 2011, 2.3GHz Intel Core i5, RAM of 4GB 1333 MHz DDR3, and running at OSX Yosemite(10.10.2).

Macbook pro late 2011 ssd