macbook minimum internal hardrive space when using an external hardrive

[eross2121]

just curious what everybody is using. I’m looking to get a 2.5 ghz i7 with 16gb ram. but the thing i am struggling with is what size internal hardrive i realistically need. It will just be running cubase 10.5 pro and abelton 9. everything else like kontakt libraries will be on a 2tb external ssd.
is 500gb big enough? what do you guys run?

[Aloysius]

Windows 10 </END OF THREAD>

[Michael L]

Internal SSD upgrades are cheap now, so put all libraries on the much-faster-internal SSD, and buy a cheap HDD for backup and archives.
Same total cost, better performance.
That’s what I did.

[guyana-disk]

The 2012 Macbook Pro with a Quad core i7 is ideal if you want a Mac. It's the last Macbook with 2.5" SSD support. I have a 2TB SSD installed on mine and it's perfect. That way you don't need external anything.

[thecontrolcentre]

Internal SSD upgrades are cheap now, so put all libraries on the much-faster-internal SSD, and buy a cheap HDD for backup and archives.
Same total cost, better performance.
That’s what I did.

This ^^ ... I have 3 x 1TB SSDs in my laptop (built 4 years ago). These days I would buy 2TB internal SSDs.

[jdnz]

The 2012 Macbook Pro with a Quad core i7 is ideal if you want a Mac. It's the last Macbook with 2.5" SSD support. I have a 2TB SSD installed on mine and it's perfect. That way you don't need external anything.

the 2012-2016 mbp’s are now sanely upgradable using nvme to apple proprietary adaptors (and the recent releases of macos that support nvme) - I’ve done a few and it’s a complete win-win - much much cheaper than the only ‘apple compatible’ upgrade AND also much faster

installation on the 12-16 mbp is painless (pop off the bottom cover and install - 5mins max), installation on the same period iMacs not so much (apart from the fun of having to cut the adhesive holding the screen in, they require complete disassembly of the internals since some bright spark put the ssd socket on the BACK side of the motherboard)

[guyana-disk]

The 2012 Macbook Pro with a Quad core i7 is ideal if you want a Mac. It's the last Macbook with 2.5" SSD support. I have a 2TB SSD installed on mine and it's perfect. That way you don't need external anything.

the 2012-2016 mbp’s are now sanely upgradable using nvme to apple proprietary adaptors (and the recent releases of macos that support nvme) - I’ve done a few and it’s a complete win-win - much much cheaper than the only ‘apple compatible’ upgrade AND also much faster

installation on the 12-16 mbp is painless (pop off the bottom cover and install - 5mins max), installation on the same period iMacs not so much (apart from the fun of having to cut the adhesive holding the screen in, they require complete disassembly of the internals since some bright spark put the ssd socket on the BACK side of the motherboard)

That’s great news! Do you have a link to the adapter that you used?

[stikygum]

The 2012 Macbook Pro with a Quad core i7 is ideal if you want a Mac. It's the last Macbook with 2.5" SSD support. I have a 2TB SSD installed on mine and it's perfect. That way you don't need external anything.

the 2012-2016 mbp’s are now sanely upgradable using nvme to apple proprietary adaptors (and the recent releases of macos that support nvme) - I’ve done a few and it’s a complete win-win - much much cheaper than the only ‘apple compatible’ upgrade AND also much faster

installation on the 12-16 mbp is painless (pop off the bottom cover and install - 5mins max), installation on the same period iMacs not so much (apart from the fun of having to cut the adhesive holding the screen in, they require complete disassembly of the internals since some bright spark put the ssd socket on the BACK side of the motherboard)

Aren't the SSDs for the 2013 pricier and more limited in size? I have a 2011 MacBook Pro 17" with a 2TB SSD and that SSD was around $500 when I bought it.

I didn't realize the 2012-16 were upgradeable. I suppose I always thought the pre 2013 models were only upgradeable because the hard drives were too pricey years ago. Didn't realize prices had gone down, but I'm seeing some mSata SSDs with 2TB at more reasonable prices, as I look today.

Is the RAM easily upgradeable too in these models? Is there any site that lists good compatible SSDs and RAM for these models that anyone knows of?

[jdnz]

That’s great news! Do you have a link to the adapter that you used?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32996568898.html

Used some of the earlier (short) ones too - but they limit you to just one length of m2 card

[jdnz]

I didn't realize the 2012-16 were upgradeable. I suppose I always thought the pre 2013 models were only upgradeable because the hard drives were too pricey years ago. Didn't realize prices had gone down, but I'm seeing some mSata SSDs with 2TB at more reasonable prices, as I look today.

Is the RAM easily upgradeable too in these models? Is there any site that lists good compatible SSDs and RAM for these models that anyone knows of?

'12-'16nmacbooks require m2 nvme, not m2 sata - and yes there are compaibility caveats even then (stick to intel or samsung and you should be ok). Also requires a late-ish version of MacOS - high sierra or later

Sadly on the 12-16 RAM is soldered in - no upgrade path for that

[transmisser]

I've personally stuck to 1TB flash memory in my 2015 MBP and 2018 Mac mini. I run my projects and sample libraries from 2 Samsung T5 external SSDs. Super smooth.

[mgw38]

Depends a lot what you are doing other than making music. I found that the minimum for me is 1 TB internal, even with having almost everything music related on an external SSD.

Btw, if money is not an issue, the new MacBook can be maxed out with an internal 8TB SSD.