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Hey there,

hope I can help you a bit in the following. The selection of devices you have in mind is already very good, I'd say, all those machines are great in their own right. So I imagine that it is hard to choose between them... Since you are a developer, and since you didn't say anything about GPU-heavy tasks like gaming, video editing etc. being a thing, I think we can do without a comparison of GPU power here, but I can still do that later on in case you want me to, for video editing, gaming etc. purposes.

I think as a very first step, it makes sense to take a look at the Geekbench scores of the respective devices, so that you can get an idea about the performance difference between them. I'll also include the current MacBook Pros 15" 2019 in the comparison. Here we go (higher is better):

MacBook Pro 13" 2018, 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7-8559U Quad Core:

5141 Points (Single-Core Score)

17783 Points (Multi-Core Score)

source: https://browser.geekbench.com/macs/433

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MacBook Pro 15" 2019, 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7-9750H Hexa Core:

5260 Points (Single-Core Score)

23068 Points (Multi-Core Score)

source: https://browser.geekbench.com/macs/445

MacBook Pro 15" 2019, 2.3 GHz Intel Core i9-9880H Octa Core:

5435 Points (Single-Core Score)

28396 Points (Multi-Core Score)

source: https://browser.geekbench.com/macs/446

MacBook Pro 15" 2019, 2.4 GHz Intel Core i9-9980HK Octa Core:

5589 Points (Single-Core Score)

29854 Points (Multi-Core Score)

source: https://browser.geekbench.com/macs/453

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iMac 27" 2019, 3.7 GHz Intel Core i5-9600K Hexa Core:

5796 Points (Single-Core Score)

22990 Points (Multi-Core Score)

source: https://browser.geekbench.com/macs/439

iMac 27" 2019, 3.6 GHz Intel Core i9-9900K Octa Core:

6293 Points (Single-Core Score)

33961 Points (Multi-Core Score)

source: https://browser.geekbench.com/macs/438

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iMac Pro 27" 2017, 3.2 GHz Intel Xeon W-2140B Octa Core:

5072 Points (Single-Core Score)

31359 Points (Multi-Core Score)

source: https://browser.geekbench.com/macs/426

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As you can infer from the scores above, there are significant performance differences between the individual devices. The MBPs 15" have more physical cores than the 13" models - 6-Core i7 or 8-Core i9 in the 15" models vs. 4-Core i7 in the 13" model - and thus have a much higher Multi-Core speed. The Multi-Core Score is especially relevant, as most modern applications are designed to make use of multiple cores all at once. Thus, a higher Multi-Core Score directly translates into better general performance for the most part. The Hexa-Core i7 in the MBP 15" 2019 base model is a clear step up from the Quad Core i7 of the 13" model. The i9 Octa Core chips in turn are both a step up from Hexa Core i7 even, though between the two i9 chips of the MBP 15" 2019 there isn't much difference, so if you can get a model with 2.3 GHz i9 cheaper, I would rather get that.

The iMac 27" 2019 with i9 Octa Core chip is a step up from the i5 Hexa Core for the same reason, 8-Core i9 vs. 6-Core i5, thus far superior Multi-Core performance. The iMac 27" 2019 with i9 chip even outpaces the iMac Pro 27" 2017 with Octa Core by a slight margin, this is important to remember due to the fact that the regular iMac 27" 2019 with i9 chip can be bought for less money than the base model iMac Pro.

All in all, I think it's clear that the i9 chips are the top notch performers by far, no other CPU in the lineup can touch the performance of the i9 chips even remotely. The i9 in the iMac 27" 2019 being the best performer of them all.

Now, the matter of RAM: If you opt for a MacBook Pro, I would opt for 32 GB RAM (15" models) or 16 GB RAM (13" models) if you want to future-proof them, maxing out the RAM absolutely doesn't hurt in any shape or form, it enhances the longevity of the devices in question, and ensures that you will not experience slowdowns related to a lack of RAM. The RAM in the current MBPs 13" and 15" is soldered in, sadly, so you can't replace or extend it later on. Your decision at the time of purchase is the final one for the lifetime of the device, so I'd say better safe than sorry in this case, as there is no way to fix a lack of RAM later on with these machines.

A definite advantage of the iMac 27" 2019 is that its RAM is user-serviceable and that you can therefore easily upgrade it yourself. The iMac 27" 2019 supports up to 128 GB RAM (4 x 32 GB RAM modules). It has 4 RAM slots, meaning 4 RAM modules in total will fit in. A higher amount than 128 GB RAM won't work due to a limitation in the logic board.

The iMac 27" 2019 needs RAM that matches the following specification:

PC4-21300 DDR4 2666 MHz, 260-pin

Here are some examples of RAM modules that work flawlessly in the iMac 27" 2019:

• https://www.amazon.com/Timetec-Compatible-27-inch-Display-PC4-21300/dp/B07MH3KHLY/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/CORSAIR-Vengeance-Performance-260-Pin-CMSX32GX4M2A2666C18/dp/B01BGZEVHU/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-Single-PC4-21300-SODIMM-260-Pin/dp/B071KP8CGJ/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/OWC-2666MHz-PC4-21300-OWC2666DDR4S64P-macmini18/dp/B07PTRZSHB/
  
  Take the Crucial RAM sticks I linked to, for example: 16 GB RAM = $64... 4 x $64 = $256. Same RAM upgrade from Apple: $1000. And yes, as long as you remain within the specification above, you get the exact same RAM technically that you would also get from Apple, no technical difference whatsoever. You'll get around $750(!!!) back.
  
  The RAM upgrade is extremely easy to do, take a look:
  
  
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuXKiFyzRzs
  
  The ability to upgrade the RAM yourself in the iMac 27" 2019 is a huge plus, as you've just seen. The iMac Pro 27" 2017 also has user-serviceable RAM. Sounds great? Well, you were rejoicing too early... The RAM in the iMac Pro isn't soldered in, so the theoretical option to extend it yourself exists. But it's mostly theoretical, as you have no easy way to physically access the RAM in the iMac Pro. Extending the RAM yourself in an iMac Pro requires a partial disassembly of the device, including unglueing the screen from the device body and taking the logic board out. The procedure is a mess, take a look:
  
  
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fBVy26FNbE
  
  Furthermore, the ECC-RAM that the iMac Pro needs is fairly expensive compared to the RAM the iMac 27" 2019 needs, even if you buy third party RAM.
  
  As for ports: The iMacs come with more classical ports, among them USB-A, SD-Card reader, and Ethernet. They have a clear advantage here if you need any of the aforementioned ports regularly, because if you have equipment that uses those ports and own a MacBook Pro which only has USB-C, you won't get around using a dongle regularly. The iMacs have a better mixture of legacy ports and future-proof USB-C ports, while the MacBook Pros went all in with USB-C.
  
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  Which machine would I buy if I were in your shoes? I think I'd buy the iMac 27" 2019 with i9 chip, it's the most powerful machine out of the bunch in terms of processing power, it has the same screen as the iMac Pro, the same ports as the iMac Pro (well, it has two USB-C ports less, but still...), and most importantly, you can upgrade the RAM easily in this machine and save tons of money that way. Make sure you configure in an SSD at the time of purchase, though, a Fusion Drive just doesn't do this machine justice. Add the 512 GB SSD to it at the bare minimum. The iMac Pro is IMHO not worth it compared to the iMac 27" 2019 with i9 chip, as it's a bit slower, has far less accessible (and more expensive) RAM, and is on top of that more expensive by itself already.
  
  In case you opt for a MacBook Pro, I'd opt for an i9 model here as well if I were in your shoes, as the i9 chips are much more powerful than the others. Less upgradable machines and worse port selection compared to the iMacs (be prepared for dongle life...), you also lose the gorgeous 27" 5K display... You gain mobile, though. If the "mobile" factor isn't of extremely high importance to you, I'd head straight for an iMac, you get far more bang for your buck in this case.

I have a mid-2010 15" MacBook Pro and have done a few upgrades to it recently that have really helped. The options you have available are: upgrading your RAM, swapping out your hard drive, and removing the DVD drive and replacing it with a hard drive caddy and a second hard drive. RAM will increase performance somewhat and allow you to run more things at once with more fluidity. Swapping out your hard drive will give you more storage space and/or faster read/write times, depending on if you put your money towards storage space or an SSD. The hard drive caddy option is a more intense modification, (though in truth it isn't a hard procedure at all), but it gives you the best of both worlds: you can buy an SSD as your boot drive, and still have tons of storage space on the other hard drive. It's a great mod if you don't frequently use your DVD drive, and for about $30, you can buy a USB enclosure to keep using said drive.

If I had to make one change, regardless of price, I would put an SSD in the computer. It will be by far the biggest performance boost.

But depending on your budget, here are the upgrades I would make:

Smallest: Upgrade to 8GB RAM, $60 or so. This G.Skill RAM is a good place to start. Protip: "Mac Memory" is just a sales tactic to mark up prices. As long as you find RAM to the specifications you're looking for, it will work. Just do a bit of research and make sure other MacBook Pro users have used the RAM successfully.

Larger: Upgrade RAM and purchase an SSD, perhaps something like the Samsung 840 250GB. $150-300

Larger still: Upgrade the RAM, purchase an SSD, and buy an optical drive bay caddy to hold your previous hard drive as a data drive. $250-350 if you also buy an enclosure to use the optical drive via USB.

Largest: Upgrade RAM, purchase an SSD, purchase a new HDD such as the 750GB 7200rpm WD drive listed in another comment, and buy a drive bay caddy to hold the new HDD data drive. $325-425.

Your best bet (and greatest speed increase for your money) is to upgrade your HDD to a SSD. The Samsung EVO series (https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E250B-AM/dp/B00OAJ412U - select a storage capacity based on your needs) is a pretty good bet, though most SSDs will speed up your system considerably.

Installing the SSD isn't too difficult. The most time-consuming part is copying all of your files over. I recommend that you get a HDD enclosure like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Tool-free-Inateck-External-Enclosure-FE2004/dp/B00JQTO8TU/

You'd insert the SSD into the enclosure, plug the enclosure into your MacBook Pro and then use a program called SuperDuper to duplicate the files on your current HDD and copy them onto your new SSD. That way, when you install the SSD, you can plug in and go.

CNET has a guide for upgrading the laptop to a SSD: https://www.cnet.com/uk/how-to/upgrade-your-macbook-install-ssd-hard-drive/

If you don't use your CD/DVD optical drive, you can actually replace it with another HDD/SSD for extra storage. There's a guide for that here: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing+MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Early+2011+Dual+Hard+Drive/8529

Depending on your budget, you can also upgrade your RAM, though it may not be worth it depending on your usage. If you use Virtual Machines a lot, or other memory-intensive applications, this may be a worthwhile upgrade.

iFixit has a pretty good guide for upgrading RAM: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Late+2011+RAM+Replacement/7651

If you want to upgrade to 8GB of RAM, check this out: https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Apple-Certified-Laptop-Memory/dp/B005JRH9V2

If you want 16GB of RAM, look at this: https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Certified-Laptop-Memory-CMSA16GX3M2A1333C9/dp/B006ON5KZC

What sort of stuff do you use your laptop for? That'll give us a better idea of what you may need RAM-wise. Feel free to ask if you have any more questions. There are also guides on YouTube if you want a visual guide for how to do this stuff. Just search for "MacBook Pro Late 2011 RAM/SSD Upgrade" and something should come up.

Should have kept Mojave on it. Mojave is OS just before Catalina got released a few days ago...but Nvm. As a rule of thumb, I don't install the latest & greatest OS immediately. I like to wait & watch. I like to give it 6 months before I install the OS on my laptop.

Yes, if you run El Capitan, your mbp will feel super fast with an SSD & more RAM (way faster than it will on Catalina). But don't run El Capitan on it...simple basic apps like Chrome or Firefox would stop supporting such an old OS pretty soon.

That's about it. You're good to go.

And if you're in the US here's an amazon link to buying more RAM. I'd go for 16gb of ram. Ideally you only really need 10gb or 12gb of ram max. But since you either get to pick from 8gb or 16gb. i'd go for 16gb if it fits your budget.

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-PC3-12800-SODIMM-204-Pin-Memory/dp/B008LTBJFW/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1ZJ4WAV9I0SG0&keywords=16gb+ram+macbook+pro+mid+2012&qid=1570867864&sprefix=16gb+ram+mac%2Caps%2C374&sr=8-5



in the future when apple officially stops supporting this macbook. You can still "unofficially" support the macbook by downloading a patcher that dosdude1 creates at: http://dosdude1.com/software.html

I think he has step by step instructions on youtube at his channel.

16GB is probably overkill for me, but I'm glad your memory bump helped! Are you going to try to set it up as a Fusion Drive? This macsales.com guide seems pretty good, and people in the comments have had some success with it. Mind commenting later to see how your performance changes when you add the SSD (whether or not you run it as a fusion drive)?

I've heard good things about OWC, but I'm probably going to end up saving $20 and go with this tray from amazon haha

The Data Doubler is the name OWC gave to its product to allow you to put a hard drive or ssd into the optical bay. It is just a piece of plastic that holds the drive in place.

It is not optimal for a spinning hard drive to be in the data doubler chassis, as it is not really designed to keep the spinning drive stable. It is really meant for SSDs.

http://www.amazon.com/OWC-Doubler-Optical-Mounting-Solution/dp/B00724W0N2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1457537224&sr=8-2&keywords=data+doubler

You can find cheaper versions of this around amazon and ebay, and even get an external enclosure for your optical drive, turning it into a USB super drive, but the OWC version has the best ratings.

If you are going to do only 1 SSD, put it in the data doubler. If you are going to do two SSDs, then put an SSD in both places, and possibly even RAID them together so that you get a single drive with increased performance, BUT MAKE SURE TO BACK UP YOUR DATA!

Let me know if you have more questions.

Edit: This is the one I bought: http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Unibody-MacBook-SuperDrive-Replacement/dp/B0058AH2US/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1457537224&sr=8-3&keywords=data+doubler It is better for holding the spinning standard HDD since it is a bit stronger than plastic, and holds the drive in with four screws.

Well the size/speed will entirely depend on your budget. I can make some suggestions, but any SSD I'd recommend would be worlds faster than your current hard drive.

https://www.amazon.ca/Samsung-500GB-Internal-MZ-75E500B-AM/dp/B00OBRE5UE/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1527704323&sr=1-4

https://www.amazon.ca/Blue-NAND-500GB-SSD-WDS500G2B0A/dp/B073SBZ8YH/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1527704323&sr=1-2

https://www.amazon.ca/Kingston-480GB-Solid-SA400S37-480G/dp/B01N0TQPQB/ref=sr_1_10?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1527704418&sr=1-10

I'd probably go with them in order - first being highest rated for speed and such. The second is also excellent. The bottom one is slightly slower (Not super noticeable) and MUCH cheaper. Great on a budget.

If you have another Mac with either FireWire 800 or Thunderbolt 2 (depending on the model of your borked Mac - can't really see from the GIF) you connect the two with an appropriate cable and use Target Disk Mode to grab the files you need from it for safe keeping. From there, you can use recovery mode to reinstall macOS with the peace of mind knowing your files are safe.

Alternatively, if you don't have another Mac, you can simply try reinstalling the OS in recovery without backing up first, as I'm fairly certain that will retain your personal files by default provided you don't format the drive yourself (the installer will not do that).

Or, again depending on your Mac, you might be able to remove its 2.5" drive by removing some screws on the back like this and attach it to a USB to SATA cable like this one to read the files on another Mac. This won't work on Retina MacBook Pros because they use a proprietary drive that can't easily (or at least cheaply) be adapted to an external device. Good luck!

I did that with my wifes 2011 MBP too.

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The 2015 I picked up I got a good deal on I think but it only has a 128GB ssd in it, which is super small and I take a lot of photos with my iphone and Nikon d3200, so I need more space than this.

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I saw a guide that suggested a samsung 960 evo m.2 NVME drive with an adapter.

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https://www.amazon.com/Sintech-Adapter-Upgrade-2013-2017-ST-NGFF2013-C/dp/B01CWWAENG/ref=pd_ybh_a_7?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RSQYBBQ008Y2QG3XMKNN

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https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-960-EVO-Internal-MZ-V6E500BW/dp/B01M20VBU7/ref=pd_ybh_a_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RSQYBBQ008Y2QG3XMKNN

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so for $160 I could get 512GB of space which compared to OWC is super cheap and worth the attempt I think

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Dude. You have an awesome computer. Lemme help you out. Hold please.

ESYNIC Hard Drive Caddy Tray 2.5" 2nd HDD SDD Kit 9.5mm SATA HDD SSD Adapter Optical Bay Drive Slot for MacBook Pro Unibody 13 15 17 SuperDrive DVD Drive Replacement Only https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I15ZVKY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_tmZJBbN8HT9YN

WD Blue 3D NAND 500GB PC SSD - SATA III 6 Gb/s 2.5"/7mm Solid State Drive - WDS500G2B0A https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073SBZ8YH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_JnZJBbC2V2VQ5

16GB Memory Kit (2x8GB) for Apple Macbook and Macbook Pro Mid-2012 PC3-12800 1600MHz Ram A1278 A1286 MD101LL/A MD102LL/A MD103LL/A MD104LL/A MD102LL/A https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L3QE8G2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_coZJBbSXK3DXV

I was able to get this adapter here and an nvme drive like the one you posted and I remember it working well; it was pretty straightforward. I had issues with hibernation, I think it’s a known issue that you just change the sleep settings to avoid. You’d have to google around for specifics but it was really easy to change. Overall though it was a great way to get more storage for way cheaper than the OWC or OEM drives.

Yeah, you're fine.

Increase the RAM in your machine — ideally, completely max it out — and you will notice a major performance increase.

Apple says your machine only supports 8 GB, but 16 GB is the actual limit. Buy and install this. (I have an Early 2011 MBP, which is also listed as 8 GB max, and 16 GB runs perfectly in it.)

While I'm giving you advice, grab a USB hard disk (or a Time Capsule) and use Time Machine, included with OS X, to keep your machine backed up. You never know when it will save your ass (and your data).

I bought a Satechi from Amazon for my 15" but it has 2 ports, so it worked well for it.

I wish I got this one instead from HooToo. Seems simple enough to use just one port, which is perfect for your MacBook.

That's awfully expensive for what you get. You could buy any 480GB 2.5" SSD on the market, and replace the HDD with that. I've replaced several unibody MBPs and MBs with standard SSDs with very good results.

Since average SSDs of that size are on average around $130, you're practically paying $90 for an enclosure for the old HDD and some cheap tools. You can get all of those off Amazon if you really wanted to, and also pick up a USB to SATA cable for $10 to transfer your old stuff, and still save money.

As for reliability of SSDs like the Sandisk or Crucial, I have SSDs ranging from a few cheap Sandisks SSDs to Samsung 960 EVOs, and unless you're constantly transferring GBs of files you won't see an appreciable difference, from boot up times to load speeds. Hope this answered any concerns you had.

Hey congrats! Welcome to the cult community.

Get 8 GB of RAM, more if you're planning on running VMs. Here's your caddy!

For software, start with the MacPorts package manager. People will tell you to use the collection of git scripts that is Homebrew, but MacPorts is a true package manager with a repository on part with that of, say, Debian's.

Let us know how you like it!

Yes, current drive into optical bay. The SSD should be where your current drive is now since that bay provides more bandwidth which is necessary for the SSD to function at its max potential.

You need a caddy to place a 2.5" hard drive into the optical bay. This is what I use: http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Unibody-MacBook-SuperDrive-Replacement/dp/B0058AH2US

Any SSD will be a great boot drive. Crucial or Samsung drives are solid. Get 256GB or up to whatever you can reasonably afford. I use a 256GB Samsung 840 Pro as a boot drive and my original 500GB mechanical drive for general storage. Hybrid drives (blend of SSD and mechanical technology) like the one you listed aren't so great since they compromise too much IMO.

For you to stay under budget, get a Samsung 850 EVO 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM and put your current drive into the caddy and then into the optical bay.

Make a USB installer thumb drive like above suggested.

Alternatively, I like to use a usb to SATA cable like this: https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-SATA-Drive-Adapter-Cable/dp/B00HJZJI84/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1504536012&sr=8-3&keywords=usb+to+sata

You can connect your old drive to usb and boot into it and then run disk utilities to format the new drive and install the OS on it. Then boot into the new one.

My SOP for installing a new drive is first attach it with that cable, format and install a clean OS on it. Then migrate all the data with migration assistant. Now open up the machine and swap drives. You boot up and are ready to go (after all your sign ins).

Time Machine restores the backup to a fresh install of MacOS, to make it easy to reinstall, and migrate your data to a new computer. The backups are not bootable, so you you need to install the OS before restoring.

If you want to port your disk from you HD to and SSD in one move, you can use Superduper and copy the whole drive to the SSD before installing it using a USB to SATA cable, keep in mind the HD and SSD needs to be the same size if not more as to fit all of the data.

Hi, The thermal paste we use at the Apple Authorised Service Provider I work for is this https://www.amazon.fr/ARCTIC-MX-4-2019-Refroidisseur-Dissipateur/dp/B07L9BDY3T/ref=sr_1_4?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=mx-4&qid=1567774785&s=gateway&sr=8-4. It is much better than the Apple thermal.

The Samsung EVO 860 you linked is an SSD we use for customers Macs, we also use the Crucial MX500, both are good SSDs.

The ram you linked is fine, we use Crucial ram but Crucial ram is normally more expensive.

u/ThunderAnt advice to make a bootable USB installer before repalcing the drive is a good idea as it won't rely on the internet during the install.

If you have the MacBook Pro 13" 2012 non retina then be extremely careful with the hard drive cable as it easily fails https://beetstech.com/blog/prevent-a1278-mid-2012-hard-drive-cable-failure

Well, there is a website called www.fixit.com that has walkthroughs and tutorials that can help for almost anything you would want to do.

I got this RAM.

>Pretty easy to install, just follow this guide.

I got this SSD.
>You can replace the old drive you have in your computer with this guide, or you can double your data (see below).

I got this CD drive caddy.

>You can follow this guild to swap out your optical drive with an SSD, so you have two hard drives in your computer.

Then you just install Yosemite on the SSD, and boot into that, use migration assistant to copy your stuff from the first drive. Then you use disk utility to wipe/erase the old drive and boom: you have storage and you have a fast booting SSD without that much more cost. If you can spend more than that, just get a bigger capacity SSD and maybe a new hard drive as well. Or just get 1 SSD and saw the hard drive.

I say, why have one drive when you can have two.

Don't bother with all that application stuff- everymac.com is a simple way to look up your machine. Is it the 2013 27" version?

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac-core-i7-3.5-27-inch-aluminum-late-2013-specs.html

This gives the exact type of RAM you will need and maximum supported.

the iMac can hold up to 4x8GB chips so 32GB is your maximum memory. It probably comes with 2x4GB chips in it so you can add on in the other slots to upgrade your memory. I would suggest at least another 8GB for your editing work and maybe another 8-16G if you want to dedicate some to Bootcamp or a virtual machine (Parallels Desktop is a good example).

Amazon can beat OWCs prices anyday. This is the type of RAM you need: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008LTBJFW?pc_redir=1409054757&robot_redir=1

That is to add 16GB to the current 8GB it comes with so you will have 24GB in that scenario. Should be plenty!

OWC is $50 more for a 16GB kit...

Another option is the HooToo USB C Hub. It’s a lot cheaper that other recommendations but only has 3USBs, 1SDXC, Charge Passthru, and HDMI capable of 4K output. It works good for me so I suggest u check it out. It’s around $40 usually but is sometimes on sale.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K7C53K2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_Py2nc39Ybfwzk

(Here's a link to the product,)[http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Unibody-MacBook-SuperDrive-Replacement/dp/B0058AH2US/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1425582441&sr=8-3&keywords=macbook+pro+cd+adapter] , super easy to install.

First thing is to format the SSD using Disk Utility. That's already on your Mac.

Use Time Machine to backup your existing drive. Then clean install OS X on the SSD, and restore from Time Machine.

One of these cables will make it all much easier, especially if you don't have a spare external drive. With this cable, you can skip several hops when moving stuff.