Thus far I am very disappointed with macOS Sierra. I have a MacBook Pro late 2011 (2.5 Ghz intel core i5, 4 gb ram) which was running great on El Capitan. Updated today to macOS Sierra and my computer is so slow now, honestly shocked because it's the slowest its ever been. Applications take much longer to open, Siri isn't even worth using due to how slow it is. Everything went so well when I had upgraded to El Capitan, I thought I would have similar results this time around. Anyone else on a 2011 MacBook Pro with better results than me?
😔 macOS Sierra MacBook Pro 2011
- Thread starter nikkimd11
- Start date
anon(9602380)
Well-known member
I'm not on a 2011 MBP, but have it running on a 2010 MBP. It is running absolutely fine. I have seen no slow down at all.
wwlad
Member
Bazza1
Well-known member
I'm on a mid-2011 MacBook Air (so significantly less horsepower than your MBP) and I've not noticed any slowdowns as you've described.
Now, I always make a practice of doing several reboots over a few days (rather than just let my Mac go to sleep when I'm not using it), as I've found that helps Apple's OS get its ducks in a row - and maybe that helps. Boots are marginally longer, but beyond that...
The only other caveats here I have is that I don't use a lot of power / processor hungry apps and, being an Air, I have a SSD, rather than a HDD - so I don't know if those issues are playing into your's there - but firedept10's comment above suggests that its not a SSD/HDD issue?
Now, I always make a practice of doing several reboots over a few days (rather than just let my Mac go to sleep when I'm not using it), as I've found that helps Apple's OS get its ducks in a row - and maybe that helps. Boots are marginally longer, but beyond that...
The only other caveats here I have is that I don't use a lot of power / processor hungry apps and, being an Air, I have a SSD, rather than a HDD - so I don't know if those issues are playing into your's there - but firedept10's comment above suggests that its not a SSD/HDD issue?
basiliszag2
New member
MaxSmarties
Well-known member
It's a little bit early to judge it, but so far it seems to be not slower than El Capitan on my 2015 MacBook Pro.
Bazza1
Well-known member
I have 4GB RAM on my Air - meh, it works okay on Sierra. Rarely see Beachball - and that when I'm pushing my Chrome browser, which is a notorious resources hog.
As is always the case, more RAM always good, while SSD is always faster (and less of an energy hog) than a HDD.
Dmitry Nastich-Usov
New member
Hi Bazza1,
I have a question for you. How about battery on a mid-2011 MacBook Air?
How long is Air working on a Sierra?
I have a question for you. How about battery on a mid-2011 MacBook Air?
How long is Air working on a Sierra?
Bazza1
Well-known member
Hi Dmitry -
In truth, I don't use my Air as often as I once did on battery alone (though my battery's health and number of cycles left on it is still pretty good) - so I can't really give you a comparison. And I never really kept track of how long it ran with previous OSs and I've not really had enough of an opportunity to run it 'dry' on Sierra yet.
Sorry I can't offer guidance there.
Maseroche
New member
I got about the same results as the OP since upgrading. Even the bookmark pictures take time to load before opening a bookmark.
iLuis23
Member
I'm running Sierra on an early-2011 MBP and it runs pretty well.
Keep in mind, though, that I have an SSD installed instead of an HDD and I've upgraded my RAM to 8GB.
If you still have an HDD installed I HIGHLY suggest you invest in an SSD. Trust me, It'll make your Mac run like it's new.
Good luck!
Keep in mind, though, that I have an SSD installed instead of an HDD and I've upgraded my RAM to 8GB.
If you still have an HDD installed I HIGHLY suggest you invest in an SSD. Trust me, It'll make your Mac run like it's new.
Good luck!
mymacisold
New member
My early-2011 MacBookPro is running at a glacial pace on Sierra. I actually didn't even realize that I was upgrading the system, or I wouldn't have done it! 
In that same vein of knowing so little as to be dangerous, I don't know what HDD or SDD is. This Mac is an old one from work that I'm using at home, and I would love to not have to invest in a new one, if that's possible. Thanks for being smart people on this site!
In that same vein of knowing so little as to be dangerous, I don't know what HDD or SDD is. This Mac is an old one from work that I'm using at home, and I would love to not have to invest in a new one, if that's possible. Thanks for being smart people on this site!
robertk328
Moderator
I used Sierra on a 2011 Mac Mini and had no problems. I did have an SSD in it, though. If you're on a spinning drive, you won't fare as well, I'm sure.
robertk328
Moderator
HDD is a hard disk drive, the "old" traditional spinning hard drive. The newer computers often come with an SSD, or solid state drive, which is much like a memory card in your camera. No spinning drives, just near instant read/write access. Performance is quite a bit better.
You can see for yourself when I changed my 2011 Mac Mini HDD with an SSD. See this thread:
http://forums.imore.com/mac-mini/343279-external-ssd-boot-drive-2011-mini.html
mymacisold
New member
Robertk328 - Thabks for the explanation! I wouldn't be able to do that changeout myself, but it's very good to know what to ask someone else for! That's an amazing result and would be so much better than the molasses brick I currently own. I'll look around for a place that can do this work.
robertk328
Moderator
It will make a big difference.
If you're curious, here's a video:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cfiGF_pjqvM
Depending on your comfort level you may be able to do it. A backup is a must. But if you have a local place willing to do it, it could be worth it. Just get a decent SSD (i.e. Samsung EVO) and enjoy!
dionhan
Member
If you replace your hdd with a ssd the macbook will boot and work a lot faster! It will blow your mind!
This samsung EVO 850 500GB is really good
It is also trim enabled. On your macbook pro 2011 you can enable trim. There are a lot of tutorials on the internet how to do this.
Trim keeps your flash memory appropriately cycled so that you can achieve faster read and write speeds, as well as a longer lifespan for your SSD.
This samsung EVO 850 500GB is really good
It is also trim enabled. On your macbook pro 2011 you can enable trim. There are a lot of tutorials on the internet how to do this.
Trim keeps your flash memory appropriately cycled so that you can achieve faster read and write speeds, as well as a longer lifespan for your SSD.
John-early2011
New member
macOS Sierra MacBook Pro 2011macOS Sierra it's not working for me! The features is great and i don't see big differences in speed, but the battery flows in 1,5 hours MAX. Before the upgrade, battery was holding 3-4hrs! wtf now, really? I can't get used to the noise of the fans. After the upgrade by the time i open it, they are working all the time as like i'm rendering a video in Cinema 4D.
It was the worst experience i have had with Apple... Seriously.
I'm talking about MacBook Pro early 2011, 2.3GHz Intel Core i5, 4GB ram, SSD HD Samsung EVO 750.
How can i downgrade my Macbook and which was running great for similar Macbooks?
John-early2011
New member
I'm on a early-2011 MacBook pro and I've not noticed any slowdowns as you've described, but my battery flow very quickly and the fans working all the time.
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