Replacement MacBook Pro Due Thursday May 5, Will Retest
The replacement 17" MacBook Pro should arrive this Thursday, and I will have an opportunity to test it side-by-side with the existing one to confirm (or not) the performance issues before I send the replaced unit to Apple.
See Followup on 17" MacBook Pro Issues — Problems Have Not Gone Away and Aluminum Foil Fix For Your 17" 2011 MacBook Pro SATA 6G Problems.
Apple agreed to replace my 17" 2011 MacBook Pro, on condition that I send both the MacBook Pro and the OWC 6G SSD in (so they can test). Apple will reimburse me in "3-4 weeks" for the OWC 6G SSD, so I have to fork out the cash for a replacement in the meantime.