Compromise: More RAM or better Processor

Hi
I'm looking to buy a new iMac in a couple of weeks, I know that I want a 27" one and I have a budget which will allow me to get one of two configurations:
- 2.9GHz i5 Processor, 512MB GeForce GTX 660M with 16 GB of RAM and 1TB Fusion drive
or
- 3.2GHz i5 Processor, 1024MB GeForce GTX 675MX with 8 GB of RAM and 1TB Fusion drive
I will be using the computer for web and app dev so i'll frequently be using Photoshop, X-Code, Dreamweaver and Parallels with Windows (running windows browsers for testing) and of course Pages, Numbers etc.
I honestly don't know which to compromise on; processor and graphics or ram. I realise that I can upgrade the ram at a later date, but at almost £300 for 16GB I don't want to compromise on RAM now and have to buy more a few months down the line.
This will be my first mac after having a bad time with Windows and AMD of late, so I don't mind spending the money so long as it lasts me a good few years. Any advice would be great!
Many thanks in anticipation :-)

It depends what you want to use your iMac for - if you're into video editing, the best processor (i7) and a lot of RAM will help. You do not need to buy your RAM from Apple, Crucial (in Europe) or OWC (macsales.com) in US are the two most recommended RAM vendors - check out their prices. If you get one with the stock 8 GB RAM, you could simply add 2 x 4 or 2 x 8 GB later.

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More RAM or better processor?

Hi All,
I'm gonna buy a new iMac for Christmas and I only have budget to upgrade either my RAM memory or my microprocessor. My base configuration would be 8 gb RAM and the core i5 2.9. Which one would you advise me to upgrade?
I mainly due photo and video work.
Thank you in advance.
Mikael

I was going to post before. but was really on the fence to which you need the most.
I totally agree with Babowa.
You are going to need both. Video work needs powerful CPU, GPU and RAM. You can get away with using a lesser GPU, but you need CPU speed and lots of RAM to process video.
If you are purchasing the 21 inch screen model, there is no later upgradeability. So,you need to purchase what you need at the time you order.

IMac 2012 (December) more RAM or faster processor?

I will buy a 21.5 iMac. Basic user: web, MS Office documents, some photo editing, burn DVDs. Maybe light video. I tend to keep my computers a long time (current Mac is the half dome from about 8 years ago).
Question: for the most bang for the buck, and long term use, is it worth adding more RAM (8 to 16) or upgrading the processor (2.7 to 2.9)?
Or just keep the basic model?
Unlike previous questions like this, the 21.5 Macs don't let you add RAM later. I get conflicting opinions from Mac store.

IMHO if you intend to keep the machine a long time in order to get the best performance and most futureability I'd recommend getting the i7 21.5" with 16GB and get the 1TB Fusion drive. The 2012 21.5" iMacs are not designed to be user upgradeable for anything however OWC (www.macsales.com) sells a RAM upgrade kit. It takes skill to do the upgrade and will probably invalidate the warranty but it's possible.
IMHO I'd buy the upgrades from Apple at the point of order. You can purchase the above (i7, 16GB, Fusion drive) configuration from Apple's online store, I doubt the brick and mortar store would carry it.

Is there a way to make Aperture use more RAM for better performance?

I know in Photoshop or Lightroom (I forget which) you can designate the amount of RAM the program uses. Is it possible to do this in Aperture? If not, is there any other way. I just want it so that when I'm using Aperture, it designates most system resources to Aperture. Thanks.

I think that RAM designation in Ps or Lr is rather a limit/maximum which you can set then what it will/must use (perhaps in order to keep other programs running smoothly).
If you simply dont run any other programs Aperture should get all the attention it can get from your computer. Well maybe it cant use all your RAM if you have 8GB.. but it will use what it needs.
I believe that there are some terminal commands that can assign CPU priority to some processes, but in not entirly sure about how that works and if it helps.. just search for it on the web..

More Memory or faster processor?

Hi, Im interested in buying a Macbook soon and have a question. Which setup would give me better performance?
1)
2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2 GB Memory
2)
2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1GB Memory
Everything else is exactly the same. Thanks in advance

Hi jtp861,
I prefer faster processor over more ram, because the processor is fixed, while ram you can upgrade anytime.
Also with 2.16 model you also get dual layer dvd burner that will come handy if you need to back up your iTunes library and your other data.
And if you purchase 2.0 with 2 gb of ram directly from apple, it considered as built to order item, and apple will not accept return on BTO order.
Better upgrade memory yourself.
Good Luck.

More RAM = longer processor life ????????

does anyone out there know if adding more RAM helps reduce stress on the processor, thereby extending its lifespan? significantly?

Miguel Peralta:
i what about the difference between putting a computer to sleep and shutting it down. i have the idea that "sleep" does not mean that the computer stops working, and that it in fact remains ON. would shutting down be a better option istead of sleep, to conserve CPU life??
When you place it in sleep mode, the entire state of the machine is still in the DRAM, and the memory is still on and being refreshed. Basically a "1" is stored in a DRAM bit on a single capacitor where the voltage decays rapidly. The mechanism basically reads and rewrites each location periodically to ensure that the state of the memory is maintained above a required threshold to recogize a "1". It takes a certain amount of power to do this.
I believe the CPU power consumption is severely reduced in sleep mode.

Which is better? More Ram or bigger HD?

I am buying a new 13" macbook pro. I can get $100 student discount. So I was gonna either add 4gb ram for $90 or 320 gb harddrive for $90. I can only afford one of them though. Which one is more benificial? I don't need tons of storage space. Right now on my current computer I am using 74.63GB of my harddrive. Please help me decide. Thank you.

Ok. I will be using it for normal everyday use. But in addtion to that. I am going to be working in pro tools 8 for studio recording stuff. Just for a personal recording studio. And also, I will be playing Sims 3. So if the ram is better for performance, then I might want that thinking of those two programs.

Is more ram for OS X always better?

I have an iMac Intel Core Duo and I have open or use the following programs constantly:
Eye TV
iTunes
Skype
Mail
iChat in menu bar
Front Row
1st Question:
How much memory recommended for my situation?
2nd Question:
I have heard that the more memory the better. But will 2 gigs verses 1 gig for the casual user (mail, safari) make any difference?
iMac Intel 2 ghz 20 inch Mac OS X (10.4.8) 512 ram

Get out of the Pinto and climb into a 5.0L Mustang! (ford fan)
My Core Duo with 512MB was a slug, so a year ago in put in a 1GB module now at 1.5GB. At the time 1GB modules were running about $130.00 bucks so I only did the one..
I also think you should go with a 2GB kit 2x1GB you'll be able to open and run all those App's + more.
http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=61993778A5CA7304
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/53DR2SPAIR2G/
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145157&ATT=20-145-157&CM P=OTC-17exta6
17" iMac Intel Core Duo - 1.5GB Ram - Mac OS X (10.4.9) - Maxtor 300GB FireWire - Creative Inspire 2.1 - 2G Nano

New Processor Or More RAM?

Hi,
I just wanted to know whether to buy a new processor or some more RAM. I am pretty sure more RAM won't help, seeing as I only have a 400mhz processor. Its just my brother wants to play runescape on it and it won't take it, it's too laggy.
-Ollie

One trick you may try is to go to the top menu bar in your desktop and pull down: GO > Go to Folder... > and type in /var/vm/. This will take you to a directory and if you see several files with names like swapfile0, swapfile1, etc. , then you need more ram. Judging from your profile, it probably does need max ram as you're talking about running a game. Don't concern yourself too much with clock speed as the ram is of greater impact, in this particular case.
Good luck

Imovie Export Time Better with More RAM ?

I have an Imac, one before latest release, 3.06 CPU and 2 Gig RAM. A 17 minute video is exporting right now using H.264 and 1920 x 1080 settings and Imovie is telling me that it will take 3 hours. Also, the source video and the exported file are both on an exernal firewire drive (which I know was a mistake).
Question, if I installed 2 gigs more RAM, would it make a big difference ?

I'm a strong advocate for maximizing RAM, but It won't shave that much time of the processing. It still takes a long time to process hd. You will feel the RAM while you work and use multiple applications. It will take out the lag. However, becareful on choosing the RAM. A friend of mine went a really inexpensive route and wound up with conflicts and problems. Its not worth the dollar savings...

Aging g4 just keeps going but is more ram worthwhile?

I have a g4 that was purchased in 2000. I have never had a problem with it and probably haven't turned it off 50 times since I bought it. My question is that I can't afford a new computer but is it worth putting more RAM in it now in view of it's age? I run heavy apps on it (i.e., adobe and open-source). Currently I have 756 total RAM. My understanding is that with OS X I can go as high as 2GB so is it worth it? I know I have been extremely lucky with how this computer has performed.
The only other option I might consider is a Mac Mini with 4GB of RAM but everything I've read says that this is not a "production" machine. I am a graphic/web designer so performance is important (yeah, I know, so why am I using a dinosaur?).

Hi, helloiamamac -
There's no factual way to answer that question, only opinion.
When using OS 9, since you already have more than 512MB of RAM, adding more will not help much, as long as you are not running out of RAM under your current usage patterns. If you had less than 512MB, you could see (subjectively) an improvement in OS 9 by adding more. OS 9 can address a max of 1.5GB of RAM.
If you are using OSX, then adding more can help, specifically by reducing or eliminating the need for the OS to use swap space on the disk (a form of virtual memory). No data is read faster than data in RAM. Although fast processors (which you do not have) can manage swapping data from disks much better, it's still not as fast as reading from RAM. OSX can address a max (on your machine) of 2.0GB of RAM.
That machine, a G4 (Gigabit Ethernet) model, has four RAM slots (it was the last machine prior to the G4 MDDs which has more than three slots); each slot is rated for a max RAM module size of 512MB. Four of those give the machine's max total of 2.0GB.
You stated your machine has "756 total RAM" - might that be 768MB instead? 768MB is usually the result of one 512MB module and one 128MB module, although it could also be three 256MB modules (or some other combo of modules). In order to get 2.0GB of RAM in it, the minimum number of 512MB modules you would need is three; the max is four. You would need to balance the cost of those vs. the cost of a newer machine, one with more RAM than you have now.
By "newer" machine I am suggesting that instead of a brand new machine, you look at ones older than new, but newer than yours. Some of the G4 MDDs are going for good (i.e., low) prices, perhaps even lower than the cost of adding RAM to your machine. G5s are another possibility, provided you do not need to boot to OS 9.

Will adding more RAM to my Power Mac G5 make a difference?

I have a Power Mac G5 (Late 2005) with 1 GB of RAM, which is how I ordered it. Sometimes when I am viewing large (large viewing size) video files with Quicktime, the video files get a little choppy from time to time, especially when I have many other applications open. Will adding more RAM fix this or is it not really necessary? Also, does Leopard improve this problem? I am currently using Tiger.

Hey Tim
I'm definitely not an expert - but more Ram makes a huge difference. I'm not sure if more Ram will specifically solve your Quicktime issues or whether upgrading your graphic card is really the answer. Those more knowledgeable should jump in here. Buying Ram from 3rd parties, like OWC (making sure you do have the right compatible Ram), will improve your performance immediately. I noticed the difference when maximizing the RAm on my G4. It cannot hurt. 4GB of Ram for my G5 cost less than $200. I think Ram is the biggest bang for the buck.
Do you really need to get Leopard? The performance of Tiger on the G5 for me is solid. Seems like Tiger is optimized at this point for the G5 processor chips. Why muck around with all the potential problems you read about on these forums. Check out the Adobe forum and hear some of their nightmare stories. Who has this amount of time to waste on fixing what shouldn't need fixing in the first place. Just a thought - hope I'm not out of line for chiming in on this.
Since your model can take 8GB of Ram, indulge yourself and maybe buy another 4GB of matched Ram and if it doesn't solve your Quicktime issues, I'll bet it will make you happy with everything else.
Mike

What will I notice with more RAM? or FCE HD?

Right now FCE2 seems to be laboring between tasks. Since I just upgraded to the intel it is kind of a disappointment because my g4 Ibook never blinked (at all)... I like the new mac but seems like the old one handled more with less processor and same ram... Is it the older FCE2 or do I need more RAM? Would like to get dialed in for performance... so I can get more work done...

FCE2 is running under Rosetta. Since it is not a Universal Binary program it will not work as well as FCE3. 512 Mb ram is not much even for running FCE3. You would get better performance with more RAM. RAM is very cheap right now, I paid $39.00 US for a 1 GB stick recently. More RAM would help your FCE2 run better. You would also find it improves a lot of other things on your Mac.

More RAM or memory; difficulty to install on 2009 Mac Mini

I have a 2009 Mac Mini (Snow Leopard) with the following:
Model Name:          Mac mini
Model Identifier:          Macmini3,1
Processor Name:          Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed:          2 GHz
Number Of Processors:          1
Total Number Of Cores:          2
L2 Cache:          3 MB
Memory:          1 GB
Bus Speed:          1.07 GHz
Boot ROM Version:          MM31.0081.B06
SMC Version (system):          1.35f0
When I look at the Activity Monitory I see:
Free: 11.2 MB
Wire: 394.2 MB
Active: 415.1 MB
Inactive: 205.2 MB
Swap Used: 1.82 GB
The green "slice" is almost non-existent.
Do I need more RAM or memory and how easy/difficult is it to install either of these on my Mac Mini? Years ago I installed additional memory on my Dell desktop without any issues/problems.
Thanks!
Gina

soonergirl9999 wrote:
Another question ~ I looked at crucial.com's website and am unsure if I have a MB463LL/A computer or MB464LL/A computer. Where do I find this information so I make sure I order the correct item?
According to MacTracker, the only difference between the two model numbers is MB463LL/A comes with a 120 GB hard drive & MB464LL/A comes with a 320 GB hard drive. Both use the same "204-pin PC3-8500 (1066 MHz) DDR3 SO-DIMM" modules. http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4432#2 from Apple says you can install up to 4 GB total (with two 2 GB modules) but MacTracker says up to 8 GB total, as does Macsales.com (with two 4 GB modules).
Do note the earlier comment about the steps needed to upgrade your 2009 Mini -- only beginning with the 2010 models did Apple make upgrading memory in the Mini a simple, user-friendly process. The earlier models were not designed for the case to be opened by users.
Because of this (& because more memory is better, all other things being equal), I suggest you buy at least a pair of 2 GB modules (for 4 GB total).

After Effects CC 12.1 Adding more Ram

Sorry, I've searched for this answer and haven't found anything about AE CC v12 and Ram, plenty on Ram, just not AE CC v12, actually v12.1 now.
My question, is it better to have fewer slots of Ram with larger sticks, or more slots of ram with smaller sticks ? Basically I want to add more ram to my system but not sure which of those is better, if any?
I'm running a HP Z820 w/32 processors (hyperthread of course), nvidia k5000 & 32GB Ram. I wanted to throw some more Ram into the system, maybe 64GB but wasn't sure it I should just add more to the 16 slots I have available or replace the sticks I have with larger ones ? OR maybe it's a waste of time/money. The way capitol works here, i use it or lose it and not sure when the bank will be open again if ya know what i mean.
thanks for any adivce and for answering my Ram question, much appreicated.
Running windows 7 professional, Adobe Creative Cloud, C4D R15, maya, etc.

Fewer is (slightly) better generally as long as the config is optimized. On a dual CPU Z820, 64GB (8x 8GB ECC reg) is also a good setup along with the 128GB one Eric suggested.
Also see no problem with just adding another 32GB (8x 4GB) as long as they're matched for type (all registered or unbuffered but not mixed).

Compromise: More RAM or better Processor

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