Decision on RAM

I just got my MBP 2.0 and have decided to add a matched pair of Crucial 1 GB SO-DIMMS. There was a lot of back and forth on adding another brand with matching specs but decided not to go that route. Soooo - looks like I will have the factory installed 1 GB SO-DIMM available to ship to someone by Saturday.
Not sure how critical the "matched brand & specs" is but I did not want to spend any more time wondering about it.

Susan - the memory is Samsung but after the second day I had so much noise from the defective power inverter that I returned the MBP - used the purchased memory in my new Mac mini (same specs). My plan is to purchase another MBP once some of these issues are resolved.
FWIW - the 1.66 Mac mini w/ 2 GB ram is impressive.

Similar Messages

Overclocking decisions (Mainly RAM freq.)

Hello everybody:
This is my first post. Hope to come here often and participate whenever I can.
First of all, I'm new to this stuff of overclocking, but it is a very interesting subject.
I read the sticky posts on this category, but still some questions rise.
I'm planning on building a system for me. I'll be doing mostly programming, digital photo processing (a lot of), and Video Editing (also a lot).
I'm checking MoBo's from several brands, looking through websites with tests and comparisons and benchmarking
I'm almost decided on MSI 875P FIS2R + P4 because I think Hyperthreading can be very useful in the programs I will use. Also i'll need lots and lots and lots of space, so i'm thinking on RAID 0, with 4 SATA 150 250GB drives. This should be enough
Also stability is somehow an issue. I can't afford to lose hours of work just because the darn thing freezes!
So, now that you know the story of my life, here come the questions:
I'm actually quite confused with all this mix of DDR, FSB and CPU frequencies.
Assuming I'll buy a P4 C Northwood, I cant' go over 4 Ghz with it, right?
So I'll assume the best performance I can get from a P4 C system would be using a 3.2 Ghz processor with DDR 500 and an FSB running at 1000 Mhz, right? This would allow me to run the system at 1:1 4Ghz, the processor's limit.
Would the MSI 875P FIS2R support these settings? Would the system be stable (in theory)?
In terms of performance, what would happen if I used DDR of a different frequency (higher or lower)?
Would a system of P4 C 3Ghz + DDR 533 + FSB running at 1066 Mhz be more stable then the previous one? Are there motherboards able to support 1000-1100 FSB's?
Running a system at a ratio different than 1:1 would affect performance in what way?
What's your opinion on More RAm vs Faster RAM (2 GB DDR 400 v 1 GB DDR 550), for general use? Would a system benefit more from the former or the later?
Faster SPD or higher frequency? (For instance 2-2-2-6 DDR400 vs 3-4-4-7 DDR 550)
One last question regarding the case/ventilation/power... Any suggestions?
Sorry for the long post
Hope to hear from you
Jose Rodrigues

I will try to answer what I can.
If you are going to O/C to 4Ghz good luck, and you will have to consider better cooling than stock.
As far as your ratio question I was running in 5:4 @ 3.3Ghz but games like Age of Empire and Galactic Battlegrounds would stutter like crazy. When I tried 1:1 @ 3.0Ghz everything was fine. NO stutter an all. It has been mentioned on this forum before and I totally agree, 1:1 is best.
My opinion on more ramm would be (general use) 1Gb is enough and the higher the ddr the better, as long as the mobo can handle it. DDR 500 will O/C better than DDR 3200
The higher frequency ramm usually do better with relaxed timmings. 3-4-4-8
Ventilation is a book in itself. In thru the front out thru the rear. Putting a blowhole in the top is always a good idea. Chieftech makes a good case. I would stick with a brand name PSU . PC Power and Cooling make a great PSU, but they are pricey.
If you set up RAID 0 with 4 250Gb HD I am shure you know that what you will have is a very fast 250Gb SATA HD.
I hope that helps.

Ios 6 for ipad

Ok I have a major question and this bothers me. The ipad 1 came out after the iphone 3gs, Why does the iphone 3gs get ios6 but not ipad1? The ipad 1 can do EVERYTHING the 2 and 3 can do but no camera.

It's probably due to the RAM and processor limitations, and probably why the iPad 2 doesn't get Siri (because Apple makes the decisions).
iPad: RAM - 256MB, Processor - 1 GHz Apple A4
iPad 2: RAM - 512MB, Processor - 1GHz dual-core Apple A5
iPad 3: RAM 1024MB, Processor - 1GHz dual-core Apple A5X
 Cheers, Tom

RAM decisions

I am about to update my ageing desktop with a new Z68 mobo and i7 2600K. After much reading on this forum I want to start out with 16GB RAM and would prefer to use 2 X 8GB sticks and upgrade to 32GB at a future date. However, I keep reading that all DIMM slots in a bank should be filled (i.e. 4 X 4GB sticks on this mobo to give me my 16GB). What problems - if any - might I encounter if I go with 2 X 8GB??
Also, I want to overclock to a reasonable level - say 4Ghz max. (I don't do any gaming). My understanding is that you can/should use higher speed RAM when overclocking? As higher speed RAM is more expensive (especially when looking at 8GB sticks), would the benefits of higher speed RAM really make much difference?

Nigel,
Why I generally completly embrace doing things like filling 2 RAM slots with future expansion capabilities, I'm not sure if that is best for a new Z68 system right now.
Right now 8GB stick are demanding a premium, and the fastest 32GB kits that G. Skill "certifies" for use with Z68 (I used Asus P8Z68 Deluxe RAM configurator on their web site as a reference) are 1600 MHz.
So, bottom line sugestion is to simply buy 4x4GB 1600 sticks now for your Z68 -- pretty affordable, and 4x8GB stick prices will surely come down if you want to upgrade later. Besides, 16GB really works pretty well and could be considered pretty balanced for your MB/CPU choice anyway.
Regarding OC'ing to 4GHz, 1600 MHz RAM with 1.5v should work just fine. Premiere Pro begs for lots of RAM - and yes, in the general scheme of people building PCs today, 16GB is already "lots of RAM" - but the actual speed and timing of the RAM does not really make any noticable difference in performance.
Jim

Should I keep my MacBook Pro or exchange it for more Ram and SSD space?

Hello,
I decided to purchase a MacBook Pro 15 inch with Retina display. I thought I would just bite the bullet and get it with the upgraded 16gb Ram and 512 SSD as I want this computer to last me at least 5 years. I don't know exactly what I will be using it for but potentially I will be running a small business with it as well as using it for photos, some videos and all the other things we all use everyday. This brought the total price tag up to about $2900 before tax. Way more than I wanted to spend, but again, I plan on this being my last computer purchase for at least 5 years...and this would be my only computer...not a secondary one but the primary one.
As I was asking the guy in Best Buy about any sales or discounts, he mentioned a MacBook Pro with retina display that was just retuned to the store by a lady that decided to go with a MacBook Air instead. It had been opened but not used and was in perfect condition. The sales manager said he could sell that one to me for $470 off the normal price. The problem was, it was the base model and only had 8gb Ram and 256gb SSD storage. So, I had the option of buying the computer I wanted...that I know would last me for years and years, for $2,900 OR buy the base model for $1,729. What would you do?
I decided to buy the base model as it was just to good a deal to pass up. Now, 2 days later, I don't know if I made the right decision. I know that 256gb of memory is not going to last me very long...especially considering how much more space modern software takes up nowadays...and its only getting worse. My solution is to just buy an external hard drive and store everything I don't immediately need on it. But I don't know if I'm being realistic as maybe it will be a major pain to constantly have to carry around an extra storage device. Then again, even if I had the 512 SSD model MacBook, I would still eventually run out of space and need an external drive. Has anyone else relied on an external device for their daily computing needs? Is it a major nuisance or easy to get by with?
My bigger concern is that it only has 8gb of Ram and can NOT be upgraded in the future. 8gb ram is fine right now, especially with the flash drive and i7 quad core processor, but in a couple years, I'm afraid it won't be enough and that ill be forced to purchase another computer. The sales manager said that because its a Mac and because of the "monster processor" that the 8gb of Ram will be more than enough for years to come. According to him, Macs require less Ram than PC's due to their operating system being much more efficient. (This is my first Mac so I'm a bit unfamiliar)
So this is my dellima, should I return the base model and buy the one I originally wanted or should I make do with the base model and be thankful for the great deal I was able to get?
Will the 8gb of Ram be enough in a few years? I realize that depends on what I'm using the computer for but, since I'm not sure what my needs will be in the next year, lets assume I'll be using it to run a small business as well as the typical storage of pictures and home videos, etc.
Bottom line, will the 8gb of ram be enough to prevent the need to buy another computer for another 5 years or so or do I need to suck it up, return the base model, pay the extra $1,100 and get the 16gb of ram I originally wanted?
Sorry for the long story, I just need some solid advice as money is tight and I want to make the right decision. I'd rather pay $1,100 extra now and not need to buy a new computer for 5-6 years than save the money now but have to buy a whole new computer in 1-2 years. If however, the 8gb ram will still make for a solid computer in a few years, I will gladly save the money.
Thanks in advance for your help. ;-)

Generally (and in my opinion):
1) do not buy any computer you cannot replace the hard drive and the RAM in.
2) do NOT (EVER, EVER, EVER) purchase RAM or expended hard drive from any vendor (like Apple, Dell, etc). they mark up the RAM
purchase the lowest machine that will work for you and upgrade the RAM and hard drive down the road. Just look at the price Apple charges for the upgrade from 4GB to 8 GB:
Apple is charging the (4GB RAM + $100) for the 8GB upgrade. You can easily get 8GB for $100. later you should be able to get 8GB for $60.
Same thing for the hard drives:
Applis charging the price of (500GB + $100) for the 750GB drive. I just bought a 750GB notebook drive for $99
I, personally, would return the retina notebook for a MacBookPro that you can upgrade the hd and ram

1st Generation Mac Pro 2.66 dual Core(4 cores total) 5gigs of RAM

I'm still on Logic 8/Tiger. All running very well. Typical projects run about 30 tracks. Use lots of Vi's Omnisphere, Trillian, and RMX included.
Wanting to move to 10.6.2/Logic 9.1. Is my first generation Mac Pro up for the upgrade? Will I still have plenty of juice?
4 drives(OS, audio, samples, and backup)
Thanks for any input!
Message was edited by: Gearjunkeee

I also have a similar set-up but with 8 GB's RAM. I kept the old HDD with the Leopard 10.5.8 and Logic 9.02. Installed a new HDD then did the upgrade. To be honest, it was a PAINFUL process re-loading in all of the software plus updating the software! But, for me at least (knock on wood), I've had no problems with Snow Leopard and Logic 9.1. My first "test" was to run my lastes sequencing project which has a total of 30 virtual instruments and plug-ins from various companies (Kontakt 2.5 Player, Music Lab, "External Instruments", Audio Ease's Altiverb, Universal Audio plug-ins) and all worked well. Now, to be very clear, please realize that this was only 1 "test". But I noticed right-away better usage of the CPU than the previous version. For the previous versions (Leopard 10.5.8 with Logic 9.02) of this one "test" I had to set the buffer to 512 in order to do a problem-free mix-down. But with the upgrade of Snow Leopard/Logic Pro combo, I was able to mix down this project with a buffer setting set to 128. (I'm quite happy with that setting.)
FYI, I'm using Logic Pro 9.1 in 32-bit mode. I tried the 64-bit mode, but some of my plug-ins didn't work in that mode (Music Lab's RealStrat and RealLPC, which I tend to use frequently.) But I'm happy using 32-bit mode, especially using Native-Instrument's Kontakt 4.04. Again, all works well.
Just thought I would share a positive experiece with the upgrades. Good luck with your decision.

RAM upgrade for a Satellite A100-847

I would like to upgrade the RAM for my A100-847 from my current 512 MB by adding another module for 512 MB but i face a compatibility problem because looking at the manual the only compatible modules are the following:
256 MB: PA3389U-1M25
512 MB: PA3412U-1M51
1 GB: PA3411U-1M1G
I tried looking for a module with these codes but I didn't find any in Romania. I could find a module from another manufacturer with the same specification but I don't know if these would function properly .
So I need some advice .
Thanks,
Bobby

Hi,
which manufacturer you have seen? If they have the same specs, then they should fit. The best decision would be to take some kingston or crucial modules. They were tested to work well with toshibas, so just consider buying some kingstons with the specs of the original toshiba modules and have fun with them.
In case of some further question just ask.
Greetings

Please help, my Mini is eating up all my Ram & suffers from annoying bugs!

Hello
This is my first official post with a few problems as I just got my Mini and as I hear around the boards, there are a number of things wrong with the mini...
Here is my first problem :
My Mini seems to eat up a lot of ram and for some reason, when I quit all of my apps and leave only one or two open it does not go up... Instead it just sits there and if I try to open more apps, it falls dangerously low and I feel the computer is kind of suffering...
On restart it is doing just fine again.
Here are some examples (please click on links to see Activity Monitor images):
The case when it goes bad
http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/1645/ramconsumption6ba.jpg
And this is after restart or startup
http://img489.imageshack.us/img489/3280/ramconsumption25es.jpg
What is eating up all my ram? And why does it not bounce back to the free ram it should have? It is like the apps suddenly double in RAM consumption...
Second problem :
When I start up my mini, each and every time I have to remind the mini to connect to my Airport Express, I have to go to the menu and pull down the menu bar and that is all. I don't even have to select it, cause it does it by its self, but not until I remind it. This is a rather annoying part, I cannot make it understand that it should JUST connect to my Airport setting...
Are there any solutions for this?
Third Problem :
When I startup the mini, the sound is always set to default, meaning it comes through the speakers at half volume. I always set it to full, so that I can control my speakers instead of going both to the mac and my speakers to control my sound setting.
Does anyone have this problem? And how can I fix it?
Also,I can only hear the startup chime via the mini and not via my speakers. Is this a universal problem with the minis? If so I can live with it, though it is pretty annoying.
Fourth Problem :
As I am writing this topic in this forum, my keyboard is kind of slow, it is not reacting as fast as it should. It is set to fast in the preference pane and even the controls of going up and down on a page via the arrow keys don't seem to keep its beat. It does it once and I have to press it how ever many lines I want to go up, unlike before on my G5 I just press and hold the button and it will go as far as I let it before I let it go.
What is that all about?
Fifth Problem :
Though this is a small problem, I don't know if this could be major later. I tend to get digital distortion during my usage of Safari. Certain places, I visit I can see digital distortion. Like when I scroll on CNN.COM. It makes some strange lines and I cannot figure out what is wrong with it...
Now, the mini was once considered to be a cheap investment, but as I found out, I had to go a long way and very close to the price of an iMac to get my Mini to work. See I have an Apple Studio Displace 17 inch ADC. Now, to my surprise, as I was about to hook up my mini to my nice Apple screen (Only a generation old), I was in for a big shock... It was simply not compatible... Not one bit... Leaving me with the bitter taste of having to pay an additional $130 for an DVI to ADC converter. And that really made me angry.
But aside from that, I have to say, I am not certain that I want to keep this mini... I have 10 days, to decide if I want to keep it or not... I can get a full refund if I don't like it... And so far, I am not sure I like it as much as I thought I would...
Rosetta aside, I think it is pretty fast, in all the native Intel apps. So, we'll see if I can eliminate some of these problems and if I can, I will keep it, but I am not sure how many of these problems I am going to need fixed before I seriously want to keep it...
I am going from one problematic G5 Dual 1.8 Powermac to another problematic Apple computer... It can get a little too overwhelming...
So any help anyone can give me at this point, would be very much appreciated...
Dual : G5 1.8 Ghz, MacMini Core Duo, iPod, iPod Shuffle & mini Mac OS X (10.4.5) Was the mini the correct decision?

Hi PPC7410!!!
Wow, thank you so much for your post, I really appreciate you taking the time to set a few things straight for me...
And yes, you are right, the Apple Studio Display was bought with my G5 Dual 1.8. So I kind of didn't want to buy a new monitor.
The main reason why I bought the mini now was because I am saving up for a MacBook Pro. I am going mobile soon and need a good computer. But, I want to wait till Apple fixes all the small problems with the MacBook Pros and I hope to get one early next year. And that is where the mini comes into the picture. I need a computer I can have while I save up for the laptop. And while I can still get some decent money for the G5, I am going to sell it and use the money on the laptop. Once I get that, I will give the mini to my father who can use it to keep in touch with me and start his digital life...
But...
A little about why I went with the min in the first place...
I bought a Dual 1.8 G5 PowerMac not long ago, well when it came out. Since day one I had serious problems with it. It was so bad that Apple even sent me a replacement, but that only came back with other problems. The first one had a logic board defect, it just panicked almost all the time... (On each startup there was a good chance my monitor went blue and a lot of cryptic codes were written all over the screen. Even when I tried the hardware test DVD, it couldn't complete it because it went into panic mode and I had to pull the plug cause nothing responded on the G5.)
Ok, so I waited almost 3 weeks for the new one, while I was in the middle of a project (which died because of this), and I was really pulling hairs by this time. So the new Powermac arrived, and I had to return my faulty G5 to where I got it. I live on the 4th floor and no elevators. 2 weeks before I got my G5 my back went out, so I don't have to tell anyone who owns a G5 Powermac just how heavy it is. Perhaps out of the box it wouldn't be so back but the box was big enough to house a small family. The new ones are smaller I see.
Ok, the new one arrived, and it didn't panic or do the things that the other machine did. However it was birthed with entire new set of problems which started to show up a little bit at a time. These problems presented them selves in strange bottleneck results. Applications such as iTunes would suffer with a G5 Dual 1.8 powermac and 1GB of Ram. The specs were directly from Apple. I didn't add anything to it.
A friend of mine has a G4 400mhz and I am telling you, that sometimes, that machines does things FASTER than my G5 Dual 1.8Ghz. That blew my mind...
I have to be honest, the hammer fell hardest when I pre-ordered Apple's Aperture in hopes of really getting some kind of real harmony between my Mac and my Nikon D50. But alas, when I got it, tried to install it, it said it could NOT be installed on my machine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yet the Apple seller, on the phone said, SUUUURREE it can, why couldn't it... I thought ; well yeah it is suppose to be the best and fastest mac out there, why would it have a problem with it? But I was wrong... and when I called them telling them that I couldn't install the app, they didn't want to cut me some slack. So I was stuck with Aperture 1.0... It looked good on the shelf, but that is all... It was a waste of money....
To be honest, I simply gave up at that time... I have just had so many problems with the G5 I have, that I wanted to downgrade to something that just did, the normal jobs of everyday work, such as surfing the web, emailing, occasional Photoshopping( With Adobe's press note telling us not to hold our breaths for any Uni-Photoshop this year, kind of feels like a kick in the teeth).
So, I didn't expect much from the mini. I know I couldn't do heavy work on it but all in all, speed wise, it is as fast as my G5 on a good day.
So aside from Rosetta, which is a real drag when you use it, it is a pretty good little machine... Just hope they will sort out these problems sooner than they did with so many other macs with ticks and bugs.
Again, thank you for answering my questions... I didn't quite understand the RAM thing, but you might be right, I just didn't encounter that on my G5...
Take care and have a great day!

Upgraded 2012 MACBOOK PRO 2.6Ghz 8GB RAM 750 GB an alternate for RETINA MBP 15 or NOT?How good is its potential, reliability ?

I am a student and an aspiring filmmaker.I am also into digital cinematography (Canon 550D) and now will be venturing into editing. I am in DIRE NEED of help
I have a few problems regarding the purchase of Macbook pro.I live in Kolkata(India).I have been waiting for the past 1 and a half years to buy a Mac but after the release of Retina Macbook pro 15.I am left confused. Its near unupgradability and unreparibility rumors, delayed delivery, and 1st generation hardware issues especially the lack of Optical drive made me reconsider my decision of buying one.
I want to know whether I can go for the top model of Non Retina - 2.6Ghz 8GB RAM 750 GB 1 GB Nvidea as an alternate choice for Retina MBP pro or NOT ?
1.I wanted to buy the Retina Base model. Though it is very recently launched and there is a big risk buying it because they say it is unrepairable and unfixable as 'everything is glued into the motherboard' dialogue scares me. Something goes wrong after purchase and they send it back to US, is what the Apple officials said. Moreover they don’t keep one on a demo at Apple stores in kolkata. I have searched almost everywhere and have been to many resellers in my city but no use.
NOW,I am very sceptical about custom ordering a Macbook 15 non retina with High-Res 1680X1050p from US.I don’t know how much custom duty or expenses I have to pay and is it safe or not. Time is also a factor. Sadly, I have to buy one in Kolkata (my city) it seems.
2. I am opting for Macbook Pro 15,2.6 Ghz,8GB RAM. Buying it for the sole purpose of editing(audio, video, photos).I need something which is fast along with a good screen size. My original decision was to buy the 17inch but after the launch of Retina and the upgraded 15 inch, I am only looking forward to the upgraded models. Many say 13 inch is fast, but it features a dual core with a maximum of 2.9Ghz clockspeed. I on the other hand want a quad core i7 with good upgradability options and a good screen size. The 13 inch may be a favorite for many, but I want nothing less than a 15 inch. One good option I get with non Retina 15 is its upgradability, while many say Retina MBP 15 can be made upgradable in future but that time is yet to come and by the time the whole web becomes ‘retina friendly’ and all applications supporting its 2880X1800 resolution, I may end up waiting only. Yes the picture quality remains unbeatable when compared to Retina Pro and it will always be. Though friends, I am a student, I want something which is fast, can run almost anything and future dependable. Retina Mac book Pro in India is 2799 USD - Base model. I cannot pay that amount just for the screen. As far as speed is concerned, I plan to get an OWC SSD and a 16 GB OWC RAM in the future resulting in greater speed when comparing the configuration with Retina 15.That problem is solved.
My problem here is this: The web is filled with reviews and videos of Retina Macbook Pro and the upgraded Macbook Pro 15 is just no where, if you even find a few videos, they only feature unboxing videos of Macbook pro 15 (i7-2.3Ghz-4GB-500GB-500MB Nvidea).Other videos compare the 2.3ghz model with Retina 15 pro. They are not elaborate like the 15 Retina Pro reviews.
1. I want to know about the real performance, potential, pros, cons of Macbook Pro 15 (i7 2.6Ghz 8GB RAM 750 GB 1GB Nvidea graphics).
So my question to you is what is your opinion on the 15 inch non retina ? HOW FAST do you think is the new upgraded 15inch non retina i7-2.6Ghz-8GB-750GB model really is ?I have read on many mac forums and seen on a particular youtube video that 15inch 2.3Ghz model takes an alarming 40 seconds to start because of traditional hard drive ! A normal DELL Inspiron starts at 15 secs max with i3+4 GB RAM and this particularly confuses me about the whole quad core processing and stuff and speed when running applications like C6,FCP,Lightroom etc is to be determined in regard to the model I want to buy.
2. Is it necessary to buy APPLE CARE WARRANTY when buying a laptop from Apple.What are the benefits and how is it different form the normal customer care ?
3. Please enlighten me on some nice headphones from Sennheizer under 90 USD.I am considering Sennheiser HD 439.I am not a bass freak and I want something to use for listening to voice, loud clear. In short, a headphone for all purpose. I heard the HD 449 is not that good compared to HD 439.They say it is Jazz oriented. Another confusion !
Finally, If you know anyone who knows about this configuration (15inch 2.6 8GB RAM 750GB) and its performance than please help me out my friends. Any small detail, input, you feel like please let me know. Please help me be sure and satisfied am buying my Macbook Pro very soon and I am awaiting your response.

Well, are you talking about a 750 Hard Drive or SSD? If SSD (quite expensive) it will certainly be as fast. One option is to get the smallest HD they have and with the Non Retina you can upgrade the HD to an SSD later or now but save a little money. Check with iFixit or OWC for instructions. HD's do take longer to start up and load, but once open, the processor and video work just the same as on the Retina model. The SSD speed is nice, but really not critical. So you have to wait a minute for your computer to boot up. The other big question is you need to find out if the non-retina model will take 16GB of ram. According to OWC's site, it will, 16GB for 150USD. Once you get programs open and resident in ram, everything will fly.

MACBOOK PRO 2.6Ghz 8GB RAM 750 GB(Upgraded MBP 2012) an alternate for RETINA MBP 15 or NOT?How good is its potential, reliability ?

I am a student and an aspiring filmmaker.I am also into digital cinematography (Canon 550D) and now will be venturing into editing. I am in DIRE NEED of help
I have a few problems regarding the purchase of Macbook pro.I live in Kolkata(India).I have been waiting for the past 1 and a half years to buy a Mac but after the release of Retina Macbook pro 15.I am left confused. Its near unupgradability and unreparibility rumors, delayed delivery, and 1st generation hardware issues especially the lack of Optical drive made me reconsider my decision of buying one.
I want to know whether I can go for the top model of Non Retina - 2.6Ghz 8GB RAM 750 GB 1 GB Nvidea as an alternate choice for Retina MBP pro or NOT ?
I wanted to buy the Retina Base model. Though it is very recently launched and there is a big risk buying it because they say it is unrepairable and unfixable as 'everything is glued into the motherboard' dialogue scares me. Something goes wrong after purchase and they send it back to US, is what the Apple officials said. Moreover they don’t keep one on a demo at Apple stores in kolkata. I have searched almost everywhere and have been to many resellers in my city but no use.
NOW,I am very sceptical about custom ordering a Macbook 15 non retina with High-Res 1680X1050p from US.I don’t know how much custom duty or expenses I have to pay and is it safe or not. Time is also a factor. Sadly, I have to buy one in Kolkata (my city) it seems.
I am opting for Macbook Pro 15,2.6 Ghz,8GB RAM. Buying it for the sole purpose of editing(audio, video, photos).I need something which is fast along with a good screen size. My original decision was to buy the 17inch but after the launch of Retina and the upgraded 15 inch, I am only looking forward to the upgraded models. Many say 13 inch is fast, but it features a dual core with a maximum of 2.9Ghz clockspeed. I on the other hand want a quad core i7 with good upgradability options and a good screen size. The 13 inch may be a favorite for many, but I want nothing less than a 15 inch. One good option I get with non Retina 15 is its upgradability, while many say Retina MBP 15 can be made upgradable in future but that time is yet to come and by the time the whole web becomes ‘retina friendly’ and all applications supporting its 2880X1800 resolution, I may end up waiting only. Yes the picture quality remains unbeatable when compared to Retina Pro and it will always be. Though friends, I am a student, I want something which is fast, can run almost anything and future dependable. Retina Mac book Pro in India is 2799 USD - Base model. I cannot pay that amount just for the screen. As far as speed is concerned, I plan to get an OWC SSD and a 16 GB OWC RAM in the future resulting in greater speed when comparing the configuration with Retina 15.That problem is solved.
My problem here is this: The web is filled with reviews and videos of Retina Macbook Pro and the upgraded Macbook Pro 15 is just no where, if you even find a few videos, they only feature unboxing videos of Macbook pro 15 (i7-2.3Ghz-4GB-500GB-500MB Nvidea).Other videos compare the 2.3ghz model with Retina 15 pro. They are not elaborate like the 15 Retina Pro reviews.
I want to know about the real performance, potential, pros, cons of Macbook Pro 15 (i7 2.6Ghz 8GB RAM 750 GB 1GB Nvidea graphics).
So my question to you is what is your opinion on the 15 inch non retina ? HOW FAST do you think is the new upgraded 15inch non retina i7-2.6Ghz-8GB-750GB model really is ?I have read on many mac forums and seen on a particular youtube video that 15inch 2.3Ghz model takes an alarming 40 seconds to start because of traditional hard drive ! A normal DELL Inspiron starts at 15 secs max with i3+4 GB RAM and this particularly confuses me about the whole quad core processing and stuff and speed when running applications like C6,FCP,Lightroom etc is to be determined in regard to the model I want to buy.
A. Is it necessary to buy APPLE CARE WARRANTY when buying a laptop from Apple. What are the benefits and how is it different form the normal customer care ?
B. Please enlighten me on some nice headphones from Sennheizer under 90 USD.I am considering Sennheiser HD 439.I am not a bass freak and I want something to use for listening to voice, loud clear. In short, a headphone for all purpose. I heard the HD 449 is not that good compared to HD 439.They say it is Jazz oriented. Another confusion !
Finally, If you know anyone who knows about this configuration (15inch 2.6 8GB RAM 750GB) and its performance than please help me out my friends. Any small detail, input, you feel like please let me know. Please help me be sure and satisfied am buying my Macbook Pro very soon and I am awaiting your response.

Well, are you talking about a 750 Hard Drive or SSD? If SSD (quite expensive) it will certainly be as fast. One option is to get the smallest HD they have and with the Non Retina you can upgrade the HD to an SSD later or now but save a little money. Check with iFixit or OWC for instructions. HD's do take longer to start up and load, but once open, the processor and video work just the same as on the Retina model. The SSD speed is nice, but really not critical. So you have to wait a minute for your computer to boot up. The other big question is you need to find out if the non-retina model will take 16GB of ram. According to OWC's site, it will, 16GB for 150USD. Once you get programs open and resident in ram, everything will fly.

What are the benefits to having more than 1GB RAM?

I notice the repeated advice in this forum over the question of "Should I get a Matched pair of 2 x 512MB or total 1.5GB RAM in my iMac G5 Rev. A/B?", and the answer always seems to be "more RAM will always perform faster."
Oh yeah, why? Someone point me to an informed link on subject somewhere else on the web. I mean no offense, but I wonder if, in this case, one bit of misinformtion became Gospel truth that keeps getting repeated over and over.
I'm fairly knowledgeable when it comes to Macs, but I don't understand this response that more RAM will always perform faster. Yes, yes, I know that barefeats.com found very little real-world performance gains in their testing of matched pairs vs. unmatched, or 128-bit vs. 64-bit, in the iMac G5. The same would be true of using CL2.5 vs. CL3.0 RAM -- you just ain't gonna see that much difference. But we are not talking processor speeds or hard drive RPM, which WILL affect all users. More memory is just more memory. If you are not using it, what good does it do? How will more unused memory "speed things up?"
I use a neat little program called "Menumeters." It puts my CPU/Disk/Memory/Network activity all in my menu bar. For the memory, it lists USED and FREE memory. Right now on my 1GB Mac Mini it is using 192MB RAM with 832MB FREE with 3 applications open, one of them being Safari.
I recently DOWNGRADED the memory in my iMac G5 2.0GHz from 2GB to 1GB. Why? Because menumeters showed that even in my 2GB iMac, my memory usage never went above about 800MB. Mind you I do video editing in Final Cut Express, I create DVD's in iDVD, I do photo editing in Photoshop, I manage my 8K digital photo library in iPhoto, and I could have all these and other applications open and running and my memory usage never went above 800MB. Every time I have checked my pageouts have been 0, meaning I never had to write the memory contents to my hard drive.
Which begs the question, how is having 1.5 or 2.0GB of RAM going to be a benefit over 1GB of RAM, when I have never needed more than 1GB of RAM in my Mac? I ask because I can either go with 1.0 or 1.5GB of memory in my iMac G5 right now, as I will sell either the 1GB or 512MB memory on ebay. But I'd like to know if someone can give me a compelling reason to put the 1.5GB in my iMac. Otherwise, it just seems like wasted $ to me, as I'll make over double selling the 1GB vs. the 512MB module.
Home: 20" iMac G5 2.0GHz rev.B/1GB/300GB Mac OS X (10.4.4) Work: Mac Mini 1.5GHz/1GB/64MB video/80GB

"you are telling me what my needs are based on your needs."
Eric, I have never told you what your needs are or should be. Did I once tell you you were wrong to have 2GB of RAM in your system? No. Did I say it is foolish for anyone to run 2GB of RAM in their iMac? No. Did I say 2GB of RAM in everyone's system would be an unnecessary excess? Certainly. Have you advised people to go for 1.5 or 2.0GB of memory instead of 1GB of memory without doing a needs anaylsis? You most certainly have, here and here and here, even after the original poster states they only want to buy a 512MB module, and in the last example, after someone else in that thread encouraged the novice Mac user to do a needs assessment. I'll let each reader determine for themself which they feel is the irresponsible advise.
Also, I never said "the average user, 'just isn’t going to need more than 1GB of RAM, now, or in the life of his iMac G5'" as you claim I did. I said a person running Safari, Mail, and iPhoto will not need more than 1GB. I consider that a light user. To clarify, to me a light user and an average user are not synonymous. And yes, a light user could get by with 512MB with virtual memory on occassion with an approximate 5% system slowdown, a slowdown which will probably not even be noticable.
What is need? To me if someone experiences an occassionaly pageout does not mean they need to go out and buy more memory. As a comparison, imagine you have a china setting for 12 people you received as a wedding gift. Every Sunday your wife fixes a nice dinner and uses the china. Typically you have 4-8 people at dinner every week, depending on if your brother's family joins you or not. But because of a special occassion -- a graduation that weekend -- you have 14 people at your house for lunch. Do you go out and buy enough china for 18 or 24 people, or do you and your wife use your everyday tableware for yourselves and give the other 12 guests the china that one day and save the expense?
See where I am going? 1.0GB of memory vs. 1.5 or 2.0 compares to 12 china settings vs. 18 or 24. And, no, I am NOT saying you, Eric, should only have 1.0GB of memory, but just if a person's needs dictate that.
Someone might stock the cabinet with 24 china settings when 29 meals out of 30 they have only 4-8 people eating on their china. But someone like myself, and other people that are budget conscious, probably will not want to do that. And I know you can change the illustration to support going for a higher amount of RAM, but my point is that for most iMac users, I do not believe that is something they really need.
Regarding your remark about data manipulation, I am sorry if the facts do not support highway's claims. The point of highway's whole remark was based on the premise that Apple shipped 64MB of RAM as the base amount for an iMac of 4 years ago. I showed where that was not a true statement. How is that data manipulation? And the main point of what I wrote was to show how someone writes an erroneous bit of information, then someone else picks up on that and repeats it, and soon more and more come to believe that misinformation. You can see that going on in these posts here and here with Barbara and here with CanadaRAM, either from misinformation from barefeats, or from others users on this board. Notice no one asking about the poster's needs, but just advice to get a higher amount of RAM.
Again, anyone reading this should do a needs assessment. I noticed, Eric, in your last post you acquiesce about the validity of doing a needs assessment. That's not one small detail. THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT of this discussion. I hope to see less cookie-cutter responses in this forum in regards to memory purchasing and see more responsible advice to determine one's need, especially for the novice users who are asking the questions and won't do any more fact-finding than the advice given them on this board.
I appreciate the advice of those in past threads who have asked a poster to determine their needs in their RAM buying decisions. In my opinion, that is the best advice they can receive. And I am more than done with this topic, as look at how much I repeated information in this last post that I wrote previously.

Should I buy a new laptop? Or fix it with more RAM?

Dear all,
After a few years (since mid 2009) of happy relationship with my Macbook Pro, the last year I have noticed a severe decline in speed in all applications as well as a lot of apps crashing or not responding regulary. Me and my laptop have survived this long thanks to this forum where I am usually able to find solutions to various problems and by experimenting with "home fixes", despite my lack of technical knowledge.
I live abroad in a country without access to proper computor service centers etc, however I am visiting Europe next week and I need to take the decision on whether it is worth fixing my laptop or if the best option sis just to buy a new one.
After my attempts to troubleshoot and after reading up on this forum I am suspecting that the cause of the problems might have something to do with RAM or the proccessor. I do run a lot of heavy apps such as photoshop, premier pro, indesign, firefox, lightroom etc. I have always been able to work efficiently while having several apps running at the same time (for example firefox, word, indesign and photoshop) however since a while back i can't run more than 1-2 apps at the same time without the computer crashing or getting paralysed. The beach ball is spinning for minutes after each click which is very frustrating when working with details in for example photoshop. I have tried to clean up the computor with Onyx a few weeks ago which I think improved it a little bit. My 500GB harddisk is less than half full.
I would really appreciate your advise on my options of fixing the issue or just buying a new computer. Below are some details about my laptop.
Millions of thanks in advance!
Best,
Hanna
Processor: 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory: 2 GB 1067 MHz DDR3
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M 256MB
Software: OSX Version 10.8.3

I think 8G of memory may be good enough to run Adobe suite and Office.
No, there is no such risk.
Following shop has memory you need, though if you think you couldn't hadle to upgrade RAM, take it to Apple Store's Genius Bar to ask about upgrading RAM.
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/Apple_MacBook_MacBook_Pro/Upgrade/DDR3
-- kaz-k
PS/ You'd better ask about your question at MacBook Pro discussion board.
https://discussions.apple.com/community/notebooks/macbook_pro

Which do you think; Windows 7: 32-bit / 64-bit, (plus unused RAM issues) is best for video editing?

Hi there!
Just received delivery of a Lenovo G550 with the following spec:
2.2Ghz Core 2 Duo,
4GB (DDR3 - 1066Hz) RAM,
500GB HDD
NVIDIA GeForce G210M (512MB)
Windows 7
The entire purpose for buying this laptop, was for video editing and it is the best spec I could find for my needs and budget.
So what's the problem?
1) Windows 7 is installed as 32-bit, not 64 bit. Why is this? I was given no choice in this decision.
2) Only 2.96GB of that juicey RAM is being used by Windows 7. I need as much RAM as possible for video editing.
3) Lenovo sent NO install disc. - When I eventually get a virus or my HDD fails, I have NO WAY to clean install the very product I have just purchased! (A laptop with Windows 7 OS).
Considerations:
As I understand it (please comment if there are alternative views on this); The 64-bit architecture is only useful for compatible software which has been designed to run 64-bit.
The video editing software I use is "Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD 9.0"
The suggested problems with Windows 7 run as 64-bit include:
* Possible lack of driver compatibility support.
* Possibility of 32-bit programs running SLOWER in 64-bit environment, than their native 32-bit environment.
* Higher running temperatures & processor cooling issues.
* No performance gains for all other programs running as 32-bit (email, internet browser, etc).
The suggested advantages with Windows 7 run as 64-bit could be:
* Full utilisation of the 4GB RAM. (Presently limited to 2.96GB)
* Faster rendering and video editing tasks in 64-bit environment.
Questions:
4) How can I get an install disc for Windows 7? Shouldn't this come with the computer?
5) Do you think the potential hassle and architecture conflicts are worth suffering, to get the reported performance gains of 64-bit architecture and the remaining unused RAM?
Thank you for any help and advice!

contact lenovo support line for windows 7 dvds, but make sure if they send recovery dvds instead of windows 7 dvd.
most of people are having trouble with installing windows and drivers, so companies has found as this as solution to send recovery dvd -if asked- or using hidden partition to recovery system - like one key recover - instead of.
but if you ask me, they need to send dvds.
i'll contact the mods and admins about this issue, please stay connected to this post.
anyp wrote:
the member should contact lenovo, as of recently users are entitled to request media for 32 / 64 bit if they purchased one and want the other.

Hard Drive and RAM upgrades for latest 15" MBP

I'm minutes from ordering a new MBP. Only concerns are whether I get hte Apple upgrades or shop around.
I like this Hard Drive...
http://www.compu2000.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=6433
And this RAM upgrade...
http://www.a-power.com/product-10937-311-4
If these are equivalent to the apple options I can save hundreds and get a 320 GB drive, which will make a great portable.
So, does my plan hold water?

You're on your own for support when you do your own upgrades like this, but generally speaking, it works fine.
Note that HDD is less risky than RAM. With RAM you run the risk of unstable behavior that is tougher to diagnose. That said, a quality RAM upgrade and some initial testing with any of many available tools is as good as a factory build.
HDD upgrades are less risky, and I've upgraded (well, replaced after HDD death) ones in my MBPs many many times. I crunch my hard drives more than normal and have to generally replace them about every year. Some of the MBPs don't make this easy, and prepare to get all sorts of cozy with little 0 and 1 sized Phillips screwdrivers and some T6 as well, but it is doable (just not quite for the truly faint of heart).
Again, you're on your own for support once you do this, so weigh that in your decision.

Can I install two different RAM sizes in my Early 2011 Macbook Pro 2.0 GHz

I just bought me a 8 GB 1333 Mhz RAM for my Macbook Pro. I installed it in slot 2 and I installed the stock 2 GB RAM in slot 1. Is my decision good to have two different sizes RAM in my computer. It is showing me I have 10 GB RAM in my system, and I think my computer has become little faster, but t I had expected that it would be much more faster since I have 10 GB instead of 4 GB.

Boysovereign,
the speed of your MacBook Pro will only increase by installing additional RAM if the apps which you run were constrained by their previous amount of RAM. If they weren’t being constrained by the previous amount of RAM, then adding more RAM won’t affect the speed at which they run.
That being stated, you’ll suffer a minor performance hit by using two memory modules of different capacities; to maximize your MacBook Pro’s performance, you should install two memory modules of the same capacity.

Decision on RAM

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