I'm considering getting a retina MacBook Pro, should I upgrade the RAM or the Storage?

I don't want to go over $1,800, so I can only upgrade to 16GB RAM with a 256GB SSD, or 8GB RAM with a 512GB SSD. I will be running a lot of VM's, so I was originally going to go for the first option, with 16GB RAM, but I heard that if you use more than 80% of an SSD's capacity, it degrades more quickly due to the way the wear leveling algorithms work. I'm intending to get at least 4 years of use out of this machine. In summary, which option should I go with? Thanks in advance!

H.S.G.,
go with the RAM. A Retina MacBook Pro’s SSD can (in theory) be replaced if necessary; its soldered-in RAM can’t.

Similar Messages

Is there any way to make a snow leopard partition on an early 2011 MacBook Pro that was upgraded to Lion, without the original boot disk?

So I have an early 2011 MacBook pro, I believe it shipped with snow leopard originally, as I purchased and upgraded to Lion fairly early on. I am trying to make a partition right now and have it run snow leopard so I can use programs that have PowerPC.
I should note, I replaced both the RAM and the harddrive in my Macbook pro. I changed from 4 GB of ram (that came shipped) to 8 GB of ram from a 3rd party, that I installed on my own months ago, have registered in the computer and have been working fine for quite some time now.
Also I should note I replaced my harddrive. I went from what ever the standard 500 GB harddrive that shipped with 15 inch early 2011 MB pro's. I now have a 3rd party SSD that's 240GB's that I also installed on my own, (at the same time as the RAM---Black friday items) The harddrive has been working just fine since then.
In installing the harddrive I borrowed a friends external harddrive and used a program called carbon copy cloner to get everything over to the SSD.
Now here is my issue. I have ordered the Snow Leopard (10.6.3) install disks from apple, I have created a partition on my SSD for snow leopard, but when I try to select the install disc for snow leopard at boot I get three beeps.
I know this issue has been posted elsewere but it said answered and the answer is no longer available. I also am unsure if any of the RAM or Harddrive swapping could have been causing the issue. I have the old harddrive and RAM still, but unfortunatley have no external harddrive anymore or money to afford one.
Is there any way I can install a partition that runs snow leopard on my early 2011 MB pro with what I have (new SSD, New RAM, Current version Lion running, no external drive, lack of original snow leopard disks [I lost them ] and the general 10.6.3 snow leopard boot disks).
Let me know If there is anything I can do. I'm a now broke college student so i'd like to spend as little $$$$ as possible
*PS I should also note the DVD drive is working fine, it reads the disk, the disk is brand new, it plays DVD's fine and has never had any issues in the years i've used it for similar tasks*
sorry for the long drawn out post, I just wanted to include as much as possible from what I've seen other people have issues with

BrettGoudy wrote:
...Is there any way I can install a partition that runs snow leopard on my early 2011 MB pro with what I have (new SSD, New RAM, Current version Lion running, no external drive, lack of original snow leopard disks [I lost them ] and the general 10.6.3 snow leopard boot disks)...
As the last post suggests, call Apple and order a replacement original disc for about $17. They will ask you the model and serial numbers.
Your retail version of Snow Leopard OS 10.6.3 will not work on that Mac as it requires a minimum of OS X 10.6.7 to boot and operate.
Another alternative is to again borrow another Mac to install your retail Snow Leopard into an external HD or partition, upgrade it to 10.6.8 and then clone it back to a partition on your MBP.

If i get a 15-in Macbook Pro, should i upgrade to 8GB SDRAM?

So i am planning on getting a 15-in Macbook Pro and i was wondering if it is worth getting the 8gb ram upgrade with it, which is 200 extra bucks.

I would say it depends on what your planning on doing. I have 4GB in mine, and i personally thing the HDD is the slowest part. Also it is cheaper to get the RAM from some one like Crucial and install yourself and save $100
http://www.crucial.com/uk/promo/index.aspx?gclid=CJDPzbGDzqkCFUFC4QodKQSwNw&prog =mfr_apple&cpe=pd_google_uk&ef_id=ptpN9OFK@ggAAAwJ:20110624073302:s

Older MacBook Pro- should I upgrade to Yosemite?

I have a 15-inch MacBook Pro released in mid 2010. I'm trying to decide whether to upgrade to Yosemite or not. I know there have been issues. Have there been updates that have eliminated the problems? Thanks for your help.

If you are still using Snow Leopard as your profile suggests, be aware that PPC applications will not run on newer OSXs. You will be forced to upgrade them, replace or abandon them based on the given application. Installing a new OSX should be based on a need rather than it merely being new.
Yosemite is RAM intensive and not nearly as efficient as Snow Leopard. If your MBP is running to your satisfaction and you have no need for applications that run only on Yosemite, then do not install it. If there are applications that you need, then do install it.
If the MBP is not running satisfactorily, a new OSX will not cure it. Then you have to search for reasons that are responsible for poor performance.
Ciao.

Early 2008 Macbook Pro Should I upgrade to 6gb ram and SSD?

In the last few months, I've entered the world of 64-bit computing. I learned that this now means that my Early 2008 Macbook Pro, that has been fantastic and flawless for 6 years, needs an upgrade or replacement. I'm hard-hard stuck on whether I should upgrade it or replace it.
My current configuration is:
Processor 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory 4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
Storage 200 GB SATA Disk
I need to run OSX Mavericks and Windows 7 in VMWare or Bootcamp (I don't really like bootcamp).
I am eyeing two upgrades
1) Crucial 4GB Single DDR2 667MHz (PC2-5300) CL5 SODIMM 200-Pin Notebook Memory Module CT51264AC667
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001RB21JY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1& smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
2) Crucial M500 240GB SATA 2.5-Inch 7mm (with 9.5mm adapter) Internal Solid State Drive CT240M500SSD1
http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-2-5-Inch-adapter-Internal-CT240M500SSD1/dp/B00BQ8R M1A/ref=sr_1_10?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1392961391&sr=1-10&keywords=ssd
My question is: Is it worth it for me max out my computer by upgrading again for $250? Will this hold me over for another 2-3 years, or should I look to replace?

Well, I have researched and researched and researched and come to a conclusion. I've compared many brand new replacement computers, and also reviewed my options for upgrading my computer. Upgrading to a new computer altogether, I have come across a few very attractive offers, but they're all in the $800+ price range.
I've decided that OSX Mavericks is my main issue. My early 2008 Macbook Pro was 100% perfectly sufficient for everything I needed it for when using OSX Snow Leopard. After the upgrade, VMWare Fusion runs like a sloth and everything else runs like a slug (maybe a slug that had a 5 hour energy...). Seriously. Just now, I am running Safari and MS Word while copying files to my backup drive. The beachball is all over the place, whereas the CPU is only at 15% use and RAM is at 3.97/4.00. I'm barely using the computer, and it's ridiculously hot and the fans are screaming.
First thing I'm going to do is 'upgrade' back to Snow Leopard to recover my RAM and regain the ability to effectively run my VMWare virtual machine. Then, I'm going to opt for the $100 upgrade to total 6GB of RAM and $150 upgrade to a SSD.

MacBook Pro 5,5 Upgrades SSD/RAM

Hello, I'm new to DYI upgrades and am looking to update my mid 2009 MBP's HD and RAM. Here are my currents specs:
Model Identifier:          MacBookPro5,5
Processor Name:          Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed:          2.53 GHz
Number Of Processors:          1
Total Number Of Cores:          2
L2 Cache:          3 MB
Memory:          4 GB
Bus Speed:          1.07 GHz
2x Stock RAM cards
Size:          2 GB
Type:          DDR3
Speed:          1067 MHz
HDD: 250GB
Vendor:          NVidia
Product:          MCP79 AHCI
Link Speed:          3 Gigabit
Negotiated Link Speed:          1.5 Gigabit
Description:          AHCI Version 1.20 Supported
If more information is needed, please ask, I am unsure if I have supplied enough. This computer is mostly base specs without upgrades. The upgrade options I have posted below the questions are some examples of what I'm interested in. This computer is used mostly for word processesing, web browsing, music storage/playback, and some gaming. Nothing too intense, but I can tell the computer is much slower now and I'd like to get it back up to speed.
My current hard drive is begining to run very slow, even after a full wipe and reinstall of only necessary files. Should I just update to a new HDD? Is it worth upgrading to a SSD for added speed? Also, can a SSD @ 6GB/s speed have any compatibility issues with my computers 3GB/s limit? Any recommendations for hard drives? Further, is my RAM selection compatible and are there other companies / options in general you would suggest when it comes to RAM? Can I exceed my 1067MHz speed without issues?
The products I have looked into include the following:
RAM
http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Technology-Notebook-KTA-MB1066K2-8G/dp/B001PS9UKW /ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388091404&sr=8-1&keywords=Kingston+8GB+%282+x+4GB%29+DD R3+1066
SSD
http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Extreme-2-5-Inch-Solid-SDSSDXP-480G-G25/dp/B00COF7 E1W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1388090155&sr=8-3&keywords=SanDisk+Extreme+II+SSD
Please let me know if any further information would help with a suggestion!
Thanks for the read,
Zach

Hey Dana,
Yes, I ended up going with a Crucial M500 240GB. In the end, I was between the M500 and the Samsung Evo 840 250GB. The Evo has higher read/write speeds and is an overall praised peice of hardware! I personally chose the M500 because they were pretty cheap on amazon at the time (about $90 during after holiday sales.)
http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/storage-ssd-m500
http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-240GB-2-5-Inch-Internal-CT240M500SSD1/dp/B00BQ8RM1 A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402909537&sr=8-1&keywords=m500
The 250GB Evo comes in at around $135 with barely higher read speeds, but double the write speeds. What swayed me away from the Samung was the fact that a few Evos had encountered issues with particular Mac models and wouldn't work, also some Evos had a hard time performing at advertised rates when in Macs. Knowing little, I went with the safe (and cheaper) bet, Crucial. I wouldn't doubt most of the time the Evos would be fine though.
Seagate drives have good advertising specs and great price points, but every longevity test I could find was terrible for them! Avoid Seagate if you can!
1 Seagate example posted back in January when I was looking around:
http://www.neowin.net/news/seagate-hard-drives-exhibit-surprisingly-high-failure s-rates-in-reliability-test-hitachi-leads-the-pack
I like the M500 and have had no problems or issues, and the computer is noticably faster! In addition to the SSD I upgraded to 8GB of Crucial RAM. The RAM was cheap and SUPER easy to install, although the HD/SSD swap was very easy as well. Youtube has very clear, easy to follow instructional videos, some posted by the manufacturers of the drives! The SSD + RAM made me certain that this 2009 computer will last as a mobile compainon for the next 2-5+ years for all my on-the-go computing needs! Definitely worth the money for my situation!
If just starting your search, I would recommend looking up your comp model on everymac.com and see what compatible parts they suggest as a starting point, they also have great info such as the following max RAM cap chart:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/by_capability/actual-maximum-ram-capacity-of-mac s.html
Please feel free to ask any questions, I'll help if I can, or point you to the right place for information, but as user clitonfrombirmingham pointed out, if you start your own thread with your specific computer specs, I'm sure you'll get detailed info on what is best for your rig! Hope this helped! Have a good one,
Zach

Can retina macbook pro ssd be upgraded in any way?

so can 13 inch models ssd be replaced with bigger storage option? are there any apple or third party replacements available? if yes then what is aproximate cost for each and how fast can replacement drive be(can it measure up to original) ?

For late 2013 MBPs, only Apple could do any repair in the situation that you describe. Exactly how they would do it, I cannot answer with authority, but if the SSD was the only issue, I would think only that would be replaced, not the whole logic board. The SSD is held in place by one T5 Toex screw.
Ciao.

Retina MacBook Pro Issues Since Updating To Yosemite

Hey everyone,
I have the early 2013 15 Inch Retina MacBook Pro (2.4Ghz i7, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) and ever since I updated to Yosemite I have had many issues which are becoming serious problems.
Problem 1) 9/10 times the laptop will not turn off when shut down is pressed. The Finder disappears, the dock stays put and then does nothing. I have to manually hold the power button to get the laptop to turn off.
Problem 2) Audio issues. I have an external Audio Interface that I use for recording and playback through my studio monitors. Randomly when I'm watching videos the audio of the video will slow down so the audio sounds lowered in pitch while the video stays the same speed. While I'm listening to music through iTunes there have been occasions where the music has actually sped up at least 10x of it's original speed.
Problem 3) Connecting to Apple TV's crashes my computer. At college we have Apple TV's that we can connect Macs and iPads to to showcase work and when I connect my MacBook to it, the Macbook crashes and has to be forced rebooted.
Problem 4) The computer is just generally slower. When browsing files in the finder and using applications such as iMovie the computer is noticeably slower than when before upgraded.
I have tried contacting Apple support but was told that I had to purchase an incident report for £25. After spending £1800 on a Laptop I'm not paying £25 just to talk to someone. Has anyone had these issues? Any fixes?
Thanks!

Well, if your Contacts have disappeared, then under System Preferences, click on iCloud and make sure you are signed into iCloud. If you are not, sign in. If you are, sign out and then back in to see if that restores your contacts.
I take it you have already restarted your Mac? If not, do that as well.
Best of luck,
GB

Retina Macbook Pro: Constant Crashing, Kernel Panics, Etc

I've heard a lot of talk about how certain apps are crashing these new Macbook Pros. I'm here to tell you that it's not the apps: it's the hardware.
At least, that's what casual observation has taught me.
Here's my story:
Bought a new, fully-loaded Retina Macbook Pro. Immediately, apps start crashing left and right: Evernote, Reminders, Pages, etc.
Even worse, the computer had multiple kernel panics in the first week of purchase, none of which could be attributed to Chrome, Skype, or any of that nonsense. When I ran the Apple hardware test, everything came up fine, but I wasn't so sure, so I took the computer to the Genius Bar, who recommended that I erase and reinstall. I did that, and I just experienced another crash today. I was in Pages, and the entire computer froze, although I could move my cursor.
Put simply, I dropped almost four thosuand dollars on what should be the best computer on the planet, but is actually a piece of crap.
No matter what app I'm running, whether or not I reinstall, the machine continuously crashes.
Either that means that something is fundamentally broken about the OS, which doesn't seem to be the case given that it's working fine on other machines, or there is something wrong with these new Retina Macbook Pros.

Not really. If you read the terms of use for this forum it says something to the effect of Questions. No Ranting and or X Y or Z.
I feel for you and gave the only option you have, if you are within that 14 day period.
You could try calling Apple Customer Service and simply stated that you want a refund even though you are just outside that 14 day time period as you are very dissatisfied with the system. If that doesn't get you anywhere you could file a complaint with your CC company.
You are right, It Is a Piece of KWrap. These forums are littered with problem post of all kinds for the Retina MBPs.
Not only that but the Retina models are basically irreparable. They are Throw Away computers as most parts are either glued to the case parts or soldered to the main Logic/mother board
Personally I have bought my First and Last Mac and with that the last Apple product I will ever buy.
Good Luck.

Retina Macbook pro Batterylife still low after 10.8.2

Hi all,
I have my Retina Macbook Pro for about 3 months now and the batt life wast't as promised 7 hours long. But I tought that this was going to be fixed after a few updates and now that I have installed 10.8.2 and my batt is right now at 100% and it still lasts only 4 hours?? And I am only browsing everything else is closed.
I hope someone can help me out on this one.
Greetz.

I have a rMBP and I also had problems with battery life. In 10.8.2 I was getting estimates of like 2-3 hours on a full charge with 40% brightness Intel graphics only, Wifi on, Bluetooth off, only Safari open...
But just now I thought about resetting the SMC (kind of like resetting the PMU in older macs). After a reboot I am at 70% battery with an estimate of 4.5 hours of battery life. That's more like it. And now Im also running Aperture and a few other apps.
So if you still have the problem I recommend you try the SMC reset.
Resetting the System Management Controller - Support - Apple

Retina MacBook Pro Trackpad in Windows 8

Hello, and apologies if this has been answered anywhere, I've been digging for hours and to no avail.
I just recently picked up the new Retina MacBook Pro, and I'm having issues with the trackpad in boot camped Windows 8. For reference, the trackpad worked fine in Windows 7, and I used the same Windows Support drivers that Boot Camp downloaded for both Windows 7 and Windows 8.
The issue manifests itself as such:
Windows receives no input from Trackpad at all
2 "Touchpads" appear in Device Manager in Windows 8
Both touchpads have yellow yield sign indicating on further inspection "driver installed improperly"
So far I've tried the following:
Uninstall and re-scan for devices
Reinstall by running repair with boot camp utility
Older versions of the driver in boot camp
Running the individual boot camp driver directly (results in "you need to run 64 bit version of DPInst.exe"
Extracting boot camp driver archive, replacing DPInst.exe with a 64 bit version, running DPInst.exe as well as re-archiving and running the driver
Checking online for additional drivers, including Microsoft's auto-check functionality
Each of these methods have resulted in the same thing, 2 touchpads appearing with "incorrectly installed drivers." I'm at a total loss, if anyone has had any success conquering this issue, or if you've simply been able to use your Trackpad on your RMBP, please share your steps!
Cheers.

To make the trackpad work. You need to install trackpad++
(http://www.techspot.com/downloads/4967-trackpad-control-module.html), it will enable the trackpad driver on boot camp. After you install the trackpad++, trackpad++ will complain something. ingnore it. You should be able to enable trackpad. And you can now even uninstall the trackpad++, the trackpad will sill work.
brightness, what graphics card are you using? It might be due to the auto adjusting brightness running there. You can go to your power options, edit the one you are using (Change plan settings >> Change advanced power settings) and look for Batteries >> Enable adaptive brightness and disable the one you are using. After that, the scrollbar for adjusting brightness in power options should work again.
bluetooth connection is incredibly unreliable/intermittent when in Windows (I run Windows 7 64-bit and Boot Camp 4.0, and got both devices connected without any trouble via Bluetooth).
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4079148
After much testing, I have found the cause of lagging/jumpiness on the Bluetooth Magic Mouse and Magic TrackPad in Boot Camp. Hopefully this will help others:
The drivers for the Broadcom 802.11n Wireless Adapter have a setting called "Bluetooth Collaboration" that is Disabled by default. Enabling this option removes the problem instantly. My Magic Trackpad now works flawlessly, even if I stand 6 metres from the machine. It now works just as well as under Mac OS. The setting can be found under:
Control Panel > Device Manager > Network Adapters > Broadcom 802.11n Network Adapter (right click and choose "Properties".
Under the "Advanced" tab, highlight the setting named "Bluetooth Collaboration", then change it to Enable. Then click OK.
I narrowed the problem down to the wireless card by disabling ALL startup services and processes for Windows, then re-enabling one by one.
As soon as I enabled the Windows Wireless Service, the problem came back.
Similarly, disabling the Wireless Card inside the Network and Sharing Center (or Device Manager) removes the problem.
This led me to believe it must be a driver issue with the wireless card, since the problem didn't occur with the Magic TrackPad under Mac OS, or on my mother's Windows 7 64-bit computer.
So when I went into the Driver Properties to check for an update, I found this setting about Bluetooth Collaboration.
All Apple notebooks use the Broadcom card (and have done for years), so this driver is installed for almost anybody using Boot Camp on an Apple notebook. I'd assume this problem would affect anybody using Boot Camp + wifi + a Bluetooth device.
Wireless Connection problem using windows in a Mac.

I cannot load logic studio into my retina macbook pro from disc

I am trying to load logic studio from the upgrade discs that I brought when it first came out and it's not loading on my retina macbook pro. I'm loading it through the external superdrive. any help would be great.

Could it be because you are trying to install from upgrade discs? Do you have the installation media for whatever version you upgraded from? If so, you might try installing that version and then doing the upgrade installation over that.

I'm a normal user, using cad programme, not using my laptop for games, my question is: do I need to get 16 gb ram in my retina macbook pro or 8 gb ram is pretty enough?

I'm a normal user, using cad programme, not using my laptop for games, my question is: do I need to get 16 gb ram in my retina macbook pro or 8 gb ram is pretty enough?
Thanks for support.

8 GB may be sufficient for CAD but 16 would be a much better idea.
All the Macs I have ever owned were eventually upgraded to the maximum amount of memory they could use. Considering that as of now, the RAM you specify is all the RAM you will ever have, get as much as you can. That is the only way to maximize its economic life.
If Apple offered a 32 GB version I'd get it.

I am an Entrepenuer as well as Business Manager related to Residential Developer and Construction, I am considering in buying a MacBook Pro 13" or an Ipad. I need advice on What should I get appropriate to my type of business?

Don't know What is best for my type of business?

The advice I give is one writes documents on a Mac while one reads documents and writes short notes on an iPad. The iPad is great for surfing the net and is more portable but will not do heavier tasks as well as a Mac such as creating and editing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. The data you create is more secure on a Mac; it has better storage and backup features. So for a read-mostly device the iPad work great but if you get into creating and editing documents then the iPad can fall short.
For a portable Mac consider a 3 lb. 13” MacBook Air or a 3.5 lb 13” Retina MacBook Pro. For your applications they have similar capabilities and similar portability. The non-Retina MacBook Pro weighs a lot more (4.5 lbs).

I am thinking of getting my first Macbook pro for uni and was just wondering which one would be the best? The macbook pro or macbook pro with retina display? or even wait for the new release in 2013 ?

I am thinking of getting my first Macbook pro for uni and was just wondering which one would be the best? The macbook pro or macbook pro with retina display? or even wait for the new release in 2013 ?

If your budget is unlimited, look at both the retina and non-retina and make a decision based on your preferences. If funds are tight, explore the options in the refurbished section. Unless you are dealing with courses that demand specific performance parameters, any one of these options will suffice.
Ciao.

I'm considering getting a retina MacBook Pro, should I upgrade the RAM or the Storage?

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