More Ram or SSD?

Dear All,
I want to buy a new iMac but I'm not sure if I should get it with more Ram 32GB or more space in the SSD the512GB Flash Storage.
I'm a TV producer and I process a lot of video files in Final Cut and pictures in CCS 6, which configuration would it better in terms of efficiency and render process.
Thanks a lot for your input.

you asked us in a Mac Pro tower forum. We have option of doing both as needed on our own with adding RAM as needed up to 48/64GB and more, and 4 x 4TB hdd plus 2, 4 SSDs on PCIe SSD card.
Don't they have a Fusion drive also as an option? Or SSD and hdd was an option too.
If you get a new iMac you will need scratch disk for even CS6 it has not gone away, your media on (or in) a Thunderbolt case.
See what www.macsales.com has to say about possible upgrades. It is easier to do with the 27" iMac.
Tips on and benchmark tests on CS6 and probably an iMac
http://www.macperformanceguide.com
The iMac high-end with 3.9GHz 4-core is nice but expensive.
For now better in cpu tests than a Mac Pro but there is something coming out in fall (October?) Mac Pro 2013 6,1 w/ up to 12-cores, 64GB.
Right now the Mac Pro w/ 6-core 3.33GHz and 24-32 or 48GB RAM plus all the storage you need. And 24GB seems to be minimum sweet spot for CS6 though more is better and when working with a lot of large fils then even 96GB isn't 'too much.' And a couple PCIe SSD controllers (4 x 256GB SSD for 1GB/sec and 1TB storage).
Adding 1TB of SATA3 SSD with Apricorn and Highpoint RAID to my 2009 MP
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1504491
Real world experiences with Sonnet Tempo Pro and 2 Samsung 840 Pro SSDs
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1605500

Similar Messages

Upgrade: more Ram or SSD ?

I am using a Mac mini 2009 with 2 GB Ram Mac OS 10.5.8
It looks like there are two options to upgrade my Mac.
1. upgrade the Ram from 2 GB to 4 GB
2. replace the internal hard drive with SSD
I just want to improve the overall performance.
Which one would you recommend?
Thank you.

Of course, the ultimate prize would be to upgrade both, but for overall performance, go SSD.
The difference is so noticeable and rewarding.
I had an early 2008 MB Pro 15" which I'd used a Cardbus SSD in the Expresscard slot for over a year. Now I have a current model MB Pro 15" which I do love, but in many respects it's no faster than my old one with the SSD.
If you are planning to do a lot of video editing and transcoding, image editing, etc. then the SSD has less noticeable improvement and is better served by better CPU and more RAM. But if you're consuming content, using social networking, importing and managing lots of files, databases, etc. then SSD it is. Reboots, launching multiple applications, Cmd+Tab(bing) between apps are all accelerated greatly by SSD.
An interesting idea, I've seen positive reacting to the new hybrid drives form Seagate which combine SSD with traditional HD storage. This way you still get 500GB but also, SSD and lower cost. In fact, then you could buy the RAM too!

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

System Overload (LPX) - more RAM or SSD?

I am an amateur producing EDM with Logic Pro X and after a couple of tracks, I get system overload quite often.
The machine is a MacBook Pro mid-2012 (non retina) with 500GB 5400rpm HDD, 4GB ram and i5 2.5ghz.
Therefore, I'm thinking about upgrading my mac, but I have a really tight budget after spending a lot of money on plugins for LPX,
so should I get a 256GB SSD or upgrade my RAM? And if I upgrade my ram, should I take out one stick and put an 8GB in for a total of 10GB, use a single 8gb stick or 2x4GB?
Thanks.

For what it is worth.. I just got hold of a WD VelociRaptor Duo Thunderbolt 2TB for $550 off of Amazon.. and the beast really flies...
It actually clocks faster than any of my Samsung SSDs.... coming in at 389GB/sec for reads and 383GB/sec for writes over Thunderbolt... and holds steady over repeated tests I have run today... and it's 2TB folks... which is great for storing and accessing large K5 libs...
Worth a look at imho....

Windows 8 (all versions) stop several times, bootcamp 4.0 macbook air core i 5 4GB Ram, 128 SSD

Hello People.
1- Macbook Air Core i 5 4GB Ram 128 SSD. mountain lion 10.8.2 (latest updates).
2- Windows 8 core or windows 8 professional or windows 8 enterprise.
mixed with:
Boot camp 4.0 in a 35GB partition.
Results:
after complete installing the windows 8 it stops working if I install windows support drivers then stops working again.
Then I must restart required by pressing the power button for 10 seconds.
installing on a battery, not charging is OK and works good drivers updated, but when you plug in the charger for charging the MAcbook Air Battery , it stops working again.
I Confused. May be a driver of

I see that you are saying all versions of Windows 8 are failing on your system, but are you including 32-bit and 64-bit flavors? I understand why 32-bit versions might give you grief (too much RAM for a 32-bit system to handle). A 64-bit system might still have device driver issues. Microsoft does not auto-magically have all the device drivers in the world that are necessary to make any system usable. The original device manufacturers must provide Microsoft with drivers before the Windows Update servers would be able to communicate said drivers to the computers in question.
In regards to Apple devices, Apple has not yet released the device drivers needed to run the hardware with Windows 8. Apple has released the drivers for previous versions of Windows (XP SP2 and higher, Vista RTM and higher, 7 RTM and higher) to their userbase, but not to Microsoft for distribution through Windows Update (unless I am mistaken). Until Apple releases a version of Boot Camp updated for use with Windows 8, they have not yet released any form of the full collection of necessary device drivers for normal device function with Windows 8. Running compatibility mode on the Windows 7 device driver bundle via boot camp is not a fully palatable solution because compatibility mode generally is meant for application programs, not device driver services. Therefore, partial compatibility might be gained by using the Windows 7 device drivers for Windows 8 with the compatibility mode enabled prior to install. Unfortunately, much unanticipated incompatibility is equally likely with such a decision.
Some parting words on the subject may be necessary for clarification: prior to the RTM versions of Windows 8, the trial versions of Windows 8 were distributed with a much wider array of device drivers than the RTMs. This was for Microsoft's testing purposes. Furthermore, some of the architecture used during the trial period likely used Windows 7 engines more than Windows 8 engines. This means the Windows 7 drivers pack would have had more likelihood of working during the Beta and Release Candidate periods than during the final Golden Master period we have now entered. Regardless, it is not recommended by Apple (our hardware manufacturer) to use another method of installing Windows on a Mac than to utilize Boot Camp.
As Mende1 suggested, you would be wise to reinstall a previous version of Windows you may have been running. Also, given your previous post, you will want to repair your OS X installation back to full functionality prior to the Windows reinstall. For a reasonable timeline estimate, consider that it took 89 days from the original release of Windows 7 by Microsoft until Apple originally released device drivers via an updated Boot Camp. That puts a reasonable ETA for the necessary Boot Camp update at January 22nd/23rd. Even though this does not seem to apply to your situation, the discounted download for the Windows 8 Pro Upgrade will end after January 31st.
Cheers!

If my peak "physical memory" usage is around 50%, is adding more RAM a waste of money?

I have a W700-DS with the T9600 dual-core and an SSD, and when running 4GB of RAM I'd notice that memory usage tended to rarely exceed 50%. Just for the heck of it, I just upgraded to 8GB of RAM, and now I'm curious as to whether I wasted my money, as the 4GB usage never hit 100%. One thing I did notice is that my "Windows Experience Index" went from 5.9 to 6.4, but I'm guessing maybe that's just marketing BS from Microsoft.
Thanks for your opinions.

If you haven't checked it out already, take a look at what the Resource Monitor tells you. I'm "using" only abpit 3GB out of 12 right now, but 9GB is marked "standby" -- memory filled by SuperFetch with items I'm most likely to need. The memory is still availalbe for something else if Windows/SuperFetch guessed wrong, but if it guessed right, it's already there and ready to go. Thus the boost to your Experience Index isn't total BS. You may actually be find your system more responsive. For example, if you always start your morning reading email, then check a website, then finally open your primary work applications, having more RAM allows SuperFetch to predictively load more of this while you're doing something else.
Interstingly, as I was typing this, my In Use dropped to 2.7G, Standby has filled the remainign 9.3G and free is down to 0 (Hardware Reserved is a negligible 113MB).
You don't mention exactly what OS you're using, but I'm going to presume Windows 7 x64... with a 32-bit OS, you definitely would have been wasting your money with its nominal 3GB limit. SuperFetch wasn't quite as good with Vista, but there would still be some benefit there, I think. I have no experience with XP x64.

How to allocate more ram to T410 IntelHD graphics? CONFUSED

Hello There
I have a T410 Thinkpad, and I would like to know how to allocate more ram to the IntelHD graphics so that I can run my video games a lot better. I have searched through the bios and cannot find how
Sorry for my English
-Jack

If you're running Windows 7 or later, Windows should automatically allocate up to 1.5GB of system RAM to the integrated graphics.
W520: i7-2720QM, Q2000M at 1080/688/1376, 21GB RAM, 500GB + 750GB HDD, FHD screen
X61T: L7500, 3GB RAM, 500GB HDD, XGA screen, Ultrabase
Y3P: 5Y70, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, QHD+ screen

Benefit of more RAM

Hello,
My current desktop system (Quad Phenom II 3,4GHz, / on SSD, /home on HDD) is equipped with 8 GB RAM and no swap. I'm thinking about upgrading to 16GB of RAM. Reason is mainly some memory hungry CFD post-processing software I want to run. I wonder how the rest of the system would benefit from this upgrade? Will the system benefit from the larger disk caches etc. or will be there no effect at all? (KDE is my desktop environment)
Thx!

Osiris wrote:Maxing out regarding the actually used memory by applications, no! But since linux uses the spare memory for caches e.g. it might still have an effect.
When you're not using your memory heavy software you're not getting anywhere near 8 GB (cache included), and when you're actually using it I doubt that you give a damn about cache. Theoretically what you described is correct, but since you already have 8 GB's, then I doubt increasing it any further would have any real effect. It would be much more noticeable if you had say 2 GB's and were considering upgrading to 4 GB, even if you weren't regurarly using all of your 2 GB. So my advice would be to get more RAM only if you actually need it, i.e. if you're regurarly running out while using your CFD software.
karol wrote:You are using SSD for / so I'm not sure if there will be a noticeable improvement in e.g. system responsiveness but RAM is cheap nowadays so getting more of it (if the board supports it) shouldn't be a problem.
Why SSD, you're thinking about heavy swapping? While they're fast, SSD transfer rates still can't be compared to DDR3 speed. Moreover, while I consider the panic around poor SSD longevity (limited write cycles in particular) largely exaggerated, it is still based on truth, and a lot of swapping is one thing you want to avoid.
edit: meh scratch that, I misread your post. Swap is not what you meant, but still might be a thing to consider.
Last edited by meph (2012-03-07 22:25:04)

Upgrading RAM and SSD versus Purchasing a New MBP

Hi Apple Community. What are your thoughts on upgrading my mid-2010 MBP with more RAM and an 380 GB SSD HD versus purchasing a new MBP with the faster processor et al? The upgrade would run me about $500, whereas a new laptop would cost me much more. Here are my current specs: 2.4 GHz, 13-in MBP, 4GB RAM and running Mountain Lion. I use my laptop mainly for web browsing, office and streaming music/videos. I don't do much photo editing other than occasionally using Gimp. Thanks for your help!

For a bit over $600, you could upgrade your particular MBP to 16GB of RAM and a 480 GB SSD and get a remarkable increase in speed. A new MBP would cost about $1,400 more and that's with a maximum of 8 GB of RAM. You'd get a longer warranty with AppleCare with the new one (for another $250). You also have a graphics processor on yours but a new 13" MBP has only the built-in graphics. The only thing I'd miss is the USB 3.0 ports vs the USB 2.0 ports you have.
Upgrading your current Mac sounds like a speedy and economical choice.

Just ram or SSD too?

My wife runs a business from her 2.53Ghz mid-2009 Macbook Pro. She's on it probably 12-14 hours a day with only short breaks and always has about 50 tabs open between chrome, firefox, and safari.
So the macbook has gotten PRETTY slow.
I know bumping up from 4GB of ram to 8 will help, but will we see much improvement from using an SSD? We don't care much about boot time and as far as program access time goes, she never really closes and reopens her browsers. They're always just open.

I would read this to determine if more ram really is the answer: http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/answers/how_to_tell_if_your_mac_needs_more_ram/. Also, regarding the hard drive, it really speeds up boot up time and also allows the opening of programs/applications MUCH faster. Those are the main benefits I see with mine.

Macbook pro 13 retina 4 ram 128 SSD or 8 ram 256 SSD

Hello,
I would like to ask, what config would suit my needs the most. I have read all these forum questions, but I am still undecided.
Here are things that I WILL DO:
- Safari opened (max 20 tabs), music (iTunes), mail, skype = these tasks at the same time
- Full HD video playback (youtube, etc...) = only this task with skype running
- Pages or word = only this task with skype running
- 27 Full HD monitor connected via HDMI
Things I WON'T DO:
- playing games
- photo, video editing
- I wont be instaling new versions of OS X (will be on mavericks forever)
- no storing of heavy filles (only some documents, iTunes library which has about 15GB and that is all)
That's it. I would like to ask if the retina 13 base line models can provide me smooth experience with no lags, slow downs, page reloads, etc.. Or if I shloud consider the middle range model (8 ram, 256 SSD). I don't want Macbook air.
Thank you in advance and have a nice day. (sry for english )

Miselik,
Great clarity on describing your needs.
I use a 4 GB MBA on Mavericks with no issues. However 8 GB will future-proof the machine as applications get larger. So the 4/8 GB decision is not a heavy one. Either will work.
A bigger decisions is can you live with 128 GB of mass storage or would you prefer 256? From your description you indicate you will not need a lot of storage so 128 GB should do. If you run out of SSD space you can always offload some files on an external disk.
For only $200 more I personally would go for the larger model but your description indicates the smaller model will work for your needs.

I have 1 GB RAM on an '07 MacBook Pro. 1) How do I check remaining memory? 2) I have Microsoft office 2004 - do I need to buy more RAM to upgrade to '11? 3) I need a new battery ... Is it worth the $$ to buy a new battery, RAM and Microsoft office 2011?

I have a MacBook Pro from '07 with 1 GB of memory. The battery is shot and my AppleCare has run out. I just upgraded the OS to 10.6.8. But a few questions:
1 - How do I even check how much memory I have left on this computer?
2 - How do I check how many battery cycles are left?
3 - I want to upgrade to Microsoft Office '11 because I don't have Adobe Acrobat to creat pdf's and I need to be able to do this for school... Instead of buying acrobat, I figured I would just upgrade to Office '11 because I can generate pdf's from Word. Roughly how much RAM does Office '11 take up?
4 - Does Apple still make batteries for this computer (from '07)? How much do they cost?
5 - How much does 1 more GB of memory cost?
AND lastly -- is it even worth it to spend the $ on more RAM, a new battery and Office '11?
Or does it make more sense to just get a new computer entirely? (trying to avoid this).
ANY help would be sooo appreciated! Thanks.

1 - How do I even check how much memory I have left on this computer?
If you're asking how to check to see if you need more RAM, open Activity Monitor and go to the System Memory tab, then compare page outs and page ins. If page outs is 10% or more of page ins, you probably need more RAM.
2 - How do I check how many battery cycles are left?
There's no limit on the number of battery cycles, it's just that the more cycles you've used the more "worn out" your battery gets. You've got a 4-year-old machine, and if it's still got the original battery, it's probably about time for a replacement battery. You can check battery health using System Profiler... look at the Power section under Hardware.
3 - I want to upgrade to Microsoft Office '11 because I don't have Adobe Acrobat to creat pdf's and I need to be able to do this for school... Instead of buying acrobat, I figured I would just upgrade to Office '11
You don't need Office 2011 to create PDFs. Any application capable of printing can create PDFs on a Mac. Just choose File -> Print, but instead of clicking the Print button in the print dialog, click the PDF button and choose Save As PDF in the menu that appears.
4 - Does Apple still make batteries for this computer (from '07)? How much do they cost?
5 - How much does 1 more GB of memory cost?
I'll "ditto" sig's answers to these.
AND lastly -- is it even worth it to spend the $ on more RAM, a new battery and Office '11?
Or does it make more sense to just get a new computer entirely? (trying to avoid this).
If Office 2004 is still working fine for you, stick with that and don't incur the costs of Office 2011. As to the RAM, only add more if the test I mentioned above indicates that you need it. If you buy more RAM when you don't really need it, you won't see much (if any) performance improvement. That just leaves the battery... and if the machine is still doing what you need it to do and you don't really need a new machine for anything, you could definitely buy a new battery and get a few more years out of it.

Can I add more ram than suggested

I need to get some more ram for my imac that apple say I can expand to 16gb. I currently have the standed 4gb.
In the following article from pcworld i noticed the following (especially the bold)
All iMacs come standard with 4GB of memory, installed as a pair of 2GB modules. When you order an iMac through the Apple Online Store, you have the option to upgrade the memory to 8GB (a pair of 4GB modules) on all iMac models for $200, or to 16GB (four 4GB modules) on the 27-inch models for $600. The iMac has four memory slots located at the bottom of the iMac that are user-accessible. Since two slots are empty when you buy an standard-configuration iMac, you can easily add more memory. The 21.5 inch iMac has support for up to 16GB of memory; third party companies are offering 32GB memory upgrades for the new 27-inch iMac.
Does this mean that I can technically go up to 32gb? Is there a down side to adding more the an 16gb suggested.

Although you can install up to 16 GBs of RAM in both 21 and 27" models, I can not confirm that you can install 32 GBs in the 27" model. You might check OWC to see what they say.

NVidia 8600M GT more RAM?

I have a MacBook Pro (~2008) 2.4GHz with 4GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM and the nVidia 8600M GT video chip with 256MB vRAM. I am working with Adobe Photoshop CS6 and continually get a message that my 3D capabilities are disabled due to lack of vRAM available (need 512MB min) ...
Question: Is there a way to manaually provision more RAM to the video card to up it to 512 MB?
Thanks.

The NVIDIA GeForce 8600M is a dedicated graphic card, so you can't modify its VRAM because it's not being shared with your main memory. In Macs with integrated cards, you can add more VRAM by installing more RAM. See > http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3246

Performance with 2GB RAM and SSD

I own a late 2010 MBA, 13" baseline model with 2GB RAM, w/SSD. I am using Snow Leopard, and it runs perfectly. I would like to upgrade to ML to sync with ipad, but a concerned with performance. I use my MBA for word processing, emails, and internet surfing, including occasional movie downloads. I cannot upgrade the RAM on this model. I would therefore very much appreciate if someone who has run the latest versio of ML on this model can inform me of its performance w/2GB RAM and an SSD drive. (I know it can run; I want to know how it runs). Thanks very much!

Just went through the same situation with my 2006 iMac. Technically my memory tops out at 3gigs, but I can get 4 in there if I insist (though the machine won't take full advantage).
After a considerable amount of research, and hearing some horror stories of some folks who dove straight into Lion on older machines, I opted on upgrading memory to 3gig, backing up all my data, then running a clean install of Snow Leopard. I then reinstalled all my stuff, followed with a run of Monolingual (a shareware program that removes unnecessary languages and builds), then ran OnyX (another shareware) to run scripts and check/repair permissions.
Works fantastic. Machine is operating perfectly on 10.6.8 and with the memory upgrade and clean drive its running faster than ever. Definite new breath of life in the machine.
As per memory upgrade, I'd recommend going to Crucial. They're very Mac friendly, customer oriented, and reasonably priced. They have a small program you can download that scans your machine to determine the correct chip required, then brings you stright to an info and ordering page. I managed to get a 2gig chip with shipping for about $25. With the Snow Leopard upgrade total cost was under $60 for resuscitation.

More Ram or SSD?

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