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!

Similar Messages

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

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

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....

Aperture 3 keeps crashing on me, consistently. More frequently after using Burn tool or skin smoothing - and even more often when I feather. What can I do? I already upgraded my RAM. I'm at a loss!

Aperture 3 keeps crashing on me, consistently. More frequently after using Burn tool or skin smoothing - and even more often when I feather. What can I do? I already upgraded my RAM. I'm at a loss!

4) When my computer crashes, once it starts again, it says "repairing" ... but I am not familiar with reparing permissions -- can you explain how I might do that?
If you are running OS X Lion, then you can restart your computer and then press and hold the 'Option' key immediately after you hear the start up 'gong' (usually heard when grey screen shows as it restarts).
You should see at least two Disks to choose from. Choose 'Recovery Disk' and wait for it to load, then choose 'Disk Utility' option in the Utilities dialog.
Once Disk Utility loads, do the following:
1 - In the left hand pane, choose your system partition (usually called either 'Macintosh HD' or 'Macintosh SSD'). Note - don't choose the actual hard drive listed above the partition when using Disk Utility in OS X Lion as this doesn't offer options for repairing due to it including the Recovery Disk you have loaded in memory.
2 - Click the 'First Aid' tab
3 - Click the 'Repair Disk Permissions' button in lower portion of main pane and allow to complete. Ideally, you will get a final message in main pane saying Disk Permissions are repaired.
4 - At lower right of same pane, click the 'Repair Disk' button and allow to complete. Ideally, you will get a final message indicating that Disk Repair is completed and all appears to be good.
5 - Quit Disk Utility > Close Utilities dialog window > Click 'Restart' button (confirm as needed).
You should boot straight into the system partition when complete.
Note - any red text in the main pane text while running the repairs will be issues and you will need to follow the advice given or post back.
If you are running Snow Leopard; then (as David mentions) boot from your first OS X reinstall disc and run the Disk Utility the same way; except you select the actual hard drive listed at top of left pane (not the partition below it). This is because Snow Leopard does not use a 'Recovery Disk' partition and repairs can be run on the HD or SSD itself.
Hope that helps.

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.

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.

Upgrading RAM and SSD on MacBook Pro 15" mid 2009

Hey,
I want to upgrade RAM and SSD on my macbook pro, identifier 5,3, and I want to make sure the parts I picked will be compatible with my Macbook.
I'm specifically not sure about its support of 512GB.
I thought about RAM:
http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-PC3-8500-SODIMM-204-Pin-CT2K4G3S1067M/dp/B008LTBJF M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420487078&sr=8-1&keywords=DDR3+PC3-8500
SSD:
http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-MX100-adapter-Internal-CT512MX100SSD1/dp/B00KFAGCU M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420486598&sr=8-1&keywords=CT512MX100SSD1
Thanks!

" I have also created a back up on Time Machine (I think I did)."
Check this out:
http://macintoshhowto.com/repair/back-up-computer.html
Once you think you've done it correctly restart and hold down the option key or go to "System Preferences" under the Apple and look at "Startup Disk".
That will tell which Disks are bootable.
Now about that Crucial drive:
http://forum.crucial.com/t5/Crucial-SSDs/512GB-M4-and-2009-Macbook-Pro/td-p/7805 6
It's not clear to me that this issue was resolved. The last post goes nowhere!
I always use OWC:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC
Just did two including this MacBook Pro early 2011 13" and a 2012 Mini. Total no-brainer! The way I like it.

I want to upgrade my ram macbook pro 15'' without retina to 16gb and want more than 1600 hz

I have a Mac book Pro 15 inch without retina I wish to upgrade the RAM 4 GB to 16GB and I want to putting a ram with more speed then 1600 GHz can someone please tell me what is the maximum and if possible where can I buy it from it has to be compatible with my mac or else it's pointless.
Regards Axl

Sorry, read the post as with retina.
Standard RAM:
4 GB
Maximum RAM:
16 GB*
Details:
4 GB of RAM is installed as two 2 GB modules, no slots free. *Apple officially supports a maximum of 8 GB of RAM, but third-parties have determined that this model actually is capable of using up to 16 GB of RAM with two 8 GB memory modules. In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells memory -- as well as other upgrades -- for this MacBook Pro.
http://www.everymac.com
The link you posted is compatible RAM and from a reputable company. I bought my 2 X 8 GB modules from crucial when I upgraded my MBP RAM to 16 GB.
Go with that kit.
Note that DDR3 1600 MHz RAM is the only type of RAM your machine takes.
Message was edited by: nbar

I recently upgraded my 2007 vintage iMac from the Leapord OS to Mavericks. Now my system runs extremely slow when I start my apps. I only have 2G RAM. Do I need to install more RAM or is this something else?

I recently upgraded my 2007 vintage iMac from its original Leapord OS to the new Mavericks OS and now its really running slow. I've run disk utilities to confirm everything is ok from the hard drive standpoint ... but am wondering if this is simply a memory issue. I only have 2G of DDR2 SDRAM installed. Is there a minimum recommended for the Mavericks OS? Any other recommendations? Time to launch any app has more than tripled from what it was before the OS upgrade.

A combination of things:
1. Slower CPU and GPU.
2. Not enough RAM installed.
3. Upgraded from Leopard.
I would have backed up my files, erased the hard drive, then reinstalled Snow Leopard. Downloaded Mavericks and upgraded Snow Leopard directly. Then I would restore my files.
Upgrade your RAM to at least 4 GBs if supported by your model.
Backup your files, then do the following:
Install or Reinstall Mavericks or Mountain Lion from Scratch
Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
OS X Mavericks- Erase and reinstall OS X
OS X Mountain Lion- Erase and reinstall OS X
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible
because it is three times faster than wireless.

Can I upgrade my RAM more than apple recommends?

I have a MacBook Pro 13 inch (late 2011) that has 2 2gb ram installed. i want to upgrade my ram to speed up my computer and apple says the computer can only take up to 2 4bg sticks, while other websites say it can take 2 8gb sticks and use the full 16 gb with no issues. Is this true? Can I order the 2 8gb?
Thanks

It all depends upon the type and number of applications you use. If they are resource hungry and tend to require more than 8GB RAM, then 16 GB will be useful. Most users will find 8 GB to be sufficient.
Ciao.

HT1342 so how do i know if i need more ram? (upgrade from snow- mt. lion)

Here is the mac that i have. I want to upgrade from snow l. to mt, lion when it comes out. articles are saying that i will need 4gb even though the updae page says 2gb. how do i read the activity monitor to see if i need more ram for the update? or do i just need to wait, install teh update, and then check? I want to get this all done in the next month so help would be great!

2 GBs is the minimum required. 4 GBs or more would be better. Your model supports up to 8 GBs.
About OS X Memory Management and Usage
Reading system memory usage in Activity Monitor
Memory Management in Mac OS X
Performance Guidelines- Memory Management in Mac OS X
A detailed look at memory usage in OS X
Understanding top output in the Terminal
The amount of available RAM for applications is the sum of Free RAM and Inactive RAM. This will change as applications are opened and closed or change from active to inactive status. The Swap figure represents an estimate of the total amount of swap space required for VM if used, but does not necessarily indicate the actual size of the existing swap file. If you are really in need of more RAM that would be indicated by how frequently the system uses VM. If you open the Terminal and run the top command at the prompt you will find information reported on Pageins () and Pageouts (). Pageouts () is the important figure. If the value in the parentheses is 0 (zero) then OS X is not making instantaneous use of VM which means you have adequate physical RAM for the system with the applications you have loaded. If the figure in parentheses is running positive and your hard drive is constantly being used (thrashing) then you need more physical RAM.
Adding RAM only makes it possible to run more programs concurrently. It doesn't speed up the computer nor make games run faster. What it can do is prevent the system from having to use disk-based VM when it runs out of RAM because you are trying to run too many applications concurrently or using applications that are extremely RAM dependent. It will improve the performance of applications that run mostly in RAM or when loading programs.

Upgrading RAM and SSD on hp pavilion g6 2005ax

Hey guys,
I have hp pavilion 2005 ax laptop i want to upgrade ram and SSD i have one slot unused i want to know which ram should i go with.
Corsair DDR3 8 GB
Corsair Vengeance DDR3 4 GB
or if there is any other ram please provide me detail.
Also this is my cpu-z report
will this both ram will work at 1600mhz and compatible with my board ?
Should i add one ram to existing or replace it with two ?
what is max size i can upgrade for RAM ?
Will this SSD would be compatible?
Samsunng evo 840
Crucial MX100
i am guessing both will be compatible with my laptop but the main problem is ram and it's frequency i can't seems to find a way.
Please help.

Hi,
Your machine currently has 4Gb of RAM:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?cc=us&lc=en&docname=c03325481
It supports 8Gb max. CPU-Z (SPD tab) should show you RAM information including brand. You can work out what do you need using that information. My suggestion: use information on the SPD tab INCLUDING brand.
Regards.
BH
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Make it easier for other people to find solutions by marking a Reply 'Accept as Solution' if it solves your problem.

Ram and SSD upgrade on MB Pro 13.3" 2.4GHz (Model ID: 7,1)

Hello,
I have a MacBook Pro 13.3" 2.4GHz (Model ID: 7,1) and I am looking to upgrade some of the hardware and make it run much faster. I currently am running both Mac OS X and Windows 7 on the computer using Boot camp. I've neglected upgrading the software on the laptop for a while now because I just wasn't using the computer too much due to always using my work computer at the office and using an iPad for the miscellaneous stuff done at home.
Anyway, I first plan to fully upgrade the OS, firmware, all system updates before doing anything and then I would like to upgrade the RAM to 16 GB and potentially put an SSD in there. My question is, can I put an SSD on there as the primary hard drive to really realize the booting speed advantages of an SSD. And can I somehow clone my original hard drive so I can maintain my Windows 7 install on there as well. The point of upgrading is that I'd like to get a home office setup going and need to run MS office apps, Factset, and Bloomberg natively on the windows side for work and also be able to log into Citrix to access work files and with my current setup this slows down the computer significantly. Just wondering if I would run into any problems or if the SSD is not worth the trouble and I should just stick with the RAM upgrade.
Thanks!

Anyway, I first plan to fully upgrade the OS, firmware, all system updates before doing anything and then I would like to upgrade the RAM to 16 GB and potentially put an SSD in there. My question is, can I put an SSD on there as the primary hard drive to really realize the booting speed advantages of an SSD. And can I somehow clone my original hard drive so I can maintain my Windows 7 install on there as well. The point of upgrading is that I'd like to get a home office setup going and need to run MS office apps, Factset, and Bloomberg natively on the windows side for work and also be able to log into Citrix to access work files and with my current setup this slows down the computer significantly. Just wondering if I would run into any problems or if the SSD is not worth the trouble and I should just stick with the RAM upgrade.
You can fit an SSD and there will be a significant performance increase.
I suggest that you first (using WinClone) clone the Windows installation to an image on the OSX partition, then (using CCC) clone the Mac partition to the SSD (assuming there is enough space). Then use WinClone to restore the Windows partition.

MBP Memory Upgrade Using More RAM than Before

Hey,
I have a 13-inch, late 2011 Macbook Pro with a 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7 Processor. I recently changed my 4GB memory (2 modules) PC3-10600 DDR3 1333 MHz to a Crucial 16GB PC3-10600 DDR3 1333 MHz.
Before the upgrade, the activity monitor would show memory used at around 3.98GB or so, and I was running only chrome with a few tabs open. Using chrome and a few more apps would slow down the computer significantly, though still usable.
After the upgrade, the activity monitor shows memory used at around 6.5GB with the same apps running (just chrome). My computer does run a faster and can handle a lot more apps.
My question is, why is my Macbook using more RAM after the upgrade?
Thanks,
Sebs

The short answer is that memory unused is memory wasted.
Mavericks is designed to decrease reliance upon mass storage, which is orders of magnitude slower than RAM. Mavericks will use all the memory available to it before resorting to using the swapfile. You are likely to find "swap used" to be zero, even with Google Chrome's notoriously profligate use of system resources.
Read: OS X Mavericks: About Activity Monitor

Upgrade: more Ram or SSD ?

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