MacBook Pro: RAM vs. CPU?

JMAN871

Quick question:

I'm about to buy a 15" MacBook Pro for grad school; here's the default configuration for the processor and memory:

2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2G

The Apple Store offers the option of upgrading the processor to 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo for $270, and/or adding another 4GB of memory for $900.

I mainly use this computer for Photoshop, playing music, surfing the web, and writing documents (often all at the same time), and I was wondering whether I should upgrade either the processor or the memory, and if so, which would make more of a difference – more processor speed or more memory?

Thanks a lot!

Moioink

RAM would probably make more difference but you should get the better CPU: Apple over-charge for RAM upgrades and it's something you can do yourself.

SAW776

Yeah. CPU isn't a bad option, but RAM you can do yourself for cheaper. Just glancing at newegg, you can get a 4gb DDR3 stick for $350. So, yeah.

12gauge

Don't buy the RAM from Apple - $900 for 4 GB? You must be kidding me.

stigweard

270$ for a ~10% improvement in speed isn't really worth the cash. I'd take it as configured and spend the money on the apple warranty. Chances are you aren't going to need 8Gbs of ram anytime soon, and by the time you do, 4GB sticks won't be nearly as expensive as they are now.

edit: There are only two slots in the Macpro for ram. 4gb sticks were about 400$ each last I checked (about a year ago), so the price is high, but you are guaranteed compatible ram.

Tertiee

Is there a particular reason you are looking at the 15" Macbook Pro over the cheaper models? The main thing that sets it apart is a decent graphics card which won't matter too much unless you plan to play newer games.

Robman

12gauge wrote: »

Don't buy the RAM from Apple - $900 for 4 GB? You must be kidding me.

It's magic Apple ram, blessed in a dark ceremony led by Steve himself

Moioink

Yeah my Mac is well out of warranty with just 2GB RAM (an upgrade I performed myself) and it still runs Leopard super fast. Unless you're doing some really hardcore Photoshop stuff there's no need to get anything beyond the base spec. OS X is a well optimised beast.

projectmayhem

I could be wrong, but on the new macs just released, I dont think RAM is something that is do-able outside of an apple store. Like I said, I could be wrong.

SAW776

projectmayhem wrote: »

I could be wrong, but on the new macs just released, I dont think RAM is something that is do-able outside of an apple store. Like I said, I could be wrong.

I didn't think about that, now that the batteries aren't removable.

ZackSchilling

It's more screws than usual, but the RAM and HDD are both user-serviceable on the new Macbook Pros. The battery is also user-serviceable, just not hot-swappable.



And to echo everyone else here: the CPU upgrade isn't worth it and the RAM is criminally overpriced. Get the stock CPU and install your own RAM.

EngelNUL

I'm running a nearly 2 year old Pro with 2 gigs and have rarely come into trouble with any multitasking, unless I am running a Logic mix with Space Designer on every track or some ridiculous samples in Sibelius. I would love to have 4 gigs coming into my Audio for Video class, but even that isn't necessary. The warranty idea seems better to me, get the RAM later when you find something you really need it for.

Also going from 4gb RAM to 8 gb isn't just buying an extra 4gb, you are replacing the 2x2gb sticks in there already, so you have to buy all 8 gb. Yech.

CJTheran

Go with a better processor. I upgraded the RAM on my Macbook Pro from last year from 2GB to 4. Buying it from not-apple was like 50 bucks. Buying it from apple would have been 200, and let's not even get into how much they charge for the 3 minutes of work it takes.

projectmayhem

Also, get the Mac Care/Warranty thing before upgrading any parts. I've had shit luck with apple hardware minus my iPhone.

Lewisham

Your priorities are, in order:
1. Applecare (good call projectmayhem)
2. CPU (you can't upgrade this yourself)
3. RAM (you can get cheap sticks from crucial.com or whoever else you like)

Personally, I'd second the comment re: getting a 15" Pro with a graphics chip (note that the low-end 15" doesn't have the beefy chip that it used to), you need to make sure you need it. Personally, and I keep saying this to everyone but no-one ever listens, having owned two 15" and one 17" Apple laptops, the best bet is to buy the 13". It's a lot more portable and significantly lighter, but not significantly heavier than the Macbook Air, and the money you save goes a long way to buying a 24" monitor for your desk.

As you're buying it for grad school, it's likely that you will want to take it everywhere. My laptop travels with me every day, as it's my primary machine. I wanted a 13" laptop when I bought this one, but there was no 13" Macbook Pro at the time. Since the unibodies, there is. The 13" is the smart choice.

EDIT: Holy shit, the baseline 13" is only $1200. That's a steal. My 9 month old MBP cost north of $2k for roughly the same power.

wunderbar

yea, applecare, then CPU, then RAM for sure. And only get the CPU if you have the cash to burn. Ram you can get for cheap.

I'm picking up a 13" MBP in early august and my plan is to buy the base model, and upgrade the HDD and ram myself, since that's usually cheaper.

Ziggymon

Use the money to buy Applecare and third party RAM is usually better performing and about 200% cheaper than Apple's own.

mcdermott

Lewisham wrote: »

Your priorities are, in order:
1. Applecare (good call projectmayhem)
2. CPU (you can't upgrade this yourself)
3. RAM (you can get cheap sticks from crucial.com or whoever else you like)

Personally, I'd second the comment re: getting a 15" Pro with a graphics chip (note that the low-end 15" doesn't have the beefy chip that it used to), you need to make sure you need it. Personally, and I keep saying this to everyone but no-one ever listens, having owned two 15" and one 17" Apple laptops, the best bet is to buy the 13". It's a lot more portable and significantly lighter, but not significantly heavier than the Macbook Air, and the money you save goes a long way to buying a 24" monitor for your desk.

As you're buying it for grad school, it's likely that you will want to take it everywhere. My laptop travels with me every day, as it's my primary machine. I wanted a 13" laptop when I bought this one, but there was no 13" Macbook Pro at the time. Since the unibodies, there is. The 13" is the smart choice.

EDIT: Holy shit, the baseline 13" is only $1200. That's a steal. My 9 month old MBP cost north of $2k for roughly the same power.

Bolded for yes.

With the money you save by buying the 13" you can place a keyboard/monitor/mouse at each semi-permanent station you'll use it at (office/room/wherever) and spend the balance on Applecare.

Well, I'd have the crunch the numbers...maybe not so much. But it would certainly buy one KMM and Applecare, and make you twice as portable.

I don't think the CPU upgrade is worth it, but if you're still using this system in a few years you might. And skip the RAM, both because for what you're doing 4GB will be enough and because they charge $rape for it.


EDIT: And fucking get Applecare. I can almost guarantee your laptop will need service outside of the standard warranty, and that that service will otherwise cost more than Applecare does. Laptops are one of the electronics items where "extended warranty" doesn't just mean "ripoff." At least not always.

psyck0

My laptop has not needed any service during the applecare period apart from a new battery, and that was because the old one was defective. The battery would have been less than the applecare.

Trentus

psyck0 wrote: »

My laptop has not needed any service during the applecare period apart from a new battery, and that was because the old one was defective. The battery would have been less than the applecare.

It's been about a year and a half since I got my macbook pro, and the superdrive no longer recognises blank media (in either OSX or Windows). My mate's macbook pro (which is a year older than mine) is beginning to show the same signs as well (complains it can't calibrate the laser level for the media... no matter the quality of the media being used).

The extended warranty is a bit of a gamble. If you never end up using it, you'll be kicking yourself for getting it. If you don't get it and something breaks, you'll be regret it. Personally, I'm glad I got it... although, I can't wait for it to expire so I can swap out the HD without voiding it...

ArcticMonkey

If I was spending this kind of money on a notebook I would prioritize a solid state disk. And the speed increase from a SSD should be much more noticable then 10% faster CPU or the extra RAM over 4gb.

Edit: Assuming that we are talking about this mac and that the SSD Apple uses is high quality.

http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MB986LL/A?mco=NjcxMTU0Mw

taliosfalcon

Trentus wrote: »

psyck0 wrote: »

My laptop has not needed any service during the applecare period apart from a new battery, and that was because the old one was defective. The battery would have been less than the applecare.

It's been about a year and a half since I got my macbook pro, and the superdrive no longer recognises blank media (in either OSX or Windows). My mate's macbook pro (which is a year older than mine) is beginning to show the same signs as well (complains it can't calibrate the laser level for the media... no matter the quality of the media being used).

The extended warranty is a bit of a gamble. If you never end up using it, you'll be kicking yourself for getting it. If you don't get it and something breaks, you'll be regret it. Personally, I'm glad I got it... although, I can't wait for it to expire so I can swap out the HD without voiding it...

My experience with applecare has been that it barely covers anything anyway "oh, the latch that holds the screen down has stopped working? and its a known issue issue and a manufacturing defect with that mbp revision? too bad, applecare specifically excludes mechanical defects that are apples fault" or more recently "oh, the backlight on the left half of your screen is dying? too bad, we don't cover that either" fuck you apple

Xenogears of Bore

Not maxing out RAM on a laptop is a hate crime (Never get RAM from Apple as stated above!!!), but Applecare is overpriced bullshit for people too rich and too stupid to know any better. Your average laptop is going to either ship with some niggling fault that will show up during the manu warranty or only develop problems a year outside of it. Especially Apple Laptops with their pronounced video card rot in the later years. My advice for all my Macbook owning friends is to buy a new one, use it for three-five years, sell it on craigslist to someone you don't know/doesn't have a permanent number for you so they can't hassle you when the processor/video card goes in 2-12 months.

Ziggymon

The applecare has been great for my old Macbook, when the DVD drive broke and the thing wouldn't accept that there was a battery in the machine it was all repaired within 24 hours covered under the apple care. The thing is I know they have this in the Uk but do you guys in the US when you buy a mac computer from the Apple store and you are a student do you get the applecare for some stupid good price? I got one for my MBP for £20 earlier this year.

Big Red Tie

Xenogears of Bore wrote: »

Not maxing out RAM on a laptop is a hate crime (Never get RAM from Apple as stated above!!!), but Applecare is overpriced bullshit for people too rich and too stupid to know any better. Your average laptop is going to either ship with some niggling fault that will show up during the manu warranty or only develop problems a year outside of it. Especially Apple Laptops with their pronounced video card rot in the later years. My advice for all my Macbook owning friends is to buy a new one, use it for three-five years, sell it on craigslist to someone you don't know/doesn't have a permanent number for you so they can't hassle you when the processor/video card goes in 2-12 months.

mac laptops have rotting video cards? well i never

mcdermott

Maybe I'm just hard on laptops, but of three I've owned all three have needed warranty service, and all three were outside standard warranty when some of that service was needed. Only one was an Apple, but the two other people who I know that have/had Apple laptops had the same experience. Not a lot of data points, obviously, and I admit the extended warranty is a bit of a gamble....but it's a gamble with a pretty decent expected value.

I think of it more as insurance than anything, because repairing/replacing anything on a laptop besides the battery generally will cost $texas.


The stuff that went wrong, in case you're wondering:

- Dell laptop developed three bad pixels. Called Dell, they sent a dude out to replace the panel.
- Dell laptop power supply cord went bad (open when bent), they sent me a new one, no questions asked.
- Apple laptop optical drive started making horrible, horrible sounds and not always reading discs...replaced under Applecare.
- Apple laptop decided to slowly try and tear itself apart (warping on 12" G4 Aluminum Powerbook case due to, I'm pretty sure, heat issues...a common problem according to the interwebs), Apple replaced the bottom portion of the case under Applecare. Now it's doing it again, but oh well at least they replaced it once.

Those two repairs on my PowerBook would run, combined, about 5x the price that Applecare ran me. Even the parts would run (IIRC) about 3x what Applecare ran me.

xzzy

We buy a lot of macbooks at work, and always get the applecare.

Some machines end up needing it, other machines run fine for years. It's just the nature of things.

stigweard

It's insurance like any other. I've always recommended it for laptops because the labor and parts are always more than the equivalent repair on a standard desktop.

Xenogears of Bore

I've sold plans like these in the past and I've also done lots of out of contract work in various jobs I've had since high school, and that has definately tainted my opinion on the whole process. Applecare is good for what it is, but I find it to be usually unecessary for most people. Dells however I can see for laptops because their build quality is a bit lower and their service is quite speedy.

Of course, I once had a summer job where me and my brother had to take 500 ibooks in various states of repair and turn them into as many working units as we could. What a fun summer.

lilB

With the more efficient Snow Leopard on it's way, I would suspect 4 gigs is plenty. I have 2 gigs still and my iMac is still plenty fast. I figure a while down the road I will toss in 4 gb and maybe a solid state disk, but for now its totally fine. Go to 8 gb when the price comes down. Also, in notebooks I find that the hard drive is the biggest bottleneck. I hate using those 5200 rpm drives. My Mom's Mac mini had one and it was very slow launching programs. I swapped it out for a 7200 rpm and its way faster.

Lewisham

Yeah, the HD is a huge bottleneck. Apple won't supply anything over 5400rpm in the 13" (dunno about the 15") now, so maxing the RAM becomes more important, so you're not doing disk swapping. You want to avoid the HD as much as possible.