06-13-2009, 03:21 AM

Hey guys...i need a little help & some good opinions. Im heading to the Apple Store where i live next week to purchase my 1st Mac. But im running into a small dilemma..should i get the 2gb of ram or the 4gb..i also plan on doing the 250gb hard drive. I just didnt know if i would notice a real difference if i got the 2gb..

06-13-2009, 04:43 AM

Apple charges you 90 dollars for 4GB, you can buy and install it for a lot less and save yourself some cash.

RAM modules found here.

I recommend the first one on the list, Crucial.

With the extra cash that you saved on the RAM you can put that towards the HDD, which are faster than what they offer and have large storage capacities. I recommend these two.

Forgot the how to guide to install the stuff. That can be found here.

06-13-2009, 07:10 PM

You will see a slight difference in the 2gb vs the 4gb. I will also say Apple has marked down the first unibody macbooks and they are sweet. I noticed on the apple site on the refurbished units that they have the 15" macbook pro for 1349.00 That is amazing as they were 1999.00 Check it out, Tim

06-13-2009, 07:21 PM

Originally Posted by CrimsonRequiem

Apple charges you 90 dollars for 4GB, you can buy and install it for a lot less and save yourself some cash.

Agreed. Your best bet is to buy the Mac as it comes and upgrade yourself. You will save a considerable amount of money if you do it yourself.

06-13-2009, 08:02 PM

Yep. Buy the MacBook as is and upgrade yourself. You'll save money that you can use elsewhere...

06-13-2009, 11:31 PM

Kind of disappointing that you can't get the new 13" mbp 2.53 with 2 gb ram and upgrade on your own. From what I'm seeing on the apple store site, it's either 2.26 with 2gb or 2.53 with 4gb. Not cool that you HAVE to pay the Apple prices for ram if you want the faster/better processor.
Guess you might as well get the base 13" mbp and upgrade memory on your own like everyone else is saying. Lesser of two evils...

06-14-2009, 02:49 AM

Hmm..thanks everybody for your input. I was looking at what you guys said..i should put the money into the HDD, and then personally install new RAM. Thanks again guys!

06-14-2009, 11:07 AM

I think you just go with option upgrade the ram yourself. It is extremely easy, you will be surprised how easy it is. In the end, you can save some money and you got a good experience for it. Cheers and good luck mate.

SG

06-14-2009, 01:50 PM

I would do the RAM And HDD upgrade yourself.

06-14-2009, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by CrimsonRequiem

Apple charges you 90 dollars for 4GB, you can buy and install it for a lot less and save yourself some cash.

RAM modules found here.

I recommend the first one on the list, Crucial.

With the extra cash that you saved on the RAM you can put that towards the HDD, which are faster than what they offer and have large storage capacities. I recommend these two.

Forgot the how to guide to install the stuff. That can be found here.

Quick question about the RAM. Is there any reason not to get the Muskin over the Crucial? I am only asking because after the rebate the Muskin is about 5 bucks cheaper and looks to have the same specs/warranty.

06-14-2009, 05:09 PM

No - both are respected companies. Enjoy your new RAM!!!

06-14-2009, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by Michael415

Quick question about the RAM. Is there any reason not to get the Muskin over the Crucial? I am only asking because after the rebate the Muskin is about 5 bucks cheaper and looks to have the same specs/warranty.

I only recommend things to people that I have experience with first hand. I've haven't used any Muskin ram before, but I know they are a pretty reputable company as well.

06-15-2009, 10:48 AM

mine works fast with 2gb but i notice it's using about 60% of it at least at any given time

06-15-2009, 11:19 AM

Valid question, I am wondering if I will notice any change at all if I just web surf, open a few docs, etc.

06-15-2009, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by Michael415

Valid question, I am wondering if I will notice any change at all if I just web surf, open a few docs, etc.

No. You won't. More RAM would be valid for someone using graphic intensive apps. Those sorts of things could use a lot of cached data in the RAM modules, but not basic web surfing and opening documents. I'd save your money for now. And even if there was a difference (what, a few milliseconds ?) is that really so much of a difference that you should spend money to upgrade ?

IMO, a faster (7200 RPM) and larger (500 gigs)hard drive would be a better upgrade, or even an external HD for that matter. But even that won't make a difference for your needs. JMHO. I recently upgraded my 2008 aluminum MacBook Pro from 2 to 4 gigs (Corsair) and haven't noticed much of anything in terms of a speed increase, to be honest.

I was looking for improvements in speed for Lightroom 2, but unfortunately LR is just a freegin' sloth when it comes to certain tasks. It's poor coding on the devs part, and nothing will change that. Not even 8 gigs of RAM.

Doug