Upgrade RAM from 4GB to 8GB?

Hey guys,
just a quick question. I have one of the new 15in 2ghz i7 4gb macbook pro's and have been experiencing lag when using my photo editing software, specifically Aperture. I was wondering if upgrading to 8GB would be a wise investment and how much it usually costs. Thanks


Anthony

If you are working with large libraries or images, definitely.

You almost always see a difference in performance when you add RAM, and by the sounds of it...it could definitely improve the "lag" you are talking about.

Take a look at OWC. Most of the users here go to OWC for their RAM upgrade (crucial is another good one). I myself went to OWC and it has worked perfectly, and it did in fact improve some lag issues.

Bought a set of 8gb Kingston RAM for my MBP 13. Waiting for it thru the mail. Have upgrade with Kingston on several of my previous notebook. Didn't have any problem.

What about the warranty?

I'm looking at buying a MBP and wondering whether I should upgrade from 4 to 8GB. I plan on doing some light development, documentation generation, photo editing, light graphics work, web browsing, remote server access, etc. (usually at the same time) and, probably, run a Windows 7 VM. I know that in general, more RAM is better, but is 8 really necessary? Also, will 'after market' RAM void the warranty?

My 4g MBP runs great with 3 monitors, 10.6.6, and VM running Win2008 server. Most processes are just sitting there doing nothing most of the time anyway. OSX does a great job of juggling memory to where it's needed.

The only "warranty" I got was a keyboard cover. Save that, plus $100 do DIY memory upgrade (eventually, when you really need it), and you'll have a sizable amount to put into a nice external monitor. Just my 2-cents.

Thanks

Thanks for the help on the memory. That helps to make a clearer decision.

Not intending to hijack this thread, but could I ask you how are you connecting to three monitors? I spent several hours scouring this site and various product sites/reviews but ended up confused. I'm currently a Windows 7 user and have my HP laptop driving two monitors (one VGA and one DVI) through a docking station. The new MBPs have the Thunderbolt port and it appears that there is/may be an issue when connecting this port to DVI and/or HDMI monitors (though HDMI TVs appear to be more forgiving). I've looked at Matrox, Diamond, and EVGA products but haven't been able to identify THE way to go.

Thanks again for your help.

Current setup...
#1 - thunderbolt to 27" Cinema 1920x1200
#2 - internal 13" 1280x800
#3 - USB hub + Video to Sony 23" 1920x1200

The hub is a stop gap measure until we see thunderbolt hubs. Since it only uses USB, I am limited to 1920x1200, and can only play youtube videos up to about 800x600 without noticeable frame drops (playable either full screen or in a window at max rez). Most can't even do this and/or are buggy and/or dont have 64 bit OSX drivers. This one does: Universal Docking Station with Video sd300v - K33930US - Kensington

Who knows what changes thunderbolt hubs will bring? With the ability to attach up to 6 thunderbolt devices, I'm picturing 2 displays, a disk server, gigabit ethernet, and the primary television. That leaves 1 for something else I haven't imagined yet <edited to add - oh wait, that one should connect to another computer>

I had seen one reference for the Kensington docking station, but no reviews. Thanks for providing the details of your connections. It will be very similar to what I have in mind and this information is very helpful.