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MacBook Pro 13-inch with SSD + 8GB RAM reviews are scarce

STxMacUser

STxMacUser

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 4, 2008
111
84
I searched for a review or comments on a MacBook Pro 13 with SSD drive and 8GB of RAM all over on the net and I never could find any comments or reviews on this configuration.

Info that I was curious about includes:

- does this config run cool, warm or hot?
- can you really discern a noticeable difference in speed between SSD
manufacturers? (I trusted Apple's build of SSD in the MBP).
- How much lighter is the SSD config than the HD config.

I went ahead and placed my order anyway...but I am curious.

(The config that I ordered is - MacBook Pro 13 inch 2.66 GHz Intel dual core with 500GB SSD + 8 GB RAM)

If anyone has comments...I would really appreciate the input.
 
STxMacUser said:
I searched for a review or comments on a MacBook Pro 13 with SSD drive and 8GB of RAM all over on the net and I never could find any comments or reviews on this configuration.

Info that I was curious about includes:

- does this config run cool, warm or hot?
- can you really discern a noticeable difference in speed between SSD
manufacturers? (I trusted Apple's build of SSD in the MBP).
- How much lighter is the SSD config than the HD config.

I went ahead and placed my order anyway...but I am curious.

(The config that I ordered is - MacBook Pro 13 inch 2.66 GHz Intel dual core with 500GB SSD + 8 GB RAM)

If anyone has comments...I would really appreciate the input.
Click to expand...

1) Yeah it will run cool. My stock Macbook Pro runs cool, and an SSD runs cooler because of no moving part.
2) I think Intel SSDs are the one's people rate better, though, Apple SSDs are fine. You probably won't notice a difference between Apple SSD vs Intel SSD.
3) I'm sure they aren't that much different, if not a big lighter.

Cool, how much did that setup cost you?
 
the differences in temp and weight is not really that noticeable.

but performance wise there is a huge difference ssd vs stock hdd.

but regarding 8 gig i don't think that you will be using more than 2 to 4 gig. 8 gig is probably an overkill. although i maxed it to 8 because 2x4 gig ram packs weregoing for cheap.
 
with tax, shipping, etc. it came out around $3,300.

(I should have spent the dollars on Apple stock) :D
 
skunnykart said:
the differences in temp and weight is not really that noticeable.

but performance wise there is a huge difference ssd vs stock hdd.

but regarding 8 gig i don't think that you will be using more than 2 to 4 gig. 8 gig is probably an overkill. although i maxed it to 8 because 2x4 gig ram packs weregoing for cheap.
Click to expand...

I use Pro Tools 9 and wanted the extra gigs of RAM for that reason, (the program can hog some RAM).
 
I don't have a Apple SSD but I have a Intel SSD w/ 8GB. With the two it makes the 13 MBP a very capable machine. Like others have said, there isn't really much much of a difference in temp or weight. I enjoy this setup and you won't be disappointed.
 
13" s/ 500G ssd

Best money I've spent in a long time. It was pricey but I'm running up to 3 virtual machines at a time and the performance is amazing. Boots very fast, Parallels boots win7-64bit in about 19 seconds.

It runs cool but yesterday I was running 2 VMs and converting a video which caused the fan to kick on. So you can heat it up.
 
STxMacUser said:
I use Pro Tools 9 and wanted the extra gigs of RAM for that reason, (the program can hog some RAM).
Click to expand...

I use Pro Tools as well, and I just upped my 13" MBP to 8GB of RAM. I use Superior Drummer a lot, and some of the drum kits in Superior can be almost 2GB of samples.
 
Hands down SSD is the BEST choice for any computers right now. You will LOVE running with a SSD. id love to hear how the 8gb goes for you, ive been debating ordering some myself. :D
 
I reccomend any SSD with a sandforce controller over the apple ones (samsung) or intel.

I have a OCZ in my 17" and I am very happy with the performance.
 
STxMacUser said:
with tax, shipping, etc. it came out around $3,300.

(I should have spent the dollars on Apple stock) :D
Click to expand...

What a waste. You could have bought the ram and SSD yourself and installed them (SUPER EASY) for WAY WAY less money.

I just bought a 15" i5 MBP today and am doing a OWC SSD and 8GB ram for less than half what apple wanted to charge me to build it.
 
There are good reasons to get the package from Apple, not the least of which is AppleCare for the whole package. If you want to DIY, that's fine, but that's not for everyone.
 
That's because there here are not many people that want to spend more than 3000$ on a Laptop with a Core2Duo. Better get the 15" with better Graphics and Processor instead of maxing out this stuff, That's my opinion

The 13" MBP is a great computer, but I would never invest so much on SSD's and RAM for such a low spec processor
 
Alvi said:
That's because there here are not many people that want to spend more than 3000$ on a Laptop with a Core2Duo. Better get the 15" with better Graphics and Processor instead of maxing out this stuff, That's my opinion

The 13" MBP is a great computer, but I would never invest so much on SSD's and RAM for such a low spec processor
Click to expand...

For what he payed he could have got the 15 in 2.8 GHz i7 with a 128 GB SSD and still had money to spare for an extra RAM stick he could have easily installed himself. :eek: OP even if you were looking for the portability of the 13 in. it really needs an update to fill its role as a "pro" machine. Waiting would have been the best choice in that case, unless you absolutely need it now.
 
Last edited:
I still have time to cancel my order and go with a 15 or 17 MBP with 512GB SSD....I would probably enjoy the wider screen size with Pro Tools 9.
 
STxMacUser said:
I still have time to cancel my order and go with a 15 or 17 MBP with 512GB SSD....I would probably enjoy the wider screen size with Pro Tools 9.
Click to expand...

If that's the case, I would get a 15" with high-res screen, then upgrade to SSD and 8GB on your own. You will probably spend a lot less.
 
gothamm said:
wow, what a sucker.
Click to expand...

not really, the SSD and RAM can be migrated to a future computer if need be. 512 SSDs are going for 1500 retail anyways.

Anyways, I just upgraded my 2.4 GHZ 13" MBP to 8GB of RAM and a 128GB Kingston SSD for $300 aftermarket. The speed is incredible and I can tolerate 128gigs for a year or so. Next year I'm buying a 256Gig SSD and I may later on buy a 17" MBP, in which case I'll migrate my 8 gigs of RAM over to that machine as well as the SSD.
I kinda want to wait until a 17" MBP that supports 16GB RAM is out before I buy one. 8 Gigs is still a bit cramped for me...(I run tons of statistical simulations with gobs of data, I need the RAM! :D)

Anyways, the SSD and 8GB RAM upgrade made it feel like I just bought myself a completely new computer. 2.4 C2D is still 2.4 C2D, it's still one fast cookie and it does its job for me. The bottlenecks in my MBP were the RAM and the HDD. Those two are still there but aren't as big of a bottleneck as before...
 
Okay....couldn't stand the peer pressure here....being called a sucker sucks. :D
I cancelled my order and decided on the 15 inch model....(glad I posted this thread...I needed someone to prompt me to go for the better system).

If I go with a 256GB SSD now can I easily chain another 256GB SSD later if I need more space?
 
You really don't need an internal drive that big for sound recording. How much space in samples do you REALLY use? I use under 30 GB on my SSD that I use for sound recording, but I mainly just deal with recording live instruments. with my 60 GB drive, I have plenty of space for recording. Then I dump the project folders to a few external drives when the recording portion is complete.

Something to consider. But everyone has different needs.
 
STxMacUser said:
Okay....couldn't stand the peer pressure here....being called a sucker sucks. :D
I cancelled my order and decided on the 15 inch model....(glad I posted this thread...I needed someone to prompt me to go for the better system).

If I go with a 256GB SSD now can I easily chain another 256GB SSD later if I need more space?
Click to expand...

If you're willing to sacrifice your optical drive you could always get an OptiBay and install a second drive in MBP.
 
Good point....all of my Pro Tools sessions will be stored on an external hard drive anyway. 256GB will probably be more than I will need for quite some time.
 
2010 mbp 13" 240GB sataII 240gb SSD & 8GB corsair

Bought the base model macbook pro 13", had upgraded with a 500GB seagate momentus xt drive and 8gb corsair memory... but saw cyber monday add for ocz agility 2 sataII mlc ssd drive and it arrived today! $399.99 with $30rebate and i bought the extended warranty for $35.

it's in my mbp and it's hella fast... i take a lot of pictures and video. over last 12 years, i've built up a ~34,000 pictures that total ~110gb. This includes iphone video clips. just trimming down my iphoto library to keep 2010 pictures for now. then i'm going to address my 65GB itunes library.

but i can tell u for sure, this drive is hella fast and for a 240GB ssd, $370 seemed reasonable. i'll post more when i start using my vm's.
 
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