2.8 Octo Core Optimum Ram

[reese.reimers]

I know this subject has been beaten to death...and I am well aware of the search button...however I wanted to get a response geared towards my situation.

I have an early 2008 Mac Pro 2.8 8-Core with the stock 2gb of ram. I am wanting to upgrade my ram but I only have around a hundred bucks to spend. I was thinking about getting the 4gb kit from OWC consisting of 2 2gb chips. Would this be a safe bet or do you think I should just hold off when I can afford an 8gb kit consisting of 2 4gb chips?

I do work with Audio using Pro Tools, Logic and Reason, Video work using Premiere/AE and Final Cut/Motion as well as graphics using Photoshop/Illustrator. Most of the video work I do is DV with some HD res motion graphics projects.

I really just don't want to corner myself into a situation where I will need to eventually replace the ram that I am buying...I just cant really see myself ever needing more than 16gb of ram.

 

[bearcatrp]

Go for it. Definately help if this is all you can afford. I do video editing and I started with 2gb. Would recommend 8gb (2x4gb) if you can afford it though. This way your not selling the smaller ones when you start filling it up to max ram (32gb). I'm up to 18gb now on my 2.8 mac pro. One thing to remember is not all apps will take advantage of 4gb or higher. Build up as time goes on. Don't waste your money on 1gb modules unless you get a sweet deal on them. With only 2gb in a mac pro, its begging for more. Good indicator when you need more ram is to open activity monitor and look at your page ins/outs. If your page outs is more than 10% of the page ins, time to bump it up.

 

[Tesselator]

Yep! Get as much as you can afford. Don't worry about the maker or the shop - buy by price, warrantee, and spec.

Right now, for your machine the prices look like:

• 2x2GB kits: $80 ~ $85
• 4x2GB kits: $155 ~ $165
• 2x4GB kits: $180 ~ $200

That's for a good spec, lifetime warrantee, for the 2008 Mac Pro with fins and all. If it were my I would go the 4GB DIMMs. It's only a little higher price per GB and you'll have more space for when/if you want more later. The other option is eBay of course where 2x4GB can be around $150 or a little less. Anyway, that'll give 10GB total which is very nice!

 

[reese.reimers]

Yep! Get as much as you can afford. Don't worry about the maker or the shop - buy by price, warrantee, and spec.

Right now, for your machine the prices look like:

• 2x2GB kits: $80 ~ $85
• 4x2GB kits: $155 ~ $165
• 2x4GB kits: $180 ~ $200

That's for a good spec, lifetime warrantee, for the 2008 Mac Pro with fins and all. If it were my I would go the 4GB DIMMs. It's only a little higher price per GB and you'll have more space for when/if you want more later. The other option is eBay of course where 2x4GB can be around $150 or a little less. Anyway, that'll give 10GB total which is very nice!

Thanks for all your responses! Tesselator, where were you finding this information at? I could probably swing the 2X4GB kit...I want to future-proof my machine as much as possible. OWC had that kit for about $215 and I would much rather get them for less if possible. Thanks!

 

[hehejames]

Thanks for all your responses! Tesselator, where were you finding this information at? I could probably swing the 2X4GB kit...I want to future-proof my machine as much as possible. OWC had that kit for about $215 and I would much rather get them for less if possible. Thanks!

Dude... Have you heard of Google? Just go to Google, and click on Shopping. Here's the link if you can't find it. http://www.google.com/prdhp

Type the memory spec... scroll through, sort it by price and buy it!

 

[Tesselator]

Dude... Have you heard of Google? Just go to Google, and click on Shopping. Here's the link if you can't find it. http://www.google.com/prdhp

Type the memory spec... scroll through, sort it by price and buy it!

Thanks for all your responses! Tesselator, where were you finding this information at? I could probably swing the 2X4GB kit...I want to future-proof my machine as much as possible. OWC had that kit for about $215 and I would much rather get them for less if possible. Thanks!

I checked the Japanese sites before i posted and I also saw this US page: http://www.google.com/products/cata...-8&cid=6275538333941262496&sa=title#scoring=p but when I go to the buy area it looks indubitably suspect. So maybe I was wrong on that price (due to miss-advertising & the Jap prices being $15 lower )?

NewEgg has them 2x4GB for $192.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-Mac+-+Memory-_-Crucial+Technology-_-20148277

Here it is again for $197.79 - http://www.priceguidenetwork.com/mu...ac_pro-ddr2-fbdimm-memory-module-976609a.html So I guess I should change my post to $195 ~ $205 instead of $180 ~ $200. Still OWC is usually $10 to $15 more than anyone else on RAM (so of course Apple users always buy from them LOL!!!).

Sorry about that man. At least my high-end estimate of $200 covered it - so I wasn't completely full of shhhhhhaving-cream.


--
PS: I think I'll leave my post unedited and in a month it'll be correct.

 

[ekwipt]

Buy 16Gb and be done with it, my bet is most of the applications you use will all be 64bit by the end of next year.

Early 2008 MP work at their optimum when all ram slots are filled (8 or 16Gb)

Early 2009 MP work at their optimum when 6 slots are filled (6 or 12Gb)

For the price of 2Gb ram sticks i'd personally go for the highest options on either