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8GB vs 256 Corsair SSD

D

djkindred

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 19, 2004
12
0
So I got the funds to upgrade my Unibody 17 2.66 to either 8GB of memory or replace the HDD to a Corsair P256 SSD. Which would you do?

I am thinking about the P256 for the greater bang for the buck in performance but at the same time is memory more future proof due to the long term wear issues of the SSD drives today?

Sorry if this question has been posted before but wasnt able to find a thread regarding this question.
 
djkindred said:
So I got the funds to upgrade my Unibody 17 2.66 to either 8GB of memory or replace the HDD to a Corsair P256 SSD. Which would you do?

I am thinking about the P256 for the greater bang for the buck in performance but at the same time is memory more future proof due to the long term wear issues of the SSD drives today?

Sorry if this question has been posted before but wasnt able to find a thread regarding this question.
Click to expand...

The 8 GB of Apple RAM is a complete ripoff. An SSD will be MUCHHHHHHHH better upgrade, and a better investment.
 
Ya it definitely would not be purchased from Apple! They come to pretty much the same price. Thanks for fast reply!
 
NovemberWhiskey said:
Which will improve VMware fusion performance? RAM or SSD?
Click to expand...

Both, but the SSD will be a much greater increase in speed.

SSD >>>>>>> RAM in terms of speed. 8 GB of Ram can't open up Microsoft Word or other programs in a second or less.

also the Corsair SSD is pretty good. It's basically a Samsung SSD with a different label on it.
 
Definitely get the SSD...I'm currently running the P256 in my 15UMBP and love it. Apps open amazingly fast, boot time is about 25 seconds, and battery life is lengthened by about 10-20%. Plus it's virtually silent. I also am running 8GB ram, and I noticed the biggest performance gains after installing the Corsair P256. It's an excellent SSD, and arguably the best SSD for its size.
 
An illustration representing ownership of a high quality SSD

OhBoyThisistheLife.jpg
 
rbmclaughlin said:
Definitely get the SSD...I'm currently running the P256 in my 15UMBP and love it. Apps open amazingly fast, boot time is about 25 seconds, and battery life is lengthened by about 10-20%. Plus it's virtually silent. I also am running 8GB ram, and I noticed the biggest performance gains after installing the Corsair P256. It's an excellent SSD, and arguably the best SSD for its size.
Click to expand...

Just for future reference, did you do a fresh install with this drive or clone your original drive? Thanks!!
 
I did a fresh install and then used migration assistant to transfer files and apps. I would suggest doing this, as some users have reported problems using CCC or SuperDuper...
 
rbmclaughlin said:
Definitely get the SSD...I'm currently running the P256 in my 15UMBP and love it. Apps open amazingly fast, boot time is about 25 seconds, and battery life is lengthened by about 10-20%. Plus it's virtually silent. I also am running 8GB ram, and I noticed the biggest performance gains after installing the Corsair P256. It's an excellent SSD, and arguably the best SSD for its size.
Click to expand...

Can you please post some xbench for your P256? I am debating whether to get the P256 or the x25-m. If performance is not that big of a difference , I will probably go for the P256 for the larger storage.
 
I don't see how anyone can contemplate 8GB of RAM or an SSD. The choice is simple, really; either you need or can benefit greatly from having that much RAM, or you can't. Anyone can benefit from having an SSD.
 
the 1.5Gb limit in the new umbp makes ssd upgrade not so tasty anymore.
4G+SSD might be good upgrade
 
have the corsair p256 ssd and i can auto launch 9 apps right after login - and not see one beachball!! ridiculous.

i haven't seen a beach ball since i got the ssd. 8GB ram is not worth it, yet.
 
why not wait a few months when the 8gb ram will be cheaper & larger SSDs are cheaper & get BOTH! :) or do you need one or the other now?


4 gigs of ram & a normal 5400 or 7200 rpm drive now is more than adequate imo
 
Honestly, I think you would be making a big mistake if you chose the 8gb over a high quality SSD. The ONLY WAY you will ever notice the difference between 4gb and 8gb of ram is if you ever exceed 4gb of ram usage. It does not increase the overall performance of your system.

On the flipside, you will notice a HUGE performance difference with a SSD. Booting up is the biggest difference, the time is almost cut in half. And the ability to launch over 30 apps instantly is always pleasing.

My advice: Get a good SSD. You will not regret it, and if you are worried about the wear that the cells get in SSD's I wouldn't worry about it. Most SSD's from what I've heard are capable of over 300,000 writes. Thats alot.
 
John89 said:
I would go for the SSD :cool:
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Your signature mentions you have one of the file mate express card SSDs. Do you have the faster one with >100mb/s read of the slower 35 mb/s reads?

Reason I ask is I'd like one to store temp files on when traveling...I've read the faster ones suffer from extreme heat, was curious if the slower one suffered from the heat problem as well.
 
bbadalucco said:
Your signature mentions you have one of the file mate express card SSDs. Do you have the faster one with >100mb/s read of the slower 35 mb/s reads?

Reason I ask is I'd like one to store temp files on when traveling...I've read the faster ones suffer from extreme heat, was curious if the slower one suffered from the heat problem as well.
Click to expand...
He lists the speeds for his SSD in his signature; from the speeds listed I can tell you that he has the faster PCI-E model. Also, the only 48GB model available is the PCI-E model.
 
zsnow said:
the 1.5Gb limit in the new umbp makes ssd upgrade not so tasty anymore.
4G+SSD might be good upgrade
Click to expand...

Well if you want SSD, then the only real choice ATM is to do a CTO order and your MBP comes 3gb. All the MBP have the connection it is just disabled. So to those who truly want that connection right off the bat should look into (even if it is painful) ordering the SSD with Apple to remedy the current issue for some.
 
RiCEADDiCTBOY said:
Well if you want SSD, then the only real choice ATM is to do a CTO order and your MBP comes 3gb. All the MBP have the connection it is just disabled. So to those who truly want that connection right off the bat should look into (even if it is painful) ordering the SSD with Apple to remedy the current issue for some.
Click to expand...

Just get a 17", its probably cheaper than the crapy Apple provided SSD
 
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