Apple retail stores selling high end version of RMBP only with 8 GB of RAM

[macbook123]

Just wanted to point out that the retail stores sell only exactly three models of the RMBP, the base 2.3GHz/8GB/256GB version, the high end 2.6GHz/8GB/512GB version, and an ultimate (close to $4k) 2.7GHz/16GB/768GB version. They don't sell any RAM upgrades. This means they consider 8GB RAM sufficient for most Pro users. Interesting, huh? When I asked the guy in the store told me that they don't consider RAM important anymore with these fast SSD's, since swapping is almost as fast as memory. Whether he's right or not, the fact that they don't put a RAM but an SSD upgrade in their higher end version in the stores can't be random.

 

[golu14]

Just wanted to point out that the retail stores sell only exactly three models of the RMBP, the base 2.3GHz/8GB/256GB version, the high end 2.6GHz/8GB/512GB version, and an ultimate (close to $4k) 2.7GHz/16GB/512GB version. They don't sell any RAM upgrades. This means they consider 8GB RAM sufficient for most Pro users. Interesting, huh? When I asked the guy in the store told me that they don't consider RAM important anymore with these fast SSD's, since swapping is almost as fast as memory. Whether he's right or not, the fact that they don't put a RAM but an SSD upgrade in their higher end version in the stores can't be random.

U have i7 third gen quad core beasts, one who needs 16gb would really be a pro who needs to do tons of high end jobs everyday.

For i5 dual core processors? You may go up using all the ram 16gigs
but with i7 quad cores? I highly doubt it.

 

[macbook123]

U have i7 third gen quad core beasts, one who needs 16gb would really be a pro who needs to do tons of high end jobs everyday.

For i5 dual core processors? You may go up using all the ram 16gigs
but with i7 quad cores? I highly doubt it.

Interesting comment. Can you explain more? I don't know the relationship between CPU power and RAM requirements.

Fact is my RMBP with 8 GB of RAM has a few GBs of page-outs on each session while doing small chores like browsing, writing emails, and writing code. I was under the impression that that is a sign that I need more RAM.

 

[Slivortal]

U have i7 third gen quad core beasts, one who needs 16gb would really be a pro who needs to do tons of high end jobs everyday.

For i5 dual core processors? You may go up using all the ram 16gigs
but with i7 quad cores? I highly doubt it.

Interesting comment. Can you explain more? I don't know the relationship between CPU power and RAM requirements.

U have i7 third gen quad core beasts, one who needs 16gb would really be a pro who needs to do tons of high end jobs everyday.

For i5 dual core processors? You may go up using all the ram 16gigs
but with i7 quad cores? I highly doubt it.

I'm not sure what you're getting at - clock speed and RAM are both integral components in getting a computer to run its best, but they do very different things. I could give you 32 cores, but that doesn't change the fact that you're going to need the same amount of memory to store the tasks and processes that you're doing at any given moment.

Computer performance is a game of bottlenecks - a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

 

[jcpb]

Just wanted to point out that the retail stores sell only exactly three models of the RMBP, the base 2.3GHz/8GB/256GB version, the high end 2.6GHz/8GB/512GB version, and an ultimate (close to $4k) 2.7GHz/16GB/512GB version. They don't sell any RAM upgrades. This means they consider 8GB RAM sufficient for most Pro users. Interesting, huh? When I asked the guy in the store told me that they don't consider RAM important anymore with these fast SSD's, since swapping is almost as fast as memory. Whether he's right or not, the fact that they don't put a RAM but an SSD upgrade in their higher end version in the stores can't be random.

It's just three models on the retail floor:
2.3GHz, 8GB, 256GB (Standard)
2.6GHz, 8GB, 512GB (Upgraded)
2.7GHz, 16GB, 768GB (Ultimate configuration)

If you want just the 16GB option you have to configure it through Apple's online store.

 

[pandamonia]

Only very large files will take up big amounts of RAM.

With SSD's its quicker to access the page file if you need more than 8GB. Its not ideal though but id expect only 1% of uses 1% of the time would need more than 8GB within the next 2-3 years.

 

[macbook123]

Only very large files will take up big amounts of RAM.

With SSD's its quicker to access the page file if you need more than 8GB. Its not ideal though but id expect only 1% of uses 1% of the time would need more than 8GB within the next 2-3 years.

How come then that I'm not working with any big files right now but constantly swapping to disk?

 

[pandamonia]

How come then that I'm not working with any big files right now but constantly swapping to disk?

How much Ram u got? what do you have open?

i find OSX Lion has memory issues that clog ur memory up and a restart clears it.

 

[Rajpdx]

How come then that I'm not working with any big files right now but constantly swapping to disk?

Good question.

How much ram do you have
How long since last reboot?
How many page ins?
How many page outs?
How much swap used?

 

[Regaj]

How come then that I'm not working with any big files right now but constantly swapping to disk?

A lot of applications today are coded with less than stellar memory management. Many have memory leaks that vary in size and impact. Simply using these applications over a period of days/weeks will lead to slow machine memory degradation... and eventually to swapping.

A reboot squares things away. For a while.

I'm glad the minimum baseline in the rMBP is 8GB. That's what I've got in my early 2011 MBP and I end up needing to reboot every 1-2 weeks. I'll be ordering 16GB in the rMBP when I order it, in a week or two.