Decision: Buying a quad... how much RAM?

[VirtualRain]

I'm going to pull the trigger on a 2.93GHz Quad next week. I want the high clock speed and now that I'm fairly confident it will handle more than 8GB of RAM, I think this is the best bang-for-the-buck choice for me.

Here are the RAM options I'm considering...
1. Buy it with 3GB installed, wait a month to see what happens to 4GB DIMM pricing and possibly buy 12GB in a month or so.
2. Buy it with 6GB installed and then wait for a few or more months for 4GB DIMM pricing to come down and buy 12GB whenever it seems reasonable. Then try to sell the 6GB on ebay.

I'm going to go with 12GB sooner or later, it's just a matter of when. The issue with buying 6GB now is that I may not actually save much by waiting for the 3x4GB to come down... depending on how much I can get for the 6GB.

I guess it's a question of how much 3x4GB might come down in the short term vs. the next few months.

BTW, my work load is going to be primarily working on AVCHD video (hobby not professional).

 

[bozz2006]

option #1. and keep your old RAM, pop it in when/if you have to send it in for work. use it to troubleshoot when your system gets sick.

 

[hobes270]

I also say go with option 1. It sounds the most reasonable to me. I mean no 3gb is not alot for video editing, but its just a hobby so I think it will be alright for you for about a month or so. You know the 4gb chips are going to come down, ram has dropped so much since even a year ago! I would stick with the 3gb for a month or so.

 

[VirtualRain]

I also say go with option 1. It sounds the most reasonable to me. I mean no 3gb is not alot for video editing, but its just a hobby so I think it will be alright for you for about a month or so. You know the 4gb chips are going to come down, ram has dropped so much since even a year ago! I would stick with the 3gb for a month or so.

Thanks guys!!!

I really could use some further insights or guesstimates from others as to when 4GB DIMMS might come down and by how much?... Once more companies start shipping Gainstown systems in the next few weeks, are we likely to see some immediate downward pressure on 4GB DIMMS or will these prices likely be with us for awhile?

 

[joubex]

I am not sure:
It would be great to work w 6 Gb right now and waiting on year or 2 to buy 12 Gb: I think most of the softwares would run great with 6 Gb today.
What would be the advantage to have 12 Gb in one month for a non pro user?

 

[VirtualRain]

I am not sure:
It would be great to work w 6 Gb right now and waiting on year or 2 to buy 12 Gb: I think most of the softwares would run great with 6 Gb today.
What would be the advantage to have 12 Gb in one month for a non pro user?

I tend to agree... I think I might be happy with 6GB for a while.

 

[shinchan72]

I tend to agree... I think I might be happy with 6GB for a while.

It's what I did , picked up 6GB from Macsales.com for pretty cheap , and when 4GB chips are WAY cheaper next year this time might upgrade to that route and just use the 2GB in other machine.

I'm fairly sure I can get by on 6gb for a year and 4gb prices will be much cheaper in a year than in a month.

 

[gesundheit]

+1 I just ordered the 2.93 quad with 6GB RAM, and for my needs I know I can last for a year or so waiting for the 12GB upgrade to become more reasonable. Plus it gives next year something to look forward to! (Maybe a new GPU or some other upgrade by then too.)

 

[SmurfBoxMasta]

Ram prices, as with alot of things, are dictated primarily by 2 things:

1) Supply
2) Demand

When a brand new spec/speed/type of ram 1st becomes available, the price is high because there isn't much of it in production at first (supply low), and there aren't many mfgr's making mobo's/pc that take it (demand low).......

But once the mobo/pc mfgr's signal that they are ready to ramp up mass production of systems that support it (demand high), then the ram mfgr's also ramp up production (supply high)...... Once this cycle gets going, prices go down simply because of the economies of scale: the more units of something you make, the less it cost per unit!

and so it goes until the next big thing comes around, and then the cycle begins to reverse itself.........demand goes down, therefore so does supply, and prices go UP!

So long story short: As long as the ram that MP's & other peecees require remains in high demand, there will be lots of it made, and the prices will continue to drop.....but the minute a newer type is announced, the prices will level off quickly, and then start to go back up