Does 8gb of RAM make a major real-world difference for the time being?

[MH01]

8GB is the best value/performance.

Get a standard 4GB (2x2) and order 4GB (2x2) from crucial or newegg etc.

4GB modules are way to expansive currently. They will crash price wise in due time, by the time you need more then 8GB of ram in an Imac 4 GB modules will be a fair price.

Some people are ordering 2x 4GB models, I would not recommend it, get the 2x2, cause as i said above by the time you need to go over 8 the 4GB modules will be way cheaper.

4GB modules are only expansive currently cause i7 and i5 laptops are new to the markert, as soon as the C2D get phased out memory prices will crash.

 

[splitpea]

There are some good benchmarks at OWC showing performance on the new iMac's with various configurations of RAM.

What's most interesting to me about those results is that the i5 is somehow memory-hungry compared to the other chips. Its performance is better than the 3.06 on the first test with 4GB, but on the second stress test it's 50% slower than the C2Ds until it hits 12GB of RAM.

 

[unamused]

typically, ram upgrades make the most notable difference in PC performance. If you play video games, then obviously the video card is also another component that can make a huge improvement.

 

[Jason Beck]

typically, ram upgrades make the most notable difference in PC performance. If you play video games, then obviously the video card is also another component that can make a huge improvement.

I agree with you. Ram is a pretty sweet upgrade if your CPU is of recent
build. It will snappen your system right up. Difference between 4 and
8 is good. Your OS and programs will use it, and use it well. hehe

 

[ma2ha3]

Just wondering if it's worth getting a machine with 8Gb of RAM over the standard 4Gb for things like video editing, aperture etc. Can most of today's apps even use 8 gigs of memory? I assume the biggest advantage would be for running a virtual windows machine within OSX and things like that.

4GB is more than enough in today application, even if you gave the application 12GB or 16GB, no application will be able to use it. so basically you are wasting your money. some will say buy as much as you can afford, but the truth is, above 4GB, the gain is so small, while the cost is too high. if you want to talk about the future, imac 27 does not even have usb 3, which mean it will be obsolete in a few month time.
so buy the base model, and use it for internet, and show off to your friends.
In a few month time, your friend will call your imac 27 a dinosaur and will laugh at you.

 

[53x12]

4GB is more than enough in today application, even if you gave the application 12GB or 16GB, no application will be able to use it. so basically you are wasting your money. some will say buy as much as you can afford, but the truth is, above 4GB, the gain is so small, while the cost is too high. if you want to talk about the future, imac 27 does not even have usb 3, which mean it will be obsolete in a few month time.
so buy the base model, and use it for internet, and show off to your friends.
In a few month time, your friend will call your imac 27 a dinosaur and will laugh at you.

Wow, don't think I have read such a poor post in awhile. First, depending on the user and how many programs one is running at the same time many can use more than 4GB. Not sure why you would say "above 4GB the grain is so small"? There is no truth in that. Also USB3 probably won't come out until later in '10. Who really needs USB3 anyways when we don't even have any commerical products that use it? FW800 is good for now until LightPeak is out. USB3 is a waste imho when LP is around the corner. New technology is always around the corner, but to say 4GB is enough and that anything above that is a waste is just plain wrong.

 

[ma2ha3]

just speaking from experience, 4GB more than enough. i stand corrected.

usb 3 is a huge jump, who want usb 3? everyone. FW800 is nothing compare to usb 3, because no matter how fast you are, if you cannot find peripheral that support fw800, it is basically useless.

Wow, don't think I have read such a poor post in awhile. First, depending on the user and how many programs one is running at the same time many can use more than 4GB. Not sure why you would say "above 4GB the grain is so small"? There is no truth in that. Also USB3 probably won't come out until later in '10. Who really needs USB3 anyways when we don't even have any commerical products that use it? FW800 is good for now until LightPeak is out. USB3 is a waste imho when LP is around the corner. New technology is always around the corner, but to say 4GB is enough and that anything above that is a waste is just plain wrong.

 

[robotkiller]

In my experience, yes. 8 GB makes a big difference.

I am able to use up all of it running my RAW browser with a few hundred Canon 5dII files, a couple of Safari windows and iTunes while editing a RAW image. I even had a few page outs and went to swap. With 4gb of RAM, I would be heavy into the swap file. Try doing that while running something like iMovie and forget about it.

Now I can do anything I want and have it run smooth as silk off RAM. I love it. Best $87.00 performance upgrade you'll find anywhere, IMO.

 

[SydneyDev]

If you are working on very big files (e.g. HD video) then 8GB may be worth it, otherwise no difference to 4GB.

 

[53x12]

usb 3 is a huge jump, who want usb 3? everyone. FW800 is nothing compare to usb 3, because no matter how fast you are, if you cannot find peripheral that support fw800, it is basically useless.

To be honest I don't need USB3 at this point. Everything I need to connect can use USB2 or FW800. The one thing I would like is LightPeak. Don't see the purpose of USB3 when LightPeak has a maximum of 10 Gbps (in both directions). Much much much better than USB3. No need for USB3 when LP is coming soon.

 

[53x12]

If you are working on very big files (e.g. HD video) then 8GB may be worth it, otherwise no difference to 4GB.

Or if you have multiple pictures open, or multiple programs running in the background, or running Parallels or even playing games. 4GB is good for every day stuff, I agree, but if you are doing serious computer work then 8GB is the minimum imho.

 

[Aboo]

Is it just me or has RAM prices shot up since the iMac was announced?
I looked at crucial's website today and it was $115 for 2x2GB for the iMac, I distinctly remember it being around $88 when I was checking the day the new iMacs were announced.
Same thing with OWC.
Oh well that just helps to save me the cost of buying my RAM just yet.
I refuse to pay much over $70 since thats what that configuration cost about 4 months ago. I'll buy when it comes back down.

Yeah RAM prices have been going up and down like crazy. 4GB DDR3 RAM could be had for around 45 bucks in June. The Same crucial kit now costs 86 to 95 bucks. Amazon had it on sale last week for around 59 and I jumped on it. Hoping it will make a difference for virtualization.

 

[SXR]

I ordered an iMac with 4 GB's of Ram since that is enough for what im doing, plus i can always add more later on. it isnt that hard from what i see.

 

[chibamac]

"who want usb 3?"

just speaking from experience, 4GB more than enough. i stand corrected.

usb 3 is a huge jump, who want usb 3? everyone. FW800 is nothing compare to usb 3, because no matter how fast you are, if you cannot find peripheral that support fw800, it is basically useless.

So what your saying is USB3 is more useless than firewire 800 now.. My external HD is firewire 800 and I use it every day. My mouse and Wacom tablet do just fine on USB2 thanks..

Don't let this guy's tunnel vision effect any of your decisions.

P.S. My I7 will have 8 gigs of Ram.

 

[53x12]

So what your saying is USB3 is more useless than firewire 800 now.. My external HD is firewire 800 and I use it every day. My mouse and Wacom tablet do just fine on USB2 thanks..

Don't let this guy's tunnel vision effect any of your decisions.

P.S. My I7 will have 8 gigs of Ram.

+1 I agree with you, FW800 is great for external storage/backups. Until LightPeak comes out, don't see the need for anything else. Not sure why Intel is pushing USB3 when LP will be out soon and at 10 Gbps.

 

[Bryan Bowler]

+1 I agree with you, FW800 is great for external storage/backups. Until LightPeak comes out, don't see the need for anything else. Not sure why Intel is pushing USB3 when LP will be out soon and at 10 Gbps.

+2 Yep, couldn't agree more.

Bryan

 

[fruitpunch.ben]

+2 Yep, couldn't agree more.

Bryan

which is a bonus for me, cause it'll be a long while till lightpeak is mainstream in peripherals, so will take longer for me to feel my i7 27" is outdated

 

[SXR]

when if you order the base model iMac with 4GB of RAM ( 2x2 ) you can always expand to say , 1x4 , 1x2? or 2x4?

 

[wodeh]

So, when USB3 comes out will a magic pixie come and upgrade all my peripherals so that they no longer work with the iMac? The only things I can see taking advantage of USB3 that I give a monkeys about would be external hard drives- and who needs those when Buffalo make such shiny NAS systems. Wired is so yesterday and we should be looking at E-SATA for hard disks and video cameras until a Wireless/Lightpeak combo turns up. USB3 will be an irrelevant blip in computing history.

4gb RAM isn't even enough in my 13" MBP, I couldn't imagine having an i7 system bottlenecked with a paltry 4gb. 4gb is, in my experience, the absolute bare minimum for my day to day computing tasks which, admittedly, involve use of VMs.

If you're talking C2D, then you might want to consider a processor upgrade before RAM.

 

[fukuhela]

What I intend to do is to go with the 4 Gigs that they are preloaded with. But as the prices fall on 1333 RAM I wil go and purchase at least 8 Gigs of these instead of 1066, and than replace the four Gigs of 1066 of RAM.

 

[Stingray454]

I put an extra 4gb of RAM into my new i7 today to boost it up to 8gb and while I don't expect to see an appreciable boost in performance any time soon, I spent the whole time installing the RAM making Tim Taylor type grunts ("More Power! Gruh-gruh-gruh!") and that alone made it worth it for me.

rofl

 

[Apple!Fre@k]

There are some good benchmarks at OWC showing performance on the new iMac's with various configurations of RAM.

I was sold on upgrading to 8GB for $100. But based on those results, 12GB is definitely the way to go. It's another $390 (2x4GB + 2x2GB already in there), but with HALF the processing time for intensive tasks, it's well worth it. Will probably buy the extra 4GB to bring it to 8GB in the next couple of weeks and then when I'm ready to buy myself a nice present, get the 2x4GB kit to bring it to 12GB.

Interesting to note is how much quicker the i7 is than the i5. 12GB of memory in the i5 is comparable to 8GB in the i7. Wish Apple was selling the i7 in stores, as I would have been all over it. Don't have the slightest bit of buyers remorse though. I friggin' love my i5!

 

[53x12]

USB3 will be an irrelevant blip in computing history.

Yep. I think a lot of people on here miss this point and are "Oh my gosh no Blu-Ray!!" or "Oh my, USB is around the corner, don't buy a new computaaaa". Getting really annoying.

 

[Angelo95210]

unless your page outs are approaching 10% of page ins, i would not get more ram as its just a waste

I agree. Too much memory is overpriced. I prefer to wait for the chips' price to decrease. BTW I look at iStat to know if I need more memory (here only 2GB):

 

[lexvo]

There are some good benchmarks at OWC showing performance on the new iMac's with various configurations of RAM.

That 3.33 Core Duo is fast, in some tests it is on par with the i7!