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Does 8gb ram make any difference?

arctic said:
8gb is only useful if your 10 or more apps is doing something at the same time, like toxic posted.
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I would like hear an example of having 10 apps open that all have an active task in the background. This would rarely happen even for the most intensive users.

There are other reasons to move up to 8gb. Try editing RAW images with 4gb and 8gb and tell me it makes no difference.
 
euphoria47 said:
"Free" shouldn't be hovering in the 0-200 mb range often.
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Not entirely true. The free memory count in OS X is a bit misleading. Free memory is 100% totally free, "nothing's in there right now" memory. Then you have the Inactive Memory which is memory that's technically in use but really isn't. It's stuff that programs have put in memory but no longer need and OS X is keeping it around in case it's needed again. This memory should also be considered "free" as it'll get used up once OS X runs out of actual free memory.

This inactive memory is why, for example, if you load up firefox for the first time after a system reboot, it can take a while to load as it's pulling all the code in from disk to memory. But if you then close firefox and immediately re-open it, it'll open almost instantly. OS X never removed firefox from RAM even though you closed the program, because it assumed you might need that data again soon.

The best case scenario for system performance is actually very small amounts of memory in the "free" bin with a good amount of frequently used information cached in the "inactive" bin, with limited to no swap file usage. You only start to get into trouble when both your free and inactive memory is close to 0.
 
Derango said:
Not entirely true. The free memory count in OS X is a bit misleading. Free memory is 100% totally free, "nothing's in there right now" memory. Then you have the Inactive Memory which is memory that's technically in use but really isn't. It's stuff that programs have put in memory but no longer need and OS X is keeping it around in case it's needed again. This memory should also be considered "free" as it'll get used up once OS X runs out of actual free memory.

This inactive memory is why, for example, if you load up firefox for the first time after a system reboot, it can take a while to load as it's pulling all the code in from disk to memory. But if you then close firefox and immediately re-open it, it'll open almost instantly. OS X never removed firefox from RAM even though you closed the program, because it assumed you might need that data again soon.

The best case scenario for system performance is actually very small amounts of memory in the "free" bin with a good amount of frequently used information cached in the "inactive" bin, with limited to no swap file usage. You only start to get into trouble when both your free and inactive memory is close to 0.
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I do know what you mean, maybe I should rephrase saying if low free memory is accompanied by a low inactive value, more memory would be useful. Regardless, I understand that a high page out value and swap are evident of such a condition, where "needed" memory wasn't available and the system needed to borrow some more. The only reason I brought this up was because so many people simply said "no you don't need more" when the answer is not so simple, and a little monitoring of the activity will definitively answer the OP's question.
 
Oh, yeah, I understand. I was just trying to clarify for the OP that having a low "free" memory amount in the activity monitor isn't necessarily an indication that one needs to get more memory.
 
Some people will say that you don't need it, but it's only $80 to make the jump to 8GB. OS X loves to eat RAM, and Windows 7 will find ways to make use of the extra RAM. And considering that you made the jump to get an SSD, which are not cheap at the moment, $80 should not be a big deal for you. I'd say yes, absolutely get it. I certainly won't hurt you.
 
I don't mean to hijack, but could someone link me to the correct screwdriver for the unibody backplate? (I want to upgrade RAM as well, but don't want to strip screws)
 
SirStrumalot said:
I don't mean to hijack, but could someone link me to the correct screwdriver for the unibody backplate? (I want to upgrade RAM as well, but don't want to strip screws)
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It is a size #00 Phillips head screwdriver. You can get one at Amazon or most any hardware store. Do not get a low quality screwdriver as it will slip and strip out the screw head. Get a good quality driver with a hardened steel tip.
 
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Weaselboy said:
It is a size #00 Phillips head screwdriver. You can get one at Amazon or most any hardware store. Do not get a low quality screwdriver as it will slip and strip out the screw head. Get a good quality driver with a hardened steel tip.
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Thanks mate... will just get the one you linked
 
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Stridder44 said:
Some people will say that you don't need it, but it's only $80 to make the jump to 8GB. OS X loves to eat RAM, and Windows 7 will find ways to make use of the extra RAM. And considering that you made the jump to get an SSD, which are not cheap at the moment, $80 should not be a big deal for you. I'd say yes, absolutely get it. I certainly won't hurt you.
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The other side of the coin is if you never use the entire 4GB, spending money on 8GB, however cheap it may be, is a complete waste of money. It may not hurt him to have 8GB, but it also may not help him one bit.

Now, I'm all for more ram, especially at this price. I may not need it now, but who knows what I'll need to run on the machine in 6 months or a year.
 
bwrairen said:
I would like hear an example of having 10 apps open that all have an active task in the background. This would rarely happen even for the most intensive users.

There are other reasons to move up to 8gb. Try editing RAW images with 4gb and 8gb and tell me it makes no difference.
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would an upgrade from 4gb to 8gb make a more noticeable difference than an SSD when editing lots of raw files in PS/LR??
 
toxic said:
RAM is for multitasking. multitasking does not mean having 10 apps open, it means having 10 apps doing something at the same time.
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That's silly, of course it helps with multiple apps open and that's exactly what multitasking means. Switching between apps is indeed multitasking, regardless of what they are doing. More ram will help either way.

no, you don't need 8. if you do later, buy it later. RAM prices will only go down.
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Hardly. RAM prices fluctuate
 
stanny said:
I plan to get 256gb SSD. Should I also toss in the 8gb ram? This is on the 15". My most intense task would be some hardcore gaming, I'll be installing Windows to play some Call of Duty.
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Hardcore gaming and macbook pro in the same sentence makes me giggle. Not going to happen buddy. The high end MBP can play CoD at about medium settings, tops.

Save your pennies and buy a dedicated gaming desktop, much cheap and much more powerful.
 
snaky69 said:
Hardcore gaming and macbook pro in the same sentence makes me giggle. Not going to happen buddy. The high end MBP can play CoD at about medium settings, tops.

Save your pennies and buy a dedicated gaming desktop, much cheap and much more powerful.
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Which CoD? In my experience, CoD4 runs quite smoothly on low/medium settings on a Macbook. While I'm not going to buy a Mac for gaming, high settings will surely be no problem for a Macbook Pro

There are a few other threads here at macrumors that show others have the same experience as me.
 
IMHO the users who needs 8GB RAM are as follows:
1) People who use Facebook, seriously ever tried Facebook with less than 4GB it's not a pleasant experience.
2) Twitter users, most phone out there hardly can run this memory hungry thing, when the new iPhone is released with 4GB I might consider using Twitter.
3) M$ Office, this is probably the most memory hungry thing out there. Each time you time a letter it uses memory (do you see where I am going here?) The more you type the more memory you need, if someone is typing up a 20+ page document I would recommend they have at least 8GB, 16GB if you can afford it. There are machine out there like this that are purely created for word processing in mind.
4) Gamers, don't be fooled into thinking just because a game is written to only ever utilise up to 4GB it will only need 4GB. The gaming companies are lying, you need 8GB or ever 16GB it will ensure you have to optimum experience.
 
ezekielrage_99 said:
imho the users who needs 8gb ram are as follows:
1) people who use facebook, seriously ever tried facebook with less than 4gb it's not a pleasant experience.
2) twitter users, most phone out there hardly can run this memory hungry thing, when the new iphone is released with 4gb i might consider using twitter.
3) m$ office, this is probably the most memory hungry thing out there. Each time you time a letter it uses memory (do you see where i am going here?) the more you type the more memory you need, if someone is typing up a 20+ page document i would recommend they have at least 8gb, 16gb if you can afford it. There are machine out there like this that are purely created for word processing in mind.
4) gamers, don't be fooled into thinking just because a game is written to only ever utilise up to 4gb it will only need 4gb. The gaming companies are lying, you need 8gb or ever 16gb it will ensure you have to optimum experience.
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lmfao
 
ezekielrage_99 said:
IMHO the users who needs 8GB RAM are as follows:
1) People who use Facebook, seriously ever tried Facebook with less than 4GB it's not a pleasant experience.
2) Twitter users, most phone out there hardly can run this memory hungry thing, when the new iPhone is released with 4GB I might consider using Twitter.
3) M$ Office, this is probably the most memory hungry thing out there. Each time you time a letter it uses memory (do you see where I am going here?) The more you type the more memory you need, if someone is typing up a 20+ page document I would recommend they have at least 8GB, 16GB if you can afford it. There are machine out there like this that are purely created for word processing in mind.
4) Gamers, don't be fooled into thinking just because a game is written to only ever utilise up to 4GB it will only need 4GB. The gaming companies are lying, you need 8GB or ever 16GB it will ensure you have to optimum experience.
Click to expand...

LMAO! This is Bible!

snaky69 said:
Hardcore gaming and macbook pro in the same sentence makes me giggle. Not going to happen buddy. The high end MBP can play CoD at about medium settings, tops.

Save your pennies and buy a dedicated gaming desktop, much cheap and much more powerful.
Click to expand...

Looking at your sig, you really need to get out of your Penryn cave and experience the machine you're criticizing. The MBP with 6750M can even do 32fps in Ultra. Yes, I said ULTRA.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Apple-MacBook-Pro-17-Early-2011-2-2-GHz-quad-core-glare-type-screen.50346.0.html

superfula said:
Hardly. RAM prices fluctuate
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With the way you argue, you're probably a lawyer. With your argument, the price of a 1gb RAM stick 5 years ago is the same as today. They just fluctuate. :rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
mbp17xxx said:
reason for upgrading to 8gig? its cheap!

the bigger the better.
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But prices will continue to go down nonetheless. With the differences in prices 10 months later, and if your uses are not even going over the stock 4gb, I'd say wait till this will hit $50 or so. Time goes by fast. Bottom line is, majority of the people spending a lot of time in MacRumors are just spec geeks and don't even know what the 8gb RAM differences do to their computing tasks.
 
The only time I really notice more than 4GB is when using a virtual machine like Parallels or VMware. Else usage rarely goes above 3GB even when multi-tasking. But memory is cheap so why not?
 
These questions are like asking...Does a 750gb harddrive make a difference compared to a 500gb harddrive.

It definitely makes a difference. Whether you would notice it in your day to day use depends if you're close to maxing out your 4gb's of RAM.

I can tell you my GeekBench score went up 100-200 points consistantly with just the 8gb upgrade.
 
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