Faster Processor or More Memory???

Get the faster processor, you can always add then memory very easily later. You can't for the processor.

 

Processor. You'll get a 10% increase in speed and can always add more RAM.

 

Plus, the processor is the integral part of the encoding whereas extra RAM will be relatively less beneficial for this process.

 

I'd normally say the RAM, but if you're going to be doing lots of video encoding, then I agree with the other guys that upgrading the Processor will give you more benefit.

 

Processor

 

If only they would put like 2GB x 1600 MHz DDR3 memory in all computers would be awesome *zoom zoom*. I guess only when Penryn comes around. Plus a nice quad-core for the iMac would be nice. Also a faster FSB :thumbsup:

I cant wait for decent size and cheap SSD.

Probably replace get another computer by like 2012 hopefully that will work out.

 

I'd leave the processor and RAM alone and get the bigger hard drive option.

 

I went for both, but if I had to pick one back when I was in the market, I would have went for the processor, because the RAM can be easily upgraded in the future, as others have said.

 

No you won't A difference of 170Mhz on the same processor is miniscule in today's processors. You might have got 10% on a Pentium II, but it's probably 4 or 5% on the Core 2.

 

Ram!

 

For encoding, processor. Encoding is very processor intensive.

If you were talking about pshop and illustrator, and had to chose only one, I would say RAM.

And, as others have said, you can always update the RAM later. RAM from sources other than apple is significantly cheaper than getting it from them direct.

 

For that specific task, tons of memory won't make much difference. For example, Handbrake runs happily within 30 MB of memory. So if you wanted a machine for encoding DVDs and nothing else, the faster processor would help more.

On the other hand: More memory will help with everything as soon as you start using multiple programs at the same time. And encoding videos takes so long that you don't wait for it anyway. My approach: Rip DVDs with Mac The Ripper. Once you have half a dozen DVDs ripped, start Handbrake, set it up to convert the DVDs from the harddisk, and then let it run; with H.264 and two pass this will take ages, but the Mac will do that without any help. MacOS X is absolutely usable while this happens, and whether it takes 25 hours to rip half a dozen DVDs or 22 hours doesn't make much difference - you won't be watching it and wait for it to finish anyway.

So I would actually go for the memory. And a 500 GB external harddisk