HELP! Looking for a new 15" MacBook Pro...RAM question

[DrtyHarry]

Hi All!


This is my first post here and I'm sure this question was asked before, I just can't seem to find an answer. I'm in the market for a new MacBook Pro, mine is getting rather old. I was looking at the Apple store and saw that the 15" 2.5Ghz was capable of using a maximum of 8GB of RAM.

Yet on the other hand, I see a few people selling them with 16GB of RAM. I called Apple and asked them what the case is....can I run 16GB of RAM or not? The site states that 8GB is the max for ALL Powerbooks. They told me I could install 16GB of RAM, but the computer will only be able to use 8GB of it....so installing and buying the 16GB kit is a waste of money. At the same time, I see people posting on the net saying they are running 16GB with this machine and it is in fact faster running.

I would like to see some specs or hear some voices from those who actually did do the upgrade. Is it worth it or not? Did your computer perform any faster? I render lots of video so RAM and graphics cards are important to me. Thanks in advance.



Harry

 

[GGJstudios]

You can find specs on all Apple products, including maximum RAM:

• By visiting EveryMac.com: Actual Maximum RAM
• By selecting your model on the Crucial Memory Advisor™ Tool to find RAM information
• By entering your serial number here to find specs for your model.
  (Be aware that some models can use more RAM than Apple shows. Check EveryMac to verify actual usable RAM.)

 

[MrCheeto]

Inform us of your every-day uses for this machine.

Very few people would benefit from 16GB of RAM in the first place. Any person who claims 16GB of RAM is significantly faster than 8GB is either running a very memory-hungry distributed computing application or talking out their 'puter.

RAM≠Speed

 

[that1guyy]

The cake is a lie.

In this case, Apple is the cake.

 

[DrtyHarry]

The cake is a lie.

In this case, Apple is the cake.

So the machine will operate FASTER with the 16GB kit? I'm not just pissing it away? Did Apple lie when they said the extra RAM won't be able to be used and that it's a waste? Thanks!



Harry

 

[MrCheeto]

Again, RAM≠Speed.

16GB of RAM currently is like Canada having nuclear arms. There's a whole lot of potential but nobody's really going to use it.

 

[DrtyHarry]

Inform us of your every-day uses for this machine.

I plan to mostly use it for rendering a whole lot of video when in transit, as well as some photo re-touching. I'll also be using CS5 and all it's programs practically at the same time.




Harry

 

[MagicBoy]

So the machine will operate FASTER with the 16GB kit? I'm not just pissing it away? Did Apple lie when they said the extra RAM won't be able to be used and that it's a waste? Thanks!



Harry

Faster? No.

More RAM can hold more open applications and larger data files at the same time. If you want rendering speed then a faster CPU would be of more benefit.

 

[MrCheeto]

I would assume that you wouldn't notice a difference in speed so much as a difference in the amount of times the CPU accesses the hard drive while editing. I suppose that's up to your discretion. I would ask somebody who has used these apps with both 8GB and 16GB on a Mac.

 

[DrtyHarry]

So was Apple telling me the truth when they said all the machine can handle is 8GB and it will be a waste of $$ to install 16GB since it can't be used? Or are they just BSn me? With all the video and photoshop work I do, 16GB does sound nicer than 8GB. Not just checking my email on this thing....




Harry

 

[MrCheeto]

So was Apple telling me the truth

Were they following the books? Yes. Were their books accurate? No.

They can fully address 16GB of RAM.

Apple advices only installing 8GB, and there may be some reason for that.

It's the same reason Siri isn't on the iPhone 4. The 4S has a better noise-canceling chip, making it more capable of listening to and understanding a user. A person that uses an iPhone 4 may have trouble with Siri understanding them and therefore become frustrated and lash out at Apple.

Apple is like a wise father. Most of us don't like limitations imposed by dad

 

[DrtyHarry]

Apple advices only installing 8GB, and there may be some reason for that.

If the RAM does in fact work, the only reason I can see Apple only advising the maximum use of up to 8GB is because they don't have the 8GB sticks to install or sell.

So........if you don't have any 8GB memory sticks to sell, you try and sell the 4GB ones you have a huge stock of. And when those sell out, begin to carry 8GB sticks and then claim 16GB set up will run on this machine....and thank it to some silly software upgrade that never did anything. Is that how Apple is playing this one?



Harry

 

[MrCheeto]

Looking back on 40+ years of history...nope.

 

[LiesForTheLiars]

There's no reason for it. If it can use 16 it can use 16.

 

[GGJstudios]

If the RAM does in fact work, the only reason I can see Apple only advising the maximum use of up to 8GB is because they don't have the 8GB sticks to install or sell.

There is a long history of Apple stating maximum RAM lower than actual maximum usable RAM. Read the links I first posted.

 

[DrtyHarry]

If something were to happen to the machine and something inside fried, and it had 16GB of RAM installed in it....would I void my AppleCare warranty because it states clearly on the website that the maximum amount of RAM for this unit is 8GB, and therefore not covered because I had double the RAM allowed? Am I not voiding my warranty by using more than 8GB...the "maximum" amount. Just curious....if it runs better with 16GB, I just think Apple should say so. Rep on the phone said something about overloading the mother board?!@?^$%



Harry

 

[LiesForTheLiars]

If something were to happen to the machine and something inside fried, and it had 16GB of RAM installed in it....would I void my AppleCare warranty because it states clearly on the website that the maximum amount of RAM for this unit is 8GB, and therefore not covered because I had double the RAM allowed? Am I not voiding my warranty by using more than 8GB...the "maximum" amount. Just curious....if it runs better with 16GB, I just think Apple should say so. Rep on the phone said something about overloading the mother board?!@?^$%



Harry

The rep on the phone was lying to you. And no changing out the RAM will not void your warranty. You could always put your original RAM in before going to Apple.

 

[GGJstudios]

Am I not voiding my warranty by using more than 8GB...the "maximum" amount.

No. Installation of user-installable parts does not void the Apple Warranty or the AppleCare Protection Plan, unless you damage something in the process.

 

[DrtyHarry]

You could always put your original RAM in before going to Apple.

That's a good point. I have not yet picked up the machine, I was looking on eBay and noticed some of them selling with 16GB of RAM. That's how I found out that the machine can use more than just 8GB. So I'm shopping around trying to see where I can get the best deal from. My work isn't paying for this one.



Harry

 

[LiesForTheLiars]

That's a good point. I have not yet picked up the machine, I was looking on eBay and noticed some of them selling with 16GB of RAM. That's how I found out that the machine can use more than just 8GB. So I'm shopping around trying to see where I can get the best deal from. My work isn't paying for this one.



Harry

Do you really need 16 GB? You can get 8 GB for around 45 bucks from www.macsales.com

16 is... pricey.

 

[DrtyHarry]

No. Installation of user-installable parts does not void the Apple Warranty or the AppleCare Protection Plan, unless you damage something in the process.

Thanks for the links. I more or less meant the point that Apple also stated to me that adding more RAM will in no way effect the unit's performance because it wasn't designed to run on more than 8GB. This is what they told me on the phone earlier today...



Harry

 

[GGJstudios]

Thanks for the links. I more or less meant the point that Apple also stated to me that adding more RAM will in no way effect the unit's performance because it wasn't designed to run on more than 8GB. This is what they told me on the phone earlier today...

It's important to remember than "Genius" is only their job title, and not necessarily an indication of their knowledge, experience or expertise.

To determine if you can benefit from more RAM, launch Activity Monitor and click the System Memory tab at the bottom to check your page outs. Page outs are cumulative since your last restart, so the best way to check is to restart your computer and track page outs under your normal workload (the apps, browser pages and documents you normally would have open). If your page outs are significant (say 1GB or more) under normal use, you may benefit from more RAM. If your page outs are zero or very low during normal use, you probably won't see any performance improvement from adding RAM.

Mac OS X: Reading system memory usage in Activity Monitor

 

[DrtyHarry]

Do you really need 16 GB?

To be honest, I don't know. We use towers at work. But, I'm trying to put it all together now so if 16GB will improve the speed of my workflow, I'd rather have it at my disposal. The quicker she runs, the less time I spend on the computer.




Harry

 

[GGJstudios]

Do you really need 16 GB?

To be honest, I don't know.

Read my last post to find out.

 

[DrtyHarry]

It's important to remember than "Genius" is only their job title, and not necessarily an indication of their knowledge, experience or expertise.

To determine if you can benefit from more RAM, launch Activity Monitor and click the System Memory tab at the bottom to check your page outs. Page outs are cumulative since your last restart, so the best way to check is to restart your computer and track page outs under your normal workload (the apps, browser pages and documents you normally would have open). If your page outs are significant (say 1GB or more) under normal use, you may benefit from more RAM. If your page outs are zero or very low during normal use, you probably won't see any performance improvement from adding RAM.

Mac OS X: Reading system memory usage in Activity Monitor

Thanks for this. I'll give it a try on my comp when I get home. I don't know how the results will be of much help as I don't yet have the computer. Someone must have done some comparisons between 8/16 GB!




Harry

----------

Read my last post to find out.

We are one step ahead of each other here when posting, I see your point, but in order to find out I would need to have the machine. I have not yet purchased the computer....just going over the specs.



Harry