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mirado0424

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 7, 2012
5
0
I will be using bootcamp for gaming only, while keeping everything else on OSX. diablo 3 and guild wars 2 are the only games. so maybe split it 64GB/160? or would it be smarter to do 512? thanks
 
I will be using bootcamp for gaming only, while keeping everything else on OSX. diablo 3 and guild wars 2 are the only games. so maybe split it 64GB/160? or would it be smarter to do 512? thanks

Definitely 512GB if you plan on partitioning the drive.
 
I went with 256GB as well. However I do have an external which holds everything that I need. I have StarCraft installed on a partition on my external which saves me some space but since you are going Bootcamp only I can't see why it would not be enough.
 
Just remember that even if you are using one of OS as your startup disk, you will still have access to all of your files as long as it's not a program/app. If you are planning to use Windows as your primary OS, your documents and such are still accessible.
 
On my gaming rig I only have a 160gb SSD, I have all my essential games installed, which is way more than what your looking to do. I have tons of apps installed too, and my SSD could use a cleaning, but I still have 35GB free. I'm getting a base 256GB rMBP, I intend to make a 180GB partition for bootcamp, and leave the rest for OSX, should leave me with more than enough room for my games. Since you only want to install a few games, you could do with an even smaller partition.

Skyrim (loaded with mods) - 10.6GB
Arma2 - 8.3GB
Arma2 OP - 8GB
Metro 2033 - 7.3GB
Blacklight Retribution -5.5GB
CS:GO - 3.6GB
Diablo 3 - 7.7GB
Battlefield 3 - 16GB
War of Warplanes - 8.4GB

With 35GB out of 149GB to spare.
 
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1) 256GB for a laptop sounds ridiculously small nowadays.

2) 256GB SSD for a laptop sounds affordable nowadays, but point 1) still applies :rolleyes:
 
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I'm doing just fine with my 128 GB SSD, but it's OSX only.

I would give a larger chunk of storage to windows, 80-100 GB. Some games are very large, e.g. WOW with all expansions is about 25 GB, and who knows where D3 and GW2 end up once they start having expansions... it's annoying when you have to delete one game to play another one.

So, if you can get along with an OSX partition of 150 GB, then I guess the 256 option is enough. On the other hand, if you can afford it you should go for the larger storage option!
 
256GB is good enough...unless you can justify the extra $$$, go for it.

You can always get external drives, SD cards, USB sticks if you need extra data around.
 
I dont think it's sufficent.
I ordered a 2,3Ghz base model on the 11th, directly after the Store went online and I got it 2 weeks ago. I have windows running on bootcamp, and my storage capacity is about to run out (allready).

If you are planning on running two OS I recommend you getting the 512GB version. I decided just 1 week after fooling around with the 2,3 base model that this was not enough for me. That's why I have made an order on the 2,6Ghz, 16GB, 512SSD that will be delivered on the 18th of July.

Called Apple support for a return of the 2,3Ghz (after 2 weeks of playing with it), and it was no problem at all. :)

They will come and collect it in the end of next week, so hopefully I will not be without a computer for that long. :)
 
If you have the fund, then 512Gb or even larger storage rMBP is a good option in the long run. If fund is an issue, or you just can't justify spending the extra cash for gaming, then a normal high-end mbp is a good choice as it comes with 750Gb hard drive, and you can relocate it to the optical bay and add a 256/512Gb ssd as boot drive.
 
I think it depends on your personal usage. If you are familiar with saving most of your files directly on your Macbook... than you should go for 512GB, especially if you plan to use Windows as separate OS. When you frequently save most of your secondary files on a external drive and Windows is not important for you, than 256GB should be more than enough.
 
Worst case scenario buy an external HDD with a caddy and run the games from there.

A USB 3.0 + 7200 HDD should be more that sufficient.
 
If you can afford it go for the 512, otherwise just get the 256 and a 1-2tb external harddrive and put everything else on there.... you will probably end up cheaper than the price of the 512gb ssd mbp
 
The 512Gb is quite an expensive upgrade so the OP will need to weigh up the pro's and con's of paying quite a bit more against some form of external storage or living with 256Gb
 
As a person who lived with a 256, a 512, and soon hopes to be getting a 768, I'd would recommend the 512 if anything. I did try, when I ran my 256 to keep my Windows OS clean and operate most games and what not off the external, but that does become extremely cumbersome after a while. This would be fine if you plan exclusively on playing your Macbook's games on a stationary desk always, but it limits your mobility with your games.

Also, when I did play with smaller thunderbolt drives that were mobile, the setup tended to be extremely uncomfortable, being a person who loves to play games with the laptop propped on a laptop stand in his lap. The extra wire attached to a running disk drive tended to cause things to get tangled, and the disk drive to end up dropping while running, wires to get disconnected during use, and at two points, the drive to go get shoved roughly.

512 will give you enough space to keep your core games on your Windows partition on the SSD, and a few extras or backups on the external, while still keeping your OS X install large enough to handle most of your files for the long term. My partitions on my 512 still get full often, but this largely is a result of me not moving things to the external all the time (it can be resolved), the 256 often makes resolving these things a daily chore, and I'd only recommend it if you were primarily using the computer for documents, surfing and light apps, certainly not gaming.

That being said, you can also buy one of these to help with internal storage. You could easily add an extra few gigs, maybe even 128 with one of these. Not sure about the speed hit though. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1342319572/the-nifty-minidrive
 
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I will be using bootcamp for gaming only, while keeping everything else on OSX. diablo 3 and guild wars 2 are the only games. so maybe split it 64GB/160? or would it be smarter to do 512? thanks

Shouldn't be a problem, I've been using the same setup on a Macbook Air for quite some time now. Don't forget: the rMBP has USB 3.0. USB 3 is pretty darn fast - just hook up a semi-decent USB 3.0 harddrive and you'll have all the space you need.
 
If you're only upgrading for an extra 256GB worth of storage, it's definitely not worth it with the £500 price increase. More often than not, the extra storage will just be data sitting there anyway. Why not save yourself that money and invest in a decent 1TB external drive? As stated before, USB3 with a 7200 hard disk is more than sufficient. If speed is a factor in the future, buy a Thunderbolt and SSD combination, job done.
 
Actually it's even possible to "install" windows on a external usb 3.0 drive. So basically I would not spend those 600$ for the SSD-Upgrade. A 1TB USB 3.0 Drive costs about 90-100$.
 
Definitely go as big as you can, until the credit card hurts. You'll soon forget the price. I've had the MBP three days and haven't transferred a lot of my data over yet, and have 512Gb free on a 768. No bootcamp yet... just a couple of virtual machines.
 
Definitely go as big as you can, until the credit card hurts.

This is why we are having financial issues in the United States, ladies and gentlemen.

The overabundance and excess of the 1980's carried over to the 90's and the 2000's.
 
For most uses I think 256gb is sufficient but once you introduce partitioning to play windows games or windows software that throws that idea out the window.

Basically can you live within a 192gb SSD for OSX, if you create a 64gb windows partition?
 
For most uses I think 256gb is sufficient but once you introduce partitioning to play windows games or windows software that throws that idea out the window.

Basically can you live within a 192gb SSD for OSX, if you create a 64gb windows partition?

Well... its possible to install games and windows on a external usb 3.0 device. 256GB should be enough.
 
Well... its possible to install games and windows on a external usb 3.0 device. 256GB should be enough.

Correct, and an external drive is great idea, provided the OP can live with an external drive, i.e., not wanting or able to lug an external drive around :)
 
Correct, and an external drive is great idea, provided the OP can live with an external drive, i.e., not wanting or able to lug an external drive around :)

My external drive (USB 3.0 1TB) is 123 mm x 75 mm x 13 mm and weights 195g :)... that's not much effort, especially as the power connector is the USB 3.0 cable itself. It's build with aluminium so its perfectly fits to the Macbook-Case.

CnMemory-2-5-Zinc-USB-3-0-1TB-745x559-c9c36a0f23417c61.jpg
 
I've ordered the 256GB model. And ordered a samsung 256 830 series SSD for £150, which will be used via usb 3.

Best of both worlds.. performance/backup and saving alot of extra ££'s.
 
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