My system had an HDD, so it was very noticeable. An SSD would help tremendously I imagine.
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MBA Purchase : More Ram or More SSD?
- Thread starter ColdShadow
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My system had an HDD, so it was very noticeable. An SSD would help tremendously I imagine.
If it were me I'd go for the memory, as additional external storage capacity can be added post-purchase via USB.
I completely understand your hesitation on the ram. It really depends on where you get the MacBook from as to how much the ram upgrade would actually cost you.
For example, a new 13 inch MBA from Apple with the 8/256 configuration will cost 1299. You could pick up a 2013 refurbished 4/256 config from Apple's refurb store for 979. The 2013 and 2014 machines are essentially the same machine.
The ram upgrade in this scenario would be 320, not 100. Additionally, as Joe said, if you can get by with 128, you could get a base model for 700 which then puts you at at over 500 less.
In the end it's your machine and you should get what you want. I was in a similar situation to the above scenario where the ram upgrade would have cost 260 more for me. I am really glad I didn't spend the extra money on ram I don't need. Mavericks is great with memory management and Yosemite will be even better.
Both
files are getting bigger and RAM requirements are also getting larger. But if I had to lean towards one or the other, it would be RAM, unless you can access RAM and upgrade at a later time, than I would invest on SSD storage.
source?
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For office apps and media consumption: No.
For media creation: Partialy yes.
Like I said,that's what I came accross few times reading beta user coments,so could be wrong..
Still,something to consider.
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Where I live,there is little price difference between refurbed 2013 with 4/256 and the brand new 2014 with 4/128.(both from apple store).
So I'd go for the brand new 2014 anyday,better resale value,and I hate the way refurb macbooks are delivered (with no official box etc).
People always say that you absolutely need X amount of RAM, where X is the amount of RAM they bought and now are trying to justify the cost of. Adding to the confusion is the fact that Mavericks and Yosemite will allocate RAM if it is available, which means that the amount of RAM used appears very high. In reality, it doesn't actually need that much and there is no performance difference whatsoever for the overwhelming majority of users.
As to future proofing, you see that argument thrown around a lot (again to justify an unnecessary purchase), but then the same people often go out and buy the newest model every time the line is updated anyway. 4 GB is a lot of space, except for some specialized tasks. Even then, you have RAM compression in OS X to help out. Further, you have a SSD which makes paging to disk quite fast anyway, so it's not a big deal if it does.
By all means get the 8GB..it's soldered in and you can't change your mind later unless you buy another laptop. It's better to buy too much than to later not have enough. It's only another $100 anyway, albeit overpriced. Also can help resale later.
The SSD you CAN upgrade later. Just be sure you can operate in 100GB if you go for the 128GB model.
The SSD you CAN upgrade later. Just be sure you can operate in 100GB if you go for the 128GB model.
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UK..
(new 2014):
i5/4/128 is GBP 850
i5/8/123 is GBP 930
i5/4/256 is GBP 999
i5/8/256 is GBP 1080
(refurbished 2013):
i5/4/128 GBP 680
i5/4/256 GBP 800
tax is already included in prices here
and I get 750 GBP for my Mid 2011 iMac (21.5",i5 2.5Ghz /4GB /500GB)
Definitely RAM
I'm going to have to agree with the majority and say go for 8GB of RAM. It's the one aspect that not only can't be upgraded, but will make the most difference in the future. If your apps can squeeze into a 50gb space, 128 should be fine. Use external storage for large media libraries and the cloud for docs.
And while I'm sure there are varying views on this, I would say keep a minimum of 30% free on an SSD
I'm going to have to agree with the majority and say go for 8GB of RAM. It's the one aspect that not only can't be upgraded, but will make the most difference in the future. If your apps can squeeze into a 50gb space, 128 should be fine. Use external storage for large media libraries and the cloud for docs.
And while I'm sure there are varying views on this, I would say keep a minimum of 30% free on an SSD
Either of these are your best bet. There isn't a point in purchasing a 2014 model when the 2013 models are essentially the same thing. If I were you I'd go with that 4/256 refurb for 800.
The only difference between a new model and a refurb is the plastic you get to remove off of the box on arrival. After the box is opened, you have the same thing.
RAM. RAM RAM RAM. Did I mention RAM?
RAM is not upgradeable later - SSD is. You can always get the 13" SD card that sits flush:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K73NT0S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
RAM is not upgradeable later - SSD is. You can always get the 13" SD card that sits flush:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K73NT0S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
Quite a number of the posters have suggested that the best combination is that of 4 GB RAM and 256 SSD and I tend to agree. As some have argued, all the RAM in the world is of little use if you lack memory with the SSD. I used to have a 2010 MBA with 128 SSD drive, and by last year I found that it was no longer sufficient for my needs.
In any case, if money is an issue, I strongly recommend that you buy a 2013 refurb - there is very little difference between the 2013 and 2014 models. Moreover, with a 2013 refurb, you will probably be able to afford both the 256 SSD drive and 8 GB RAM.
The 2013 models are superb and an enormous improvement over the earlier models in terms of power, speed and duration of battery.
In any case, if money is an issue, I strongly recommend that you buy a 2013 refurb - there is very little difference between the 2013 and 2014 models. Moreover, with a 2013 refurb, you will probably be able to afford both the 256 SSD drive and 8 GB RAM.
The 2013 models are superb and an enormous improvement over the earlier models in terms of power, speed and duration of battery.
My rule of thumb is to always upgrade RAM first. On soldered systems like the MacBook Air, this is doubly true.
Third parties have found ways to upgrade the SSD in the MacBook Air; and with USB 3 and Thunderbolt, you an always add external storage easily at any time. (And if you have the 13" model, you can even get a "flush-fit" SD card made just for the MBA to add up to 128 GB in a removable form factor that doesn't stick out the side. Of course, it won't fit in to many other systems directly.)
But RAM on the MBA, you're stuck with what you buy. While your workload right now may not "need" more than the stock amount - if you plan on keeping the laptop for 3-4 years (or more,) it WILL start to become more important. (My family tends to keep and use laptops for a long time - my wife just upgraded from a mid-07 MacBook Pro to a MacBook Air. I'm still on a mid-2007 iMac. Both had been upgraded multiple times.)
Third parties have found ways to upgrade the SSD in the MacBook Air; and with USB 3 and Thunderbolt, you an always add external storage easily at any time. (And if you have the 13" model, you can even get a "flush-fit" SD card made just for the MBA to add up to 128 GB in a removable form factor that doesn't stick out the side. Of course, it won't fit in to many other systems directly.)
But RAM on the MBA, you're stuck with what you buy. While your workload right now may not "need" more than the stock amount - if you plan on keeping the laptop for 3-4 years (or more,) it WILL start to become more important. (My family tends to keep and use laptops for a long time - my wife just upgraded from a mid-07 MacBook Pro to a MacBook Air. I'm still on a mid-2007 iMac. Both had been upgraded multiple times.)
Depending on what you do an external storage unit defeats the purpose of a laptop.
Cloud base storage is not practical for large amounts of date unless you have an unlimited lte streaming plan.
Even then you are **** out of luck if you are in an area with no cell coverage.
If you are still looking for advice, go for bigger 256 GB SSD.
I have a Mid-2011 1.7 i5 MBA on Mavericks with 4GB. It is still as fast today as it was when I bought it. I have never "run out" of RAM, Mavericks is efficient, the SSD is super fast, I get no spinning wheels.
I will be able to keep this computer for another 3-4 years or more. It's flawless.
I have a Mid-2011 1.7 i5 MBA on Mavericks with 4GB. It is still as fast today as it was when I bought it. I have never "run out" of RAM, Mavericks is efficient, the SSD is super fast, I get no spinning wheels.
I will be able to keep this computer for another 3-4 years or more. It's flawless.