RAM and hard drive questions

[G. Threepwood]

I ordered a brand new 27" Retina iMac. It comes with 8 Gb memory, so I'd like to add some more. I'd like to know, if this is a suitable set of RAM?

iMac's hard drive prices are just ridiculous, so I ordered mine with only 256 Gb SSD. I've planned to take off another 256 Gb SSD from my old Macbook, and use it as an external hard drive. Is it sensible, or is it silly to use SSD externally? Can I use this as a case for the drive, or how should I mount it? Of course I could also buy a hard drive dock, but it wouldn't fit to my drawer, and I'd like to keep my desk neat and clean.

 

[Sirmausalot]

NO NO NO. That is desktop memory and the iMac takes LAPTOP memory. So it's too big. And yes, your SSD choice was, IMHO, incorrect. The budget option is to go with the 2TB Fusion or bump up to the 512 SSD. BTW, if you are pinched for money, wait on the RAM upgrade. You might do okay for a while with 8GB. The drive is more important. And yes, it is a good plan to repurpose your old drive and in a USB 3 enclosure, it will be quick!

(but you might be better off selling your old Macbook and using the cash for better upgrades).

The iMac harddrive prices, actually are not ridiculous because you aren't comparing PCI-e flash to SSD. And that flash memory is about 2-2.5X faster than the SSDs you're looking at.

I ordered a brand new 27" Retina iMac. It comes with 8 Gb memory, so I'd like to add some more. I'd like to know, if this is a suitable set of RAM?

iMac's hard drive prices are just ridiculous, so I ordered mine with only 256 Gb SSD. I've planned to take off another 256 Gb SSD from my old Macbook, and use it as an external hard drive. Is it sensible, or is it silly to use SSD externally? Can I use this as a case for the drive, or how should I mount it? Of course I could also buy a hard drive dock, but it wouldn't fit to my drawer, and I'd like to keep my desk neat and clean.

 

[G. Threepwood]

Whoops, thanks a lot, Sirmausalot!

From the other thread I learned that this would work, am I right this time?

I still can't understand, why I should spend 360 € more to have 512 Gb SSD instead of 256 Gb, if I can have a cheap external SSD-drive for videos etc. seldom used stuff. And I wouldn't really like to have any mechanical spinning discs inside of my nightmareish-to-open iMac.

But maybe you're right, though. I don't want to admit that, because I've already ordered my iMac.. (yes, I know, I can still cancel it..)

 

[Jimmdean]

What you need to know his how much space you really need for all your non-media files. That will tell you if 256 internal will cut it. It does for me - maybe it's ok for you too. As for making the other one external, any good USB3 enclosure will do...

 

[Sirmausalot]

I am not a RAM expert, but I am learning. That RAM should work as it is the lower voltage DDR 3L SODIMM However, it is in theory a little slower than the faster 1886/1887 you can use in the iMac (others say it will handle even faster RAM). And yes, I think you should 1. Cancel your order 2. Reorder with the 512SSD and 3. Sell your Macbook for whatever you can get. Hold off on purchasing the RAM until we all know more and you see how your computer runs without it and how your bank account is holding out...

Whoops, thanks a lot, Sirmausalot!

From the other thread I learned that this would work, am I right this time?

I still can't understand, why I should spend 360 € more to have 512 Gb SSD instead of 256 Gb, if I can have a cheap external SSD-drive for videos etc. seldom used stuff. And I wouldn't really like to have any mechanical spinning discs inside of my nightmareish-to-open iMac.

But maybe you're right, though. I don't want to admit that, because I've already ordered my iMac.. (yes, I know, I can still cancel it..)

 

[G. Threepwood]

Thanks again!

In my Macbook I have 256 Gb hard drive, and that's enough for me now. But in future I'll need more space. So I am thinking I simply could move my media files to external drive, and 256 Gb internal drive would be OK.

I don't think my '08 Macbook will be lot of worth neither with nor without SSD I'm planning to put it's old HDD back inside and selling it so.

 

[majestice]

I still can't understand, why I should spend 360 € more to have 512 Gb SSD instead of 256 Gb, if I can have a cheap external SSD-drive for videos etc. seldom used stuff. And I wouldn't really like to have any mechanical spinning discs inside of my nightmareish-to-open iMac.

My 256 SSD has been full for few years by now. I ordered the new on with 1TB because the programs are getting bigger and also cache and memory swaps need room. Also maybe I'm stupid but while I can move iTunes music library to the external drive I can't find a way to move the apps.. then add backups for my 64GB iphone, 128gb iphone and 64gb ipad.. ok the apps are saved only once but it starts to add up. With 512 I'd be ok for now, but maybe in one year I'd be stuck again in the same situation that I've been struggling with for last two years.. having my system drive too full

 

[Jimmdean]

My 256 SSD has been full for few years by now. I ordered the new on with 1TB because the programs are getting bigger and also cache and memory swaps need room. Also maybe I'm stupid but while I can move iTunes music library to the external drive I can't find a way to move the apps.. then add backups for my 64GB iphone, 128gb iphone and 64gb ipad.. ok the apps are saved only once but it starts to add up. With 512 I'd be ok for now, but maybe in one year I'd be stuck again in the same situation that I've been struggling with for last two years.. having my system drive too full

sounds like your using up a lot of your costly, fast storage on things that you never really use. "symbolic links" are your answer. Essentially what that means is that where you currently have your device backups on your SSD there would be just a link (or shortcut) that would point to where the data really resides (on your external). The OS can't tell the difference - as far as it knows it never moved. In your case that would free up a ton of space.

Check it out here:
http://www.imore.com/how-move-your-iphone-and-ipad-backups-external-drive