Ram and hdd advice!

[lympero]

Hello
I own a late 2011 2.2 quad core MacBook pro.
First.
I want to upgrade to 16gb ram. Will this ram work without problems or should I just buy 1333mhz to be sure?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0076W9Q5A/ref=mp_s_a_3?pi=75x48&qid=1346699350&sr=8-3

Second.
I want to upgrade the internal hdd. My choices are a 750 gb hybrid momentus xt or a 256 Samsung 830 ssd.

Of course ssd is faster etc but my main concern is durability. I want to keep this setup for 4+ years.
Also I have watched many videos where the momentus xt performs almost equally to a ssd.

Any input will be appreciated .

Usage - ml with 2 virtual machines (linux,windows). Linux runs a web server.
Programs - eclipse, Xcode and my wife photoshop and of course video editing.

Thanks

 

[zhenya]

Before you spend money on RAM, make sure it's actually going to make a difference for you. When you have the computer up and running in your normal environment, with all programs open that you generally keep open, check RAM usage in the Performance Monitor. How much is free? If you aren't using it all, adding additional RAM will make no performance difference. (Although I suspect in your case, it will - this is just general advice).

The SSD is definitely worthwhile if you want a performance bump. Hybrid hard drives have their place, but their abilities are limited. For light users who keep the same few programs open at all times, they can make a big difference, as the algorithms learn their patterns, and are able to buffer that data to make it accessible quickly. I suspect that your workflow might be too advanced to really take advantage of this, as if you do anything outside of your normal routine, or your routine is just overly complex, you're back to the regular performance of a 2.5" platter drive. From personal experience, SSD's make a HUGE difference in virtual environments. You won't be disappointed.

There is no concern about durability with quality SSD's. I wouldn't even bring that into consideration.

 

[wolfpuppies3]

May I direct your attention to the issue of 750 GB vs 256 GB? That's a huge difference in storage space. All the speed of the SSD won't do much good if the drive is too small for your needs.

I also echo the comments about correct memory. Go to macsales.com to check which may be correct for your machine. The same source can address SSD availability and prices as well.