rMBP: entry level vs. top of the line

[kis]

I ended up selling my entry-level rMBP because as it turned out I needed more RAM and - above all - a bigger SSD. Because the only rMBP with 16gb of memory they had at the Apple Store was the top of the line version (2.7ghz, 768gb SSD, 16gb RAM), I ended up getting that one, although I'll have to sell my iPad to make up for the price difference.

Anyway - I was among those who kept saying that 8gb are enough for the rMBP. Boy was I wrong. My first one was slow as heck. Scrolling was choppy, even normal file operations were slow. The new one is lightning fast. The difference is absolutely massive. I had the two side by side today when I transferred my stuff over - I couldn't believe those are even in the same model range. If you can afford it, go for the 16gb version, it's REALLY worth it.

PS: both had flawless LG screens, btw.

 

[shansoft]

RAM size will not affect scrolling stutter, just a FYI.

Also, 16GB is really useful if you do lots of XCode or Video editing.

But I doubt many people buy rMBP for those purposes.

 

[Kendo]

Yeah are you sure you weren't imagining things? You can only feels the effects of 8GB vs 16GB RAM if you have multiple encoding done.

The scrolling isn't affected by RAM nor the faster opening and running of programs. That is all GPU/CPU.

 

[rrm998]

For those ordering from Apple.com, you can now mix and match pretty much any configuration options you want. A lot of people commented in the early sales that they were forced to get the high end for the memory. Now people have a choice.

I still have the 8GB but I've noticed that I have a lot more free memory since 10.8.2 was released.

 

[iDutchman]

My rMBP (8GB RAM/512GB SSD) feels smooth as butter. No scrolling lag?

Maybe your previous model was a bit crooked or you are imagining things.

 

[gbit]

oh yeah op is so right
with the ipad its even more extreme
if you upgrade from 16gb to 64gb you wont recognise your ipad again so much faster after the upgrade

 

[iDutchman]

For those ordering from Apple.com, you can now mix and match pretty much any configuration options you want. A lot of people commented in the early sales that they were forced to get the high end for the memory. Now people have a choice.

I still have the 8GB but I've noticed that I have a lot more free memory since 10.8.2 was released.

Yep, I was one of them. No specialised configurations could be made back then. And I'm talking August.

 

[shansoft]

My rMBP (8GB RAM/512GB SSD) feels smooth as butter. No scrolling lag?

Maybe your previous model was a bit crooked or you are imagining things.

Then perhaps you are running on dedicated GPU. There is no way for it to run smooth on Integrated GPU.

 

[derbothaus]

OP needs to get a better grasp of how memory works.

 

[boy-better-know]

Yeah, maybe there was something wrong with your 8GB machine.

 

[tillsbury]

Yep, I was one of them. No specialised configurations could be made back then. And I'm talking August.

Huh? The Apple store let you choose whatever you wanted from day 1. I ordered the next day, 2.6/16/768. Look back at the "shipping spreadsheet" and see how every order is for a different combination.

The only place your configuration is fixed is at the brick store.

 

[NewishMacGuy]

Question for all the naysayers...

Doesn't the IGPU share RAM with the CPU?

If so, I would imagine that like on the cMBP-13, when you add RAM, a larger chunk gets allocated for the IGPU, and that might helps things considerably.

It wouldn't surprise me if the IGPU is operating with 512MB in the 8GB model and 1GB in the 16GB model, and that would likely make a difference in GUI performance feel on a retina machine. Given the newfound thirst for memory that I'm seeing on my old 4GB macs with the latest versions of Lion and ML, and Apple's rumored decision to update the minimum memory spec to 8GB in the upcoming updates, RAM could be an issue here.

 

[gbit]

get a master degree in cs and then lets talk again

 

[derbothaus]

Question for all the naysayers...

Doesn't the IGPU share RAM with the CPU?

If so, I would imagine that like on the cMBP-13, when you add RAM, a larger chunk gets allocated for the IGPU, and that might helps things considerably.

It wouldn't surprise me if the IGPU is operating with 512MB in the 8GB model and 1GB in the 16GB model, and that would likely make a difference in GUI performance feel on a retina machine. Given the newfound thirst for memory that I'm seeing on my old 4GB macs with the latest versions of Lion and ML, and Apple's rumored decision to update the minimum memory spec to 8GB in the upcoming updates, RAM could be an issue here.

Wow. You're just making stuff up.
The IGPU has a set amount of memory allotted to it (Intel 4000 uses 384MB DDR3). It does not dip any deeper whether you have 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, etc. It is what it is. It reserves what it is made to reserve. Memory speeds up nothing if you have enough of it to never swap to disk. Memory allow you to run further in a race not any faster. For that you need faster clocked (800MHz vs. 1333MHz) memory or newer generation of memory (ie. DDR2 vs DDR3).
All Intel 4000 IGPU's use 384MB VRAM. At least in all of Apple's portables. 13" cMBP, 15" cMBP, rMBP.

 

[jjhoekstra]

Then perhaps you are running on dedicated GPU. There is no way for it to run smooth on Integrated GPU.

Huuh? I am at this moment running on the integrated GPU (thanks Code Krieger!) and my rMBP scrolls and runs as smooth as a babies bottom.

I, by the way, have the 16Gb version and I have never seen memory use over 9 Gb. And that was when I accidentally opened all documents on my rMBP. All 160.000.

 

[kis]

RAM size will not affect scrolling stutter, just a FYI.

Also, 16GB is really useful if you do lots of XCode or Video editing.

But I doubt many people buy rMBP for those purposes.

I do lots of photo editing (36 megapixel camera -> 800mb TIFFs). Yes, it's very useful.

All I can say is that my "old" one was slow as heck. I don't know why - but from the get go I had the feeling that it was a massive step down from the Macbook Air I previously owned in terms of GUI speed. The new one is preforming like a computer in that price-range should - the old one was performing like it was high on pot. It didn't improve after completely erasing and re-installing it, either. I'm hoping the new owner will take it to Apple for a check-up.

 

[SchuettS]

I do lots of photo editing (36 megapixel camera -> 800mb TIFFs). Yes, it's very useful.

All I can say is that my "old" one was slow as heck. I don't know why - but from the get go I had the feeling that it was a massive step down from the Macbook Air I previously owned in terms of GUI speed. The new one is preforming like a computer in that price-range should - the old one was performing like it was high on pot. It didn't improve after completely erasing and re-installing it, either. I'm hoping the new owner will take it to Apple for a check-up.

How much ram are you using up when photo editing?

 

[kis]

How much ram are you using up when photo editing?

more than I thought, actually. I would have guessed around 8gb from the overall perfomance dump I noticed in my old rMBP when when running both Lightroom and Photoshop, doing some minimal batch-processing or exporting tasks, but apparently, it's closer to 10-12. Here's CS4 idling with 8 16-bit TIFFs open (and those were from a 5D Mark II, not my D800) and Lightroom idling in the background.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/6374914/photoshop.tiff

So yes, I'm glad I have the 16gb - not saying it's the best choice for everyone, but if your main source of income is photography, it's probably no waste of money.

 

[NewishMacGuy]

Wow. You're just making stuff up.
The IGPU has a set amount of memory allotted to it (Intel 4000 uses 384MB DDR3). It does not dip any deeper whether you have 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, etc. It is what it is. It reserves what it is made to reserve. Memory speeds up nothing if you have enough of it to never swap to disk. Memory allow you to run further in a race not any faster. For that you need faster clocked (800MHz vs. 1333MHz) memory or newer generation of memory (ie. DDR2 vs DDR3).
All Intel 4000 IGPU's use 384MB VRAM. At least in all of Apple's portables. 13" cMBP, 15" cMBP, rMBP.

Your objection and "correction" implies that the VRAM for an IGPU is segregated and not shared (and I'm pretty sure that's not true). What's the point in "shared" RAM if it is fixed capacity and not dynamic?

And as you can see here, I'm not making that up just because it's seems like common sense. Apparently it's fairly common knowledge.

 

[skitzogreg]

There was something wrong with the first if the second fixed the issues. RAM doesn't control your scroll lag.

 

[elchorizo]

more than I thought, actually. I would have guessed around 8gb from the overall perfomance dump I noticed in my old rMBP when when running both Lightroom and Photoshop, doing some minimal batch-processing or exporting tasks, but apparently, it's closer to 10-12. Here's CS4 idling with 8 16-bit TIFFs open (and those were from a 5D Mark II, not my D800) and Lightroom idling in the background.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/6374914/photoshop.tiff

So yes, I'm glad I have the 16gb - not saying it's the best choice for everyone, but if your main source of income is photography, it's probably no waste of money.

mmmm D800 ftw! I just got my work assigned rMBP today and I'm looking forward to sticking Lightroom on it and seeing how it performs with those giant D800 files. I just work with DNG versions of the raw files in Lightroom though because I don't have a MAC version of PS. Those files are much smaller (about 45-70MB each) so I'm hoping things are smooth.

 

[iDutchman]

Huh? The Apple store let you choose whatever you wanted from day 1. I ordered the next day, 2.6/16/768. Look back at the "shipping spreadsheet" and see how every order is for a different combination.

The only place your configuration is fixed is at the brick store.

Back then, no 2.3/16GB/256GB or 2.6/16GB/256GB could be made

----------

Then perhaps you are running on dedicated GPU. There is no way for it to run smooth on Integrated GPU.

And you know that because you have the rMBP? No.

I run the Intel HD 4000 all the time. Always.

 

[shansoft]

Huuh? I am at this moment running on the integrated GPU (thanks Code Krieger!) and my rMBP scrolls and runs as smooth as a babies bottom.

I, by the way, have the 16Gb version and I have never seen memory use over 9 Gb. And that was when I accidentally opened all documents on my rMBP. All 160.000.

There is no way to run smooth with iGPU, unless the definition of "smooth" is different for you than anyone else in here.

 

[Sweetleader]

Your objection and "correction" implies that the VRAM for an IGPU is segregated and not shared (and I'm pretty sure that's not true). What's the point in "shared" RAM if it is fixed capacity and not dynamic?

And as you can see here, I'm not making that up just because it's seems like common sense. Apparently it's fairly common knowledge.

I think you are confused on something. "VRAM(GDDR5)" and normal "SDRAM DDR3" are two completely different and separate things. Your discrete GPU (in this case a 650m) VRAM is always 1GB no matter on which model you have.

All SDRAM does is allows you load more programs at once or allow one program to use more memory to preform functions. It literally has zero to do with the video processing on your computer. Now the IGPU and the discrete probably do share the VRAM but the number is still going to be the same between every single rMBP.

Your "common sense" and "fairly common knowledge" is completely wrong. I suggest, if you want to learn more about how a computer works, you stay away from the macrumor forums. I've been scanning this forum less than a week and I've come across more false information and nobody correcting it than the entire time I've been using internet forums.

 

[terraphantm]

Back then, no 2.3/16GB/256GB or 2.6/16GB/256GB could be made

----------



And you know that because you have the rMBP? No.

I run the Intel HD 4000 all the time. Always.

16GB was allowed with any CPU from day 1.

What wasn't allowed initially was a 2.3 with a 512GB SSD, or a 2.6/2.7 with a 256GB SSD.