Testing out 8gb ram in store

[jayroc2k]

I have read countless 8gb vs 16gb ram threads. I am considering buying Macbook Pro 15inch in either 8GB entry level model or higher end 16GB GeForce 750M version.

If i get the 8gb model i will be upgrading SSD to 512GB as the 256GB on my Core 2 Duo 2.4Ghz Macbook pro 13inch is insufficient.

I use lightroom 5 and raw files a lot and plan to do some video editing (maybe once every few months)

I tested by opening safari, lightroom, aperture, ibooks, App Store and iMovie in store and the ram usage was only about 6GB.

Why if any do i have to get the upper 16GB model? i tend to keep my laptops for at least 4 years (based on my macbook core2duo experience).

Another point i am thinking is depreciation.? will it be higher with the GeForce 750M model?

Last question. Will the battery life on the GeForce 750M with the carded forced off be the same as the non GeForce 750M model?

I am getting the macs on student discount so price difference is about £200

 

[jkcerda]

more ram is always better, pretty sad that you can't upgrade the newer MBPs, future software might require you to have more ram, why not cry once & get what you need instead of simply getting 8GB's?

 

[mneblett]

I faced the same choice, and I'm *very* happy I went with 16GB, as there have been plenty of times when I've been over 8GB (not counting inactive memory), such as when using Pixelmator with several Safari windows and other programs running in the background.

16GB also lets you comfortably run a virtual machine (I occasionally need to run Win 8 under Parallels). A VM is a real memory hog if you want to give Windows enough room to operate.

 

[DeltaMac]

...

I tested by opening safari, lightroom, aperture, ibooks, App Store and iMovie in store and the ram usage was only about 6GB.

Why if any do i have to get the upper 16GB model? i tend to keep my laptops for at least 4 years (based on my macbook core2duo experience).

...

You should test with those apps on a 16GB Mac, if possible. You will likely find that they take up about the same proportion of RAM (guessing 8 - 10GB). OS X provides more RAM when it is available. Some apps will use more, when the OS X system provides it.

 

[BrianATL]

There's an old saying that 'You can never be too rich or too thin...' I have revised it to, 'You can never be too rich or too thin or have enough RAM.'

Get the 16GB and it also 'future-proofs' you longer.

 

[Montymitch]

If you have to ask, you need more ram.

 

[Weaselboy]

I have read countless 8gb vs 16gb ram threads. I am considering buying Macbook Pro 15inch in either 8GB entry level model or higher end 16GB GeForce 750M version.

Give this test a look. Unless you are often working with HUGE files in something like PhotoShop, there is not much if anything to be gained by going from 8 to 16GB.

 

[Matthew9559]

I went with the standard 1,599 model (256 GB SSD/ 8 GB Ram) myself. I plan on keeping the laptop 2-3 years and I personally would rather boot manually into boot camp than run parallels/etc. My usage is Safari, Mail, Calendar, Reminders, Evernote, Spotify and Xcode. On Windows end, just Chrome, Spotify and Visual Studio 2013 typically. I honestly haven't noticed any slowdown.

If I wanted this machine to last 4 years, I wouldn't have gotten a laptop. From my experience, I feel the itch to upgrade way before the little adjustments become so standard so I'm on more of a 2-3 year upgrade process already.

 

[jayroc2k]

Give this test a look. Unless you are often working with HUGE files in something like PhotoShop, there is not much if anything to be gained by going from 8 to 16GB.

thanks, very informative. in 2010 when 2GB was standard, i paid extra for a 4GB. this was fine until mavericks came along and i had to upgrade my Core2Duo to 8GB.

I wonder if Apple will keep consuming so much memory with every upgrade in the future!

 

[glenthompson]

There's an old saying that 'You can never be too rich or too thin...' I have revised it to, 'You can never be too rich or too thin or have enough RAM.'

Get the 16GB and it also 'future-proofs' you longer.

You can't have too much ram, too much disk space, or too much bandwidth.

 

[TheEnthusiast]

You can't have too much ram, too much disk space, or too much bandwidth.

But if you're not going to use it, what's the point? I have 3TB total of storage space and I know that I'll never use all of it. Though I didn't buy it , it's honestly a waste. Why buy 16 or 32GB of RAM if all you do is browse with 5 tabs, with iTunes in the background?

 

[DeltaMac]

Good point!
It reminds me of Bill Gates, when he announced that 640 KB of memory should be more than enough for anyone ….
I wonder how that turned out!
http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/1997/01/1484
(Seems he really never said it, but the sentiment remains for all to think about)

Your computer use tends to use the resources that are available - RAM memory is never "wasted" - although lots of memory may not necessarily provide a performance advantage, that doesn't mean that it has no value.

 

[glenthompson]

But if you're not going to use it, what's the point? I have 3TB total of storage space and I know that I'll never use all of it. Though I didn't buy it , it's honestly a waste. Why buy 16 or 32GB of RAM if all you do is browse with 5 tabs, with iTunes in the background?

I was paraphrasing Wallis Simpson's "Too rich, too thin" quote for the computer age. Better too have too much than too little. Yes, you can go to absurd extremes but when you're buying a machine that's hard to upgrade, better to err on the side of too much.

 

[yjchua95]

I have read countless 8gb vs 16gb ram threads. I am considering buying Macbook Pro 15inch in either 8GB entry level model or higher end 16GB GeForce 750M version.

If i get the 8gb model i will be upgrading SSD to 512GB as the 256GB on my Core 2 Duo 2.4Ghz Macbook pro 13inch is insufficient.

I use lightroom 5 and raw files a lot and plan to do some video editing (maybe once every few months)

I tested by opening safari, lightroom, aperture, ibooks, App Store and iMovie in store and the ram usage was only about 6GB.

Why if any do i have to get the upper 16GB model? i tend to keep my laptops for at least 4 years (based on my macbook core2duo experience).

Another point i am thinking is depreciation.? will it be higher with the GeForce 750M model?

Last question. Will the battery life on the GeForce 750M with the carded forced off be the same as the non GeForce 750M model?

I am getting the macs on student discount so price difference is about £200

With the rMBP forced into Intel Iris only mode, battery life is the same as the low end rMBP.

Get the 16GB model, because you can't upgrade it in the future. It's soldered.

 

[jayroc2k]

I just read the anandtech review of the Mac Pro, what i found impressive is how close the Macbook Pro 15 2.3 750m performs in the charts

my mind is now set on this model... all 98.33% trigger time.. decisions decisions decisions

my existing machine seems to sell for about £350, i think i paid about £900 in 2010. That is about 60% depreciation (or 20% per year), not bad IMO... in line with most cars!




P.S 60% on a £2,199 computer... ouch

 

[TheEnthusiast]

I was paraphrasing Wallis Simpson's "Too rich, too thin" quote for the computer age. Better too have too much than too little. Yes, you can go to absurd extremes but when you're buying a machine that's hard to upgrade, better to err on the side of too much.

Point still stands.

 

[Sital]

Whenever family/friends ask me which computer they should get, I tell them get the most computer your budget allows. Yes, you may never use all the capabilities, but these things are hard to predict.

And you can never have too much RAM.