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Upgrade whole laptop or get SSD?

F

feare

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 15, 2011
11
0
I have the base mid '09 13" macbook pro (2.26 C2D, 2GB RAM).

The computer will occasionally freeze up doing pretty routine things, animations (especially in lion) tend to be extremely choppy especially on my 24" display, and work in photoshop/Finale/xcode can be laggy and difficult, almost impossible with a couple other apps open. These are mostly the things that come to mind.

I'm going to college this fall, and I'm looking to upgrade my computer.

I'm considering two options
1. Buying a small 120GB SSD to replace the HDD (160GB)
2. Selling this laptop to a friend for $600-700 and then buying the i7 13" w/ money earned over the summer as well as the student discount.

If I sell the laptop for 700, I'd only have to spend $700 on the MBP.

Recommendations?
 
Try upgrading the RAM first. 2GB gets cramped pretty easily, and it sounds like that may be the root of your problems. You could also get the SSD, which would help quite a bit.
 
yeah sounds like not enough ram problem. I would upgrade to 4gb and save the money you were going to spend on the new comp to party! :)
 
To help decide, I highly recommend you figure out exactly which part of the system is lagging (memory, disk or CPU). The quickest way to look at that is to grab some kind of system monitor that you can keep an eye on while working. I've been using MeneMeters (free) for years and am pretty happy with it; I've also heard lots of good reviews of iStatMenus ($16), but haven't personally tried it.

Essentially, you set up the meters where you can watch them (I use a set of all-graphical options, so I get a tiny memory pie chart, a set of network arrows, CPU load bars and disk lights; YMMV) and note what's happening when your machine starts to "bog down". That'll give you a sense of what's gumming up the works: a full memory graph means you need more RAM, maxed-out CPUs mean you need more speed, and constant disk activity (when there's plenty of free memory) means you're waiting for the HDD.

Note that this isn't entirely foolproof; I *think* the meters may stop updating when the OS beachballs, but they'll be a decent guide before you start spending money.
 
upgrade to 4GB of ram and add SSD.

watch as your computer transforms into something you never thought it could be.
 
Sounds like this is what I'll try.

Can someone explain what exactly boosting the processor does compared to boosting RAM? I can understand why getting more RAM is important... I know I don't have enough. Also, what about graphics? I'm sure there has been major updates to the graphics seen 09, and what (if any) effect would this have in making an application like PS run smoother?

I'm just looking to get a seamless work environment.

---

just noticed the above post, I will give it a read! :)

To blueroom: Same problems in SL... just currently on Lion. Developing some apps for release when it launches.
 
al2o3cr said:
To help decide, I highly recommend you figure out exactly which part of the system is lagging (memory, disk or CPU). The quickest way to look at that is to grab some kind of system monitor that you can keep an eye on while working. I've been using MeneMeters (free) for years and am pretty happy with it; I've also heard lots of good reviews of iStatMenus ($16), but haven't personally tried it.

Essentially, you set up the meters where you can watch them (I use a set of all-graphical options, so I get a tiny memory pie chart, a set of network arrows, CPU load bars and disk lights; YMMV) and note what's happening when your machine starts to "bog down". That'll give you a sense of what's gumming up the works: a full memory graph means you need more RAM, maxed-out CPUs mean you need more speed, and constant disk activity (when there's plenty of free memory) means you're waiting for the HDD.

Note that this isn't entirely foolproof; I *think* the meters may stop updating when the OS beachballs, but they'll be a decent guide before you start spending money.
Click to expand...

Interesting I think I'll check that out too!
 
Upgrade

Hey man, I have an iMac, and am soon to get a MBP.

Apple products are built to freakin last and that they do!

I understand your concern, I would upgrade your RAM. I had to do that on this one a while back, and now I can run practically everything on this computer without any complaint at all.

I would very much also recommend that you purchase an external drive, and SSD would be nice. That is what I want in my MBP.

You will be amazed how much some RAM and some clearance of your HDD will get you. Good luck on this and good luck at College!
 
Holy cow!

RAM has dropped in price by 1/2 since I last was looking to buy some. Thank god I waited -_-

Is 8GB overkill? :rolleyes: The price for it is what I thought I was going to spend on the 4GB. I can get 4GB of RAM + an 80GB (I don't need much space, I try and keep music/videos on a separate hdd) SDD for $200.

Before I commit to anything I'll do what al2o3cr said to see if the CPU is the problem.. although I've always noticed that I don't have enough RAM. So I doubt it is.
 
I have the same 13"mbp as you and I recently maxed the RAM at 8GB and threw in a SSD and its like a whole new machine. I never lag or see the spinning beachball. It is very fast and responsive. I highly recommend the upgrades.
 
I am in the same boat, could someone tell me which SSD (120-128GB) has the best cost/performance ratio in the market right now?
 
A mbp like that shouldn't lag so much. But then again you're running beta Lion. You need to upgrade your ram badly. Then get either an SSD or 7200 rpm hard drive. You don't need a whole brand new computer for the things you're doing. Best put the money towards student loans.
 
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