E90Post
 


 
BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > BIMMERPOST Universal Forums > Off-Topic Discussions Board > ► Macbook Pro Retina 15" 8GB Vs 16GB Ram ►



Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      11-12-2012, 02:10 PM   #1
hl0m4n
Major General
hl0m4n's Avatar
United_States
2145
Rep
5,623
Posts

Drives: BMW
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NY

iTrader: (58)

Question ► Macbook Pro Retina 15" 8GB Vs 16GB Ram ►

i returned my recently purchased air for a macbook pro 15" retina. only question i have is 8gb or 16gb ram? i have read tons of threads online and all have no definate answer.

16gb would be future proofing but even 5 years from now will anything take up more than 8gb ram?

when all programs including photoshop, etc adopt retina resolution, will it take up more ram?

it is a $200 upgrade...
__________________
Cars: 07 335i ► 08 328i ► 11 328xi ► 13 M3 ► 17 M4 ► 14 M6
Appreciate 0
      11-12-2012, 02:15 PM   #2
danniexi
Brigadier General
danniexi's Avatar
No_Country
3037
Rep
4,383
Posts

Drives: 2022 F97 X3M Comp LCI
Join Date: May 2008
Location: NJ/NY

iTrader: (15)

Garage List
If you're gonna do a BTO Macbook Pro w. Retina, upgrade the ram. It really depends on how long you'll be using the laptop, but overall future proofing is best. Why?

The RAM is soldered onto the board. You can not upgrade the RAM by yourself. Older Macbooks allowed you to buy third-party RAM modules so you can DIY, but the new notebook won't allow you do that. Same goes for the storage, although that can always be resolved by a USB3.0 or Thunderbolt external HD/SSD.

It sucks, and yes, memory upgrades at Apple are a total butt reaming, but because of the lack of third-party options, you have no choice but to upgrade. It's good to future proof when purchasing while at the same time it retains your resale value.
__________________
BMW MY22 F97 X3MC LCI - CURRENT BUILD THREAD| Instagram: @danniexi
BMW MY16 F80 M3 - GONE
BMW MY08 E92 335XI - GONE
BMW MY06 E46 325XI - GONE
Appreciate 0
      11-12-2012, 02:22 PM   #3
jlstyle
Lieutenant Colonel
jlstyle's Avatar
355
Rep
1,762
Posts

Drives: Porsche Panamera
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: USA

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
2014 Audi S7  [0.00]
2015 BMW X5  [0.00]
I don't know how mac works but in windows, I believe you can't use any more ram over 12gb at the moment.
Regardless, I do CG work and my PC never uses ram more than 8GB because most of my 3D programs don't require anymore than 6GB.
Appreciate 0
      11-12-2012, 02:29 PM   #4
silvergray545
Skittles, OT OG
silvergray545's Avatar
Lebanon
2337
Rep
649
Posts

Drives: Lots of M cars
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Cleveland, OH

iTrader: (1)

Garage List
2016 BMW M3 ZCP  [0.00]
2000 BMW M Roadster  [0.00]
2004 BMW M3  [0.00]
2014 VW GLI  [0.00]
I just bought the same computer. We have 8 GB of ram.
Appreciate 0
      11-12-2012, 02:32 PM   #5
Maestro
Major
1001
Rep
1,268
Posts

Drives: 2007 335i Sedan, 2021 X3
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Philadelphia

iTrader: (0)

The only question about this you have to answer is how often do you open applications that use lots of memory at the same time. If you are not doing video editing and photoshop and other similar things at the same time then you do not need the extra memory.

Unlike PC which every time M$ comes out with an new OS it requires more memory, apple is trending on trying to reduce memory requirement for the OS. I have an older Mac with 2GB and it been fine for 6yrs and I have 4 of 5 applications open at all time and have my compute on all the time. The only thing I notice it does get slow switching between applications since if you do not have enough physical memory it uses virtual memory and it take time to swap virtual in to physical.

So if are planning to use lots of memory intensive applications then get the extra because the system will slow over time because of the HDD virtual memory getting all fragmented.

Last edited by Maestro; 11-12-2012 at 03:28 PM..
Appreciate 0
      11-12-2012, 02:35 PM   #6
TheBingoBalls
Brigadier General
TheBingoBalls's Avatar
Canada
3805
Rep
4,655
Posts

Drives: BMW
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Toronto, Ontario

iTrader: (1)

Garage List
Unless you're using this for specific tasks that require the use of RAM, 8GB should be more than enough. Even if you plan on keeping the rMBP for 4+ years, I don't think 8GB would be a problem and should meet your needs.
Appreciate 0
      11-12-2012, 02:56 PM   #7
escobar929
Brigadier General
escobar929's Avatar
154
Rep
4,528
Posts

Drives: M2 CS
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Hollywood, FL

iTrader: (14)

Garage List
2020 M2 CS  [10.00]
2020 M240i  [0.00]
i had 4GB on my 2011 iMac and it was starting to lag up when running lots of applications, after upgrading to 16GB is night and day. Although I do have 8GB on my Air and its pretty good

I would say go w/ 16GB if you plan on keeping this computer for a while. 8GB might be enough for a while but in 3-4 years, you never know
Appreciate 0
      11-12-2012, 03:28 PM   #8
MC 357
Private
MC 357's Avatar
Armenia
16
Rep
81
Posts

Drives: R53 Cooper S/I3
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SoCal

iTrader: (0)

get 8gb then upgrade to 16gb if needed from here...http://www.crucial.com/index.aspx

Also it cheaper from that site and has the same warranty and is simple to install, took me under 5 min!
Appreciate 0
      11-12-2012, 03:55 PM   #9
MrRoboto
Brigadier General
Canada
1840
Rep
4,835
Posts

Drives: VO 1M
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Canada

iTrader: (0)

Dont buy memory upgrades at the point of purchase, you will spend too much. You can always upgrade later on with Crucial memory for less.
Appreciate 0
      11-12-2012, 03:57 PM   #10
Mr Tonka
is probably out riding.
Mr Tonka's Avatar
United_States
6058
Rep
2,294
Posts

Drives: Something Italian
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Sweatypeninsula

iTrader: (0)

I upgraded from the start. Apple is great about holding their suppliers responsible for faulty parts, so i'd rather it come from them.
__________________
"There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of the law and in the name of justice. -Charles de Secondat"
http://www.m3post.com/forums/signaturepics/sigpic59612_1.gif
Appreciate 0
      11-12-2012, 04:01 PM   #11
jfiore13
Second Lieutenant
jfiore13's Avatar
71
Rep
293
Posts

Drives: black 2018 M5
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: sparta, NJ

iTrader: (1)

I just bought a 15" pro Retina with 8gb ram love it great computer
Appreciate 0
      11-12-2012, 04:09 PM   #12
ddk632
Chief Senior Executive Managing VP of Orange Sales
ddk632's Avatar
United_States
583
Rep
2,581
Posts

Drives: 17 BMW F87 M2 6MT MG HBDGR !
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Aventura, FL

iTrader: (2)

Quote:
Originally Posted by jlstyle View Post
I don't know how mac works but in windows, I believe you can't use any more ram over 12gb at the moment.
Not correct, at least with 64bit Windows.

OP - all depends on your uses. Photoshop 64 bit can use 16 GB RAM, if you open lots of files at the same time and start adding layers, etc., it can get used up.

If you are doing basic stuff, you might not see a difference.

I'd get the 16GB since I would use it; my current laptop has 16 and I'm planning to upgrade to 32GB if I ever get around to it. However, I am in the software industry, I run virtual machines on my laptop that can each use 4GB, 8GB, or any amount of RAM, and generally have lots of crap running on my machine at the same time.

That doesn't mean you need it though

Although, the fact that you can't upgrade later makes it a PITA and if you do see yourself getting heavy into something that requires RAM, you might as well go for it now. That's a tough one to predict, understandably. If you don't foresee your needs changing, just get the 8GB and save the $$$.
Appreciate 0
      11-12-2012, 04:32 PM   #13
SflBimmer8484
Brigadier General
SflBimmer8484's Avatar
1467
Rep
3,157
Posts

Drives: .
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Florida

iTrader: (5)

I have the same computer with 8gb ram. I switched over from an older pro that was giving me weird problems and what do you know now this one is too. Bringing my old computer over to the new one in full was a bad idea.
Appreciate 0
      11-12-2012, 07:35 PM   #14
amanda hor$t
Banned
84
Rep
208
Posts

Drives: a380
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: ny ny

iTrader: (0)

all of my computers have 4gigs ram (even the quad-xeon mac pro). the netbook has 2gigs ram. but i mainly surf the web and i have a habit of closing apps. i get a warning even when firefox hits 400mb memory use.

unless your current use requires it, i'd save the money. worst case get another computer and keep this as your backup. parts only get cheaper.
Appreciate 0
      11-12-2012, 09:13 PM   #15
persian54
Lieutenant General
persian54's Avatar
United_States
922
Rep
15,818
Posts

Drives: M760/G83M4
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: The Valley, SoCal

iTrader: (298)

I have a 2.7ghz quad core Retina with 768 SSD and 16GB of ram that I just got about a month or so ago.

How much ram is "free" right now according to the memory app I downloaded? 3.26GB.

This computer has way more than I need... but I feel I will need it in the future (maybe lol)

I really felt I needed it because I have 3 user accounts all doing different things....
They do a variety of things... but right now, one is running Vuze; another is for running a couple web pages + mail/notes/calendar app, and another has some word/excel documents open + iPhoto.

(I like this way better than using spaces; plus i have different files on each anyways).

My previous MBP before this was a late 09 with 2.8 core 2 duo 4gb ram upgraded to 8gb.
It would run pretty low at times and I would usually only run 1 user at a time, max 2.

With the retina, i am running all 3 with no decrease in performance

This bastard was freaking expensive, but I'm on my computer enough that i was able to (somewhat) justify the purchase. If you were local to me, i could have helped you save a little off retail, but too much of a hassle since you're all the way in NY...

Quote:
Originally Posted by veloziROTHTOR View Post
unless your current use requires it, i'd save the money. worst case get another computer and keep this as your backup. parts only get cheaper.
Do you know how much retina MBPs cost...? you can't exactly do that and stay economical... they're over priced like crazy.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew@ActiveAutowerke View Post
Bringing my old computer over to the new one in full was a bad idea.
Go to the apple store and have them erase everything and start from new.

Then just transfer your apps and iPhoto/itunes/etc manually. Don't transfer the whole thing via time machine.

also, your old mac would've prly had those problems fix had you started fresh
Attached Images
 

Last edited by persian54; 11-12-2012 at 09:20 PM..
Appreciate 0
      11-12-2012, 09:58 PM   #16
Optherion
Lieutenant
Optherion's Avatar
United_States
46
Rep
516
Posts

Drives: Prancing Horse
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SoCal & Vegas

iTrader: (0)

You better just get 16GB of memory. If you do anything heavy like video editing mine can crawl at 8GB. Plus I like having the memory for running parallels and virtual sessions.

You can no longer upgrade memory on Macbooks. They have changed this with the new design. The memory is soldered into the mainboard. Old Macbooks could swap the chips and upgrade. Whatever you buy, you are stuck with unless you buy a whole new Mac. Apple has decided to rape us.
__________________
Current Stable: 6 Drivers + 5 Projects
Appreciate 0
      11-12-2012, 10:20 PM   #17
hl0m4n
Major General
hl0m4n's Avatar
United_States
2145
Rep
5,623
Posts

Drives: BMW
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NY

iTrader: (58)

hey persian, what is the discount you can get me , feel free to PM if needed.

currently i can get $200 off student discount + $160 from not paying taxes = $360 and normally after thanksgiving apple lowers price on macs $100. if they do, i researched apple's policy on price change and if there is one in 14 days of delivery, they will credit you the difference and that will save me a total of $460 if so.

don't apple employees get 20% off everything?
__________________
Cars: 07 335i ► 08 328i ► 11 328xi ► 13 M3 ► 17 M4 ► 14 M6
Appreciate 0
      11-13-2012, 06:30 AM   #18
escobar929
Brigadier General
escobar929's Avatar
154
Rep
4,528
Posts

Drives: M2 CS
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Hollywood, FL

iTrader: (14)

Garage List
2020 M2 CS  [10.00]
2020 M240i  [0.00]
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrRoboto View Post
Dont buy memory upgrades at the point of purchase, you will spend too much. You can always upgrade later on with Crucial memory for less.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MC 357 View Post
get 8gb then upgrade to 16gb if needed from here...http://www.crucial.com/index.aspx

Also it cheaper from that site and has the same warranty and is simple to install, took me under 5 min!
w/ the retina macbooks, like the Air, you cant upgrade after purchase, the memory is soldered onto the board to make it thinner, so if you dont do it at purchase time, its not happening

otherwise i would agree, I paid a lil over $100 for all 16GB when I upgraded my iMac
Appreciate 0
      11-13-2012, 08:32 AM   #19
carve
Major
carve's Avatar
174
Rep
1,105
Posts

Drives: 335i
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: usa

iTrader: (0)

Apple charges so much for RAM or storage upgrades. I used to buy the lowest spec, toss the OEM parts shortly after purchase and upgrade and come out way ahead.

With the computer you're looking at though, the RAM isn't upgradeable. I don't think there are many harddrives out that fit the space, either, so they kind of have you locked in to upgrading at time of purchase. It isn't all malicious. It's more sealed as a side effect of being so thin. Also, I think system requirements, especially with the proliferation of web apps and smart phones, aren't as important to future proofing as they once were.

That said, if you plan on keeping this for a year or two, get 8. If you want to keep it longer, I'd spring for the 16
Appreciate 0
      11-13-2012, 10:34 PM   #20
Eric335
Colonel
Eric335's Avatar
United_States
130
Rep
2,490
Posts

Drives: 2007 E92 SG 335i 6MT
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: SW Florida

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
2007 BMW 335i  [7.66]
Depends upon what you will be using it for.

For gaming 8GB is plenty. For common daily use, you wont notice a difference. For running many VMs/many apps at once, itll help you (although i doubt you will need it).

All in all, i doubt you will ever see an improvement from 8 to 16. Anything above 4GB and the returns are small (unless running apps that require large amounts of Ram). If you have to ask about RAM, theres a 99.9% chance you dont need more than 8GB. I render/VM/game/fold/program in my computer, and ive never been over 5GB @ one time. lol


BTW, I build computers, and 16GB of 1600Mhz RAM runs $100 or less in DDR3 form. Just goes to show how much Apple is $crewing you over. I hate Apple....
__________________
Appreciate 0
      11-14-2012, 03:14 AM   #21
amanda hor$t
Banned
84
Rep
208
Posts

Drives: a380
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: ny ny

iTrader: (0)

doesn't apply to op, but i gotta say, for full size laptops, hp makes a pretty good one at a good deal
Appreciate 0
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:10 PM.




e90post
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST