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EvilMoe · Mar 30, 2006, 12:07 PM

I'm going to be picking up a 1.83Ghz MacBook Pro next week. I getting extra RAM, but I don't know how much to get. 2Gb is out because of the cost. I will either get one stick of 512Mb or 1Gb.

Here is my question: Is the performance gain from dual-channelling two 512Mb sticks worth forgoing the extra RAM if I go for the 1Gb stick asymmetrical install (512Mb + 1Gb) option? I've cheked out the discussions on the Apple support site, but they are pretty ambiguous about what is better for me in my situation

I don't regularly do any photo/video rendering, but I do have a habit of heavy multitasking with large documents across two users simultaneously logged in with a lot of switching back and forth (because of work). This is a bit too much for the iBook I am using right now to handle. It is possible that I might do more photo/video in the medium term. I am getting the MBP because I need a computer NOW (can't share with my wife anymore), and I can't wait for anything that might be announced in the near future because new Macs take too long to get where I am (the first MBPs are showing up now).

Thanks for any help

mintcake · Mar 30, 2006, 01:16 PM

Get the single stick 1gb for now, leaving you the option of the extra 1gb stick later. I played around with my 2.0ghz MBP last night using CS2, IVMP3 etc under Rosetta for a while before putting in the second gig of RAM and the difference was night and day. Ten bounces to launch IVMP2 with 1 gig, 4 bounces with 2 gigs.

mduell · Mar 30, 2006, 02:59 PM

The chipset in the MBP (945PM) supports asymmetric dual-channel... go for 512MB+1GB so you can have performance and quantity.

b1NARY73 · Mar 30, 2006, 03:03 PM

A wise man always told me, buy as much RAM as possible. The more RAM, the happier your Mac, the happier you will be. I even go as far as to say, get a lesser cpu speed in option for More RAM..... if money is an issue.... which it is for most of us. My 2 cents.

EvilMoe · Mar 30, 2006, 04:35 PM

Thanks for the responses. I suspected as much, but had to be sure.

b1NARY73 - That's for sure! It's why I'm getting the 1.83Ghz model, otherwise it would have been a 2.0 with a 7200rpm hard drive. It's also why I was agonizing over this small decision, trying to squeeze all the performance I can out of every euro!

Mintcake- I'm from Ottawa, raised in the Mooney's Bay area. Hello!

mintcake · Mar 30, 2006, 04:48 PM

Hi EvilMoe! You're going to love the MBP after the iBook - especially with lots of RAM! Boy does it fly...

Oh, and I'm not really from Ottawa, I'm just here for four years, representing the euro (see my sig)...

(Sunny and 15 plus today, the ice has almost all gone from Mooney's Bay... So nice to see the end of winter!)

EvilMoe · Apr 4, 2006, 05:35 PM

Boy, you weren't kidding! I just picked it up this afternoon, I've never been so happy with a computer. None of the problems that people have been complaining about either. I guess I'm a lucky man (knock on wood.)