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zombiecx · May 16, 2007, 02:43 AM

Hi I have a question about the newest macbooks:

If put the money issue aside, which one will run faster: 2.0 GHZ C2D with 2GB of Ram? or 2.16GHZ with 1GB of Ram?

My second question is: both with 2GB of Ram, will the speed of the computer increase significantly from 2.0 GHZ to 2.16 GHZ?

Thanx!

Tomchu · May 16, 2007, 02:51 AM

In general practice, a 2.0 GHz MBP with 2 GB of RAM will will almost always be snappier than a 2.16 GHz with 1 GB of RAM. One of the few exceptions to that would be a situation in which you're doing mostly pure number-crunching without too much RAM usage -- the 2.16 GHz system would then be somewhat faster.

To answer your second question ... no. The difference in clock speeds is only 8%, and in practice, the real-world performance difference will be <8%.

analogika · May 16, 2007, 05:31 AM

General rule of thumb is that speed differences become *noticeable* at around 10-15% real-world difference.

Forget the speed increase. It's there to add value to the DVD-burner model along with the larger hard drive, but it's not relevant to the buying decision.

Only exception: If your box is used for serious number-crunching all day-in, day-out. In that case, getting a contract job done twenty minutes earlier after an eight-hour day translates into money saved over weeks and months.

But in that case, you're probably running a Mac Pro or at least a Pro MacBook.

hadocon · May 16, 2007, 10:20 AM

This is a common misconception. RAM does not "speed-up" your computer. Having adequate RAM just allows it to run at optimal performance, ie. keeps it from slowing down.

peeb · May 16, 2007, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by hadocon

This is a common misconception. RAM does not "speed-up" your computer. Having adequate RAM just allows it to run at optimal performance, ie. keeps it from slowing down.

Wow, that's the most anal comment I've seen in a while! Well done!

chabig · May 16, 2007, 11:28 AM

Why do you say that? He's right.

peeb · May 16, 2007, 11:40 AM

Yes, he is right, and anal. I don't mean it in a nasty way, but pointing out the difference between speeding up and not slowing down? I don't know, it just tickled me!

zombiecx · May 16, 2007, 03:47 PM

Thanx guys, I appreciate your expertise. I ended up keeping my C2D Macbook and planning to upgrade into 2GB Rams.

mrplow · May 18, 2007, 10:30 AM

Transcend JetRam at NewEgg is < $50 for a 1GB DIMM and has spectacular reviews... I reccomend it ($100 for 2GB!)

mduell · May 18, 2007, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by mrplow

Transcend JetRam at NewEgg is < $50 for a 1GB DIMM and has spectacular reviews... I reccomend it ($100 for 2GB!)

That's not a terribly good deal for an off-brand.

Buy.com has Crucial 2GB (2 X 1GB) PC2-5300/DDR2-667 laptop 200-pin SODIMM memory kit for $90 - $5 coupon (new customers/email) - $20 rebate = $65 with free shipping. Or new Google Checkout users may save $10 in place of using a coupon, making it $60. (from slickdeals.net)

mrplow · May 18, 2007, 11:44 AM

If only it were in stock...

Regardless, of the 3 Macbooks and 1 iMac I've put the transcend into none of ever had a problem (and the reviews on newegg are phenomenal).. Definitely go with the $60 Crucial though if you can get it that cheap.

Londor · May 20, 2007, 10:15 AM

2GB (2x1GB) at Crucial.com cost $88 with free shipping.

Homunculus Avatar · May 20, 2007, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by hadocon

This is a common misconception. RAM does not "speed-up" your computer. Having adequate RAM just allows it to run at optimal performance, ie. keeps it from slowing down.

Originally Posted by peeb

Wow, that's the most anal comment I've seen in a while! Well done!

I think it was rather pedantic

mac128k-1984 · May 20, 2007, 08:06 PM

Also keep in mind this, you can always add ram later, you generally cannot sawp CPUs, that being the case it may make more sense to get the fastest cpu you can afford and then upgrade it later.

Depending on whay you're looking to do, 1 gig may be enough (though I kind of doubt it).

Originally Posted by hadocon

This is a common misconception. RAM does not "speed-up" your computer. Having adequate RAM just allows it to run at optimal performance, ie. keeps it from slowing down.

Actually it does speed it up.
take photoshop with a MBP with only a gig, applying a given filter will take x seconds
Now add more memory and that same operation will take a significantly less time to execute. Less time = more speed. Adding ram does not make the cpu run faster but as a whole it makes your computer operate faster.

Using your argument you could apply the same logic to a better GPU or a faster hard drive, because neither of which "speeds up" your computer but iin reality it does make your computer operate faster and that's the name of the game.

eldirtboy · May 20, 2007, 08:48 PM

i have an old 1.83 cd macbook. I lived happily with the stock 512, but this week bumped it up to 2 Gig. I couldn't be happier.

Before FFox and safari didn't play very well together. Every app I run has room to breathe. The Safari beach balls I kept getting seemed to have disappeared as well...

It really does feel as if it is faster, probably since there's less negotiating space.

RAM prices were high, and that held me off, but since RAM is cheap right now, stuff all you can into your Mac.

mduell · May 20, 2007, 09:28 PM

Originally Posted by mac128k-1984

Actually it does speed it up.
take photoshop with a MBP with only a gig, applying a given filter will take x seconds
Now add more memory and that same operation will take a significantly less time to execute. Less time = more speed. Adding ram does not make the cpu run faster but as a whole it makes your computer operate faster.

What you're doing by adding more RAM is avoiding taking the performance hit of going to the hard drive. Not quite the same as your GPU argument, where you would actually be improving the performance of the component that was causing the performance problem.

SierraDragon · May 20, 2007, 09:49 PM

Modern apps/OS thrive on RAM, making RAM a very cost-effective performance upgrade for any MacIntel box. Except for folks intending only light usage, MBPs and MBs should certainly be equipped with at least 2 GB RAM.

Note that the big difference between the 2.0 and 2.16 models is not so much the CPU speed as it is the addition of a Superdrive and 50-100% larger hard drives. IMO hard drive capacity + Superdrive + 8% faster CPU is well worth $200.

-Allen Wicks

mac128k-1984 · May 21, 2007, 07:48 AM

Originally Posted by mduell

What you're doing by adding more RAM is avoiding taking the performance hit of going to the hard drive. Not quite the same as your GPU argument, where you would actually be improving the performance of the component that was causing the performance problem.

its all semantics, you could say the samething with the GPU argument. Your taking a performance hit with using a slower GPU.
The bottom line is that the mac will run quicker with more memory. No matter how some people want to call it . The mac is faster with 2gig over 1 gig and to most people that means the computer is faster instead not being slowed down by lack of ram.