Macbook: Better RAM or CPU?

There are two types of Macbooks I have been looking at:

Version 1:
Macbook - 2.0 Ghz model
Upgrade to 2 GB of RAM

Version 2:
Macbook - 2.16 Ghz model

I have a limited budget so I can either get more RAM or get a better CPU.

The work I will be using the Macbooks will be with VMWare and images.

Which version should I get?

 

I think the 2.0 GHz CPU is already enough. The extra .16 GHz isn't very significant. So go for more RAM and stick to the 2.0 GHz, in my opinion.

 

both of the tasks you mentioned are very ram intensive.

 

Yep, i would definitely go for more ram instead.

 

Believe me guys, I really don't like disagreeing so much, but here goes.

RAM is user upgradeable. Whatever CPU you get, you're stuck with.

Get the higher CPU. When you have the extra cash for RAM down the road, get the RAM. Besides, you can get RAM after-market a hell of a lot cheaper than from Apple. Down the road, you can get 2GB of RAM from newegg for seventy-five bucks.

 

yeah...

i would get the ram.

 

Yes, you are absolutely right. CPU can't be changed, RAM is easily change-able.

But I don't see enough improvement between 2.0 GHz and 2.16 GHz to justify the price increase. The original poster said he/she can only afford to either get a better processor or more RAM, and based on that I recommend he/she get more RAM. It will benefit her more than the slim difference between 2.0 and 2.16 GHz.

And absolutely, get RAM from Newegg. Apple RAM is expensive.

 

Normally I'd agree about the difference between the processors, but really I can't justify not going for the high end when there's such a small price difference.

Keep in mind too, that the 2.16GHz model should also include a Superdrive. The 2.0GHz model will have a Combo Drive.

Combine that with the processor, and I think the answer is pretty clear.

 

True, but the original poster stated he/she planned to use VMware Fusion on the MacBook. 1 GB of RAM will not be sufficient to run VMware Fusion well.

 

exactly. vmware fusion will not work well with 1 gig of ram. since the computer will be used for vmware, that makes the answer pretty clear.

 

I'd live with it until I could afford the RAM.

Buying too low on the RAM is cheap and easy to fix. Buying too low on a CPU and Superdrive is a pretty expensive mistake and in the case of the CPU, it's not a fixable mistake.

 

i would just not make the mistake in the first place, by getting the ram.

 

So would I, from newegg.

 

I guess I should be asking the OP a question myself.

Where are you going to be getting this computer? Apple? Used?

 

ok, point being, if you are getting a macbook and your budget is limited, and your primary goal is to work with pictures and use vmware, you will be much better off doubling your ram than getting a marginally faster cpu and the ability to burn dvd's. you probably wouldn't ever notice the faster processor. ever.

obviously, not everone's needs are the same.

the ability to burn dvd's won't make your computer better at working with pictures or use vmware.

still, if that feature is important to you, you would not be able to upgrade your machine later. although you *could add more ram later.

but if you want to buy a computer to perform a task, why would you buy one that wouldn't work as well with the intent of changing it later?

keep in mind you can put TONS of pictures on a CD. TONS.

so there you go.

 

I see the point. At this point I've got the standpoint that it all depends on where he's buying it.

It doesn't make any sense to pay the Apple price for the RAM upgrade. If Apple pricing is what he's basing it on, he's really wasting his money.

 

oh wait jeez was that the plan?

hah.

don't do that! at a minimum get the ram on newegg. it would be cheaper.

 

That's the thing, it was never specified where the OP was planning on buying. If the budget includes Apple pricing, that gives him a lot of room to play with higher configurations, or just to flat out save the money.

If the OP is really working on a tight budget, I'd suggest watching the refurb store. Apple's refurb deals are pretty spectacular.

 

Doesn't VMWare take 2 processor cores? I would get the extra CPU power if I were you.... even though the RAM is a bottleneck in the system it can be easily upgraded.

Post-processing images can also be computationally intensive, so extra CPU power wins here.

In addition, no matter which configuration you buy, you will still pay the same marginal price for 2GB of RAM. However, if you can wait a little longer RAM will drop in price, and it is impossible to upgrade CPU and very difficult to upgrade the CD drive..... so the 2.16GHz model is to your benefit.

 

you can set vmware to use both processor cores, but honestly i have had better results dedicating just one core to vmware.

either way, the upgrade from 2ghz core 2 duo to 2.16ghz core 2 duo is minimal at best. they are both dual core processors.

 

I would go for the better processor and drive too since they arn't upgradable. Who knows what he might decide to use the computer for later that would benefit from the better processor or superdrive. Personally, I would just tough it out for a little while with only 1 gb of ram until I could afford to buy more.

 

i agree. go with the higher processor for now.

 

Get a 2.0 processor with 1 gig of RAM, buy more RAM from newegg, and use the money you save as toilet paper.

 

Geez, the battle of the M's.

I agree with those who opt for the 2.16 one. There's no sense in paying Apple to upgrade your RAM at a premium while getting a worse laptop. Get the stuff you can't upgrade, and upgrade later when you have the cash.

160MHz is negligible as others mentioned. But it's still an improvement, and the SuperDrive can be quite useful (just as a point of reference, certain things you might need to burn take more than 750MB - for example, the OSX bootup disk for iDefrag).

Yes, Fusion will suck with only 1 GB of RAM, but you can buy a GB stick from the HOT DEALS thread here for $20-$50. That's not asking too much at all. You can get the best of both worlds then.

 

I agree with Mick on this one as well, get the 2.16GHz version. Its like $30 extra to upgrade the RAM to 2GB if you buy the RAM from Newegg, and 1GB should be enough to hold you over for the 1 day that it takes to ship to you.

The 2.16GHz model has a SuperDrive as well, which is a nice feature to have, even if you won't use it much. DVD burning does come in handy once in a while, and you will appreciate it at those times.

 

Thanks Vivenk. You know your stuff.

 

Well unless you absolutely need to burn DVD's on the go, external DVD burners are available at prices much lower than $200; so you might need to keep that in mind.

 

hey everyone i dont own a mac, but i am in the market for a new laptop and i have always avoided the macbook for no apparent reason but a few of my friends have them and they cant stop talking about them. i am almost done with college so i want to take advantage of their student discounts but i was reading this thread and i was wondering if i only purchase 1 gb of ram from apple and upgrade when i get the computer, will this void my warranty? also, can someone please tell me how long the battery lasts under normal conditions (wireless and internet)? thank you in advance!

 

Upgrading RAM will not void your warranty unless you somehow damage your machine in the process (for example, if your cat jumps onto your lap while you have the RAM casing open, tosses a juicy hairball into your open computer and then proceeds to knock your hand sharply enough to make you drop your screwdriver into the open case really hard, and you somehow manage to destroy the entire RAM casing ).

 

haha thanks for the quick reply, good thing i dont have a cat haha

 

Since taelrak answered your first question (in a very informative and detailed way ) I'll answer the second.

I get about 3-4 hours of battery life on my MacBook with WiFi on and Safari open.

 

That's a pretty conservative estimate. I'd usually get between five and six with the LCD brightness all the way down, and WIFI on. Macbooks have the best battery life of any notebook I've ever used.

 

Yeah, well I like to keep my screen brightness to max . I get about 3-4 then.

 

great, thanks for your help.

i think i am interested in the 2.0 ghz version with 1 gb ram and 160 hd. its coming out to $1134. does anyone know if i can get a better discount than that on a new macbook? thanks in advance!

 

Well, you can get the 2.0 GHz MacBook at 60 GB HDD for $1094 US at MacMall. With that money saved you can get yourself an external hard drive with a much larger storage capacity (320 GB, 500 GB, etc.) if you wanted.

Here's the MacMall deal: http://www.macmall.com/macmall/families/new_promo~dp~7248171~family~macbook~promo~1.asp

Here's Newegg's list of Mac hard drives: http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=552&name=Mac-Hard-Drives

If you don't want to mess with external hard drives, the deal you got seems to be the best.