384 or 640 in 700 iBook?
Hi -
Typing this from my new 700mhz iBook, and planning on adding RAM. Basically, what sort of performance gain could I expect from adding 512 megs versus 256 megs? And in what sort of applications? The 512 is rather expensive, but I could see it being worth it in the long run - as opposed to having to shell out more money for a replacement later on, with the advent of more demanding apps and games. Opinions?
Typing this from my new 700mhz iBook, and planning on adding RAM. Basically, what sort of performance gain could I expect from adding 512 megs versus 256 megs? And in what sort of applications? The 512 is rather expensive, but I could see it being worth it in the long run - as opposed to having to shell out more money for a replacement later on, with the advent of more demanding apps and games. Opinions?
Comments
When i first upgraded my ram i only bought 128 (this was 2+ years ago), i've since upgraded two more times and it has certainly cost me more upgrading in increments than it would have if i had bought as much as possible in the first place.
I guess my following question would be - if 18004mem, for example, only charges $140 for a web-ordered 512 module, might we assume that there's a disparity in the quality of the chip itself? I mean, Apple charges $400 to max out an ibook! And RamJet charges $200. So is this a question of the product itself being better or worse - cheaper to produce, or at least obtain - from one reseller to another? Or is it the same stuff (hoping!) at wildly varying prices, due to individual supply and demand fluctuations for each reseller?
Maybe I shouldn't worry about it - but honestly, I'd so much rather pay 140 than 200 (obviously) that I sort of feel compelled to question the option.
Also - has anyone done any gaming on an iBook with either configuration - 384 megs versus 640? I'm going to use mine for the basics - email, text and spreadsheets with Office, some light DVD use - but probably a lot of iTunes, some low-key Photoshop, and of course, gaming - stuff like Warcraft III and Max Payne, if it ever comes out.
Is 384 enough? Or should I bite the bullet and go for 640?
thanks for tolerating my incessant curiosity
<strong>Great - thanks for the heads-up.........</strong><hr></blockquote>
No problem, thats what were here for. Personally I say buy what you can afford. If you can afford the 512...do it now. You may not have the chance to get it later for that price, or hey...you may be broke. As for the comparison, so may disagree on this, but I am running a 256MB stick from 800mem in my iBook right now, and it does great. Apple's RAM is manufactured by them, it's some Korean company that starts with a K. I don't have my old memory in front of me or i'd tell you. Anyway, my point is, 800mem comes with a lifetime guarantee with their RAM, and as far as specs go...there is no difference between the RAM that they sell vs. the RAM that Apple ships...except price.
As for gaming. I have a PC running a 900mhz Athlon TBird, 384MG RAM, and a 32MB ATI Radeon. My iBook performs just as good as my PC with better specs does. In fact, i'm having a LAN party tonight and one ove my friends is going to use my PC tower to game on, while I chose to use my iBook. For the record...i've hit up to 76fps in UT with my iBook. Thats with details turned all the way up.
Keep the questions coming, I love to brag about my new iBook. <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
the best place to price ram... 18004memory seems to always have the lowest rates tho <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> bought a 512 PC 133, 256 orig imac and 256 orig iBook and 4 mb orig iMac vram from them... no problems whatsoever
Also I have bought memory from 1800.... and had no problems with it.
<strong>I was just wondering if there was any difference in performance between the two speeds of chips...</strong><hr></blockquote>
Mainly what it means is the safe capability of that RAM. 133 means that you can run it "safely" @ 133Mhz. That does not mean that it HAS to run at that speed. Although I have heard of others that have had problems with "underclocking" their RAM and making systems unstable. But then again, that was on PC's, that may be why.
Anyway, I typically get OWC branded memory from <a href="http://www.macsales.com" target="_blank">www.macsales.com</a>
their ram all has good warranties 3yr or life I believe, and I've never had a problem with any of it. They tell you what Mac models the different types of memory will work in, it's not low-quality pricewatch stuff, it all seems good.
And I'd get the 512. No sense in buying a 256 and later deciding to get the 512. It will help gaming and regular tasks, especilaly if you have multiple apps open.
Q3-engine games let you tweak the config files to increase memory allocations to various things. That translates extra memory into speed.