RAM for the new MBP

[speekez]

Hi All

I'm considering a possible 3GB RAM configuration because I plan to use Aperture. From what I understand, the new MBPs come with two ram slots, and each slot is already occupied by a 1GB RAM stick. True?

So, if I want to upgrade to 3GB in the near future, I suppose that would mean removing one of the 1GB sticks and replacing it with a 2GB stick.

Is it more economical to do this upgrade upfront?

I just want to make sure I understand that both slots are occupied in these new models.

thanks!

 

[WildCowboy]

Yes...the faster 15" and the 17" come with a 1 GB stick in each of their two slots. In order to upgrade to a full 3 GB, you would need to remove one of those sticks and put in a 2 GB stick. Apple charges a regular price of $575 to do this upfront.

Among trusted third-party retailers, OWC's $630 for the 2 GB stick is about the best you're going to do. (You may find cheaper sticks elsewhere, but they can be hit-or-miss in terms of Mac compatibility). So it's about $55 more to buy third-party from OWC, but you'll also have you extra 1 GB stick of Apple RAM that you can probably sell for about $100, making it slightly cheaper than buying direct from Apple.

Some other things to consider:

1. It's more of a hassle to buy your own RAM and install it yourself and sell off the old stick.

2. If you buy from Apple upfront, everything is covered by their warranty, so service can be simpler.

3. RAM prices are likely to drop over time, so if you want to hold out on moving to 3 GB, you may be able to do it more cheaply at a later date.

 

[e12a]

Doesnt having two different sticks of ram disable dual channel/interleaving or whatever?

 

[speekez]

wildcowboy -- thanks for the great summary. you bring up some good points... and yes, OWC seems to have the cheapeast price. Datamem (which also has good word of mouth) jumps to about $670 for a 2GB stick.

e12a -- by "different"... do you mean 2 different brands? having two different sizes (1GB and 2GB to = 3GB) is unavoidable as I understand it.

 

[WildCowboy]

Doesnt having two different sticks of ram disable dual channel/interleaving or whatever?

No...Intel's new Flex Memory Technology allows for asymmetric dual-channel mode. It's a hair slower than symmetric, but much better than single-channel.

From an Intel PDF:

Dual-Channel Asymmetric

This mode is entered when both memory channels are routed and populated with different amounts (MB) of total memory. With the aid of Intel Flex Memory Technology this configuration allows addresses to be bounced between channels in interleaved mode until the top of the smaller channel’s memory is reached, allowing for full dual channel performance in that range. Access to higher addresses will all be to the channel with the larger amount of memory populated; thus giving single channel performance through those addresses.