Aperture: RAM versus Processor

hi there,

i am replacing my 13" 2008 macbook with a 13" MBP. i wanted to know what your thoughts are on if i should upgrade processor or ram to to have better aperture performance.

2.66 GHz versus 8 MB RAM

thanks!

You need to tell us a bit more. Generally increasing processor speed a little makes only a small difference, but doubling RAM can make a big difference if the base machine doesn't have enough.

4GB (not MB) or RAM is the minimum you should consider, 8GB is better. I'd definitely take (say) a 2.2GHz processor and 8GB of RAM over a 2.6GHz processor and 4GB of RAM.

If you plan on doing full screen edits in Aperture I would recommend the 2.66 + 8GB of RAM both. Something you may not know, but Aperture takes advantage of the GPU (mainly VRAM atm) as well as the CPU. So, you'll also see a boost in performance from the 2.66's increased video RAM (512) vs the lower end models which only have 256MB. If you plan on having Photoshop open at the same time as Aperture, then 8GB is a must.

Lol.. Yeah I meant 4gb.. I can't afford upgrading both, I'm only getting into aperture first as I feel that cs5 will be to overwhelming for me right now; and iPhoto ain't cutting it for picture management anymore.

Would you think a 2.66 with 4GB of RAM would do and maybe upgrade ram down the road (probably in 8-12 months) or get the 2.4 with 8 GB of RAM and upgrade the whole lappy in 2 years?

If you can afford to buy a new computer in two years, that's always the best option. Technology moves fast...Core 2 is already EOL'd, and Nehalem/Westmere is about to be replaced by Sandy Bridge.

Otherwise, I guess get the 2.66. You can always upgrade memory later.