DDR3 1600 questions

i'm planning to buy an MBP next year after hardware refresh , but since that the 8GB price is falling , i'm planning to get one 2x 4GB DDR3 1333 for my NP8662
and just simply switch it into the MBP after i bought it .

so just want to ask for your opinion , will DDR3 1600 appear in next year's sandy bridge? and how is the price / performance wise ..

should i get it now or wait till i get my new machine?

 

It will probably be cheaper when you get your new machine.

The performance difference however will not be at all noticeable.
PS the np8662 does not actually utilize 1333mhz RAM.
I think the reason they say it is compatible is that some of their laptops will not boot with at all 1333mhz RAM. But it will downclock to 1066mhz FYI

 

No, they will stay with DDR3-1333. The mobile processors are based of socket 1155, which is sticking with DDR3-1333, unlike the high end LGA 1356 which is officially supporting DDR3-1600. And besides, like niffcreature said, there would be no difference anyway. An 8GB kit of DDR3-1333 right now is an excellent buy, and there is no guarantee that it will remain this low.

 

The only time getting over 4GB of RAM will help performance is if you are using over 4GB of RAM, and you are forcing your system to use the swap file on your storage drive.

And 99.9% of people out there do not use over 4GB of RAM on their laptops. The only people that really do are people who run large databases or run multiple virtual machines on their laptop.

If you do not in either of those two groups, then skip the 8GB of RAM - it will not improve performance one bit.

 

I would never recommend buying something 'in advance' of what you think your future hardware will support.

If you can use the additional RAM in your current system fully, then being able to throw it into the Mac will be a bonus.

If you're just going to buy it because of a great price - be prepared to potentially lose that money you're betting with.

Even if the prices for RAM went back up - you'll have had use of that money for other things in the meantime. Don't forget the value of that.

Good luck.

 

I have seen tests with DDR 1600 and 1333. The difference is only noticeable in some small tests, and not in real applications. And both 1600 and 1333 scored the same on various tests. So the extra money spent is not worth it imo

 

As far as we currently know, all but the low-end Sandy Bridge CPUs will support DDR3-1600. Unless you are using a memory bandwidth dependent application or you intend to make heavy use of the integrating GPU, the difference between DDR3-1333 and DDR3-1600 is minimal. That said, it's generally better to wait unless you need it now (it will probably be cheaper next year).

 

yah .. probably i'll just wait till the next year ...
thanks for the advice guys