RAM upgrade and/or SSD drive – what’s the benefit? (2024)

What will investing in a SSD drive for your notebook actually give you in terms of performance improvement? We decided to do a field test and grabbed an aging MacBook Pro that our graphics designer uses to do work when he’s on the road. We used four scenarios to find out how much a RAM upgrade or a new SSD drive improves the system operating speed. We were really impressed by the results.

Here are the upgrades we recommend depending on type of usage:

CompuRAM -- Performance Test HDD vs SSD vs RAM-Upgrade MacBook Pro (15-inch, late 2008)

Our test system: “late 2008” MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro (15 inch, late 2008) has been in use since 2008, and is ideal for an authentic real-life test, because we want to see how an upgrade affects a cloned system. Most speed tests we found use a fresh system. Many users, however, shy away from completely reinstalling their system software. So we wanted to see how much these users benefit from the upgrades.

The test setup

We compare four scenarios:

Status quo: the existing system unchanged (HDD and 2GB of RAM).
RAM upgrade: the system after upgrading the RAM to 8GB (keeping the 250GB HDD).
HDD to SSD upgrade: the system with its original 2GB memory and a Samsung SSD 840 Pro, 256GB, replacing the original 250GB HDD.
Full-on tuning: RAM upgrade to 8GB and installing a Samsung SSD 840 Pro, 256GB.

In each scenario we measure performance through

booting the system
opening Photoshop CS5 Extended
opening a 1GB Photoshop image file (3,508 x 4,961 pixels, 300 dpi) containing 174 layers

For a hands-on tutorial on how to replace the original MacBook HDD with a SSD, please refer to our photo tutorial, “Upgrading a MacBook Pro with an SSD“.

The results of our comparative tests

Fast system boot

Please take a look at our photo tutorial “Upgrading a MacBook Pro with an SSD” when starting your system for the first time.

The difference can be immediately noticed when you switch on the MacBook Pro: the RAM-only upgrade results in a 25% faster system boot, the SSD upgrade noticeably reduces boot time by 54%.

Performance boost during operation

As expected, the SSD results in a massive performance boost when working with the system: with the SSD installed, Photoshop CS5 starts 4 times faster than with the original HDD; the 1GB image file opens 3 times faster.

The RAM-only upgrade did not show any improvement in performance when we launched Photoshop. However, when opening the (relatively small) image file, we saw a discernible 37% improvement. Nevertheless, the user still has to wait 10 seconds longer for the file to open than when the HDD is upgraded to SSD (irrespective of whether 2 or 8GB of RAM are installed).

Professional desktop publishing (DTP) users, in particular, will benefit enormously from installing a SSD.

An additional plus from the point of view of our graphics designer: whereas the performance of the original system was just about good enough for Photoshop CS3 (CS5 was pretty sluggish on the original machine), after the upgrades, Photoshop CS5 can be used productively.

Samsung SSD | Power for your Mac |

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Conclusion

When you use your notebook primarily for applications that perform only few read/write operations on the disk drive (e. g. surfing, e-mail, word processing), upgrading the RAM to the maximum will give you a discernible improvement in performance.

As our test results show, installing a SSD and the maximum RAM will considerably speed up even an ageing notebook: the SSD provides a substantial performance boost, and adding RAM will get the most out of the system. So, our graphics designer was quite happy to delay investing in a new MacBook Pro for use on the road. His “late 2008” MacBook Pro sporting 8GB of RAM, 840 Pro SSD and a freshly installed operating system was more than enough for his DTP assignments.

(Update May 12, 2020) For an overview of which Mac models can be upgraded with a 2.5-inch SATA SSD, see “Which SSD for my Mac?”

………………………………………
By the way: as the professional notebooks of other manufacturers are also based on Intel CPUs, our test results can easily be applied to any Intel-based notebook. Upgrading the HDD with a Samsung SSD will be particularly easy as the SSD comes with Windows software optimized for migrating your existing Windows system and data to the new SSD. Also, the software automatically adjusts SSD-specific features such as TRIM, PreFetch and SuperFetch. Please refer to the step-by-step directions for installing an SSD in a Windows notebook in our blog post, “More performance for your notebook: how to securely install an SSD“.

Click to find suitable SSD for notebook and desktop PC at CompuRAM.

Have a look at our extensive database for memory upgrades for notebooks.

31.10.14, Updated on 08.06.21

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Tags: Apple, Field tests, Notebook, SSD, Video

RAM upgrade and/or SSD drive – what’s the benefit? (2024)

FAQs

What is the benefit of upgrading RAM and SSD? ›

A More Responsive PC

Increasing the amount of RAM in a PC can significantly enhance its performance. This includes faster boot-up and shutdown times, as well as smoother program launches and task executions. When your computer has more RAM, it can run programs much faster than before, even if it is just one program.

Know More ›

Should I upgrade both SSD and RAM? ›

Of course, RAM and SSD are the best combination that significantly improves computer performance, complementing each other. However, if you have to choose one, consider your usage habits and the current performance of your system.

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What should you upgrade, RAM or SSD? ›

Both RAM and SSD can improve the performance of your computer. But actually, RAM is orders of magnitude faster than an SSD. In theory, the transfer speed of an SSD can be up to about 6Gbps (equivalent to 750 MB/s) which is from the SATA interface.

Get More Info ›

Is 4GB RAM and 256GB SSD enough? ›

256GB for OS is large enough, and yet 4GB RAM is not. For daily working, 16GB is the recommended. If you want to play games, then consider larger RAM. No, minimum should be 8GB and as big a drive you can afford, but it all depends on what you are wanting it for.

Get More Info Here ›

Does SSD or RAM make computers faster? ›

Even though SSDs are faster than HDDs, they're still slower than RAM. There are two reasons for that difference in speed. First, the memory chips in SSDs are slower than those in RAM. Second, there is a bottleneck created by the interface that connects the storage device to the computer.

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Is 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD enough? ›

When comparing laptops based on specifications, it's important to consider your specific needs and use cases. However, in general, a laptop with 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD would likely offer better performance compared to a laptop with 4GB RAM and a 500GB HDD.

How much RAM and SSD do I need? ›

Generally, we recommend 8GB of RAM for casual computer usage and internet browsing, 16GB for spreadsheets and other office programs, and at least 32GB for gamers and multimedia creators. How you use your computer influences how much RAM you need, so use this as a guideline.

What are the disadvantages of using a SSD? ›

The disadvantages of SSDs compared to HDDs include higher cost per gigabyte, generally more limited storage capacity, and potential data loss if the drive fails. SSDs also have limited write cycles, meaning frequent, heavy use can degrade their performance over time.

Does an SSD really make a difference? ›

SSDs are Faster than Hard Drives

SSDs offers shorter boot times for your computer, more immediate data transfer, and higher bandwidth.

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What are the benefits of upgrading RAM? ›

Upgrading RAM is like expanding the workspace of your computer. It allows your system to handle more tasks simultaneously and more efficiently. This means faster processing, smoother multitasking, and less waiting time, especially when you're running multiple applications or dealing with large files.

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Is it better to upgrade RAM and SSD or buy a new laptop? ›

By adding more memory, your slow computer that struggles to perform multiple tasks at once will experience faster recall speeds. Upgrading your storage is the best solution if your computer still has an HDD, as most computers now come with an SSD due to the clear performance benefits.

Find Out More ›

Will more RAM make my computer faster? ›

With faster RAM, you increase the speed at which memory transfers information to other components. Meaning, your fast processor now has an equally fast way of talking to the other components, making your computer much more efficient.

Explore More ›

Does upgrading RAM and SSD increase FPS? ›

Many games perform thousands of tiny read and write operations as you play, which can result in hundreds of megabytes of data transfers. Upgrading to an SSD won't increase your FPS, but it can result in an improvement in some open-world titles with game engines that load in new areas and textures as you play.

Keep Reading ›

Do I need more RAM if I have SSD? ›

While RAM is used for short-term storage, such as undoing a previous action, SSDs or HDs are used for long-term storage, such as saving a document. To put it simply, the more things you do on your computer, the more GB of RAM you need.

Does SSD really improve performance? ›

SSDs offers shorter boot times for your computer, more immediate data transfer, and higher bandwidth. Faster speeds mean SSDs can handle data at the ultra-speeds necessary in today's business world especially when running programs that access large amounts of data such as an operating system.

Get More Info Here ›