4RAM 128gb vs. 8RAM 256gb, Which do you prefer and why?

[Neibl]

So I can't decide if the 300 dollar bump is worth it for the RAM and memory. I do like to keep lots of movies I own stored locally on the device so the memory would be nice, but we can expand the memory with mircosdhd cards so not really an issue. I'm more interested to hear people's opinion on the 4gb vs. the 8gb RAM, does anyone notice the difference and for what uses? I don't think I would have a use for the 8gb of RAM, but I thought I'd see if the community here knows something I do not.

 

[BIGPADDY]

Yeah that worth the extra money for the upgrade, I would say if you have the money go for it!

8GB of RAM is great to have and should never have any issue with lag or performance .

The 256GB SSD will help with storage if you download HD movies or for applications.

 

[WanderingTraveler]

4 vs. 8 GB RAM simply depends on whether you really want to do heavy work on the go or simply use it as a gaming tablet.

128 vs. 256 GB SSD on the other hand...

...I'd go for 256GB just to be safe.

 

[vizagdude]

The only reason I went for the 256GB is for the double the SSD storage and the extra 8GB RAM is just a bonus for me. I ultimately plan to replace my existing Laptop with this baby. I don't play games on my computer, but I do watch a lot of Netflix and online streaming stuff.

 

[unstoppablekem]

I got 256 GB because it actually only comes with like 212GB, and the 126GB has 72Gb, which is too little.

 

[Neibl]

@vizagdude It sounds you and me are very similar in our uses of the device, that being said. You and I do not need 8gb of RAM, but the memory might be nice, but why not use buy a microsd card. I'm debating getting the 8gb of ram and then downloading some cool games on the surface just becasue I can lol. Portal 2 perhaps.

 

[WG Rowland]

8gig. 4 I think is plenty for most portable systems, but as this is my work machine and I don't really want to mix a dev environment with the regular desktop stuff, I'm planning on setting up a VM for Visual Studio, SQL, etc. 8gigs will give me plenty of breathing room to have two OS's running.

 

[badMojo69]

More, because more is better:
AT&T TV Commercial - It's Not Complicated "More" - YouTube

 

[leo74]

Well I really plan on replacing my laptop which is my primary work device with a surface pro 2, a docking station and a cover.... this is the very first time that I even consider this step, but with all I read, I am no longer willing to spread my work over 2 devices. While I really only use Office applications at the moment, I plan on getting Visual Studio installed on the Surface as well and while I am not designing graphically demanding applications (mainly database applications) I will go with the 8GB RAM model, just to be on the safe side.... I am still quite nervous, because it is a lot of money and the worst thing would be that after all I cannot replace my laptop with it and end up with 2 devices after all... If one of you has experience on that, I am grateful for feedback, but I think I just might have to jump into it...

 

[superlawyer15]

I opted for the 256/8 and can notice a big difference between my 128/4 first gen

Idk if that is because of haswell or the ram, but the extra ssd space is especially appreciated

 

[Joe Acerbic]

8/256 looked to me like the sweet spot in value. The price jump to 8/512 doesn't seem worth it just for a bigger drive.

 

[Neibl]

I ended up getting the 128/4. So far super happy, it's blazing fast as I do no heavy lifting with this device. Only reason I got the Pro over the Surface is i wanted Pen input and can afford it, but this thing already cost me 1400 bucks after accessories, complete coverage, and tax so another on top of that seemed like too much for a couch device/personal laptop device. Perhaps I should have gotten the surface 2 as it really is super quick.

Love my choice though, this thing is amazing, I don't get the too big complaints besides the fact the type cover is super annoying to hold when attached. I like the device with no cover and the type cover attached by bluetooth adapter (great accessory). I wanted a touch cover in blue, but they don't make it boo!

 

[polbit]

I think it all depends on your use case. If you a truly want a laptop replacement and will keep it for a while, then go for 8/256. In my case, I was just looking for a powerful tablet-first device, and spending $1,500 with cover and tax just sounded crazy I'm not planning or running any VMs or heavy .Net development so 4Gb RAM is plenty right now, and with a MicroSDXC slot, 128Gb SSD is large enough.

 

[rocketboy]

Well I really plan on replacing my laptop which is my primary work device with a surface pro 2, a docking station and a cover.... this is the very first time that I even consider this step, but with all I read, I am no longer willing to spread my work over 2 devices. While I really only use Office applications at the moment, I plan on getting Visual Studio installed on the Surface as well and while I am not designing graphically demanding applications (mainly database applications) I will go with the 8GB RAM model, just to be on the safe side.... I am still quite nervous, because it is a lot of money and the worst thing would be that after all I cannot replace my laptop with it and end up with 2 devices after all... If one of you has experience on that, I am grateful for feedback, but I think I just might have to jump into it...

My preference would have been for 8GB RAM, but budget wise it made no sense. In two years time there'll be something else that I'll probably want and I can't see paying a premium for what most people (myself included) think is an evolutionary design. The SP2 is an amazing piece of equipment, but the best is yet to come. While I like the idea of one device to rule them all, I can't quite get over relying on a device like SP2 that is completely sealed and has no self-replaceable parts. Plus it's always easier to troubleshoot any computer problems when you have two. No, my desktop will always be my primary workstation and I'm quite confident that a 128GB(+skydrive)/4GB machine will be good enough as a supplementary system for 2-3 years.

~$1800 for a 512GB/8GB model is insanity. When I was at the MS store the rep there said they didn't even sell them unless it was for an enterprise buy.

 

[chezm]

I love my Pro 2 128/4 model. It won't be able to replace my desktop because I've got my recording equipment in PCI cards, but its an incredible companion which ive never had before. I always debated a laptop but once touch screen was shown years back i held off for something special which Pro 2 delivers. I just didn't think it was necessary to get 256/8 for me, 4gb ram is more than enough so im very pleased.

 

[Doctor Pork]

Going for 128 Gb instead of 64 seems like a no brainer, but I am leaning towards the 128 Gb configuration being enough as I wouldn't want to use a Surface Pro as a desktop replacement anyway. The whole point of a tablet for me is that it is not chained to the docking station, but for people who either plan to use it is mostly as a desktop at home, or only occasionally as a desktop, it is probably worth it to get the extra space and RAM.

 

[kreide]

I wasn't sure as well. Nevertheless I received the 128gb model few days ago and I must say - that just fits the bill. I do some Visual Studio 2013 C# programming, with IIS express and Azure Emulator on and 4gb of RAM seem to be enough for that purpose. Eclipse + Xilinx ISim simulation runs smooth too. As a student the difference between 128gb and 256gb model would be 270 €. It just seemed wrong to pay that amount for 4gb RAM and 128gb extra storage. And as some already said - Surface Pro 2 is an evolutionary concept and I predict to replace it by 2 years time. For now I am thankful for the 128gb one - it totally changed my opinion on Windows 8.1.

 

[Bremen Cole]

I got 256 GB because it actually only comes with like 212GB, and the 126GB has 72Gb, which is too little.

My 128 had 90+ gigs free, i deleted some bloat and had around 94.

 

[azcruz]

I run Hyper-V, Visual Studio, Nikon Capture NX 2, PowerPivot, so 8GB it is. My 4GB machine still does the job, but twice the memory will be better.

 

[PandaSPUR]

I got 256 GB because it actually only comes with like 212GB, and the 126GB has 72Gb, which is too little.

My 128 had 90+ gigs free, i deleted some bloat and had around 94.

Yea MS actually states 128GB should have 97GB free: Microsoft Surface storage | Surface disk space | How much disk space on Surface
The info there is accurate from what I can tell (my 256GB did indeed come with around 210+ GB of free space).

And the best way to tell if you need 8GB of RAM is to just use your current setup and check how much RAM you're using.
I personally went with the 256/8 model because I use VMs a lot and I tend to have multiple tabs/documents open for research work.
I'm glad OP is happy with 4GB though, for the purposes listed it does sound like it'd be just fine.