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    Is upgrading the RAM from 2GB to 4GB in my Aluminum Macbook really worth it?

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by BDronicus, Apr 15, 2009.

  1. BDronicus

    BDronicus Notebook Consultant

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    Is it worth the $100? Even if it was $50?

    Like, really?

    I'm not doing any film editing or anything... YET.
     
    BDronicus, Apr 15, 2009
    #1
  2. gaming_zedman

    gaming_zedman Notebook Evangelist

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    Heck, if the price was right I would say go for it. As it stands, you can buy ddr3 ram from newegg or whatever for a lot less than 100$, and be able to sell the ram that came with your computer on ebay or something.

    If it was closer to $50 bucks, It would make sense to do it because it would save you the hassle of ordering it 3rd party and selling your old ram.

    As for if you need it.... right now, I would think not. This is because you are not doing any film editing by your own admission... and most likely the prices will drop when and if you decide thats what you want to do. The best advice is to buy it when you need it, that way you cant go wrong.
     
    gaming_zedman, Apr 15, 2009
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  3. MidnightSun

    MidnightSun Emodicon

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    Are you constantly using a very high percentage of your RAM? If not, there's no real need to buy it. DDR3 sticks are still fairly expensive now, even though they've gotten a lot cheaper over the last few months, so like the previous poster said, buy it when you need it.
     
    MidnightSun, Apr 15, 2009
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  4. beige

    beige Notebook Deity

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    are u gaming or using high end graphic programs
    if yes then go for it you will feel the diffrence

    just playing mp3s and movies you fill feel nothing
     
    beige, Apr 15, 2009
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  5. BDronicus

    BDronicus Notebook Consultant

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    How can I tell how much RAM I'm using?
     
    BDronicus, Apr 15, 2009
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  6. pacmandelight

    pacmandelight Notebook Deity

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    pacmandelight, Apr 15, 2009
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  7. MICHAELSD01

    MICHAELSD01 Apple/Alienware Master

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    If you want to be able to run more applications at once without lag, then it's worth it. Are you playing games on your MacBook?

    Click on the Apple logo in the Finder toolbar, then click "About This Mac".
     
    MICHAELSD01, Apr 15, 2009
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  8. chyidean

    chyidean Notebook Evangelist

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    I think he means like how much RAM he is using out of the amount of RAM installed (which is constantly changing). Correct me if I'm wrong but in "About This Mac" it only shows how much total is installed.

    You could download the iStat widget.
     
    chyidean, Apr 15, 2009
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  9. MICHAELSD01

    MICHAELSD01 Apple/Alienware Master

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    Oh, I misunderstood him. Search finder for an application called "Activity Monitor".
     
    MICHAELSD01, Apr 15, 2009
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  10. diggy

    diggy Notebook Deity

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    Activity Monitor or iStat Menus will provide you with the details on how much RAM you're using. My thinking when it comes to RAM is this: the more the better. Even if you dont PLAN on using it, its there when you need it (should that time come).
     
    diggy, Apr 15, 2009
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  11. Luke1708

    Luke1708 Notebook Virtuoso NBR Reviewer

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    4gb of ram allows me to run all my programs required and it's a great boost to my system.
     
    Luke1708, Apr 16, 2009
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  12. isnice23

    isnice23 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Correct me if I'm wrong, new MB owner myself, but having the extra 2GB allocated for XP / Vista is helpful too, correct? I guess this would only apply to if you using VMWare or Parallels, not necessarily Bootcamp.
     
    isnice23, Apr 16, 2009
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  13. Colton

    Colton Also Proudly American

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    Sure it's helpful! :p The more the merrier. ;) More would always be beneficial, wether it be Boot Camp or VMWare or Parallels. ;) If you have a 32-bit Windows OS for Boot Camp, it will only recognize up to 3GB or RAM, but if you have a 64-bit OS, it will recognize all 4GB. :)
     
    Colton, Apr 16, 2009
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  14. BDronicus

    BDronicus Notebook Consultant

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    I haven't played games on it yet, but I would like to in the future.

    And running apps faster sounds good.

    Thanks for the advice and info.

    Now I'm going to start looking for the most affordable way to upgrade.
     
    BDronicus, Apr 16, 2009
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  15. MICHAELSD01

    MICHAELSD01 Apple/Alienware Master

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    I'd recommend going for 1066MHz RAM. It's more expensive than slower RAM, but that's the speed the 2GB you have runs at now, and the MacBook lineup can support running the 1066MHz RAM at native speed.
     
    MICHAELSD01, Apr 16, 2009
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  16. jjahshik32

    jjahshik32 Notebook Deity

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    Going from 2GB to 4GB of RAM is the best thing you can do to a macbook (besides adding an SSD drive of course).
     
    jjahshik32, Apr 16, 2009
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  17. steve p

    steve p Notebook Evangelist

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    OWC has the 4Gb kit for under 60 bucks:
    http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/8566DDR3S4GP/
    And they will give you credit for your old ram if you like.
     
    steve p, Apr 16, 2009
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  18. Colton

    Colton Also Proudly American

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    That's a good price, and good find on your part! Newegg also has some good deals every now and then, so you might want to check there if you'd like. ;) BestBuy has had the 4GB kits for $200 and 2GB kits for $130, which is similar to the Apple store itself... ;)
     
    Colton, Apr 16, 2009
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  19. BDronicus

    BDronicus Notebook Consultant

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    That sounds amazing!

    Questions though:

    1) OWC is good RAM? Is there better, or is this good enough?

    2) Once I get the RAM, do I have to install it or can I bring it to an Apple Store? And in that case, how much would it cost for 'em to install it?

    Either way, thanks for the link!
     
    BDronicus, Apr 17, 2009
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  20. MICHAELSD01

    MICHAELSD01 Apple/Alienware Master

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    OWC should be fine. You can upgrade the RAM pretty easily yourself, search for videos about it on YouTube.
     
    MICHAELSD01, Apr 17, 2009
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  21. Snowm0bile

    Snowm0bile Starcraftologist

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    Activity Monitor ;)
     
    Snowm0bile, Apr 17, 2009
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