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5ringdon

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 7, 2008
6
0
Not very RAM/HD savvy

I own a late 2006 white macbook

2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1GB DDR2 RAM

I'm going to upgrade my RAM because I often use illustrator, photoshop, imovie and itunes and know that there is a 3GB limit on 2006 macbooks (from what I have read).

a. If i install a 2GB stick and a 1GB stick, will loosing the dual channel RAM be worth it? Or would I be better off installing 2 1GB sticks?

b. I'm also going to upgrade my Hard drive to a 250GB WD Scorpio Black.
It is SATA 3.0Gb/s and the 80GB Toshiba HD i currently have is SATA 1.5Gb/s. Does this matter and can I still install the WD Scorpio?

thank you very much
 

logana

macrumors 65816
Feb 4, 2006
1,396
8
Scotland
Go for the 2GB and the 1GB option - more ram is better than matched ram.

The other option which is probably just as cheap is to go for 2 x 2GB. The MacBook will only be able to use 3.3GB of it but it will be matched....

The Scorpio will be fine - the transfer speed of the hard disk bus in the MacBook is a lot lower than either of the transfer speeds (3GB and 1.5GB) so don't expect it to be quicker (although it will be quicker - but not for that reason).
 

shady825

macrumors 68000
Oct 8, 2008
1,864
105
Area 51
not doubting anyone here but i was always under the impression you want to match your ram?
if im wrong, sorry...
 

shady825

macrumors 68000
Oct 8, 2008
1,864
105
Area 51
and that's what the suggestions are... that he/she use 2x2GB, thus having matched RAM

oh really!?

from an above post:
"Go for the 2GB and the 1GB option - more ram is better than matched ram.

The other option which is probably just as cheap is to go for 2 x 2GB. The MacBook will only be able to use 3.3GB of it but it will be matched....

The Scorpio will be fine - the transfer speed of the hard disk bus in the MacBook is a lot lower than either of the transfer speeds (3GB and 1.5GB) so don't expect it to be quicker (although it will be quicker - but not for that reason). "
 

bozz2006

macrumors 68030
Aug 24, 2007
2,530
0
Minnesota
there is one recommendation to use 1x1 + 2x1 there are 2 suggestions for using 2x2, along with the reasoning as to why 2x2 is the more attractive option... whereas the 3 GB recommendation has no reasoning. even the guy who recommended 3 GB actually sounds like in the ends he's recommending 4 GB
 

shady825

macrumors 68000
Oct 8, 2008
1,864
105
Area 51
there is one recommendation to use 1x1 + 2x1 there are 2 suggestions for using 2x2, along with the reasoning as to why 2x2 is the more attractive option... whereas the 3 GB recommendation has no reasoning. even the guy who recommended 3 GB actually sounds like in the ends he's recommending 4 GB

i see what your saying. im not trying to say your wrong or anything like that!!
in my original post i was just saying i was under the impression you want to match ram..
thanks.
 

logana

macrumors 65816
Feb 4, 2006
1,396
8
Scotland
The original question was whether to go for (2GB + 1GB) or (1GB + 1GB)

my answer was that the 3GB option was better than the 2GB one (more RAM is better than matched RAM) and I also suggested that since DDR2 was very cheap at the moment to go for 4GB (even more RAM although 3.3GB in reality and also matched)

Best solution is 2 x 2GB
next best is 2GB + 1GB
last come 2 x 1GB
 

5ringdon

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 7, 2008
6
0
I think I'm gonna go for the 2x2GB since I can get it for so cheap. Thanks everyone
 

5ringdon

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 7, 2008
6
0
Should I clone the drive using a cloner, or should I do it through my Time Machine backups?
 
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