4GB vs 5GB

Discussion in 'MacBook Pro' started by leons, Apr 24, 2014.

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  1. leons, Apr 24, 2014
    Last edited: Apr 24, 2014

    leons macrumors 6502

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    Apr 22, 2009
    #1
    I inherited a mid-2009 Macbook Pro w/2GB RAM. I want to upgrade it to 4GB. I understand that the best performance is achieved with matched RAM. I have read some forums that imply that unmatched RAM will suffer a 10-15% performance degradation. Here's my question:

    Would overall performance be better if I buy 1 4GB RAM, and pair it with a ! GB already in there (giving me a total of 5G)? Or, should I remove both, and buy 2 2GB (for a total of 4GB).

    Which choice is better overall? (The machine is used primarily for web surfing, watching videos, and some financial applications with real-time charts/graphs).
     
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  2. raptor402, Apr 25, 2014

    raptor402 macrumors 6502

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    #2
    5 GB won't give you as much of an edge in capacity over 2*2GB as 2*2GB would give over 5GB in performance and stability.

    You should go for 2*2GB. If you plan to keep the laptop for a while (2 years or more), you might want to consider 2*4GB. But then again, your money would be better spent on an SSD.

    Best of luck!
    Raptor
     
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  3. Meister, Apr 25, 2014

    Meister Suspended

    Meister

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    #3
    Get 2x2gb of ram and an ssd.
    Enjoy :)
     
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  4. brdeveloper, Apr 26, 2014

    brdeveloper macrumors 68020

    brdeveloper

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    Brasil
    #4
    If you have a 9400m GPU, I think your model supports up to 8GB (not officially). Get 2x2GB or 2x4GB (if supported) and a 120GB SSD at minimum. Be happy.
     
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  5. wytwolf, Apr 27, 2014

    wytwolf macrumors regular

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    #5
    yeah I had a look on everymac.com and both mid 2009s are listed as able to take 8GB. Officially apple states only 4 but the laptop can accept and use unto 8. Offically my macbook pro can only take 8 but i have 16 installed.
     
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  6. Hieveryone, Apr 27, 2014

    Hieveryone macrumors 68040

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    Apr 11, 2014
    #6
    From what I know 4GB is a bit low these days but 2x2 is definitely better. When ram prices drop I would consider 8GB RAM. I have 8GB ram and I often use 7.5GB RAM just watching youtube videos and leaving applications open.
     
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