8GB RAM: Better to have 8 or 4 black boxes on the actual module?

The little boxes are the actual ram chips. If you have 8 then the chips are low density. 4 means high density. I'm not sure if one is better then the other.

 

"black boxes"??? LMAO!!

 

Don't worry about it. As long as people know what you are talking about, its fine. Apple Genius' have to talk like that actually.

 

Like a RAM chip isn't a black box to you.

 

While I'm sure there is some difference, it's by no means any common knowledge, and it honestly doesn't matter either way. There are other factors that are more important such as the RAM timings, frequency, etc. Generally speaking though, especially for an MBP, you're not going to notice any difference in performance. If the speed of the modules are comparable, I'd just go with the cheaper set as long as it's from a reputable brand.

 

Keep whichever is cheaper. You'll never notice outside benchmarks.

 

We don't know which ram is which based on your description.

 

I don't think it matters as long as you buy the same for both sticks (though I think you can mix as well).

If you're in the US, just buy them from OWC. You can't go wrong there!

 

In that case, as long it works, it's good

 

There are no differences in performance.

Each 'black box' is a ram module. For a 4GB stick, you will see 8 of them. 512MB each module. For the 2GB stick, you may see either depending on whether they are using 512mb or 256mb modules.

Just make sure you get CAS latency 7 or below for MBPs. Also, make sure you have a well known brand and lifetime warranty.

 

the most dense SODIMM you can get is 8x256 per side for a total of 4GB per chip. there are no 512mb modules yet, otherwise 8GB SODIMM chips would exist.