Is there any point in adding RAM?

CPU can support 32GB RAM, but as they don't do 16GB SODIMMs it can only support up to 16GB max (2x8GB modules).

Best thing to check would be Activity Monitor to see where the bottleneck is, and whether the CPU's maxed or the RAM's maxed. Shutting down as often as you can with the option 'reopen windows when logging back in' disabled will clear the RAM - it's possible that you've got a large uptime which may be compounding the problems.

If after doing daily shutdowns and the RAM is still maxed, it may be prudent to look towards getting a 16GB upgrade. Otherwise if the RAM is OK but the CPU is maxed, that's a hardware bottleneck that can't be sorted.

 

Have you enabled trim?

 

That is why your having slow down issues.

Go > https://www.cindori.org/software/trimenabler/

Enable trim asap and the 'snappy' Mac you had will return. The issue is not ram.

Once installed you'll need to run the manual trim and it'll zero out all the mess.

 

if you can add ram then do so. 8gb is nothing with the stuff u mentioned. not even worth asking.

 

Apparently these recently became available

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820156043

although I haven't heard any reports of them being used in MBPs.

I'm halfway tempted to try it, although I never get anywhere close to using the 16gb in my mid-2012

 

Oh man I wish you hadn't shown me that ... I'm sorely tempted to get it now, even though I really don't need it

 

Crucial ?
Maybe they source them from here.

Regarding compatibility they (intelligentmemory) state:
"16GB SO-DIMMs (IMM2G64D3LSOD8A) are compatible to any notebook/ultrabook based on the new 5th Gen Intel Broadwell processors with CPU codes i3/i5/i7-5xxxU!"

Bad luck for my Sandy-Bridge late-2011 MBP :-(

[Maybe Apple could work on it: "
Most notebooks and desktop- computers based on normal Intel processors will not support 16GB UDIMM/SO-DIMM memory modules. This issue may be solvable by a BIOS/UEFI update with a new memory reference code. ", see here]

 

If the OP is on the latest version of Yosemite, this tool is no longer needed.

Code:

sudo trimforce enable

Type that in Terminal, read the warning and then agree. By the way, the same warning would apply when using TrimEnabler.

 

As documented Yosemite isn't playing nice with all makes and models. The software I pointed out works with a broader range hence the option