Looking to uprade Ram in Macbook Aluminum 13" (Late 2008)

[snarestud940]

Hey Guys,

I have a macbook that was the first aluminum macbook made. I have 2 GB of ram and would like to upgrade it. I don't know anything about it. How much can I upgrade to? Is it safe to put another memory in that isn't apple's? and when I do it, and click onthe apple icon and go to about this mac, will it still say 2 GB? or will it change and recognize it on its own? or do I have to change it?

Sorry for all the questions. I'm new to all this upgrading stuff. Thanks in advance everyone!

 

[GGJstudios]

I have a macbook that was the first aluminum macbook made. I have 2 GB of ram and would like to upgrade it. I don't know anything about it. How much can I upgrade to?

You can find specs on all Apple products, including maximum RAM:

• By visiting EveryMac.com: Actual Maximum RAM
• By using Mactracker
• By entering your serial number here to find specs for your model. (Be aware that some models can use more RAM than Apple shows. Check EveryMac or MacTracker to verify.)

Is it safe to put another memory in that isn't apple's?

Apple doesn't make RAM, so any compatible RAM you add will be fine.

and when I do it, and click onthe apple icon and go to about this mac, will it still say 2 GB? or will it change and recognize it on its own? or do I have to change it?

When you boot up with the new RAM installed, your Mac will recognize it. There's nothing more you need to do.

• MR Guide to Buying RAM
• MR Guide to Understanding Intel Mac RAM
• MR Guide to Matched RAM on Intel Macs
• Apple does not manufacture RAM and charges more than you would pay with other reputable RAM providers.
• Some great sources for Mac-compatible RAM are OWC and newegg.com.
• MacBook Pro: How to remove or install memory
• MacBook: How to remove or install memory
• Installation of user-installable parts does not void the Apple Warranty or the AppleCare Protection Plan, unless you damage something in the process.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Upgrading RAM in MacBooks and MacBook Pros​

 

[Montymitch]

I have that same machine running 8gb ram no problems. It should be noted that I am running Lion, and I seem to recall Leopard only supporting 4gb.

 

[GGJstudios]

I have that same machine running 8gb ram no problems. It should be noted that I am running Lion, and I seem to recall Leopard only supporting 4gb.

LOL. Not true. Leopard, SL and Lion can currently support up to 64GB, mostly due to current hardware limitations.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

I have that same machine running 8gb ram no problems. It should be noted that I am running Lion, and I seem to recall Leopard only supporting 4gb.

Even Tiger could at least support 8 GB RAM on a PowerMac G5.

 

[snarestud940]

thanks guys. I was thinking to go up to 8 GB. Is this possible? and will I notice a difference? New to this. Sorry.

 

[GGJstudios]

thanks guys. I was thinking to go up to 8 GB. Is this possible? and will I notice a difference? New to this. Sorry.

If you read the first links I posted, you can find the maximum RAM for your model. As to whether you'll notice a difference, it depends on your usual workload.

Many say RAM is cheap, so get as much as you can, even if it's not needed. However, RAM prices continue to fall, and if more isn't needed now, waiting to buy at a later time when it's actually needed will probably result in a lower price.

To determine if you can benefit from more RAM, launch Activity Monitor and click the System Memory tab at the bottom to check your page outs. Page outs are cumulative since your last restart, so the best way to check is to restart your computer and track page outs under your normal workload (the apps, browser pages and documents you normally would have open). If your page outs are significant (say 1GB or more) under normal use, you may benefit from more RAM. If your page outs are zero or very low during normal use, you probably won't see any performance improvement from adding RAM.


Mac OS X: Reading system memory usage in Activity Monitor

 

[snarestud940]

and yes i have lion. what i'm basically trying to say is, I don't intend on getting a new laptop of any sorts for quite some time. I've had this 3 years to date and in my opinion, it still runs like the first day I got it. the only problem i've had is that i needed a new battery. will this expand the life of this macbook? and make it faster I will say? even though it very much satisfies my needs right now.

i only intend on buying a mac mini in a few months to replace my dell desktop. thanks guys!

 

[simsaladimbamba]

thanks guys. I was thinking to go up to 8 GB. Is this possible? and will I notice a difference? New to this. Sorry.

8 GB RAM is possible, according to the links you were provided with.
And yes, you will see a slight to huge difference depending on what your computational habits are.

What is RAM? - measured in MB and GB

Random Access Memory (RAM) is the "working memory" in a computer. Additional RAM allows a computer to work with more information at the same time which can have a dramatic effect on total system performance.

 

[Montymitch]

Yes, 8bg is possible. The 4 and 8gb limits I was referencing were hardware limitations, not OS limitations.