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annie90

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 23, 2012
67
1
Hi Guys,

I planning on doing a Ram upgrade on my MacBook Pro late 2011 edition. It currently has 2 sticks of 2gb Ram and I want to replace it with 2 x 4gb.

Would anybody be able to recommend a good brand etc to use and could point of a good place where I could buy them. I'm based in Ireland :)
 

T5BRICK

macrumors G3
Aug 3, 2006
8,313
2,387
Oregon
Crucial or Corsair 2 X 4GB PC-10600 1333MHz DDR3 SODIMM should all work just fine. I don't know where you should buy it though, I'd opt for Amazon, but I don't know if that's as good of an option for you.

Also, I know it doesn't answer your question, but the previous poster is right. A SSD is an awesome upgrade, they're worth looking into.
 

annie90

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 23, 2012
67
1
Any idea how much a SSD upgrade cost ?
What exactly are the benefits of that time of an upgrade?
 

T5BRICK

macrumors G3
Aug 3, 2006
8,313
2,387
Oregon
Any idea how much a SSD upgrade cost ?
What exactly are the benefits of that time of an upgrade?

The Samsung 850 EVO SSDs cost between $70-350USD depending on capacity. The 250GB model is $75 on Amazon right now.

A SSD will be between 5 and 10 times faster than the HDD currently installed in your Mac. It's the single most effective upgrade and it'll make your computer feel brand new.
 

CoastalOR

macrumors 68040
Jan 19, 2015
3,021
1,147
Oregon, USA
I used Crucial RAM to upgrade my Late 2011 MBP a couple of years ago. The RAM modules worked great. I used the Crucial website to determine the correct RAM modules. You can also get the correct Crucial RAM from Amazon. The Crucial MX200 SSD's also have a good reputation. I also installed a SSD in my Late 2011 MBP a few months after the RAM upgrade. I saw the biggest performance improvement from the SSD upgrade.
 

The All American

macrumors newbie
Nov 12, 2015
24
10
I just noticed a 500 GB evo is only $160 on amazon. I think I may be upgrading pretty soon. Will a SATA 3 work ok on a computer with a SATA 2 setup (Mid2009 13")?
 

eyeseeyou

macrumors 68040
Feb 4, 2011
3,383
1,590
A smartphone has the benefit of being a convenient tool. Extra RAM that isn't used is a waste of money.

You've never heard it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it?

What's better an iPhone with 1gb of ram or 2gb?

If one day you want more than 8 gb's of ram and upgrade to 16gb's of ram you're going to have to essentially rebuy 8gs of ram plus an additional 8gbs of ram unless I'm mistaken. Mine as well just get your clutch changed if you're already pulling the transmission out.
 

The All American

macrumors newbie
Nov 12, 2015
24
10
You should max the ram out if you have the opportunity to. It's relatively cheap and easy to do. I don't understand the "wasted memory" argument, what if the user decides to use his computer for more memory intensive purposes later in its life? He'll be dealing with a regret.
 
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T5BRICK

macrumors G3
Aug 3, 2006
8,313
2,387
Oregon
You've never heard it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it?

If the user NEEDS more RAM, they can upgrade again in the future. But it doesn't make sense to buy 16GB of RAM when all you need is 8GB.

Depending on the usage of the OP, they should be able to determine if they'll need it. I stand by my comment that most people don't need more than 8GB.

Check out this guide:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/how-much-ram-do-i-need-in-my-macbook.1756865/

If your needs change in the future, there's a good chance that the CPU, GPU or some other non-upgradeable component in your system is a bottleneck as well.

What's better an iPhone with 1gb of ram or 2gb?

Comparing 1-2GB of RAM in a phone to 8-16GB of RAM in a laptop is a bit of a stretch.

If one day you want more than 8 gb's of ram and upgrade to 16gb's of ram you're going to have to essentially rebuy 8gs of ram plus an additional 8gbs of ram unless I'm mistaken. Mine as well just get your clutch changed if you're already pulling the transmission out.

If upgrading the memory was nearly as difficult as pulling a transmission and swapping out a clutch, you might have a point. But it's not, so you don't.
 

T5BRICK

macrumors G3
Aug 3, 2006
8,313
2,387
Oregon
You should max the ram out if you have the opportunity to. It's relatively cheap and easy to do. I don't understand the "wasted memory" argument, what if the user decides to use his computer for more memory intensive purposes later in its life? He'll be dealing with a regret.

It's pretty easy to determine what you need now and what you might need later. If your needs change, you still have the option to upgrade.
 

eyeseeyou

macrumors 68040
Feb 4, 2011
3,383
1,590
It's pretty easy to determine what you need now and what you might need later. If your needs change, you still have the option to upgrade.

Quick look up for prices.

To upgrade to 8gb est. $70.

Later on to upgrade to 16gb an additional $140

Upgrade to 16gb now it'll cost $140. Upgrade to 8gbs then 16gb later will be roughly $210.

Life's too short, get the 16gb upgrade. At least that way if the users needs changes they'll know it's not an issue with the ram especially if 8gb's of ram is the general threshold for most of their needs.
 

eyeseeyou

macrumors 68040
Feb 4, 2011
3,383
1,590
This discussion reminds of people who tried to save a few bucks by getting the 8/16gb iPhone C.

Who here actually drives their car at 120mph-200mph? eh I guess we all wasted our money.
 

T5BRICK

macrumors G3
Aug 3, 2006
8,313
2,387
Oregon
Quick look up for prices.

To upgrade to 8gb est. $70.

Later on to upgrade to 16gb an additional $140

Upgrade to 16gb now it'll cost $140. Upgrade to 8gbs then 16gb later will be roughly $210.

Life's too short, get the 16gb upgrade. At least that way if the users needs changes they'll know it's not an issue with the ram especially if 8gb's of ram is the general threshold for most of their needs.

There are plenty of other things that $70 could be better used on, especially if the user doesn't need the extra RAM. Most users don't.

But, hey, if you feel like spending money on things you don't need. Go ahead, it's not my money.

This discussion reminds of people who tried to save a few bucks by getting the 8/16gb iPhone C.

You can't upgrade the iPhone storage later, RAM in a cMBP can be upgraded.
 

eyeseeyou

macrumors 68040
Feb 4, 2011
3,383
1,590
There are plenty of other things that $70 could be better used on, especially if the user doesn't need the extra RAM. Most users don't.

But, hey, if you feel like spending money on things you don't need. Go ahead, it's not my money.
It's not wasting money it's an investment. Dig your well before you're thirsty. Once upon a time 4gb's was enough.
 

T5BRICK

macrumors G3
Aug 3, 2006
8,313
2,387
Oregon
It's not wasting money it's an investment.

Nothing about a computer is an investment.

Dig your well before you're thirsty.

Every single one of your analogies has been horrible. Yes, dig a well before you need it. But don't install a $1000 1HP pump when a $500 1/2HP pump will suit your needs in the foreseeable future. In this situation, you're thinking about the next 30 or so years. With a computer, you're looking at your needs for the next 3-5 years.

Once upon a time 4gb's was enough.

4GB of RAM is still enough for a lot of people. 8GB is plenty for most. 16GB is needed for a few. Unused RAM is wasted RAM. If you don't think you'll need it in the next couple of years, it isn't worth spending money on right now.
 
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