MBP and memory question

[manticore999]

I have a late 2011 mbp 17" with 8gb memory. I just started using Parallels to run Win7 for a few apps. Evreything runs a little slower when I'm using Parallels, which I understand, but I'm wondering if

1-is it possible to upgrade to 16gb memory and
2-would additional memory help?

Appreciate any advice.

 

[GGJstudios]

1-is it possible to upgrade to 16gb memory

Yes, your MBP supports up to 16GB of RAM. You can find specs on all Apple products, including maximum RAM:

• By visiting EveryMac.com: Actual Maximum RAM
• By selecting your model on the Crucial Memory Advisor™ Tool to find RAM information
• 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 to verify actual usable RAM.)

2-would additional memory help?

That depends on your usual workload. 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.

Using Activity Monitor to read System Memory and determine how much RAM is being used

 

[manticore999]

Thanks so much for the great reply. I appreciate the info. If I do decide to upgrade the memory, how hard is it to do? Forgive my ignorance, but I switched to Mac last year and don't really know much about them.

 

[T5BRICK]

If I do decide to upgrade the memory, how hard is to do? Forgive my ignorance, but I switched to Mac last year and don't really know much about them.

It's actually very easy.

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing+MacBook+Pro+17-Inch+Unibody+RAM/3419/1

 

[Macman45]

I have a 2011 MBP 17" and upgraded it to 16GB a while back. I don't Bootcamp, so I can't give specific information on that side of things, but I can report that it certainly improves multi-tasking and task's that are memory intensive.

GGJ's links should help you decide, but I use Crucial for my RAM requirements. Use their online scanning tool to correctly identify the modules that you need:


http://www.crucial.com

 

[manticore999]

Just wanted to say thanks again for the advice. I just finished installing the new memory and everything is working just fine. Really easy, but you do need a good quality screwdriver. Those aluminum screws are easy to strip if you're not really careful!