Memory Sticks???

[gamerz]

I was wondering if there are memory sticks to boost it from 512 mb to possibly 1-2 G's? If there are some some names and prices would be helpful, also if you can just stick them into your USB drive without having to open it all up.

Thanks

 

[kretzy]

Are you asking if memory sticks can be upgraded to larger capacities? If you are, I've never heard of it being done. It probably just easier to buy a new one isn't it?

 

[gamerz]

yeah... i kinda meant that for better gaming if there was a memory stick that could plug into a USB drive instead of taking out the old one and putting in the new...

 

[nutman]

youre probably thinking of ram, which is inside the computer, not usb.

 

[kretzy]

I think you may be confusing a storage device with RAM. Having a larger memory card/drive will have no impact on how you machine runs, it's simply for storing/transferring data. RAM (random access memory) on the other hand is an internal component which programs use to run.

 

[gamerz]

I meant to boost my 512 mb DDR2 RAM. Not my 160GB SATA 7200rpm RAM.

 

[Nermal]

OK, there are three different things:

1. Your computer has RAM inside it, it sounds like you have 512 MB.
2. Your 160 GB hard drive has nothing to do with RAM.
3. A memory stick is like a portable hard drive, and (for the purposes of this conversation) also has nothing to do with RAM.

The only way to get more RAM is to physically open up the computer and put more (or bigger) RAM modules in there.

 

[gamerz]

ok... thank you, thats what i wanted to hear... so there arent any plug in RAM upgrades.

 

[crazycat]

ok... thank you, thats what i wanted to hear... so there arent any plug in RAM upgrades.

Nermal said it best.

If you have 512 RAM now and you want to upgrade that you can buy another 512 RAM and add that or buy another 1GB RAM and install that. You have to check with your PC if it can handle 1 or 2 sticks.

 

[balamw]

Nermal said it best.

If you have 512 RAM now and you want to upgrade that you can buy another 512 RAM and add that or buy another 1GB RAM and install that. You have to check with your PC if it can handle 1 or 2 sticks.

If you tell us which Mac you've got we might be able to point you in the right direction...

I just upgraded the RAM in my iMac yesterday and it was very straightforward. Lie the Mac down. Raise the stand, open the RAM compartment. Eject the existing RAM and insert the new.

The hardest part I found was removing the old RAM since it wasn't coming out far enough for me to grab it...

B

 

[Nermal]

The hardest part I found was removing the old RAM since it wasn't coming out far enough for me to grab it...

I had that problem too, it was driving me crazy

 

[apfhex]

ok... thank you, thats what i wanted to hear... so there arent any plug in RAM upgrades.

Correct.

However, Microsoft *is* including a feature just like what you were originally asking for (plugging in a USB flash drive to use as RAM) in Windows Vista.

From Wikipedia: "ReadyBoost, makes PCs running Windows Vista more responsive by using flash memory on a USB drive (USB 2.0 only), SD Card, Compact Flash, or other form of flash memory, in order to boost system performance. When such a device is plugged in, the Windows Autoplay dialog offers an additional option to use it to speed up the system; an additional "Memory" tab is added to the drive's properties dialog where the amount of space to be used can be configured."

I kind of doubt the performance of this, though. And I wouldn't expect to see a feature like it in OS X in the immediate future.