ram and memory

[pcomac]

I have 4GB ram and about 290 GB memory left. does the amount of memory make the computer go faster or it is only depend on RAM? I use the mac pro for school stuff like writing essays, surfing web, and sometimes photoshop CS4. one thing that I noticed is that the time is takes to turn on and off is almost 30 seconds, which is kinda annoying especially when you are in school and you need to hurry to your next class. will upgrade to 8 RAM decrease the time is takes to shut off? also, how do I add another 4 GB of RAM? im scarred to do it my self because the inside of a mac looks very complicated. is there any cheap services I can use? or if I do it myself, is there a very detailed step by step dummy proofed guide that I can use?

 

[stevelam]

For the minimal stuff you do, extra RAM won't be noticeable to you at all. It will not help much with startup/shut down speed. Upgrading to an SSD drive would help there.

But why are you shutting down/rebooting between every class?

 

[iforbes]

Hard drive space will not affect your speeds unless you have an almost full hard drive. 290GB is way, way, way more than enough. Some sites state that you need 10-15% of your hard drive free for optimal performance...others will say different. Either way, you are safe.

More RAM will allow you to do more at once without noticing lag. Don't know that it will noticeably improve start-up/shut-down times.

My question is why are you shutting your mac off between classes? Just shut the lid. Then you are down to seconds to get back into your programs.

If you feel you still want to upgrade to 8GB RAM, it's easy. Just search the forum and you will see multiple threads on the subject. I am sure there are also youtube videos showing the process. Takes about 5 minutes start to finish. If you can operate a screwdriver (righty-tighty, lefty-loosey) then you can change the RAM.

Good luck.

 

[pcomac]

i heard that carrying ur computer while its on is bad for it. i usually walk really fast or run so i dont want to risk it

 

[Spicedham]

i heard that carrying ur computer while its on is bad for it. i usually walk really fast or run so i dont want to risk it

shutting the lid will put your computer to sleep and it will be safe. when it's in sleep mode the computer still uses the battery a little bit not as much as if it was fully on.