Should I Upgrade My Unibody Macbook's Memory from 2GB to 4GB?

[mx7]

Hi all,

I'm debating whether if I should double the RAM from 2GB to 4GB since it's so cheap these days.

Here's my Mac usage: I have my machine hooked up to a 1920x1200 monitor (via monoprice's mini displayport to hdmi adapter) and Elgato's TV tuner. I watch TV while browsing the web and playing videos.

Sometimes there's a fraction of a second lag when scrolling through websites with heavy graphics or switching between windows. If I upgrade, will that delay disappear?

Thanks

 

[ViciousShadow21]

absolutely yes. i would love to hear someone try and debate why it is not a good idea. even if you are not an intensive user it still helps espicially from 2 to 4GB. maybe not 6 to 8GB but definitely the former. and like you said it is really cheap.

 

[aethelbert]

The lag shouldn't disappear; the OS will always use pretty much all of the RAM that you have. I have a machine running on 1GB and it runs fine. Unless you're paging out a lot, you probably don't need to upgrade.

 

[mx7]

The lag shouldn't disappear; the OS will always use pretty much all of the RAM that you have. I have a machine running on 1GB and it runs fine. Unless you're paging out a lot, you probably don't need to upgrade.

Thanks for the replies. What do you mean by paging out a lot?

ViciousShadow, what's the noticeable difference a normal user can notice with a 2GB to 4GB upgrade?

 

[toolbox]

Yes you should, when i upgraded my ram in mine i noticed a big difference. It also allowed me to assign more resources to my virtual machines.

More ram you have the better your computer runs.

 

[Scottsdale]

The short answer - yes. The long answer - absolutely positively without a doubt, YES!

I think RAM helps most people and keeps your Mac running fast.

At the same time, the absolute best way to speed up your Mac if you don't use very many or intensive apps is to upgrade the drive to SSD.

But the RAM is a cheap upgrade for $48 to make it run smoother as you will probably not use more than 4 GB whereas using 2 GB is easy.

Good luck.

 

[Pokernut]

I'll be in the same boat as OP when I purchase a Macbook very soon.

My concern is that I have absolutely no idea how to do something like that. I know there are instructions all over the forums, but I have never opened or even seen an inside of a computer. I pretty much know how to press the power button.

Is it expensive to pay someone to upgrade it for me?

 

[mx7]

The short answer - yes. The long answer - absolutely positively without a doubt, YES!

I think RAM helps most people and keeps your Mac running fast.

At the same time, the absolute best way to speed up your Mac if you don't use very many or intensive apps is to upgrade the drive to SSD.

But the RAM is a cheap upgrade for $48 to make it run smoother as you will probably not use more than 4 GB whereas using 2 GB is easy.

Good luck.

What are the benefits of SSDs over conventional HDDs for normal usage?

 

[miles01110]

What are the benefits of SSDs over conventional HDDs for normal usage?

Mechanical reliability due to lack of moving parts.

 

[NRose8989]

What are the benefits of SSDs over conventional HDDs for normal usage?

Also small reads and writes will be significantly faster i.e. faster boot time, apps loading faster.

I haven't really brushed up on my SSD benchmarks but I'm pretty sure the only read key advantage to having a HDD over a SSD is if your doing long sustained reads/writes to the drive i.e. video editing, and the only SSD that could compare to say a RAID setup of HDD's is the Intel X-25 series of SSD's but those come at a extremely high price/space ratio.

 

[pb1300]

Anyone know of any websites with SSD drives for a price that doesnt affect the heart? I checked on ebay, and for a 256gb drive, its $800. Ill stick to what I have now until the price drops.

 

[MacDawg]

Thanks for the replies. What do you mean by paging out a lot?

You will find a good explanation about "page outs" here

You can find your "page outs" by going using the Activity Monitor found in your Utilities Folder (use the System Memory tab).

Woof, Woof - Dawg

 

[windowpain]

I'll be in the same boat as OP when I purchase a Macbook very soon.

My concern is that I have absolutely no idea how to do something like that. I know there are instructions all over the forums, but I have never opened or even seen an inside of a computer. I pretty much know how to press the power button.

Is it expensive to pay someone to upgrade it for me?

Please don't pay someone to do it for you. it really isn't difficult, and there is very little that can go wrong.
If you are 'very' unsure about doing it yourself, give these instructions to someone and ask them to do it for you. It should take 10 mins absolute tops. (and thats if you have a cup of tea half way through.)

 

[mx7]

Thanks everyone for your great input. I'll be upgrading my RAM soon. Will wait untill SSD becomes cheaper.