Hey y'all, i got a 2006 macbook with 2.0ghz intel core 2 duo with 2GB ram, 160gb hd, and running snow leopard. Thinking of updatin her by either installing a 128gb ssd (i'm not using all 160gb on my current hd; i have an external drive where i store all my files) vs. a 4gb ram. The cost of the two is fairly close. On amazon, the 128gb ssds are approximately $70-80 for the samsung, transcend, kingston, or OCZ brands. And the 4gb ram (2 x2gb) is approximately $50-60, and the macbook is only going to utilize 3+ something gb out of the 4gb. Which of the upgrades would give me the best bang for the buck in terms of speed and performance? Or can i get away with buying both an SSD and just buying a 2gb ram for around $20 and just upgrade to 3gb ram (unmatched; 1x1gb (from factory), 1x2gb)? Thanks in advance!
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SSD vs 4GB ram upgrade for 2006 macbook
- Thread starter easyryder2oo4
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I did both the SSD and RAM upgrades on a 2010 Macbook and it totally transformed it
Turned the thing into a much more responsive computer.I also have a 2006 Macbook, the first-gen model like yours. It can't use the full 4GB RAM anyway so I think it's better to just go for the 2GB RAM upgrade. A decent SSD will completely transform it by greatly reducing load times. A cheaper SSD model would be good enough, I think this Macbook model only supports 1.5 Gbps SATA connections.
The RAM would probably help the most, but seeing as the MacBook can't utilize all of the 4GB, then a SSD would be the best option. The SSD will also make page-outs from lack of RAM less noticeable, being faster than a standard HDD.
Sounds like i'll be upgrading the macbook with a SSD! lol I was kind of leaning more towards that anyway since i can reuse the SSD later on if i want to transfer it to a new laptop. And on top of that, i can put the old hard drive in an enclosure device and use it as external hard drive. Sounds like a win-win situation! thanks for the replies!
thanks for the replies!
Sounds like i'll be upgrading the macbook with a SSD! lol I was kind of leaning more towards that anyway since i can reuse the SSD later on if i want to transfer it to a new laptop. And on top of that, i can put the old hard drive in an enclosure device and use it as external hard drive. Sounds like a win-win situation!
You could also reuse RAM in another laptop, although it's you'd be hard pressed to find a new laptop that doesn't already have 4GB+ RAM in it