Will I see a huge difference in... (noobie question)

[Ravaged]

... upgrading from 512mb of ram to 1GB of ram? Currently my computer chugs on occasional things and it doesn't run as fast as I'd want it to. I'm on an iBook G4 1.33, and it's a great computer. I actually tried installing two different types of ram, and neither of them worked leading me to believe that the slot is actually broken.

Anywho, is there a big difference when upgrading from 512mb to 1GB in terms of web surfing, open multiple programs at a time, and gaming ect...? Thanks in advance.

 

[DJTJ]

512 to 1 gig will make u feel like you purchased a brand new computer. 1 to 1.5 will feel fairly good too. 1.5 to 2, you won't notice much

 

[Demon Hunter]

1GB is mind-blowing.

Are you sure you installed it correctly? RAM can be tricky. You need to press fairly hard to snap it in place.

 

[MUCKYFINGERS]

it will feel like a blast

 

[Ravaged]

Yea I'm pretty sure I installed both correctly. One time the computer just didn't start up, and the second time it failed to recognize the ram. Another problem is that the thing that holds the ram seems to be bent. The frame, not the actual pins where you insert the ram but, the metal brackets. I really need to head over to an Apple store to get it checked out.

 

[Demon Hunter]

Yea I'm pretty sure I installed both correctly. One time the computer just didn't start up, and the second time it failed to recognize the ram. Another problem is that the thing that holds the ram seems to be bent. The frame, not the actual pins where you insert the ram but, the metal brackets. I really need to head over to an Apple store to get it checked out.

Yeah I think you do. It could be mechanical, or maybe just bad RAM.

 

[EEcuber17]

So I've had my iBook G4 12" for almost a year now - bought them right when they updated last August.

I have it with the standard 512 ram stock.

I'm noticing some slow down and I'm ready to upgrade the ram. I'm headed to college in the fall and I'd like it to be quick and responsive.

Do I just buy a 512 and bump it up to 1GB, or should I take the leap and buy a 1Gb? Will I notice a difference between 1Gb and 1.5GB?

 

[IJ Reilly]

I'm noticing some slow down and I'm ready to upgrade the ram. I'm headed to college in the fall and I'd like it to be quick and responsive.

Whenever you detect a decrease in performance over what you normally expect, you should check for possible causes, before throwing money at the problem. I can tell you before this discussion goes any further that this will be a minority view. Nearly everyone else will be encouraging you to spend money before you even know whether anything is wrong with your Mac. Having heard both sides, you can decide which course of action is the more logical one.

 

[EEcuber17]

Whenever you detect a decrease in performance over what you normally expect, you should check for possible causes, before throwing money at the problem. I can tell you before this discussion goes any further that this will be a minority view. Nearly everyone else will be encouraging you to spend money before you even know whether anything is wrong with your Mac. Having heard both sides, you can decide which course of action is the more logical one.

Oh..well it's not much of a dip in performance, I just figured since I've gotten so much music and photos. I had heard that installing some extra ram would help out the system.

I guess just wondering if I'd see much a diff between 1GB and 1.5GB - if it's worth the $75 more bucks.

 

[designed]

You can always check the amount of RAM recognized by the system by selecting "About this Mac" from the Apple-menu in the top bar thingie.

I tried my iMac with 512MB first. The experience was best described "fluey" or "unwilling". The iMac did what I asked from it but wasn't really quick or "enthustiastic" about it. Then I installed my 1GB additional memory (bringing me to 1,5GB) and it started being a different machine. It's like comparing Monday morning to Friday afternoon.

 

[vtprinz]

I just upped my 1.42GHz ibook from 768MB to 1.5GB. So far I haven't honestly noticed the "huge" difference, but the difference is noticeable, at least with multitasking. It doesn't hang it I try to open Safari while working in Photoshop, for example. Doesn't seem to be faster, just able to do more at a time.