Worth it to upgrade the RAM in my 24" iMac?

[PostHate]

Hey guys, I have a 24" iMac that I bought about 3.5 years ago. The specs are as follows:

2.66 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo
4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3
NVIDIA GeForce 9400 256 MB
I installed Lion on it.

Would it be worth it to upgrade the RAM to 8 GB? since it currently has 2 X 2 GB modules in it, I would have to basically throw those out and purchase 2 new 4 GB modules.

I'm wondering if it's even worth it to spend the money, or should I just save the money for a new computer sometime in the near future?

I just don't want to throw money away on something that will be old and outdated soon.

 

[FTRDRMZ]

imac (Early 2009) Memory specifications

The maximum amount of RAM you can install in the computer is 8 GB (a 4 GB SO-DIMM in each slot).

I'd say go for it. 8GB is pretty awesome, and isn't super expensive.
Kingston 2x4GB Mac RAM, $38

But just to make sure, your iMac is an early 2009 model, right?
How to identify your iMac

 

[PostHate]

Yes, mine is an "Early 2009".

Wow, I didn't realize that the RAM would be so cheap. $38 is a pretty good deal!

 

[FTRDRMZ]

yeah the price of ram has gone down a lot.

Surprisingly, the officially recommended ram is only $12 more
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/8566DDR3S8GP/

But a 92% 5/5 rating is pretty good, and the Kingston seems to have free shipping.

 

[PostHate]

Yup, I ordered the Kingston with free shipping (had to pay tax, tho).

It's a cheap upgrade, but hopefully it wil be worth it

 

[PostHate]

Is there anything that I should do after I install the new RAM?

I read somewhere about "resetting PRAM", what is that and should I do it?

 

[Dark Void]

Just install it and make sure it is seated properly and turn on the computer. It will work fine if seated properly. Nothing else is necessary.

 

[Bargle]

Why not check to see that you're actually getting page outs with the ram you got before upgrading? Yes, 38 bucks is cheap, but if it literally does nothing, is that price even worth it?

 

[PostHate]

Why not check to see that you're actually getting page outs with the ram you got before upgrading? Yes, 38 bucks is cheap, but if it literally does nothing, is that price even worth it?

That's the question I was originally asking.

How do I check this?

 

[flopticalcube]

Run Activity Monitor. If your Page ins are 10X or less of your Page outs, more RAM will help. Page in/outs are at the bottom of the main window.

 

[PostHate]

I just opened it and this is what it shows. Should I let it run for a while or do something specific on the computer in order to get a better measurement?

Thanks for the help.

 

[flopticalcube]

I just opened it and this is what it shows. Should I let it run for a while or do something specific on the computer in order to get a better measurement?

Thanks for the help.

View attachment 358517

Give it a day or so of normal usage.