10-05-2008, 11:47 PM

I know this topic has probably been discussed a lot. I have the latest Macbook Black with 2 gigs of memory. I am itching to buy 4 gigs but am not sure if it really is worth it. I am a student and do not really utilize all the memory unless running parallels (which can run slow if mac apps are open). Will i notice any difference with regular computer usage, or just heavy computer usage? I appreciate all input.

Thanks

10-05-2008, 11:52 PM

Honestly, if Parallels is the only memory-hungry application you are going to be running, then No. But if you do use it a lot, and the speed of it bothers you, then 4 gigs will do you well. The added RAM will help the speed of Parallels.

I personally think you should stick with the 2GB of RAM. It seems sufficient for your described usage. Your speed will be the same when you aren't use memory-demanding applications.

Just my $0.02

10-06-2008, 01:04 AM

Even if you have never "maxed out" on RAM, you can still benefit from the upgrade. The more RAM you have, the more Memory Manager will use. It follows that the greater the amount of data cached in RAM, the faster your computer will perform.

11-09-2008, 08:56 PM

Will upgrading to 4 gigs decrease my battery life in anyway?

11-10-2008, 01:06 AM

I haven't noticed anything different when I upgraded to 4GB, battery wise. >_>"

11-10-2008, 04:56 AM

I changed to a new macbook recently, mainly for the 4Gb RAM capability.

I run Parallels and VM Fusion with Vista, XP and 2000 - very pleased with the extra RAM

11-10-2008, 05:17 AM

Originally Posted by takadante

Honestly, if Parallels is the only memory-hungry application you are going to be running, then No. But if you do use it a lot, and the speed of it bothers you, then 4 gigs will do you well. The added RAM will help the speed of Parallels.

I personally think you should stick with the 2GB of RAM. It seems sufficient for your described usage. Your speed will be the same when you aren't use memory-demanding applications.

Just my $0.02

Actually, if you're using Parallels, that's more of a reason to upgrade to as much memory as you can afford or your machine can handle. An additional gig of memory can be the difference between a good virtualization experience and a great one.

Originally Posted by nwa122

Will upgrading to 4 gigs decrease my battery life in anyway?

It should theoretically increase battery life as the OS won't be accessing the hard drive as often for use as virtual memory.

11-11-2008, 12:31 AM

if you run any kind of virtualization software. the more the ram, the merrier.
even an extra 512mb will make your virtual os a much merrier experience

11-11-2008, 05:51 AM

i have 4GB of ram in my macbook

i constantly run VMWare Fusion (in which i use autocad or 3ds max), Photoshop, iTunes, Quicktime, Firefox, and a few other random applications at the same time and utilize the spaces and dock switching feature all the time

i very rarely have to wait for anything to load and have never worried about slow performance.

and when you can easily upgrade the memory for under $100 why not

11-11-2008, 02:01 PM

Originally Posted by .jb

i have 4GB of ram in my macbook

i constantly run VMWare Fusion (in which i use autocad or 3ds max), Photoshop, iTunes, Quicktime, Firefox, and a few other random applications at the same time and utilize the spaces and dock switching feature all the time

i very rarely have to wait for anything to load and have never worried about slow performance.

and when you can easily upgrade the memory for under $100 why not

under $100? is it even possible ha? I checked out the 4 GB upgrade part over at apple.com, it is like 300 bucks!!

11-11-2008, 10:22 PM

I don't know y u guys use Parallels, it's so slow and eats all the memory...

I used it for 2 days then I switched to VMware.... There is a HUGE difference between the two!

I then upgraded my MacBook from 1GB to 2 GB today, and dedicated 512MB for Windows XP under VMware. My MacBook works sooooooooooooo smoothly now!

I recommend that you try VMware... Besides, its "unity" is way better than Parallels's "coherence".


Khalid

11-11-2008, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by uglydimple12

under $100? is it even possible ha? I checked out the 4 GB upgrade part over at apple.com, it is like 300 bucks!!

First off you never buy RAM or get upgrades from Apple. They like to overcharge for stuff like that.

Upgrading RAM is so easy, you just need the right tools to do it yourself.

Here is a list of RAM that is under 100 dollars.

11-12-2008, 02:17 AM

i agree with khalid, i had parralells for a day and was like forget this
vmware is so seemless its crazy, and unity is a dream

uglydimple: crucial.com is the best place for memory
Computer memory upgrades for Apple MacBook 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (13-inch Black) MB063LL/B Laptop/Notebook from Crucial.com
$60 for 4GB

03-05-2009, 08:18 AM

i upgraded mine ram to 4 gigs last week. i got 4 gigs of crucial ram. its a good brand, and i got it for $40 on sale. i'm probably going to get blasted for this, but you don't have to but ram in that is "made for apple". its the same as regular ram sticks just with the apple logo and a higher price. and there is no need to pay $300 to the apple store for the upgrade when you can do it yourself. it has a easy to follow guide in your users manual. just watched for deals and you can get 4 gigs of ram for a good price

03-15-2009, 03:08 PM

Does it matter if you buy ram that says runs cooler on it? I am upgrading my MBP alum. to 4 gb instead of 2. Will any equiv. ram (found on ebay for $64) do or should i pay the $93 to get the ones that say performance engineered to run cooler? I don't want my MBP to run any HOTTER, hehe.