Upgrading RAM

im looking to upgrade my RAM for my MacBook Pro Core i5 13" Early 2011, and not sure if i should go with 8GB or 16GB.

i play a lot of gaming, Diablo 3, Starcraft, and also am going to start making music with garageband, and then switch over to a more expensive software once i learn piano and start making beats.

so my question is i'm not sure if there is a major difference between 8GB speeds, to 16GB speeds, i can get 8GB of ram for $41 at best buy.

another question i have is where is the best place to get RAM for cheap. i'm new to upgrading ram, so any help would be nice.

and on another note,

I want to upgrade to Mountain Lion, i just bought it but after buying it ive read theres battery problems and speed problems, such as apps freezing.

Thanks.

Your machine uses:

2 - 204-pin PC-10600 (1333 MHz) DDR3 SO-DIMM

The important thing is to buy the correct memory. According to Mactracker you can install 16 GB (2 x 8 GB modules). We recommend buying memory from either Other World Computing or Crucial.

As long as you can afford to purchase 16 GB, go ahead and max it out. Other World Computing has the 16 GB kits for $157.99. LINK I buy all my memory from them.

ryanskeltis said:

so my question is i'm not sure if there is a major difference between 8GB speeds, to 16GB speeds, i can get 8GB of ram for $41 at best buy.

Click to expand...

You probably won't see any speed differences between 8 & 16gig. More ram does not necessarily mean more speed. If applications you work with are getting enough ram...then it doesn't matter if you have 4gig, 8gig, 16gig, 32gig, etc. of ram. If you have more ram than the applications you work with need...you will just have more free ram.

ryanskeltis said:

...another question i have is where is the best place to get RAM for cheap. i'm new to upgrading ram, so any help would be nice.

Click to expand...

If you can get 8gig of ram for $41 at Best Buy...how much cheaper do you need it to be. That's a pretty good price (assuming it will work with a Mac laptop)!

ryanskeltis said:

I want to upgrade to Mountain Lion, i just bought it but after buying it ive read theres battery problems and speed problems, such as apps freezing.

Click to expand...

Since Mountain Lion was released...Mac-Forums has gotten a "bazillion" posts for Mountain Lion...and I haven't heard folks having those sorts of problems. For every person with a problem (real or not)...there are thousands with no problems!

- Nick

Agreed with Charlie, if you can afford 16GB, get it! It's can't hurt. Agree on OWC or Crucial also.

Same here...if you can afford 16gig...get it. But it certainly is going to cost more than that $41 for 8gig from Best Buy!

- Nick

And as Nick pointed out.... "If" the memory is for a Mac. Best Buy sells memory Primarily for PCs even though they're an official Apple reseller, so be careful about what you buy.

Why not from Newegg?

The RAM you get from OWC is Guaranteed to run in that exact Mac Model. Does NewEgg do that? I already know the answer btw!

ryanskeltis said:

Why not from Newegg?

Click to expand...

The ram from Newegg may work fine...but if it doesn't...then you'll have the hassle of returning it...and then reordering from another place...then waiting for the 2nd set of ram to get to you.

As already suggested by "chscag" and "dtravis7"...OWC or Crucial are two suppliers we usually recommend. Not because they necessarily have the lowest prices...but because their ram will work the first time, lifetime guarantee, easy return policy, and decent shipping costs.

You can get the Best Buy ram...and maybe it will work...and at $41 it may be the cheapest. If it doesn't work...then you will have to return it (which may also require return shipping as well...$$$)...if you're getting it from Bestbuy.com.

- Nick

Best Buy sells PNY memory. I upgraded a Mini for a friend that insisted on purchasing the RAM from Best Buy. I went through 2 different sets of RAM that was supposed to function on the Mini. One set was DOA out of the package and the other set lasted 2 days before throwing out kernal panics. I returned the last set, installed the original and ordered a set from Crucial. Installed and his Mini has been flawlessly ever since. I use OWC for all of MY machines.

Bill

OWC is great. I bought RAM for my Mini, then discovered it was not going to matter AFA Mountain Lion IC. I returned it (unopened) for a full refund, no questions asked.