Memory upgrade - 1GB or 1.5? (Dual channel question)

Hi all.

I've got a new macbook pro 2.0ghz with 512 mb of RAM and I need to upgrade the RAM. I tend to run several browser tabs, productivity software (word or excel mainly), and an image editor at the same time. With 512 I'm running out of RAM very quickly.

I'd like to put a 1GB chip (from crucial.com) in to boost the RAM to 1.5GB but I realised that this will stop the RAM from working in dual channel mode. To get dual channel I have to put in a matched 512 MB stick.

My question is this - will I really notice the difference by losing out on dual channel? I'd buy two 1 GB sticks but can't justify it at the moment.

Any thoughts gratefully received. :dummy:

wouldn't know, but you can get actual Apple "approved" RAM here (http://store.powerlinememory.com/mb1024667200.html) for 26$ less
(at least when comparing the 1 gigs). just throwing that out there....

ShillAT said:

actual Apple manufactured RAM

Click to expand...

Apple doesn't make RAM.

You won't lose much by going to single channel over dual, if you actually need the extra memory it will easily make up for the very very slight speed difference(which I don't think you would even notice outside of benchmarks).

1.5GB? Why not just do 1Gb ot 2GB? For around $220 I purchased 2X1GB transcend memory that has been working out pretty well in the MBP. I got it from Memory X . com. Also for dual channel memory to work you'll need two of the exact same size memory modules, so I don't know how 1.5GB would work out unless there are 756MB modules avail - last I checked there was not any avail. As mentioned before single or dual doesn't matter, but why not just take full advantage to dual channel. Eitherway 2x1GB or 2x512MB of memory works the best.

whoops! fixed that

Thanks for all the replies.

jaynorris said:

1.5GB? Why not just do 1Gb ot 2GB?

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Cost reasons, really. 1GB is about UKP 100. 2x 1GB is twice that. My MBP currently has 1x 512MB Dimm installed and one slot free.

so I don't know how 1.5GB would work out unless there are 756MB modules avail

Click to expand...

See above.

- last I checked there was not any avail. As mentioned before single or dual doesn't matter, but why not just take full advantage to dual channel. Eitherway 2x1GB or 2x512MB of memory works the best.

Click to expand...

But would you really notice the dual-channel benefit if you're not doing serious video-editing etc is what I wonder...

in the long term buying either one 1gig stick now or two 1 gig sticks now is going to be better for you. you will want to be upwards of 2 gigs at some point once you start playing around with images.

my suggestion would be to buy one 1 gig stick now, and then later purchase the other 1 gig stick. this way you dont have to buy one 512 stick one 1 gig stick and another 1 gig stick, you only have to buy 2 sticks which is going to save you money
-chris

Cheers, think that's what I'll do. Anyone have any recommendations other than Crucial in the UK? They're good but possibly not the cheapest?

so adding 1gig on the 512 to make it 1.5gigs. will still work fine?

or
Should I add a 512 to make it even?

Yeah. On the macbook pro duel channel is not going to speed you up very much at all. Not nearly as much as the extra 512 would. Duel channel is really only necissary in computers like the macbook because i think the RAM can only communicate with the processor or the video chipset. If you have duel channel it works a lot better.

i did the I would do the 1.5gb. But then again, I just added an extra 512 and never run out of memory