Serious macbook memory problem

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ok got a question for all of you. Just wondering where I can get some memory thats affordable for a 2006/2007 macbook. I am using 512 mb per slot. so =1gb but not enough. It has the spinning wheel alot when im on safari and skype. and It won't let me install like a stuffit rar extraction program because I think of memory use. So just wondering where I can get some. Also wondering if it's low memory the cause of the issues when it comes to the spinning wheel. Let me know and thanks!
 

pigoo3

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The price of ram is the price of ram…there really aren't cheap/affordable alternatives. Either of these two places are good places (good prices)…and you're guaranteed that it will work:

- OWC
- Crucial

As far as the spinning wheel issues…more ram will definitely help.:) But even with a ram upgrade...you still have to do some periodic things to keep things running smoothly (check out the links in my signature).

HTH,

- Nick
 
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I saw the links in signature. Pretty helpful :) if i restart computer, the computer will start going faster? is that true. I had macbook previous had two 512 mb ram =1gb and it was going fast! but with this macbook i got. i have the same amount but its going slow. I believe last macbook was 2007, 2006 macbook, not sure but it was running fast. If I upgrade to 2gb memory from 1gb will it be able to run itunes, photoshop, safari? or do I need 4gb ram. Its frustrating because I can really only do 1 thing at a time.
 

pigoo3

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if i restart computer, the computer will start going faster? is that true.

Without going into a long explanation…yes…it should help with the "spinning beach ball's". But the less ram you have…the faster the spinning beach balls will return. AND…the less installed ram you have…the better it is to open only essential applications (don't have too many apps. open at one time). So the more ram you have the better.

I had macbook previous had two 512 mb ram =1gb and it was going fast! but with this macbook i got. i have the same amount but its going slow.

This may be true…but it depends on how each computer was being used:

- Running the same OS version
- Running the exact sam app versions
- Same number of apps open at the same time
- etc. etc.

This is only a valid comparison if both computers were doing exactly the same thing when comparing how fast each computer was. Also…these two MacBook would certainly have had different specifications (different cpu types, different cpu speeds, different graphics hardware, etc.). There's much more to comparing two computers than just the amount of installed ram.

If I upgrade to 2gb memory from 1gb will it be able to run itunes, photoshop, safari? or do I need 4gb ram. Its frustrating because I can really only do 1 thing at a time.

We would need to know exactly what model MacBook we are talking about. If it's a 2006/2007 MacBook…we could be talking a max. of 2gig of ram to 4gig of ram (depending on the model).

- Nick
 
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chas_m

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Also, how full your hard drive is plays a MAJOR role in how well the computer will operate.
 
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It's a 2006 / 2007 macbook. and altogether using 1gb which isn't good enough. I just don't understand why my last macbook which was 2007 i think is much faster but using same memory hard drive space. I didn't think there was big difference between these two years. im sorta a newb as u can tell. So 2 gb and 4gb is good for a 2006 macbook? ddr2 or ddr3 do i look for? let me know and sorry for all weird questions! thanks guys. and thanks nick. I just want my safari open and video streaming to be normal and able to use photoshop and stuff.
 
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chas_m

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The real problem here is that you are using a really old computer. Technology on the web and in modern programs has progressed to demand more resources than that computer has. This could be why it seemed very fast in 2007 and not so much five years later.

Thanks for mentioning that you have 150GB free but I'm not sure I see how that could be, your OS version and applications should be taking up considerably more than 10GB, and that's before we even get into things like "your stuff."

I also am not quite clear on why you didn't use the links provided above to look up exactly what model you have, and thus determine how much RAM your machine can hold. If it's anything like my 2007 BlackBook, the answer is 3GB max.

In any event, I would say that getting more RAM will certainly help, but its a band-aid. What you really need is a newer machine.
 

pigoo3

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It's a 2006 / 2007 macbook.

Sorry…but this really isn't enough info to properly identify your current MacBook model…or the previous MacBook model you are comparing things to. There were only about 12 different MacBook models released in the 2006/2007 timeframe (including color differences).

I just don't understand why my last macbook which was 2007 i think is much faster but using same memory hard drive space.

Like I mentioned above…depending on what two MacBook models you had/have (previous & current)…there can be differences in:

- cpu speed
- cpu design (core duo or core 2 duo)
- graphics hardware
- logic board architecture (this can sometimes make a considerable difference)

When comparing two different MacBook models…it's not just about the amount of ram & size of the hard drive that makes the differences in performance.

- Nick
 
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The real problem here is that you are using a really old computer. Technology on the web and in modern programs has progressed to demand more resources than that computer has. This could be why it seemed very fast in 2007 and not so much five years later.

So true. My 2005 Dell would often crash and burn while opening an ordinary website, today. Example, Sony USA - Consumer Electronics Products, Movies, Music, Games and Services would not open with it or would take an inordinate amount of time.
It was otherwise a good basic computer, but not able to handle today's Internet demands.
 

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