Macbook Slower After RAM Upgrade

Joined
Dec 3, 2006
Messages
30
Reaction score
3
Points
8
I just added 1 Gig of Crucial to my Macbook making it 1.5 Gigs (I had two 512 sticks in before). After the upgrade, my Macbook has been starting up really slow now. Anyone have this problem, or know how to fix it. I have a Core 2 Duo 2 Ghz.
 
Joined
Apr 8, 2007
Messages
35
Reaction score
0
Points
6
hmmm

im no pro , but i may as well try and help, have you checked that both the memory units are actually being read by the machine ?? or this may be because it can go slower if both the memory units arent equal hope someone can elaborate on this,
 

pod


Joined
Dec 12, 2004
Messages
235
Reaction score
6
Points
18
Take out the new stick and see if it restarts quicker... if it does, there's your problem...
 
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
Points
1
I have always been weary of buying RAM at a discounted rate from a 3rd party supplier.

I am hoping to upgrade my Macbook to 2Gb of RAM, but i figured it would be better to shell out the extra cost through Apple instead of the risk of Dead RAM, or even worse destroying your warranty and computer.

I may be wrong, but it seems that you might dead RAM. Going through sites that have really really cheap RAM makes me nervous. I am sure most of the time you will be satisfied with your purchase, but the other times it can really suck. And im sure I am able to install the memory myself, but I would much rather hold Apple financially liable for my computer
 
Joined
Jan 12, 2007
Messages
69
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Your Mac's Specs
White Macbook 2.0 ghz
The problem is, the Macbook runs better with two identical rams. By having two different sized rams, it actually slows down the computer slightly. I would recomend purchassing two same sized sticks of ram.
 
OP
1
Joined
Dec 3, 2006
Messages
30
Reaction score
3
Points
8
The computer recognizes 1.5 Gigs, so I'm guessing the ram works just fine, I guess I'll try to take one out and see how it goes.
 
Joined
Dec 3, 2006
Messages
9,383
Reaction score
417
Points
83
Location
Irvine, CA
Your Mac's Specs
Black Macbook C2D 2GHz 3GB RAM 250GB HD iPhone 4 iPad 3G
I have always been weary of buying RAM at a discounted rate from a 3rd party supplier.

I am hoping to upgrade my Macbook to 2Gb of RAM, but i figured it would be better to shell out the extra cost through Apple instead of the risk of Dead RAM, or even worse destroying your warranty and computer.

I may be wrong, but it seems that you might dead RAM. Going through sites that have really really cheap RAM makes me nervous. I am sure most of the time you will be satisfied with your purchase, but the other times it can really suck. And im sure I am able to install the memory myself, but I would much rather hold Apple financially liable for my computer

That sort of thinking is so backwards to me. :Confused:

You think Apple sells you higher quality RAM than a third-party vendor does? Just in case you can't figure it out, the answer is NO. Apple sells the same stuff that everybody else does. There's no specific brand Apple sticks with. The only thing that the various types of RAM have in common is the ridiculous price Apple slaps on.

You can get a 2x1GB set for literally a fraction of the price of what Apple offers. And to be honest, the cheaper set will actually be BETTER than what Apple sells.

Upgrading your RAM doesn't void your warranty. Buying from a reputable third-party vendor won't destroy your computer. You don't have to feel like you're getting shoddy hardware from a third-party vendor. In fact, places like Newegg have amazing return/exchange policies, better than Apple actually.

It's people like you who have this weird aversion to third-party vendors that companies like Apple are allowed to add ridiculous markups. But I guess you think the $260 extra you'll be paying Apple is just "insurance"....
 
Joined
Sep 12, 2006
Messages
1,224
Reaction score
62
Points
48
Location
Twin Cities, MN
Your Mac's Specs
Macbook 2.0ghz coeduo 1GB RAM 80 GB HD SuperDrive
basically everything kash said i agree with.

is this the crucial RAM that has that mail-in rebate that was posted here recently?
 

bobtomay

,
Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
26,561
Reaction score
677
Points
113
Location
Texas, where else?
Your Mac's Specs
15" MBP '06 2.33 C2D 4GB 10.7; 13" MBA '14 1.8 i7 8GB 10.11; 21" iMac '13 2.9 i5 8GB 10.11; 6S
What Kash said.
The only way to know what RAM you are getting is to either buy direct from the manufacturer or a dealer like newegg.
And over and above that, this Ram purchased from the 3rd party supplier is from one of the top manufacturers of RAM. On the other hand, buy from Apple and you have no idea which company actually manufactured the RAM, nor will you have available to you the specs of the RAM you are getting.

The one rule I personally have for purchasing RAM - the manufacturer and the specs must be identified, including voltage requirements and particularly the timing. If the distributor is not willing to post this info, then they are purchasing RAM from whomever has it the for the cheapest price at any given point in time. There "IS" a reason for a seller not disclosing this info.
 
Joined
Apr 17, 2007
Messages
71
Reaction score
1
Points
8
Location
CA
Your Mac's Specs
2 GHz C2D MacBook 2GB RAM 80GB HD
I think you should get 2 of the same speed/size sticks
 
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
Points
1
I guess I was misinformed about the voiding of the warranty by unscrewing the memory plate casing. My bad. I was under the impression that if you did try and install memory manually and you were to damage your computer that you would be liable.


I was curious about this and asked a Apple Sale's Consultant in the store and he said that opening the case would void your warranty and it is possible that buying RAM from a a 3rd party could possibly be dead or ruin your computer. Maybe it was all a sales pitch to buy their products, you are probably right.

Do you have to ground yourself when installing RAM? I have seen the video tutorial and it looks fairly simple, but I am just curious about what prep or any steps prior to opening the casing you should take so you do not short out your computer. I am guessing step one is turn off the computer..ha

Thanks for the help and comment Kash! Thanks for setting me straight, Appreciate it!
 
Joined
Dec 3, 2006
Messages
9,383
Reaction score
417
Points
83
Location
Irvine, CA
Your Mac's Specs
Black Macbook C2D 2GHz 3GB RAM 250GB HD iPhone 4 iPad 3G
Upgrading RAM is very simple. Just make sure you're not wearing any socks or clothes that create a lot of static (i.e. wool sweaters). Be sure to do the work on a non-carpeted floor, or at least cover the carpet with something non-conductive (I use the plastic thing that sits under my chair). To ground yourself, just touch anything metal.

Then open up the RAM slot, pull out the old RAM, slide in the new, and you're set.

It may sound like a bit of work, but it's not that bad. Though I guess years of experience helps a bit ;P
 
Joined
Apr 18, 2007
Messages
30
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook - Intel Duo 2
Upgrading RAM is very simple. Just make sure you're not wearing any socks or clothes that create a lot of static (i.e. wool sweaters). Be sure to do the work on a non-carpeted floor, or at least cover the carpet with something non-conductive (I use the plastic thing that sits under my chair). To ground yourself, just touch anything metal.

Then open up the RAM slot, pull out the old RAM, slide in the new, and you're set.

It may sound like a bit of work, but it's not that bad. Though I guess years of experience helps a bit ;P

Kash, you seem to be pretty adamant about 3rd party hardware...Any recommendations on RAM vendors? Looking to upgrade my MacBook to 1 GB, currently at 512mb.
 
Joined
Apr 17, 2007
Messages
71
Reaction score
1
Points
8
Location
CA
Your Mac's Specs
2 GHz C2D MacBook 2GB RAM 80GB HD
You might as well go for 2GB of ram (2x1GB sticks) since they are rediculously cheap now. Kingston, Crucial are two decent and reliable brands. Newegg.com sells other brands as well for a few bucks less. I went with the Kingstons, only because the price difference between all of them was only about $10.
 
Joined
Dec 3, 2006
Messages
9,383
Reaction score
417
Points
83
Location
Irvine, CA
Your Mac's Specs
Black Macbook C2D 2GHz 3GB RAM 250GB HD iPhone 4 iPad 3G
buttuh is right, 2GB is VERY cheap. Take a look at this one I've been recommending (and bought for myself):

G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) = $79.99

But if you only want 1GB, then I would suggest getting a single 1GB stick so that if the need arises to upgrade to 2GB, all you would have to do is pop in another stick. Here are two good sticks:

Kingston 1GB
G.SKILL 1GB
 
Joined
Apr 18, 2007
Messages
30
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook - Intel Duo 2
I couldn't be patient and wait for responses so I bought 1 gig of mushkin....Any feedback?
 
Joined
Jun 11, 2006
Messages
165
Reaction score
7
Points
18
Location
California
Your Mac's Specs
2.2GHz Intel Core Duo processor, 120GB hard drive, 2GB RAM, 15" widescreen... pretty basic.
What is the benefit of having 2GB if I typically have Firefox, MSN Messenger, iTunes, and CoreDuoTemp running at the same time? Sometimes I'll also have word and excel open for work/school. Will it make my hard drive work less? Lower the processor temp as a result?

Thanks.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top