13" MBPro: benefit from doubling RAM?

acme · 04-14-2012, 10:45 AM

I have a 2010 13" Mac Book Pro with its stock 4GB of RAM. I'm wondering what benefits there are to doubling that amount?

clearly, handling more/larger files, more running apps, but would the machine get a performance boost from having more "elbow room?"

Looking at my free vs used totals, my free RAM I don't believe ever dips below 1700 MB or so...

thank you for any information about this!

a

jsalmi · 04-14-2012, 12:48 PM

Are you running out of memory while using the system? If not, then more ram won't help. If you are paging/swapping, then yes - more will help.

acme · 04-14-2012, 02:45 PM

Don't believe I've ever run out of memory in the sense of the machine throwing out a warning.

using menu meters, I have it set to display "Paging" but no clue what number indicates more ram needed..

thanks!

NaOH · 04-14-2012, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acme


	... I have [Menu Meters] set to display "Paging" but no clue what number indicates more ram needed..

DeltaMac has a good explanation of page-outs in a previous thread, and provided some helpful links.

anthlover · 04-15-2012, 01:05 AM

Have that made machine. Made that upgrade. Not much difference for regular use. The real question is what applications do you use. Photoshop? Aperture?, etc. If you did timing tests before and after those applications would benefit.

acme · 04-15-2012, 11:05 AM

mostly Illustrator, photoshop, some InDesign, iMovie and a little 3D...

anthlover · 04-15-2012, 02:47 PM

For those uses you would notice a difference. Going rate is around $50 for an 8GB kit. I linked to datamem.com, though there are plenty of places to but from. Newer machines take 16gb which would be a bigger difference.

http://www.datamemorysystems.com/_ap...2_Duo_1606.asp

acme · 04-15-2012, 02:52 PM

How do they compare in terms of reputability, to OWC?

anthlover · 04-15-2012, 03:33 PM

I use both. But for memory I Have used datamem for memory for about 15 years and they have always been amazing service wise. Back in the ancient days of I had an old mac laptop that ended up having a bad daughter card/cpu card. Thought it was the memory and they diligently swapped the ram for free many times until I realized what was really wrong.

04-14-2012, 10:45 AM	#1
acme MVP Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,683	13" MBPro: benefit from doubling RAM? I have a 2010 13" Mac Book Pro with its stock 4GB of RAM. I'm wondering what benefits there are to doubling that amount? clearly, handling more/larger files, more running apps, but would the machine get a performance boost from having more "elbow room?" Looking at my free vs used totals, my free RAM I don't believe ever dips below 1700 MB or so... thank you for any information about this! a

04-15-2012, 02:47 PM	#7
anthlover Hall of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 2,662	For that it would be worth it For those uses you would notice a difference. Going rate is around $50 for an 8GB kit. I linked to datamem.com, though there are plenty of places to but from. Newer machines take 16gb which would be a bigger difference. http://www.datamemorysystems.com/_ap...2_Duo_1606.asp

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04-14-2012, 12:48 PM	#2
jsalmi Triple-A Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Down by the river Posts: 190	Are you running out of memory while using the system? If not, then more ram won't help. If you are paging/swapping, then yes - more will help.

04-14-2012, 02:45 PM	#3
acme MVP Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,683	Don't believe I've ever run out of memory in the sense of the machine throwing out a warning. using menu meters, I have it set to display "Paging" but no clue what number indicates more ram needed.. thanks!

04-15-2012, 01:05 AM	#5
anthlover Hall of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 2,662	Have that made machine. Made that upgrade. Not much difference for regular use. The real question is what applications do you use. Photoshop? Aperture?, etc. If you did timing tests before and after those applications would benefit.

04-15-2012, 11:05 AM	#6
acme MVP Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,683	mostly Illustrator, photoshop, some InDesign, iMovie and a little 3D...

04-15-2012, 02:52 PM	#8
acme MVP Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,683	How do they compare in terms of reputability, to OWC?

04-15-2012, 03:33 PM	#9
anthlover Hall of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 2,662	I use both. But for memory I Have used datamem for memory for about 15 years and they have always been amazing service wise. Back in the ancient days of I had an old mac laptop that ended up having a bad daughter card/cpu card. Thought it was the memory and they diligently swapped the ram for free many times until I realized what was really wrong.