Is RAM upgrade worth it for me

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Level 1

6 points

Is RAM upgrade worth it for me

Hi Guys, Im running a late 2009 imac 27inch i5 with 4GB pre installed. Was mulling over the idea of pushing this up to 12GB form crucial as it's so cheap. I was just wondering if I would notice a speed difference on the basic apps on the computer such as start up and shut down, safari, word, ical, mail etc. I am not a heavy user, but would like a general increase in speed on the core programs. Would this upgrade help or would it be a waste of money. Or if anyone can give me a link to some speed results using different amounts of memory for the imac using real applications I would be grateful..Thanks.

iMac Intel i5 Quad Core, Mac OS X (10.6.7)

Posted on Apr 1, 2011 2:12 AM

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Answer 1

Apr 1, 2011 3:03 AM in response to Babangida0

Hello B:

The answer to your question is that benchmarking your applications (and how you run them) is probably the only way to get a definitive answer.

More memory is usually happiness, but, based on your information, I seriously doubt if you would be able to discern a difference in performance.

As an aside, adding third-party anything sometimes causes problems….

Barry

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Answer 2

Babangida0 Author

Level 1

6 points

Apr 1, 2011 8:01 AM in response to Barry Hemphill

Ok Thanks, Barry. I guess I need to find a link if someone has already tested this. Are you saying that a 8GB increase will not speed up any of the core apps and that it is risky for my computer..

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Answer 3

Apr 1, 2011 8:09 AM in response to Babangida0

Hello again:

What I was trying to say (poorly, I think) was that increasing your memory from its current 4 GB to a higher number would not appreciably (or noticeably) increase speed (based on what you posted about your usage).

I am a "plain vanilla" kind of person, so I view any modifications made by other than the manufacturer with suspicion. I would not say, however, that you would do something risky by adding memory.

Barry

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Answer 4

babowa

Level 9

78,097 points

Apr 1, 2011 10:41 AM in response to Babangida0

It wouldn't be risky to add more RAM; however, you need to think about whether the expense is worth the result. Doing things such as video editing/rendering, downloading/playing videos and gaming are the heavy CPU and RAM users - basics such as surfing the net, email, and word processing are not. Open Activity Monitor (in Applications > Utilities) and check your RAM usage and how much is free - leave that window open while doing your regular stuff. See how much is being used at any time and you'll better be able to make a decision.

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Answer 5

Apr 1, 2011 4:24 PM in response to Babangida0

It might be best to read this support article to help you make your decision.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1342

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