Will my 2009 MacBook run faster if I upgrade to 4GB ram?

You will note a better performance in general and in everything, but the main problem with your computer is that the graphic card it has got doesn't work properly with games, so I would assume that it's normal that you see lag in games.

However, I highly recommend you to install 4 GB of memory in your Mac. You can buy the memory in OWC or Crucial (Crucial is cheaper and offers the same compatibility warranty as OWC). If you have a 2009 MacBook, you can install up to 6 GB of memory

Apple says that your Mac supports only 4 GB, but the truth is that it supports 6 GB without any problem. You can install 6 GB if you want, without worrying about problems with the Mac, because it has been tested

Mende1, there is a lot more to going beyond Apple Specs than meets the eye. I would only upgrade beyond Apple's specs, if I was using a known high quality vendor who has tested it, and not just any generic RAM that appears to follow Apple's specs. See my FAQ* on why:

http://www.macmaps.com/badram.html

Thanks for sharing that site. Personally, all people who I told them that their Macs supported more RAM that what Apple says hadn't got any problem using that amount of memory on them. Maybe a defective module, but it's fixed easily

Maybe so, but there is a lot of bad RAM out there, as well as RAM that claims it is to spec that never has been tested on the Mac models and vintage Macs in question that supposedly support them. These are the ones where boot errors, hardware test unable to diagnose errors, and errors that simply cause memory hungry programs to quit on their own. And not everyone is near a post office or someplace to mail back RAM easily. Given the impossibility of testing all RAM for 100% health, that's why I alert people to the issues that you could face.

6 is better if you can get RAM that is known tested for your vintage Mac model by a reputable vendor, except for Kingston's ValueRAM. 4 is better otherwise, you run into less likelihood of having errors with RAM. As for your game compatibility, you will have to double check the GPU specs are the recommended,not just the minimum. You can't change the GPU of your Mac notebook.

Sorry for not replying. Your Mac will work fine, but you may have problems if you install the incorrect memory for your computer. Apart from that, you shouldn't have any problem.

Normally, we recommend to buy the memory in OWC or Crucial, as I told you above, because they guarantee the compatibility with Macs, but you can also try to buy the memory in Best Buy

I'm not too big a fan of Best Buy, as they frequently carry RAM that is not lifetime warranty from the manufactuerr, or the ValueRAM which tends to not be as good quality. If you you can get RAM from a reputable vendor at Best Buy with their reputable product that is actually rated for your vintage and model Mac, then great. Sometimes they do carry reputable brands. See my FAQ* again for a listing of them and their websites:

http://www.macmaps.com/badram.html

Crucial and OWC I agree are among the best.

It would help to know which one of the 9 different models of MacBook you have. To see which model you have go to the Apple in the upper left corner and select About This Mac, then click on More Info (and then System Report if you’re running 10.7 Lion or 10.8 Mountain Lion). When System Profiler comes up check the Model Identifier and post it back here.

There's no such video card as an Intel 3000. The 2008 MacBooks had an Intel 3100. All the 2009s had a Geforce video card. And no 2.24Ghz MacBooks.