should i upgrade memory?

Question

Level 1

84 points

should i upgrade memory?

I have an ibook g4 12 inch 1.33ghz with built in 512mb.

I use garageband to its fullest extents and frequently i get messages saying that my processor can't perform the tasks i need it to.

If i upgrade with 1gb and max my ibook out, will it really make my computer perform better or is my processor just not strong enough? Is 1gb overshooting what my processor can even do?

If I do upgrade, where should I get it from. I have used applecare on my computer several times and if 3rd party ram messes it up, i dont want it to be refused repair. however, i can't afford apple's RAM at 300 dollars. What is the best value?

Thanks,
Tim

iBook G4, Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Posted on Jul 23, 2006 9:50 PM

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Answer 1

Duane

Level 10

124,293 points

Jul 24, 2006 12:23 PM in response to Suraci

Your iBook will accept a 1 GB SO-DIMM to give you a maximum RAM of 1.5 GB.

RamSeeker.com and DealRam.com list the current RAM prices from Mac knowledgeable vendors with lifetime warranties.

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Answer 2

senhaku

Level 1

5 points

Jul 25, 2006 2:17 AM in response to Suraci

My 12" iBook G4 has 512MB. I find the performance a little sluggish when sizing the application window, scrolling and launching apps.

So I ran a few apps (like safari, itunes, finder) and used the activity monitor to check the RAM, which revealed there's still 50+ MB available. So I question my initial thought of upgrading my RAM. Will it REALLY help? Perhaps there's some other areas that I should look into?

iBook G4 12"

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Answer 3

PB PM

Level 4

2,480 points

Aug 2, 2006 12:58 AM in response to senhaku

Yes, adding more RAM will help a great deal. OSX likes to use around 512MB RAM itself at times, so its always good to have at least 768, if not 1GB even for basic multi-tasking. I'm planning on upgrading to 1.5GBs (max amount) soon myself as I find 768MB very restricting and my machine often bogs down just running Safari, which since 10.4.7 has turned into a massive RAM hog, using as much a 612MBs on its own at times!

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