Early 2006 Core Duo Macbook...4GB worth it?

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pojut

Gawd
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Hey everyone. I have an early 2006 Core Duo Macbook that currently only has 1 GB of RAM. I'm looking to upgrade it. All I do with it is browse the internet and play the occasional game (Dungeons of Dredmor, Diablo II, etc.) Is it worth upgrading to a full 4 GB? I was thinking it would be a waste of money over upgrading to 2 GB, since the system is not powerful enough to run anything that would require that much RAM.

Thoughts? I can bump it up to 2 GB for about $22, while 4 GB will run around $45. Thanks!
 
4GB is definitely a minimum for me, but the Core Duo in general is getting long in the tooth (it can't run Lion for example.)

Ram usage for me is due to running a lot of programs simultaneously. I also use a lot of spaces. So as an example, right now I have Adium, NetNewsWire, Firefox, Outlook, and iTunes open.

Ram helps in the sense that there doesn't have to be a lot of HD swapping or paging. 1GB, you'll definitely feel it. The early Air's that all had 2GB definitely felt like a performance hit as well, but it was lessened by the SSD being fast at swapping and paging. I would rather just not run into those problems unless you're planning on upgrading the whole system soon.
 
Slap 4gb in there and an SSD.

Night and day difference. I stuck 8gb and SSD in my MBP DUO and it was awesome, now I upgraded to the i7 even more awesomeness :D

As previous poster said too I use a lot of spaces and software running at once and with the SSD and 8gb ram can't even tell. I allocate 3.25gb for Win7 in Vmware and I still have enough ram to do what I want in OSX across 3 spaces.

I normally run:
Adium
CODA
Safari
Chrome
Camino
Text Edit

And misc apps in and out as I`m working, and works great.
 
Your laptop might not take 4GB. The maximum might be 3GB.
 
Most users don't use more than 2gb unless they use a VM. But, go for as much as possible.


. So as an example, right now I have Adium, NetNewsWire, Firefox, Outlook, and iTunes open.
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You should be pretty far under 2gb with those open.
 
100inch said:
You should be pretty far under 2gb with those open.
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With one additional program open (Aperture, although I'm not working with it at all right now) I have 1.98GB Active, 325MB wired. 792MB inactive and 685MB free. Having 4GB so you aren't bumping up against that wall will always be more optimal than straining through basic functions with less.
 
More is better. If you even get close to running out of RAM, it starts paging to disk, and everything slows down :).

Also, go for a Hybrid SSD (Seagate Momentus XT) if it takes a SATA drive, waaay faster than the 5400's, and even 7200's. Only a hundred bucks for 500gb too.
 
In this case, might as well save $20 and get 2GB.
 
UnknownSouljer said:
4 orders of Starbucks coffee for less hindered performance? I suppose it's all perspective.
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a. coffee is only $2.10 at starbucks (even in downtown Chicago)

b. I run word, chrome (multiple tabs), 4-5 pdfs, mail, adium, ical, itunes, and onenote through crossover at the same time on 2GB ram with no problems whatsoever.
 
ryken said:
a. coffee is only $2.10 at starbucks (even in downtown Chicago)

b. I run word, chrome (multiple tabs), 4-5 pdfs, mail, adium, ical, itunes, and onenote through crossover at the same time on 2GB ram with no problems whatsoever.
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Wow, this has just degraded. I don't want it to go any further. The op has perspectives. I don't think the $20 is a lot of money, apparently it's a big deal to other people. Roll with whatever option you feel the most comfortable with.
 
UnknownSouljer said:
Wow, this has just degraded. I don't want it to go any further. The op has perspectives. I don't think the $20 is a lot of money, apparently it's a big deal to other people. Roll with whatever option you feel the most comfortable with.
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:rolleyes:

If the machine has a limitation of 2GB, the system might not operate with 4GB in the computer.
 
UnknownSouljer said:
Wow, this has just degraded. I don't want it to go any further. The op has perspectives. I don't think the $20 is a lot of money, apparently it's a big deal to other people. Roll with whatever option you feel the most comfortable with.
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providing real life experience in response to a snarky post is not degrading a thread. $20 is OBVIOUSLY some what of a big deal to OP because if it wasn't, he wouldn't have created the thread.
 
It's not that the money is a big deal, it's that I'd rather spend the $20 on something else if I'm not going to see an increase in performance between 2 and 4 GB, considering my usage as outlined in my original post.
 
The machine will likely not even boot with more than 2gb installed. My 2006 blackbook will not boot with more than 2gb installed. Just another heads up.
 
An early 2006 Core Duo is limited to 2gb maximum. It's also limited to 32 bit.
Not only will you not experience any benefit whatsoever, your computer won't boot.
Even if you somehow managed to get your macbook to boot, the OS wouldn't be able to address the extra memory.

I'm not sure why people starting hopping all over the $20 expenditure...that's a non-issue. Find the memory on Craigslist. I'd help you out but I only have 2x512mb ddr2 or 2x1gb ddr3.
 
OK, so at the risk of splitting an already split hair, I have another question:

Should I get a single 2GB stick as opposed to two 1GB sticks, since technically one stick would suck down less power than two? Or is the difference in power usage not worth giving up dual-channel operation?
 
not worth it. or i should rephrase, you wont notice a difference either way
 
pojut said:
OK, so at the risk of splitting an already split hair, I have another question:

Should I get a single 2GB stick as opposed to two 1GB sticks, since technically one stick would suck down less power than two? Or is the difference in power usage not worth giving up dual-channel operation?
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I don't think you'd be able to run with a single 2gb stick of RAM since the motherboard is limited to 2 gigs total and the expectation is that you'd have 2 sticks of RAM.
 
mope54 said:
I don't think you'd be able to run with a single 2gb stick of RAM since the motherboard is limited to 2 gigs total and the expectation is that you'd have 2 sticks of RAM.
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True...man, shoulda thought of that :) Thank you very much!
 
There are tons of people who upgrade from 2x1gb to 4 gigs of DDR2 RAM so you shouldn't have any issues finding some here or on craigslist.
 
that's what happened with my ex-gf's blackbook but the stick could have been faulty or the timings off. apple's are tricky when it comes to memory. corsair and apple say no to 2gb chips but that could very well be untrue.

what is true is that you should be able to find 2x1gb of new ram for less than 1x2gb and I don't know if you'd be able to find 2gbx1 for less than 2x1gb used so it's pointless to only use one chip anyway unless you want to pay more *and* not benefit from dual channel.
 
My wife's blackbook has been running just fine with a no name generic ebay knockoff 800mhz 2gb stick. But I totally agree with what you are saying about getting 2x1gb
 
shoota said:
My wife's blackbook has been running just fine with a no name generic ebay knockoff 800mhz 2gb stick. But I totally agree with what you are saying about getting 2x1gb
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The only way her black macbook could be running that memory is if you or someone else edited the timings to run at 667mhz. either that or hers is the only one I've heard of that can downclock 800mhz memory to 667 speeds automatically.
 
mope54 said:
The only way her black macbook could be running that memory is if you or someone else edited the timings to run at 667mhz. either that or hers is the only one I've heard of that can downclock 800mhz memory to 667 speeds automatically.
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Then hers is the only one that can downclock.. I really don't have any reason to lie.
 
shoota said:
Then hers is the only one that can downclock.. I really don't have any reason to lie.
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I'm not saying you are lying, but since non-unibody MacBooks won't boot with 800mhz memory you are mistaken about something.

***This should be:


I'm not saying you are lying, but since non-unibody MacBooks normally won't boot with 800mhz memory something is strange to me about this scenario.
 
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I'm not mistaken about anything. It's a 2006 MacBook and 800mhz ram. The only possible mistake (aside from you being mistaken) is that the ram is mislabeled. I have another laptop I could try it in since you have me curious now.
 
Ok i put it in a laptop with an 800mhz fsb cpu and cpu-z reports for the ram stick:

Frequency: 399mhz
fsb:dram: 1:2
6,6,6,18 timings

What do you make of that? I'm not too good with ratios :)

And the next tab (SPD) lists it as PC-6400 so yeah it's 800mhz ram and it works in my wife's 2006 black macbook... i don't know what else to say ya know
 
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What memory configuration do you have? I didn't ask if you were using 2 800 memory modules, which I should have done first :| If you're running one 800 module with a 667 module in the second slot then that would explain why it works.

See this thread? http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1623310
That's what happens when someone tries to run 800mhz ddr2 ram in a macbook. The FSB is 800 but the memory only runs at 667. So you can either edit the ram manually or pair it with a 667 memory stick to force it but otherwise hers really is the only macbook that doesn't have this issue (I wasn't being snarky earlier).

That experience of not being able to boot with 800mhz memory is what prompted my response above where I told him that a 2gb module might not work. I had it myself when I was messing with my ex-gf's black macbook and I read tons of threads about it and just recently we had a forum member experiencing the same issue (in the link I posted above).

So the possible things that can go wrong:
putting 2 800mhz chips in will result in non-boot
putting more than 2gigs of ram will result in non-boot (I'm not certain of this, but it seems to be the case on core duo MacBooks)
putting in one 800mhz chip with a 667 chip will result in the laptop booting but running the ram at 667
but if he buys a 2gig 800 mhz chip and tries to get it to run by leaving his 512 667 in the second slot, he might not be able to boot his macbook since it'll be at 2.5gigs of ram.



If you click on the Apple, then About this Mac, then Memory it should show you the two banks and their operating speeds. Also, for both you and the OP, the program Remember http://kelleycomputing.net/rember/ is a memtest GUI for Macs. So pojut should run this after he gets his RAM seated to make sure it's running ok.
 
It was running in her blackbook by itself obviously since any more than 2gb wouldn't allow it to boot.
I'm telling you it's a 2006 MacBook with a single 2gb 800mhz ram stick.
Do you want pics? :)
 
I don't need pics I'm just curious what speed it's running in your macbook...not a different laptop :|

I prefer to ask rather than assume since it wouldn't be obvious to me. 2006 black MacBooks came in both core duo (early 06) and core 2 duo (late 06) so there was no way for me to know that it wouldn't boot with more than 2gb (while your first post said *your* macbook wouldn't boot with more than 2gb, here we're talking about your *wife's* black macbook which might have been a different mac for all I knew at the time of my post).


Anyway, the long and short of it is that you apparently have a 2gb 800mhz working by itself in the same year and model so it might work for him. Or he can buy 2x1gb 667 mhz memory and have it working at its peak performance for certain.
 
Ah good point. Mine is a 2006 Core Duo, hence the 2gb limitation. It runs at 667mhz since that's the fsb limitation.

Are you saying that this isn't normal in your experience?
 
From what I've experienced, and read on this and Mac oriented forums, Apple products don't normally automatically force RAM to operate at slower, compatible speeds.
 
check with crucial.com and make sure you can load more than 2GB of RAM and the clock speed is correct.

I have a mid 2007 macbook and my max was 2GB I believe. I went from 1GB to 2GB and had a huge difference when doing iDVD and Lightroom.

using the wrong RAM will not let your macbook boot properly... so make sure you get the proper kind. I went with crucial and it worked just fine!
 
Well I can confirm what you were saying about early macs not booting with 800mhz ram. I have a 2007 Core 2 Duo that I tried with just a single stick of 2gb 800mhz ram and it won't boot. If I added a 1gb stick of 533 then it would boot. The 800mhz stick I'm using now isn't the same that boots in my 2006 Core Duo blackbook. I don't know what it is about that stick but something's different. It even fails Memtest miserably but works in that laptop :) Weirdest thing ever..
 
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