Upgrading the memory of Mac books If you find your Mac book to respond slow or not being able to deliver the expected performance then your Mac book might need a memory upgrade. Take a look at your Mac book manual and you can easily find of what type of RAM is installed inside. The type of RAM usually depends on its year of manufacture, i.e. from late 2004 most companies started manufacturing DDR2 (2nd Generation Double Data Rate) RAM. Before, it was a DDR1 or a SD RAM (Synchronous Dynamic).

Once you get to know the type of your RAM you have to know the memory speed of it. This also should be mentioned in your Mac Book manual. Generally the DDR2 SD RAM boosts memory speed over 200MHz, while a DDR1 SD RAM tops around 150-166MHz. Whichever it is, one point to be noted is that faster memory speed doesn't employ your computer faster, but it is the amount of RAM that stays responsible. Experts mostly recommend installing the fastest memory speed of the RAM as it is easier for future upgrades and the system is more compatible with it. Going beyond the specified maximum memory speed is of no benefit at all.

If it's a DDR2 SD RAM fitted in your Mac book then you have to install DD2 SD RAM and not a DDR1 SD RAM as the system wont accept the upgrade and vice versa. And now the most important question, how much RAM you are willing to install? Well, that will depend up on the kind of work you do on your Mac book. As per the standards, Mac books require at least 128 MB of RAM, and 256 for Mac OS X.

If you are a software professional or mostly use your laptop in the same line you may opt for a 512MB RAM or more. For Graphic designers and gamers, a RAM of at least 1GB and beyond is suggested. Therefore, if you are upgrading your laptop from 128 MB RAM to 512 MB RAM then you can expect your laptop to deliver a 20% to 40% more faster speed.

Nevertheless, a spoiler always exists. You must also make sure that other parts of your Mac book are able to support this upgrade. It's mainly the VRAM that creates the problem. Upgrade your VRAM to get a more color clarity and picture resolution. Graphic designers and gamers should specially put this into consideration. And now when you are confident of what type, speed and amount of RAM to install, get yourself one from a computer hardware store or from the Internet.

Make sure to check the warranty period before buying. Open your Mac book cover and you can easily locate the RAM slot. It stays just beneath the keyboard. Open the clips and put the new RAM into the slot and lock the clip.

Turn on your Mac book and you can easily locate it installed. If it's not installed turn off and check. If further problems persist, consult with your computer vendor. Thus, within a few minutes you can get your Mac book's memory upgraded. Check of how fast your Mac book responses.

Jim Estep is author of this article on Reconditioned apple mac laptops. Find more information about Wholesale apple macbooks here.