I'd like to ask what is the relationship of RAM Type / Speed and Front-Side Bus (FSB) Speed? To be more specific, if I have a MacBook with the following specs: Processor: 2.0 GHz Front-Side Bus: 1066 MHz RAM: 2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 667MHz Can I easily replace the RAM Type with PC2-6400 DDR2 800MHz? Or, are there extra steps and factors that I need to consider? I'm actually thinking whether I should wait for the Mid-2009 MacBook white or just buy the Early-2009 model (and use the savings to upgrade the specs). So, would a 2.13GHz processor have a significant / noticeable advantage compared to a 2.0GHz processor?
Try to look at what RAM can your MAC support. I think it is not likely that you can use a PC6400 DDR2 800MHZ on your MAC, but you can try to check, as the BUS speeds seem to allow (in theory) the use of RAM with faster BUS speed. No, a 2.13ghz will not make a noticeable difference in speed to a 2.0ghz equipped computer. Upgrading your ram to 4GB is a better option.
Thanks NeilJohn. I got the idea of replacing the PC2-5300 DDR2 667MHz RAM with PC2-6400 DDR2 800MHz because the Mid-2009 MacBook white now uses a faster RAM, even though it has the same FSB Speed as the previous model. So, I'm not sure if it is that simple, or if there are some things that I haven't considered.
ye syou can replace it with a 800Mhz ram. It will be using the lower clock 667MHz. I think the 667 is a bit difficult to find an a bit expensive compared to 800 which is easy to find and really cheap.
if it will be using the lower clock 667MHz, then does that mean I won't be seeing any performance benefit for using 800MHz?
Hi! Got this from my email and was wondering if we are affected by this? O have a dual OS. Thanks. To all the power users out there who are running 4GB RAM or more on typical 34bit systems, you may realize that only about 3GB of that RAM can be used by the operating system efficiently. The remaining memory is pretty much wasted due to the nature of 32bit addressing making it a bummer if you have spent all that money to get so much RAM. Only 3GB of RAM can be used by 34bit Systems The reason this is a problem is due to the way 32bit systems allocate addresses. Back in the days, 4GB of ANYTHING was considered huge and as a result, the assumption that we would never need so much of anything was made. Well, fast forward a few decades and the problem is coming back to haunt us. You may also notice that the limitation is also apparent in hard disks still running FAT32 filesystems. On those filesystem, you cannot have a single file exceeding 4GB in size, otherwise the OS will complain about running ‘out of space’. Nowadays, people are running on NTFS which do not have such a limitation. Regardless, if you do own more than 4GB of RAM, it is recommended to upgrade your OS to a 64bit version, like XP64 or Vista 64. But let’s assume that is not possible or desirable? What then? Use RAMDISK Enter the RAMDISK. A ramdisk is basically a disk partition created in your ram. By doing so, you can then put a page file or browser cache on it giving you the ability to do something useful with that wasted RAM. If you are running 4GB, simply create a 1GB ramdisk and place your computer’s page file into it, maximizing the use of RAM on your 32bit system. Word of advice: do not do this if you have less than 4GB of RAM, or are already running a 64bit OS. It provides no benefit at all under these circumstances.
The '09 White MacBooks actually support DDR2-800. Unlike the older models, the memory won't be downclocked to DDR2-667 speeds. Both '09 White MB's have the same logic board with the only difference being the processor. Have a look at this thread from MR. There isn't that big a difference in price between DDR2-667 and DDR2-800 either, so getting DDR2-800 would be a good move. You will.
