Will extra RAM make my old 2011 MacBook Pro faster?

[logicalxm]

Hi,

I have an old 2011 MacBook Pro with the following specs:

Processor: 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5
Memory: 4 GB 1333 Mhz DDR 3
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000 384 MB
Software: OS X 10.9.5

Obviously, the machine is old but held up pretty well I must admit. I am using it mainly for typical internet browsing and Youtube or other media playback with occasional Word processing, hence I don't require a very fast CPU or a top of the line machine.

In recent months, I have experienced a decrease in the general speed of the laptop, while programs load slower and even opening webpages requires more time. It is not feasible for me to purchase a new MacBook at the moment.
I wanted to know whether upgrading my RAM will yield a noticeable boost in performance? Will it make more sense to instead save my money and start saving for a purchase of a new MacBook?

Thanks.

 

[vailr]

The "Intel HD Graphics 3000" would seem to be more of a bottleneck than having only 4 Gb memory installed. MacBooks have good resale value, so unless against using Windows machine, I'd recommend selling the MacBook and replace with a newer & speedier "gently used" Windows machine. Check blinq.com, cowboom.com, Craigslist.com, ebay, etc. for deals on used Haswell laptops.

 

[Tegeril]

I'd wager it's unlikely that system has a SSD. If you want to increase its performance, that's something you'll want to try. HD3000 graphics aren't amazing, that's for sure, but that's really not the end of the world and I can't imagine going from the MBP to a scratch/dent/refurbished machine on cowboom and expecting better performance.

Try a SSD. 8GB of ram will help too, but the SSD will be the biggest change.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

If you're running out of ram, more RAM will help. If you're not running out of ram, more RAM will not help. Get an SSD if you do not have one.

 

[rugby]

We run into this model all the time. Ram + SSD will make it last a few years longer. It will definitely help.

OS X will use all of the ram you give it.

 

[logicalxm]

The "Intel HD Graphics 3000" would seem to be more of a bottleneck than having only 4 Gb memory installed. MacBooks have good resale value, so unless against using Windows machine, I'd recommend selling the MacBook and replace with a newer & speedier "gently used" Windows machine. Check blinq.com, cowboom.com, Craigslist.com, ebay, etc. for deals on used Haswell laptops.

I really like having the Macbook as my laptop, even though it is old. I will always have my PC for the main machine though.

I'd wager it's unlikely that system has a SSD. If you want to increase its performance, that's something you'll want to try. HD3000 graphics aren't amazing, that's for sure, but that's really not the end of the world and I can't imagine going from the MBP to a scratch/dent/refurbished machine on cowboom and expecting better performance.

Yeah, I got a HDD SATA 5400rpm. Graphics suit me fine for the occasional Youtube watching. I'm definitely one of those that would hate getting refurbished appliances. iPhone is an exception, as I might get one if its not scuffed or scratched .

If you're running out of ram, more RAM will help. If you're not running out of ram, more RAM will not help. Get an SSD if you do not have one.

We run into this model all the time. Ram + SSD will make it last a few years longer. It will definitely help.

OS X will use all of the ram you give it.

I guess that I should start then by purchasing an SSD first and see if the performance of the Macbook improves. Would like to ideally use the Macbook for as long as I possibly can...

 

[TheStu]

I guess that I should start then by purchasing an SSD first and see if the performance of the Macbook improves. Would like to ideally use the Macbook for as long as I possibly can...

It's a very affordable course of action. I just picked up a 240GB SanDisk SSD for $65 at Best Buy, so they're cheap everywhere.

 

[Oyeve]

The "Intel HD Graphics 3000" would seem to be more of a bottleneck than having only 4 Gb memory installed.

What does this have to do with his issue? Graphics have nothing to do with his use. If he was gaming or rendering, maybe, but for browsing? No.

OP, I have a Mid 2009 MBP specced much lower than yours, added another 4gb and an SSD and this baby flies.

 

[vailr]

What does this have to do with his issue? Graphics have nothing to do with his use. If he was gaming or rendering, maybe, but for browsing? No.

The OP did mention "Youtube or other media playback", which would provide some benefit via switching to a better video rendering device.
However, an SSD would also be the first factor to focus on, if upgrading the existing device; which would make for an enormous improvement over a 5400 RPM HD (which wasn't mentioned in the OP's initial post).

I can't imagine going from the MBP to a scratch/dent/refurbished machine on cowboom and expecting better performance.

Didn't say to buy a dented/scratched machine.
However, I did recommend picking a newer generation machine with faster Intel graphics.
I'm sure there are "almost new" condition Haswell laptops available, if you were to put a little effort into finding one. And for significant $$'s savings compared to buying "brand new".

 

[manly]

The OP did mention "Youtube or other media playback", which would provide some benefit via switching to a better video rendering device.
However, an SSD would also be the first factor to focus on, if upgrading the existing device; which would make for an enormous improvement over a 5400 RPM HD (which wasn't mentioned in the OP's initial post).

His iGPU is perfectly capable of YouTube playback. He might have to use Safari to get full hardware acceleration (no idea what Chrome's video pipeline is like).

As everybody else has mentioned, an SSD is a must have and more RAM is likely to help (without knowing anything else about his usage model).

 

[Eug]

GPU is totally irrelevant as long as it's a MBP from 2009 or later, and the OP's is from 2011.

So yeah, SSD is the answer.

 

[Excelsior]

I'm using an Early 2009 Macbook Pro with max ram (8GB) and two SSDs and I can vouch for how fast it still is. Only deficiencies are how hot it gets,battery life, and low graphics ability. But definitely up those areas on your 2011 and you'll see major improvement.

 

[slashbinslashbash]

I've got a 2011 MBP with 16GB and its still spiffy enough that I haven't had to upgrade to an SSD yet (although my HDD is a Seagate "Hybrid" HDD/SSD with 16GB of solid-state storage, so it's faster than your ordinary HDD).

 

[logicalxm]

Thanks a lot for he replies and clarifications!

I have the Crucial SATA3 128gb M4-CT128M4SSD2SSD drive in my PC that I wanted to upgrade to a larger capacity model. This SSD drive is 3yr old.

Will this used SSD be suitable for my Macbook upgrade?
Should I obtain a newer SSD instead?
Up until last week, I wasn't even aware that you can simply remove an old HDD from a Macbook and replace it with a SSD. I thought you need some special SSD drives that are made for Macs.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Thanks a lot for he replies and clarifications!

I have the Crucial SATA3 128gb M4-CT128M4SSD2SSD drive in my PC that I wanted to upgrade to a larger capacity model. This SSD drive is 3yr old.

Will this used SSD be suitable for my Macbook upgrade?

Yes.

Should I obtain a newer SSD instead?

Not necessary, but bigger is always better.

Seriously though, nah. If it's big enough, it's certainly fast enough. You probably wouldn't ever notice the difference between an M4 and a newer drive unless you were running synthetic benchmarks on them.

Up until last week, I wasn't even aware that you can simply remove an old HDD from a Macbook and replace it with a SSD. I thought you need some special SSD drives that are made for Macs.

Depends on the Macbook model in question. The 2011 Macbook and Macbook Pro use standard 2.5" drives. Newer "Retina" Macbook Pros, Macbook Airs, and the 12" Macbook all use PCI-E drives that are a custom form factor specific to Apple hardware.

 

[sbpromania]

As was mentioned before, your best bet would be to grab a SSD and then upgrade to 8GB RAM.

If you find a good sale for your MacBook Pro, you should sell it and then buy a new one.

 

[fleshconsumed]

You need to check how much RAM is in use. My GF used to have 2009'ish macbook pro, she started complaining about it being slow as heck, I checked it out and it turned out she was a chrome tab hoarder, so I upgraded RAM to 8GB and her problems went away. So I would suggest checking how much RAM you're using now, if it's anywhere close to 4GB, upgrade to 8GB. If computer still feels slow then add SSD.

 

[Beer4Me]

SSD

 

[logicalxm]

Just purchased the Samsung 850 EVO 250gb SSD for my PC on sale from Bestbuy.
I'm therefore going to install my old Crucial M4 120gb SSD into my MacBook pro.

Just discovered yesterday though that I would have to spend another $15 to purchase a SSD enclosure to copy the content of the HDD from the Macbook to my SSD.

 

[secretanchitman]

Just purchased the Samsung 850 EVO 250gb SSD for my PC on sale from Bestbuy.
I'm therefore going to install my old Crucial M4 120gb SSD into my MacBook pro.

Just discovered yesterday though that I would have to spend another $15 to purchase a SSD enclosure to copy the content of the HDD from the Macbook to my SSD.

You can find an enclosure on Amazon for under $10 so $15 isn't too bad of a markup.

The speed increase will be incredibly worth it!

 

[logicalxm]

You can find an enclosure on Amazon for under $10 so $15 isn't too bad of a markup.

The speed increase will be incredibly worth it!

Thanks.
Got the ORICO 2588US3 SSD 2.5" enclosure from Newegg for roughly $11 US. It got good reviews and looks neat.

I will make sure to update the thread after installing the SSD.

 

[dawks]

As stated, SSD will make the biggest impact overall. Then extra RAM. I'm running a 2010 15" Macbook with a 120gig SSD (from Apple) and 8gigs RAM. Its still plenty fast. If anything, I'm considering upgrading the SSD to a faster 256gig. If I do, I'll be limited by the SATAII (3Gbps) port, but just knowing I'm pushing the bus to the limit will give me some comfort.

 

[Koing]

It's a very affordable course of action. I just picked up a 240GB SanDisk SSD for $65 at Best Buy, so they're cheap everywhere.

I bought a Samsung 830 Pro 256GB for about £180 back in 2013? BEST £180 I spent on a pc upgrade. It made my 2008 MB seem so fast!

I've got a 2011 MBP with 16GB and its still spiffy enough that I haven't had to upgrade to an SSD yet (although my HDD is a Seagate "Hybrid" HDD/SSD with 16GB of solid-state storage, so it's faster than your ordinary HDD).

Please treat yourself to a real SSD. They are so cheap now!

Koing

 

[logicalxm]

UPDATE

Alright, finally did the upgrade. I was not equipped with the Torx T6 screwdriver to unscrew the screws that are attached to the sides of the HDD, so I ordered a cheapo $1 screwdriver on eBay, but had to wait close to a month to get it.

At the end, I have decided to install the Samsung 850 EVO 250gb into the Macbook Pro. I also did a clean install of OSX El Capitain using a USB and the Terminal command prompt.
I lost all my apps, but did not have many to begin with, so it fine. Backed up all my pics and documents using a USB.

Now for the performance...
All I can say is WOW. I could never envision that the Macbook will perform so much faster just by swapping the HDD for a SSD. I reduced the start up time from 2:15 mins down to 24 seconds. Opening and closing programs is a breeze. It is as though I got a new Macbook.
I imagine it could perform even faster by adding 8gb of RAM instead of the default 4gb the Macbook came with. I will surely consider it as my next upgrade. It is only about $50 for 2x4gb ram, so it is affordable.

Thank you all for the replies and for the suggestions to get an SSD as an initial step to boost the performance of my Macbook. The upgrade exceeded my expectations.

Just an average screenshot using BlackMagic.


Before with HDD

After with SSD

 

[nerp]

About to do the same upgrade on my mid 2010 macbook pro. It's going from 4 to 8GB and I'm putting in an SSD to replace the painfully slow 5400 rpm drive.

One added bonus to putting an SSD in is that it uses less power, too, so you might see a subtle improvement in battery life.