How to Upgrade Your MacBook Memory

If you own a MacBook and things seem a little sluggish... well, a little more memory might be the answer. This DIY project will save you money and make a big performance impact on your MacBook (especially if you are running Windows XP in parallel like I am)

MacBook default specs are either 252k or 512k (depending on the model you have and when you bought it). I strongly suggest you upgrade your ram to 2gig. If you take your laptop to the Apple store, they will take you to the cleaners. Follow these simple steps below and get more out of your Mac laptop and do it for half the price.

What you'll need:

• MacBook
• Two 1gig compatible ram chips
• Towel or soft surface
• Mirco Phillips head and flat head screw driver
• Mid sized coin

1. First lets talk about what kind of memory you need. When shopping for ram that will work in a MacBook, visit this site to confirm what type of memory you'll need: MacBook Memory
2. Now that you know what you need, you'll need to purchase TWO 1 gig strips. The MacBook performs best when you have an even amount of ram in each of the two memory slots. Shop around, but your best bet is NewEgg. Jump over to see what I purchased for my MacBook (black).
3. Now lets open the Laptop and remove the battery (write down or print out these steps).
1. Power down and unplug the power
2. Turn the MacBook over and place it on a soft surface
3. Using a coin, turn the battery lock clockwise to unlock and pop out the battery
   
   
   
4. With the battery out, you've exposed a bracket held in by three little screws. Using you Phillips head, unscrew the three screws.
5. Slowly remove the metal bracket to reveal the two memory slots (remove slowly so the screws remain in the bracket).
6. Now lets take the old memory out. Using your thumb, slowly push the white levers to the left. You may need to put some pressure on the levers because the memory is tightly housed. The chip should present itself and now you should be able to pull the memory out... While you do this, take notice on how the chip is housed. There is a notch about 1/3 from the left. You'll need to put the new chips in the same way.
7. After removing the old chips, evenly push the new ones in (lined up the same as the old ones). Push evenly, using your thumbs, until it's all the way in. A good amount of pressure is required, so don't fell like you are going to break something.
   
8. Place the bracket back in it's original place. Using a flat head screw driver, tuck in the fabric tab (that's on the bracket) into the space where the memory is housed. Screw in all three screws and take notice that the fabric tab remains in place. The bracket should be flat against the memory slots (like it was when removed)
9. Place the battery back in using a coin, lock the battery in place.
10. Turn on the computer and verify you system settings. Upper left, click on the apple. Then click on 'About this Mac'. A window should open showing 2gig next to Memory. You are now free to move about the cabin...
    

If you prefer a video showing these steps, jump here to see: Instructional Video