Upgrading your Mac

Got a slightly older Mac that's been feeling pokey lately? Want to add some pep to it? Let's look at upgrading.

Memory

For most Macs you have a bunch of options for upgrading. Your first stop should be memory. How much memory do you have? If you are running OS X you should get as much memory as you can afford. Do NOT skimp on memory! Most Macs come with 512mb, but as always, the more memory you have, the more efficient OS X will run. The fact is that OS X is a memory hungry OS (all that eye candy isn't free.) Once given a lot of memory though, it does perform well.

The difference between running with 128mb, 256mb and even 512mb or 640mb will make a world of difference.

Hard Disks

How fast is your current hard disk? Did you know that hard disks have speeds? They do, with common speeds these days being 4500rpm, 5400rpm, 7200rpm and 10,000rpm. The faster the rpms, the faster your disk is, and the faster your Mac can access data. A good way to speed your machine up is with a faster disk. Keep in mind though, that faster disks cost more and generate more heat. A 10,000rpm drive will generate considerably more heat than a 5400rpm drive. This can be of concern when upgrading a laptop in which parts are more cramped together than desktops. Laptop drives are also more expensive than desktop drives, and the two are NOT interchangable.

A faster disk won't turbo charge your Mac, but you will notice the speed increase.

Processor upgrades

While PC users can run out and buy a faster Pentium or Athlon or whatever chip to throw into their machines, Mac users cannot. You cannot buy a G3, G4 or G5 chip in stores. Apple controls its hardware so those types of purchases are not possible.

All is not lost though, you can still upgrade your Mac. Companies like Sonnet Technologies and a handfull of others make processor upgrades for G3 Macs and even older machines. These upgrade cards are usually quite simple to install, just pop the card in, install the drivers and enjoy the speed boost. Sonnet makes some G3 upgrade cards for older 601-era PowerPC PowerMacs and PowerBooks. If you've got an old PowerBook like a 1400, 2400 or 3400 series, an upgrade card will bring you into the world of OS 9 and even in some cases OS X (though officially unsupported.) These upgrades are getting harder and harder to find however, so keep that in mind. Your best place to look for them is on auctions. Most stores do not carry them anymore, with the exception of MacMart/CompMart in Meieki.

For more information on upgrading your Mac, visit Low End Mac: lowendmac.com and Accelerate your Macintosh! xlr8yourmac.com