I thought it was time to conclude my mini-series on my MacBook RAM Dilemma since the dilemma no longer exists. I have successfully selected, received, and installed the new RAM. If you don’t know what I am talking about and why I wanted to buy RAM from another source than Apple, check out MacBook RAM Dilemma parts 1 and 2 before completing this short post.
I purchased 2 Gigs of Corsair Value Select DDR2 667 200-pin SODIMM RAM (PC5300) from ZipZoomFly. Both the RAM and the transaction worked great. The RAM seems to have speed the MacBook up. The boot time is significantly faster. I wish I were able to provide more insight to the MacBook’s overall performance, but the machine I upgraded isn’t mine and I haven’t had the chance to do any kind of heavy processing with it before or after the upgrade. I’m sure that the extra RAM has helped. There hasn’t been any problems with the laptop since the upgrade, so the Value Select was a smart choice.
Installation of the RAM was a snap…literally. It was pretty easy and would have been easier if I had the right tools. All of the screw drivers I could find at my house were a little too long to make for easy access to the screws that hold the plate that goes around the battery area. I managed to angle the screw driver just right and get the screws out any way. Removing the original RAM was very easy.
Installing the new RAM wasn’t too bad. You just have to push it in and replace the little plate and battery. The plate was a little tricky to get it to go back completely flush. It helps if you have someone hold it in place while you are trying to screw it back in. Once complete, I booted the machine and got nothing but blank black screen…I was a bit worried. I decided to make sure the RAM was completely pushed it and it wasn’t. It requires a bit more force than I expected. The first time I thought I heard the snap that you were supposed to hear, but apparently I didn’t. So, I put everything back together after knowing the RAM was completely pushed in on the second try. I booted up and everything worked like a charm. I checked the computer properties and sure enough 2 gigs of RAM showed up. Happy me! 
Though I had never heard of ZipZoomFly before purchasing the RAM from them, I was pleasantly surprised with the service. Their website provided ample details about the product, the transaction process was smooth, and the shipment was fast and free. ZipZoomFly’s price wasn’t the lowest when considered by itself, but when free shipping and no tax was factored in they had the best price. Since then, I even made a repeat purchase–a D-Link DWL-G710 AirPlus G High Speed 2.4GHz (802.11g) Wireless Range Extender. I was not as pleased with the repeater as I am with the RAM though. Nothing against ZipZoomFly…just the product I selected.
In conclusion, I’ve been happy with the Corsair RAM upgrade for the MacBook. Buying and installing third-party RAM was so much cheaper than buying from Apple I highly recommend that you do consider it if you are in the market for a new MacBook or MacBook Pro.
