Configure - Apple Store (U.S.).jpg

The new MacBook Pros will handle a whopping 8GB of RAM. That’s nothing short of amazing. Only problem is, the upgrade to 8GB will cost you $1100 if you get it from Apple. Ouch!

Since upgrading the hard drive and RAM are easy enough that even I can do it, I figured I would start looking around for RAM I could purchase and upgrade myself. I went to my normal venders and then to a new one, MemoryAmerica. Their prices alone make the company worth a look if you are in the market for memory.

I went looking for some RAM to upgrade my 13″ MacBook Pro. Here are some comparisons-

Crucial-

4GB kit (2*2GB) – $63.99 (for 13″ 2.26GHz MacBook Pro)
4 GB upgrade – $449
8 GB upgrade – $899.99

RamJet/MacMemory-

4GB kit (2*2GB) – $64.99
4 GB Upgrade – $379.99
8 GB Upgrade – $695.99

Memory America-

4GB kit (2*2GB) – $58.90
4 GB Upgrade – 335.90
8 GB Upgrade – 699.90

In all cases I found that MemoryAmerica’s prices were as good or better. Now this does not mean it will be so in every case. It does, however, mean that, from a price perspective, MemoryAmerica is worth having on your list when searching for the best price.

Price, however, is only part of the equation. Still an open questions were MemoryAmerica’s customer service and, of course, the quality of the RAM they ship. Low prices are great but if the RAM is being manufactured by Cousin Louis in his mother’s basement, you might end up throwing good money after bad.

Fortunately I got to see both of these areas in action when MemoryAmerica was kind enough to ship me a 4GB RAM kit for my mid-2008 iMac. The memory arrived quickly in a nondescript envelope. I was immediately pleased to find that, rather than the no-name RAM I was expecting, this way good old traditional Samsung-branded RAM. I installed it in minutes and, ever since, my iMac seems to be running better than ever.

The bottom line is this. The internet means we never have to pay more for a product than need be. With a few minutes of searching the best deals on any item we want can be found. That is certainly the case with computer memory and, when comparison shopping in the future, MemoryAmerica is certainly worth having on the list.

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