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Upgrading RAM on a MacBook Air

This Tutorial addresses:
  • RAM
  • Macbook
tomsguideUS
By ,
Apple’s MacBook laptops are fairly well built and user-friendly machines. That means you won’t struggle much with lag time or insufficient memory while performing everyday tasks with your MacBook Air.

However, if you're a computer user who spends a lot of time doing memory-intensive tasks on your computer, like graphic design or video editing, then the 4GB of onboard RAM included with current versions the MacBook Air might not be enough for you. (Older models only had 2GB!). Read on for a few potential solutions to the problem.

Step 1

The first question you will likely ask yourself is whether or not you can upgrade the RAM on your MacBook Air. Unfortunately, while Apple lets you open up a MacBook Pro and switch out the RAM modules, that isn’t the case with the Air. In an effort to keep the computer as compact as possible, the RAM on the MacBook Air is soldered directly to the system’s motherboard. It is therefore borderline impossible to upgrade after you have already purchased a MacBook Air computer.

Step 2

Luckily, Apple does offer a “configurable” version of the MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM. If you foresee RAM problems before you buy, head to Apple’s website and purchase the higher-memory version of the laptop. It will be more expensive, but will provide sleeker and faster performance. Alternatively, you can opt for a MacBook Pro, for which RAM is fully user upgradable.

Step 3

If you already have a MacBook Air, you will simply have to make the best of your current RAM limitations. You can do this by keeping an eye on your memory usage in your Activity Monitor. Open “Applications,” select “Utilities,” open the “Activity Monitor,” and click the “System Memory” tab to do this. The Activity Menu will help you to spot unnecessary RAM usage and to close down memory-hogging programs when you aren’t using them.

It’s unfortunate that RAM on the MacBook Air is not upgradable. Luckily, by keeping an eye on your RAM usage and being vigilant about closing programs you aren’t using, you should be able to maximize the efficiency of the RAM you do have.
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