memory on a Mcbook pro for Lightroom

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Pete
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I have a macbookpro with 2gb of RAM. It was running a bit slowly recently as my Lightroom Library has grown. I would rather not move to multiple libraries and wondered if more ram would help. I have 33,000 photos in my Library and run LR in 64bit mode.

Funnily enough the activity Monitor showed that Lightroom was using 1.7gb, when I closed LR and opened it again it was only using 618mb and things are a bit snappier again.

Would I benefit from more RAM? Can 1/2 year old Macbook pro take more RAM?

Running Snow Leopard.

Cheers. :)
 
only the original MacBook Pros (pre core2duo) won't accept more than 2gb RAM.

Yours will easily rum on 4 :clap:

I'm stucking with an original MacBook Pro and can't add anymore RAM...which it's gagging for !
 
My MBP has 4 Gb of RAM and works fairly fast. I'd up the memory as suggested.
 
I can't remember what I've got but I bet it is 2 1GB SDRAM, which I guess means I have to throw these out and replace them with two 2gb. Is that right??

I'll check tonight when I get home from work.

What is the best place to get the memory from?
 
Yes, use the crucial website and their online checker will list all the different combinations you can use.

I know you said you don't want to use multiple catalogues... Any reason why?

I typically start a new catalogue every year (with around 30k per year) and after probably Feb have no need to go back to last years (maybe once every month or so).

DB
 
I have just checked and have indeed got two lots of 1gb. Is there any second hand value to the memory I have or is it best to keep it as spare?

Dave, I like a single catalogue as I like to look through my catalogue and see old photos, particularly with the slideshow. I often see an old family snap in a random catalogue and decide to reprocess it for example.

I feel that once I start using a new catalogue it would be a bit like putting the box of photos in the loft, they'll rarely be seen.
 
If Apple fitted 1 x 2Gb your computer would have been slower as the computer would run on a single memory channel. There is a small market for 2x1Gb matched pairs as lots of machines were made with 1Gb (2x512Mb) but as has been said not much of one. They are the kind of thing that might be worth £10 inc postage
 
I would keep the old ones incase you need to take your machine back to Apple for warranty?
 
The database used in LR is a little cumbersome and the bigger it gets the slower it becomes, I know people who have re-written the code to help but the best solution is a new catalogue (as in multi ) & a yearly one is a good suggestion. Hopefully LR3 will be better
 
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