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2.26 or 2.4 GHz / White plastic unibody enclosure

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Bought MacBook Unibody A1342, want to upgrade RAM and Processor Speed.

Hello,

I'm considering buying a late 2009 MacBook Unibody (White). It comes with 2x1 RAM cards and a 2.26 ghz processor. I have heard from other sources that this MacBook is capable of handling 8 gb of RAM (4x2). Is this true?

I have already decided to upgrade the hard drive, but also would like to know whether it is possible to upgrade my processor. I would prefer to replace the current 2.26 ghz with 2.4. Is this a possibility?

Thank You in advance,

Cooper Chatham

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The Late 2009 (2.26GHz) and Mid 2010 (2.4GHz) A1342 Unibody MacBooks use the same motherboard design, so you could swap in a later logic board:

MacBook Unibody (A1342) 2.4 GHz Logic Board

MacBook Unibody Model A1342 Logic Board Replacement

...but the cost of the swap will probably run you more than the price you're likely to pay for the slower MacBook, unless the seller of the 2.26 is giving you a really low price. If you really want a 2.4GHz processor, you're better off buying a MacBook that's already got one; other benefits of the later generation is a faster graphics chip (NVidia GeForce 320M, an upgrade from the previous NVidia GeForce 9400M).

Unless you're doing very CPU-intensive things (gaming, video editing), a small difference in CPU speed isn't likely to make much difference in your day-to-day experience. You'll get a far bigger and more noticeable difference from adding RAM and boosting the speed of your storage device (5400 platter drive to 7200 platter drive, platter hard drive of any speed to solid state/platter SSHD hybrid, platter drives of any type to SSD).

MacBook Unibody (A1342) 2.4 GHz Logic Board Image

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MacBook Unibody (A1342) 2.4 GHz Logic Board

$49.99

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That model will take up to 8 gb of RAM:

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/ma...

The processor is, as far as I know, soldered in place and not replaceable.

Update (03/03/2016)

I have 2 of the 2010 version, and 2 of the 2009 version of the A1342. (Macbook7,1 and Macbook6,1 respectively).

The 7,1s are both running 16 gb of RAM, and the the 6,1's can only take 8 gb. (I tried 16 in all of them. :) They also all have SSDs and I recommend them in any case, regardless or the RAM.

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Your money would be better spent buying a SSD. This will give you the most noticeable speed boost more than any other mod.

I brought an old 2007 iMac and put in a 128GB SSD and the speed now feels comparable to my i5 desktop for every day stuff (web browsing, documents, music and even xcode dev) this is also on OSX Yosemite (I could prob make performance even better if I disabled all the blur effects).

Sure if you want something for video/photo editing you would be better off buying a faster machine.

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4gb to 16 gb ram and a ssd disk can give noticeable gpu boost or nothing?

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3 Comments:

Depending on your model you will likely not be able to go to 16 GB of RAM (3/4 GB is about the limit on many of the older MacBooks).

Yes, replacing your HD to a SSD can improve the speed of loading files, but it won't improve the graphics.

Lastly, the CPU & GPU chips are soldered in in the Apple laptops so you can't really upgrade them.

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Dan's exactly right, but to expand on the RAM issue: MacTracker lists 16GB as an option only only the A1342 Mid 2010 MacBook Unibody (MacBook7,1), not on the Late 2009 (MacBook6,1). OWC lists the same. A1278 MacBooks (2008 aluminum) and A1342 Late 2009 MacBook Unibodys can take 8GB; earlier A1181 pre-Unibody MacBooks with removable batteries range from 2 to 6GB, depending on the generation. Check MacTracker, EveryMac or OWC before buying stuff - their information is reliable, and you don't want to waste your money.

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In have 8gb ram and a SSD, in my book. a lot longer batteri life, less heat, faster mac. so for me it was vell worth it to upgrade insted just bying a brand new macbook.

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Cooper Chatham will be eternally grateful.
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