My first intuition was to find a code from the bottom of the laptop, but the text has mostly worn out. In the hardware tab I did confirm that it's Macbook 2,1, with 2.0 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. However, that refers to
at least two models, one 2006 and one 2007. OWC offers the same memory product for both, so making the distinction doesn't seem that crucial in this case. I had trouble distinguishing what the difference between those two is, I just notice that they have different optical drives. The drive I have has a big label on it that contains the word "super" which I assume to refer to super drive, and that would make it the 2006 model. I photographed the internals when I opened up the laptop to remove any dust buildup and renew the thermal paste while I was at it.
There should still be a serial label located on the underside of the topcase (the piece which has the keyboard), which can be seen from the underside once the battery is removed. If this isn’t there any longer, it’s possible the topcase was sourced as an aftermarket piece. It shouldn’t be worn out at all. The machine serial, along with the Ethernet and AirPort MAC addresses, should be located there. This serial can then be plugged into that reference link above to give you every single particular specifics to your MacBook.
I thought about it, but then I wondered if it would be a good idea; Bad RAM is a thing too, and with used RAM, I would have less of a guarantee of it being fine. The laptop was good when I booted it up the first time to check on the existing OS, moved some stuff around, connected to the internet and
Used memory tends to be fine, and for these older systems, I generally look for people locally who are getting rid of theirs.
One important note, however, about adding or upgrading RAM for A1181 MacBooks like yours: unlike the immediate PowerBook predecessors (which also used PC2 SO-DIMMs), the MacBooks are much more finicky about RAM which will work in them. If using, for example, RAM whose rated speed is
faster than what your Mac calls for, it won’t work (for example, a late ’06 model needs PC2-5300 667MHz, and will not POST correctly if one tries to add PC2-6400 800MHz SO-DIMMs from the A1181 models of ’09).
And yes, you can add 4GB of RAM to this Mac, but for reasons relating to how these Intel systems managed memory in the early MacBooks (the Merom CPUs), your system
will only be able to use 3GB of it. Getting a 2GB and a 1GB of the same speed rating is one way to do this, but if you find a pair of matched 2GB sticks for cheap, those will work just as well.
so on – perfectly responsive and normal. But when I wiped the HD and did a clean install, I was faced with a machine that freezes frequently before I get to really do anything, probably more when WiFi, ethernet or Bluetooth is enabled. I finally managed to install a combo update by moving the file to it on a USB stick because it just wouldn't connect to my local server (to get the file) without freezing. So I'm also thinking that it might need a new hard drive by now.
It’s probably a good idea anyhow to replace a fifteen-year-old HDD, especially if you’re planning to use it often. These days, one can pick up a
SATA 2.5-inch SSD or m.2 SATA SSD, plus an adapter (to use that m.2 SATA in a 2.5-inch SATA form factor), for nearly the same price as a new HDD, and an SSD replacement will both respond more quickly (much faster boot times and general system performance) and also be more durable over time.
But all this troubleshooting is easier if I can be certain that I'm not replacing old parts with used parts that also have wear. On a quick look, I also couldn't see any such RAM modules for sale second hand, so if I had to buy used from overseas, I probably wouldn't save much if I just got them new from OWC.
Skip OWC and their steep brand markup, unless you enjoy throwing a lot of money at comparable quality parts which can be had for a lot less elsewhere. This also goes for SSDs.
Thank you! It's not a big price difference, I just wasn't sure what to prioritize.
Start with the HDD-to-SSD upgrade, then turn your focus to the RAM. 1GB is ample enough to get Snow Leopard up and running. For Lion, you’ll need more.
