Which memory upgrade gives a faster Mac Mini?

A friend is upgrading a 2007 Mac Mini with 1GB of RAM.

This model can support up to 4GB or RAM installed, but will only use a maximum of 3GB. So, his options are to install 2 x 1GB, 2 x 2GB, or 1 x 1GB + 1 x 2GB DIMMS.

I see notes saying matched memory is faster. It's hard for me to believe that having 2GB matched would be better that 3GB when running Lion. But does 2 x 2GB count as "matched" in this case? Has anyone ever actually tested?

The difference in speed between matched/unmatched pairs will be completely negligible vs having more RAM.

Tell your friend to get as much as he can. 3 > 2 always :)

I haven't tested that particular case, but I have played with a Mac Pro (that offers eight memory slots) and although I have them in the "best possible scenario", when I didn't (for a while I was testing a different "less optimal" setup), I couldn't really notice the difference…

I recommend you head over to Crucial and fill the fields to find the type of memory you can install. They have a decent model/type database and tips to obtain the best combination.

But again, I recommend > memory rather than worrying about memory performance. More is better :)