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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > Mid-2010 2.4GHz C2D 13" MBP - RAM options

Mid-2010 2.4GHz C2D 13" MBP - RAM options
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shifuimam
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May 20, 2016, 01:45 AM
 
Buddy gave me a 13" MacBook Pro he brought back from the dead. It's pretty sweet, and who am I to say no to a free computer? Originally it was presumed dead, but he discovered swapping the DC-in board resurrected it. Whoo!

One little problem - he mentioned to me that this particular machine has had a history of being touchy about RAM. I stuck a 2x4GB kit in, and it got stuck about 50% through the boot process and hung. If I booted in verbose mode, it would hang and then automatically restart.

Putting the original RAM back in (2x2GB) allowed it to boot normally.

The RAM I put in was this stuff. The "About this Mac" app says this machine takes 1067MHz RAM, whereas the stuff I installed was 1333MHz. Do I need 1067MHz RAM in order for it to boot?

Also - EveryMac states that this model can take up to 2x8GB for a total of 16GB RAM. This is one kit that is supposed to work (mine has the latest EFI update and is running El Capitan). Anyone have experience with this?

Thanks!
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P
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May 20, 2016, 03:39 AM
 
When that happens, it is usually about the latency ratings. The way the standard works is that the DIMM advertises the top clockspeed that it is works at and the latency at that speed, and then lower clocks and their related latencies (better than the latency at the top clock). The trick is that if a DIMM is rated at latency X-X-X at 1333 MHz effective and the next entry is Y-Y-Y at 800 MHz effective, the memory controller should read that and figure out that it needs to use X-X-X latencies at 1066 MHz. I have no personal experience with that model, but perhaps the nVidia controller fails to follow the standard? If so, using 1066 MHz DIMMs might help.

IME, EveryMac's RAM ceiling ratings are to be trusted.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
Waragainstsleep
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May 20, 2016, 07:23 AM
 
The 1067MHz MBPs do not like 1333MHz RAM. Even when you pull it from newer MBPs. Get the right stuff and you'll be fine.
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P
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May 20, 2016, 07:47 AM
 
Some googling reveals that nVidia can't make a memory controller that follows specs, so you need DIMMs that specify latencies at 1066MHz exactly. And they need to be matched. Only way to be sure to get that is to get a matched set of memory rated at 1066MHz.

I guess it makes sense, the 320M in the 13" MBP was Apple only, IIRC. Intel cut off third party chipsets when they moved the northbridge into the CPU with the Lynnfield and Sandy Bridge generations.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
shifuimam  (op)
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May 20, 2016, 02:32 PM
 
Thanks for the info, guys!

I'm probably going to pick up a 2x4GB 1067MHz kit and see how it works. The guy who gave me this machine told me it had belonged to a coworker before it appeared to have died, and in the time it was in use it had problems with more than 6GB RAM...and with 6GB RAM it required frequent PMU resets.

Makes me wonder if it was just slightly incompatible RAM or if the motherboard actually has a defect. If it's the latter, I'll probably stick with the RAM that is working. If it was a matter of his company using the wrong RAM, I might get lucky with the right kit. We'll see.

Also, to be certain I'm going the right direction - OWC's site and P's comments suggest 1066MHz; the "About this Mac" app says 1067MHz. Sounds like I need 1066MHz specifically, right?

I did notice some random problems with it since I've been using it for a couple days. Once, no apps would load (generic error message when I tried to launch Facebook's Messenger app as well as a System Preferences pane). Finder has crashed a couple times in a manner that required a hard reboot. I'll find a copy of ASD for this model and make sure all the hardware is up to par, just in case it's something simple like a bum hard drive.
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Spheric Harlot
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May 20, 2016, 02:52 PM
 
KVR is Kingston ValueRAM. That won't work reliably in Macs - you need their higher-priced lower-tolerance stuff, which is explicitly certified to work in Macs (and warranteed to do so for lifetime).

Yes, I know this from experience and direct communication with their warranty department. My early 2011 13" developed some really really strange voodoo - kept throwing up subtle disk errors - until I replaced the RAM.

That machine should take 16 GB.
     
reader50
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May 20, 2016, 04:36 PM
 
Having 6 GB in it indicates they used unmatched pairs. Do we even know if the sticks were from the same product line?
     
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May 21, 2016, 08:07 AM
 
1066 = 1067 Mhz in this case. It is just a question of rounding errors (and the actual clockspeed will be at least +-5MHz anyway).

6 GB RAM means unmatched sticks yes, which would be a source of errors if the memory controller is as flaky as it seems to be.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
shifuimam  (op)
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May 21, 2016, 10:50 PM
 
I'm not sure about the RAM config previously attempted, since it wasn't my machine (and the guy who gave it to me doesn't remember those details). It's got a matched pair of 2GB DIMMs right now.

I'm thinking about this stuff. I've messaged the seller to see if it's OEM or retail product, since OEM means no lifetime warranty. If it's OEM, I'm assuming Crucial will definitely work.
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Waragainstsleep
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May 24, 2016, 07:25 PM
 
The KTA Kingston modules work fine. I had a pair in my 2008 MBP for many years after determining the previous incorrect pair were flaky.
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