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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > RAM Frequently Asked Questions

RAM Frequently Asked Questions (Page 4)
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outthere
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Dec 16, 2007, 07:53 PM
 
guys,

i wanted to boost my sister's MB (the newest version) so i ordered a 1GB RAM from newegg. thing is that i thought the MB was similar to my MBP and originally had 1X1GB inside (one slot is empty.) but it turned out that the MB has 2X512Mb , which leads to the question: should i replace one of the 512 ones with the 1GB i just bought anyway, or they have to be equally paired (either 2X512 or 2X1GB)?

thanks a lot!
un jour,
     
mduell
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Dec 16, 2007, 09:31 PM
 
Originally Posted by outthere View Post
i wanted to boost my sister's MB (the newest version) so i ordered a 1GB RAM from newegg. thing is that i thought the MB was similar to my MBP and originally had 1X1GB inside (one slot is empty.) but it turned out that the MB has 2X512Mb , which leads to the question: should i replace one of the 512 ones with the 1GB i just bought anyway, or they have to be equally paired (either 2X512 or 2X1GB)?
The MacBooks have always shipped with two modules because it improves performance, particularly for the graphics card. Upgrading to 1GB+512MB will work fine, but it will incur a hit in graphics performance.
     
outthere
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Dec 17, 2007, 12:28 AM
 
thank you, mduell.
i should have opened the thing beforehand
anyway, i'm ordering the second one.
cheers!
un jour,
     
outthere
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Dec 17, 2007, 12:51 AM
 
and one more thing, what are the differences between these two?
is the lower the cas latency the faster the speed?
un jour,
     
Simon
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Dec 17, 2007, 06:45 AM
 
You need the one on the top: 667MHz PC2 5300. The bottom one will not work in your MB.
     
outthere
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Dec 17, 2007, 07:52 PM
 
thank you, Simon.
i didn't know that until now, i just take a look at the MB, and you are right. i already ordered the thing last night but somehow i luckily got the right one, phew heheh
un jour,
     
Simon
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Dec 18, 2007, 04:15 AM
 
You just gotta be lucky sometimes.
     
Dark Goob
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Jan 8, 2008, 02:41 AM
 
I put 2 2GB PQI DIMMS in my MacBook Pro 2.4GHZ, and it runs like a charm. The RAM modules had the same logo as the Apple ones I pulled out of the computer.

I think in general, the cheaper Taiwanese RAM companies like Transcend and PQI are very good. you have to realize that Kingston and Crucial are just re-branding the same RAM that PQI are selling. It's just closer to the source if you get the Taiwanese, that's why it's cheaper -- one less middle man.

-=DG=-
     
M4LFUNCT10N
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Jan 13, 2008, 07:49 PM
 
Am I smoking crack? When did MBP ram drop so much in price? OWC has a 4GB(2x2GB) for $95, plus $20 rebate if you send in your 2GB(2x1GB). So $75... or $107 for the 4GB kit from Crucial. I almost feel like I'm robbing someone at that price. 4GB for under $100?

4.0GB (2GB+2GB Kit) PC2-5300 DDR2 667MHz... (53IM2DDR4GBK) at OWC
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ghporter
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Jan 13, 2008, 08:46 PM
 
No crack. You just have to be on your toes sometimes. RAM prices can be stuck in a rut or really volatile. Which is of course when you need to pay attention on a fairly frequent basis and pounce on deals when they show up. My purchase of 2X2GB for a total of about $70 after rebate is beginning to sound like it's a bit pricey, and that was only about a month ago.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
mduell
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Jan 13, 2008, 08:52 PM
 
Originally Posted by M4LFUNCT10N View Post
Am I smoking crack? When did MBP ram drop so much in price? OWC has a 4GB(2x2GB) for $95, plus $20 rebate if you send in your 2GB(2x1GB). So $75... or $107 for the 4GB kit from Crucial. I almost feel like I'm robbing someone at that price. 4GB for under $100?

4.0GB (2GB+2GB Kit) PC2-5300 DDR2 667MHz... (53IM2DDR4GBK) at OWC
2GB DDR2 SO-DIMM prices cratered about a half year ago; there's currently a huge glut in the DRAM market and a few OEMs are going to move their laptops to 2x2GB base this quarter.
Newegg has 2x2GB for $70 with no exchange/rebate nonsense (save another $5 if you want to do a mail-in rebate), so you can keep your 2x1GB or eBay it or make keychains out of it or whatever.
     
Simon
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Jan 14, 2008, 03:50 AM
 
Originally Posted by M4LFUNCT10N View Post
Am I smoking crack? When did MBP ram drop so much in price? OWC has a 4GB(2x2GB) for $95, plus $20 rebate if you send in your 2GB(2x1GB). So $75... or $107 for the 4GB kit from Crucial. I almost feel like I'm robbing someone at that price. 4GB for under $100?
Nope. It's just a great time to buy RAM right now.

I managed to find 2x2GB Kingston SO-DIMM for $90 in Europe. Now I just need to find out how to make earrings out of those 1 GB sticks.
     
iChelle
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Jan 18, 2008, 12:59 AM
 
hi guys,
just stopped by macworld today and could not resist stopping by to pick up some RAM at the OWC booth. i got a 4gb pair for $85. i just installed it and now my macbook pro is screaming. just wondering if anyone has gotten RAM from OWC and if it's reliable/compatible?
lmk,
m
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Simon
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Jan 18, 2008, 04:32 AM
 
OWC has a very good reputation. They're not the cheapest, but quality is just fine. Enjoy your loaded MBP.
     
iChelle
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Jan 18, 2008, 10:25 AM
 
hey simon thanks!
after loading it up last night, i tried to use as many apps as i could and run iTunes in the background. no skips, no blips, no nothing. it's solid! and super fast! i love it!!! go macworld!!!
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IonCable
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Jan 21, 2008, 02:47 PM
 
Originally Posted by mduell View Post
The MacBooks have always shipped with two modules because it improves performance, particularly for the graphics card. Upgrading to 1GB+512MB will work fine, but it will incur a hit in graphics performance.
Not totally true. I have a MacBook Pro 2.16 GHZ Core 2 Dual with 1GB DDR2 667 MHZ ram in 1 slot and the other empty. Got it from Apple.
"This is fun, right?"
     
dmo
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Jan 22, 2008, 02:03 PM
 
I'm happy with my purchases.
     
macfantn
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Jan 30, 2008, 11:12 AM
 
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macfantn
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Jan 30, 2008, 12:43 PM
 
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MacosNerd
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Jan 30, 2008, 02:12 PM
 
I prefer either crucial or OWC.
I'm a big believer in that you get what you pay for and while I don't want to pay apple prices for thier memory. Crucial and OWC offer high quality ram with a lifetime guarantee and top notch support.
     
macfantn
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Jan 30, 2008, 02:23 PM
 
installing ram in a new macbook should be a no brainer right? i've never done it before.
"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later"
     
MacosNerd
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Jan 30, 2008, 02:47 PM
 
Yes no brainer, very easy. Just don't rush things or force the modules in place. Just take your time and everything will be fine..
     
macfantn
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Jan 30, 2008, 03:29 PM
 
upping from 1gb to 2gb will i notice a HUGE difference?
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MacosNerd
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Jan 30, 2008, 03:43 PM
 
Personally I'd max it out to 4 gig (provided you MB can handle 4gig). I think 2 gig, you'll see a nice bump in performance. Will it be huge, hard to say, since i don't know what your using it for. For me I found that my MBP swaps out a lot less with 4 gig. I found with 2 gig, running fusion, photoshop and/or Aperture the MBP did bog down a bit. Not so with 4 gig
     
Bearsfan34
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Jan 30, 2008, 04:41 PM
 
In my experience, Crucial.com has been tops in the RAM upgrade department. I'm surprised to see that as of today, the same RAM I got for my new MacBook (2GB) is actually a few bucks cheaper over at OWC, where other computer parts have been way overpriced in the past (in my experience).

The 4GB set of RAM for a new MacBook is actually $30 bucks cheaper at OWC than it is at Crucial, which really surprised me. Looks like I'll start frequenting OWC a little more often.
-Core i5 MacBook Pro, 500GB HDD, 4GB RAM; iBook G4 1.2GHz, 1.25GB RAM
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macfantn
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Jan 30, 2008, 04:52 PM
 
i do have the latest macbook so it can handle 4gb of ram i may do that.
"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later"
     
acorder
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Feb 9, 2008, 07:24 PM
 
I know this has been addressed in various ways with various machines, but let me propose a situation:

I've just purchased a PBG4 1.5GHz off of eBay with 512 MB of RAM. I'm going to upgrade the memory; how much difference am I going to see between adding another 512MB stick or adding a 1GB stick for a total of 1.5GB?

Thanks for answering yet another "How much gooder I's gonna get?" question.
     
mduell
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Feb 9, 2008, 08:23 PM
 
A lot; 512MB is really the bare minimum for Tiger or Leopard.
     
Simon
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Feb 10, 2008, 05:24 AM
 
Originally Posted by acorder View Post
I've just purchased a PBG4 1.5GHz off of eBay with 512 MB of RAM. I'm going to upgrade the memory; how much difference am I going to see between adding another 512MB stick or adding a 1GB stick for a total of 1.5GB?
If you're going to use it for more than web and mail you'll need 1.5GB. On Leopard even more so than on Tiger. Forget Office on Leopard with less than 1.5GB. Going from 512MB to 1.5GB will be a very noticeable difference.
     
acorder
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Feb 11, 2008, 06:11 PM
 
Awesome. Thanks guys, for confirming what I figured. Newegg will be getting my business soon...
     
kamina
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Feb 16, 2008, 11:48 AM
 
Originally Posted by Dark Goob View Post
I put 2 2GB PQI DIMMS in my MacBook Pro 2.4GHZ, and it runs like a charm. The RAM modules had the same logo as the Apple ones I pulled out of the computer.

I think in general, the cheaper Taiwanese RAM companies like Transcend and PQI are very good. you have to realize that Kingston and Crucial are just re-branding the same RAM that PQI are selling. It's just closer to the source if you get the Taiwanese, that's why it's cheaper -- one less middle man.

-=DG=-
Transcend and PQI have made good memory in the past, but also crappy stuff (only used their desktop memory). On the other hand Kingston and Crucial have been more consistent. They will all use similar memory chips, but Kingston and Crucial design their own PCB's.

If the memory works, it works... I don't think I would pay a lot of extra for any of these brands over the other. I got Kingston "Apple certified" memory for about 10% more then the cheapest other memory cost, so I did not think it was a big issue. If the difference was big I would just try the cheaper one (but make sure I can return in case of a problem).
     
JamesRedwood
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Feb 23, 2008, 07:55 AM
 
My machine is 2 years old.

Its the 1.8.2 white macbook.

Officially the answer is no - However has anyone tried ? Does it work?

I think there were not 2GB sticks back in those days
     
analogika
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Feb 23, 2008, 08:00 AM
 
The main logic board will not recognize more than 2GB TOTAL.
     
Simon
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Feb 23, 2008, 01:08 PM
 
Originally Posted by JamesRedwood View Post
My machine is 2 years old.
Its the 1.8.2 white macbook.
Please take a look at this thread. If yours is a 1.83 GHz CD MacBook 2GB is the maximum.
     
TravisReynolds
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Mar 3, 2008, 02:32 AM
 
look at this video, its a good overview on what ram to choose

Ram
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nspire
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Mar 22, 2008, 11:48 AM
 
Hey guys,

I'm planning on purchasing a MBP and was wondering if anyone has any RAM recommendations from other vendors. I am definitely going to get the 4gb, but $400 for the extra 2gb of ram is quite alot from Apple.

Many thanks!
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cms
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Mar 22, 2008, 11:57 AM
 
Crucial is your friend. clicky
     
chabig
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Mar 22, 2008, 12:02 PM
 
I'd go to newegg.com. Crucial is always very expensive.
     
nspire
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Mar 22, 2008, 12:15 PM
 
Thanks for the quick replies guys!
Question: If I want the 4GB of RAM from non-apple vendors, I would still have to purchase the base 2gb apple ram. And after that, remove the Apple ram and slap in the new 2x2gb sticks?

Can I request Apple to place in 1x2GB stick instead of 2x1GB sticks?

As per cms's crucial recommendation,
Computer memory upgrades for Apple MacBook Pro 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (15.4-inch) Laptop/Notebook from Crucial.com\

Is that $103/GB, or $103 for 2x2GB?
Thanks!
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cms
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Mar 22, 2008, 12:34 PM
 
Apple's standard config is 2 x 1GB, so no, they won't give you 1 x 2 GB instead.

Crucial's price of $103 is for 2 x 2 GB. I don't think that's expensive, myself. But how does newegg compare, Chabig?
     
CheesePuff
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Mar 22, 2008, 12:54 PM
 
Originally Posted by cms View Post
Apple's standard config is 2 x 1GB, so no, they won't give you 1 x 2 GB instead.

Crucial's price of $103 is for 2 x 2 GB. I don't think that's expensive, myself. But how does newegg compare, Chabig?
$68 shipped for 4 GB from NewEgg, just bought it last week.
     
cms
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Mar 22, 2008, 01:09 PM
 
That seems amazingly cheap. Here in the UK, Crucial sells 4 GB for £62.00 shipped, which is about $122. So Newegg's price seems very attractive. How is the quality? Do the Newegg modules carry a life-time warranty like Crucial RAM?
     
chabig
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Mar 22, 2008, 01:20 PM
 
$103 from Crucial is a great deal. That kit is all you need to go to 4MB. Go ffor it!
     
mduell
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Mar 22, 2008, 02:00 PM
 
Crucial is good memory for $104, but if that's too pricey for you, 2x2GB Transcend at Newegg for $65 is another option.
     
brassplayersrock²
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Mar 22, 2008, 02:18 PM
 
Originally Posted by chabig View Post
$103 from Crucial is a great deal. That kit is all you need to go to 4MB. Go ffor it!
???
     
chabig
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Mar 22, 2008, 02:19 PM
 
mduell, good find! I looked at NewEgg but missed that one. If it were me, I'd get the $65 NewEgg RAM instead of the more expensive Crucial RAM.

Chris
     
CheesePuff
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Mar 22, 2008, 03:44 PM
 
My $68 NewEgg no name RAM worked perfectly and has a life time warranty.
     
nspire
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Mar 22, 2008, 04:29 PM
 
Wow, even cheaper than $100.
Good find, and thanks.

So Apple's $400 upgrade is definitely off the list.
I might even consider getting the upgraded 15" now Sweet.

Also, I am mainly going to be using it for Design purposes.
Does the 256mb/512mb vid card make a difference?

Cheers
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mduell
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Mar 22, 2008, 07:12 PM
 
Originally Posted by nspire View Post
Also, I am mainly going to be using it for Design purposes.
Does the 256mb/512mb vid card make a difference?
Probably not. The 512 (and even the 256 over the 128) is really only useful if you need to store lots of large textures in VRAM; otherwise the performance of the 8600M just doesn't justify it.
     
HazMacFan
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Mar 23, 2008, 11:06 AM
 
Almost pulled the trigger just now but its out-of-stock. Signed-up for them to email mail me when it gets available :-(
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