upgrading RAM on mid 2012 Macbook Pro 13"

I have the same MacBook Pro 2012 upgraded with 500gb SSD and 16gb ram.

Works great now. Performance is awesome.

As long as you have an SSD, 8gb of ram is fine. 16gb. Is just max.

but ram is cheap right now so might as well put 16gb in your MacBook

while you have it open. I also suggest you put a new battery in if cycle count is over 1000.

So with a NEW SSD 500gb or more, 16gb ram and New battery you should be set for another 5 years of

reliable mobile computing.

I used “Crucial brand” memory and SSD. From Amazon.com

Newertech brand battery from OWC.com

500gb SSD - $65 - Crucial BX500

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-BX500-240GB-2-5-Inch-Internal/dp/B07G3KRVWP/ref=pd_sbs_504_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07G3KRZBX&pd_rd_r=29e0f6da-26a1-11e9-af28-13b30478bfa1&pd_rd_w=UG0VX&pd_rd_wg=85g1S&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=6WJW1AA8CT9K5KXFFX3M&refRID=6WJW1AA8CT9K5KXFFX3M&th=1

16gb ram - $99 - Crucial 16GB Kit (8GBx2) DDR3/DDR3L 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) SODIMM 204-Pin Memory For Mac - CT2K8G3S160BM

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-PC3-12800-SODIMM-204-Pin-Memory/dp/B008LTBJFW/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1549080426&sr=8-7&keywords=macbook+pro+13+ram+16gb

Battery - $98

https://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/BAP13MBU65V/

toolkit - $13

https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Screwdriver-Magnetic-Professional-Smartphone/dp/B06XCVFV7M/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1549080812&sr=8-8&keywords=macbook+pro+toolkit

SSD adapter for performing backup - $11

https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-SATA-Drive-Adapter-Cable/dp/B00HJZJI84/ref=pd_bxgy_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00HJZJI84&pd_rd_r=34651333-26a1-11e9-b0de-212d94c64fa6&pd_rd_w=xWmXM&pd_rd_wg=tqevU&pf_rd_p=3f9889ac-6c45-46e8-b515-3af650557207&pf_rd_r=3RZRQWY215K4BYYQYQ0Y&psc=1&refRID=3RZRQWY215K4BYYQYQ0Y

So for about $300 you can perform a 2018 hardware refresh on your old MacBook Pro and have perform 10x better than NEW.

This is enough SSD disk space to create (2) 250gb partitions and use boot camp to dual boot OSX and Win-10

Win-10 performs great on his MacBook too.

You can spend a few months doing research to determine exactly what RAM specifications need to be followed.

OR -- you can buy from a mac-centric vendor who is already an expert at what works and does not work in your mac, and promises:

"It works in your Mac,

or your money back."

The two US Vendors already suggested meet those criteria. If you are not in the US, reply with what markets you can buy from.

Your Mac can take up to 16GB RAM

https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/apple/memory/

To add to leroy's excellent response, Apple never changes its specs once written. Even if newer, compatible RAM modules become available, Apple sticks with its recommendations. That goes back a long way. We had a 1994 PowerMac that Apple said could only us 72MB RAM but it was no problem to achieve and use 136MB.

Many of us use OWC (the link leroy provided) for RAM because they primarily cater to the Mac market and test what they sell in Macs. If you try to do the 16GB thing, not just any electronics store RAM may make it.

You CAN run mismatched DIMMs on those MacBooks if you wish. Each slot will accept up to an 8GB DIMM.

There is a performance penalty for mismatched sizes. But it is very small, and you will never notice it in normal use.

<< 2012 Macbook Pro >>

Not to dampen all the enthusiasm surrounding this thread— the tech specs have not been publicly released for the next macOS 10.15—one thing to consider is the 2012 with its limited Metal capable GPU support ( the cut off for having the ability to even run the Mojave, )

there is a growing understanding that this macOS 10.14.x Mojave is the end of the line for upgrading the 2012 MacBook Pro's OS.

In that light, limited by the hardware, your 2012 rapidly loses some appeal if staying current is of value to you. Maybe not an issue for some.

It never pays to get too far behind in the hardware or software, as painful as it might be.

Yeah, I stopped updated the OS at Sierra. Actually I should have stopped at El Capitan. I don’t care for allot of the new features in OSX. If I want to use Siri I will use my iPhone. I think all these NEW features have just slowed down the operating system.

I am not editing video or authoring music so I don’t need allot of these features. I just use my Macbooks for surfing the internet and iWork suite. But I do think you can still get another 5 years of use out of the 2012 MacBook Pro.

My Macintosh color classic can still access the internet with only 8mb. Of ram.

Not everyone wants to edit videos and create music.

I'm not real savvy in tech so I rely on what support says. Have you actually upgraded a model 9,2 mid 2012 13" non-retina to 16GB?

Yes, I do not know how else to say it. Both the 15" and 13" support 16 GB of RAM. Back in 2012 when your machine was new they where not even making 16GB sticks to test—we have come a long way.

Surely you followed the link above—

If in doubt MacSales has excellent customer support. They are not going to sell you some thing that will not work.

A trusted vendor of all things Mac.

You can scan your own computer using the Crucial  scanner tool for maximum memory for your machine, if you are still in doubt. http://www.crucial.com/usa/en

installed RAM voltage is 1.5v or 1.35v. Or does my system only operate at 1.5v regardless if i use DDR3 versus DDR3L.

https://eshop.macsales.com/Service/