RAM in mac pro 3,1

Hi,


I want to get more ram in my system. I don't think 4 gb is enough. I would like 16GB.

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/112861377833?hash=item1a470ff529:g:kz0AAOSwVWFapOOu

I found this, and it seems to match the specs that my mac needs. I messaged the seller and he claims that it is fully buffered and ECC. The only thing is that it isn't specified for mac. I have read conflicting things on this topic. Does anyone know if it will work?

Mac Pro, OS X 10.11

Posted on Apr 22, 2021 2:33 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Apr 23, 2021 6:02 AM

The answer of mine you quoted is correct.


You asked if you could use RAM meant for a PC. That can only be interpreted as RAM for a PC (99.999% of people would assume PC means a Windows computer) is somehow different from RAM made for a Mac. It isn't. All RAM performs the same basic function.


What is different is getting RAM that is designed for your computer's hardware. It doesn't matter what OS it's running, the RAM has to be the correct specification for the system board it's going to be in.


You can often get different RAM and as long as the specs are close enough, it will still work. Such as if you purchase RAM that is faster than the system board's specs. It will work, but will only run as fast as the board is designed for.


You can't do this with a 3,1 Mac. It needs those heat sinks. RAM that has specs that would otherwise work, but doesn't have the sinks will overheat.

8 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Apr 23, 2021 6:02 AM in response to The-mac-gu

The answer of mine you quoted is correct.


You asked if you could use RAM meant for a PC. That can only be interpreted as RAM for a PC (99.999% of people would assume PC means a Windows computer) is somehow different from RAM made for a Mac. It isn't. All RAM performs the same basic function.


What is different is getting RAM that is designed for your computer's hardware. It doesn't matter what OS it's running, the RAM has to be the correct specification for the system board it's going to be in.


You can often get different RAM and as long as the specs are close enough, it will still work. Such as if you purchase RAM that is faster than the system board's specs. It will work, but will only run as fast as the board is designed for.


You can't do this with a 3,1 Mac. It needs those heat sinks. RAM that has specs that would otherwise work, but doesn't have the sinks will overheat.

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RAM in mac pro 3,1

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