Memory Upgarde for 2010 MacMini

Again as it was suggested above, this is likely caused by poorly seated memory. When you insert the RAM chip, make sure you get the right angle and you should barely see the pins when fully inserted, then take them down and you'll hear a "click". I noticed on mine that the "click" was not very noticeable on the top slot.

I can't believe it's because of seating the memory right. It looks exactly the same when putting in the original RAM (which always works) and the other types (used 2 different brands so far) never work (in slot 0).

Must have tried more then 20 times right now, and always with an original one in slot 0 it works, regardless of what's in slot 1.

Since most people have this scenario, I don't think 'faulty slot' or 'bad' RAM is the case. I heard some people say apple is very finicky with RAM and certain brands won't work. But, why would they not recommend on their website which exact modules to take. Luckely my local shop is kind enough to let me go through their different brands and types, so I'm going to try a 3rd kind (first 2 where some local asian brands).

I have Mid 2010 Mac Mini (4.1) 2.4 GHz.

- I had to reset PRAM/NVRAM before insert new memory

- I inserted Kingston memory KTA-MB1066K2/8G

Now, evrything is fine ! My Mac has picked up significantly.

Thank you all !

I bought some Samsung RAM via OWC and put it in and works instantly.. no PRAM/NVRAM ressetting or trying to reseat. Asked some other knowledgable people and they said certain brands (types) just don't work so stable in Apple. They're not necessary bad RAM (should work in most pc's) but apple must do something different?

Apparently Kingston works, but some of their budget range doesn't always. Anyways... so far cruising pretty smoothly on 8GB...

MacValley,

Took you advice, reset the PRAM and my beeping Kingston 4gB RAM sticks then went in without a fuss. Great

help and advice. Thanks for taking the time to post this solution. I was ready to tose the whole thing out the window.

WDW

Hi All,

I just experienced the same problem with a Kingston 8GB upgrade kit; with one of 4GB sodimms in the tricky slot just beeps on boot. I returned the Kingston memory (sourced on Amazon) and replaced with 2x 4GB Crucial DDR3 PC3 8500 CL7 sourced from the Crucial website in the UK and it works no problem.

Don't waste time resetting the smc/pram etc as if you get the beeps you've either not seated the memory correctly or you've got incompatible sticks; send them back and try another brand from a reputable source.

[SMC reset: pull out the mains lead, plug it back in and hold power for 5 seconds.]

[PRAM reset: hold down cmd+alt+p+r during boot]

Hope this helps someone save a few hours...

Hi all

Found this thread on my first attempt of installing my new 2 x 4GB chips into my mid-2011 MM. Took out old 2x 1GB and installed both new chips just to get the dreaded three beeps.

Second try, ran just one 4GB chip in the 0 slot. booted and reporter 4gb just fine

Third try, whacked the other 4GB chip into the 1 slot. booted - all sweet.

Just thought I would add my experience. Installed Kingston 2 x 4GB chips into my mid-2010 Mac Mini. Got the same beeps. Put the old 2 x 1GB chips back in.

Found this thread and performed the PRAM/NVRAM reset while booting with the 2 x 1GB chips (don't know if I should have had the 2 x 4GB chips in for this reset, but this is how I did it). After starting up successfully I shut down and installed the 2 x 4GB chips again.

On starting up, I didn't get the beeps. I made it to the white boot screen but instead of the Apple icon I had a "Universal No" sign (circle with diagonal slash through it). I left it for a few minutes to see if anything more would happen, but it didn't. I shut down.

Then I followed iphoner82's advice immediately above, and installed just 1 x 4GB in slot 0 (the lower slot, for those like me who didn't know). Restarted and the Mini booted fine and recognized the 1 x 4GB in slot 0. Shut down.

Still following iphoner82, I then added my other 1 x 4GB in slot 1. Restarted, booted fine and the Mini now recognizes both 2 x 4GB. Thanks to all contributors.

IMHO it is the clock speed that seems to make the difference, not the manufacturer.

Carl V. what speed did your Kingston 2 x 4GB chips state on the outside ? I'm guessing 1066Mhz or CL7 timing.

You were following iphoner82 but he reportedly has a 2011 MacMini not 2010 as yourself!

So I think we have 2 or 3 sets of problems here, one requiring a PRAM/NVRAM reset and the other, incompatible modules. In addition, some people might also be seating them wrong. 3 different causes ... same result: beep-beep-beep 🙂

In my case, I've tried the Crucial DDR3 2 x 4GB 1333(PC3 1600) (as per label on the chip itself in my 2010 Mac Mini.

However, they were mislabelled by the manufacturer on the box as "CRUCIAL 4GB DDR3 1066 MT/S 204PIN" and sold by Futureshop here in Canada as compatible with Mac (sure, the 2011 and newer Macs will probably work with that), but the 2010 models do NOT work in pairs. Just in combination with the existing 1 or 2GB modules or just 1 module in the bottom slot (top slot refused to work for me, opposite of what some people here found. "bottom slot" defined as BANK 0 or the lower one when you look at the bottom case of the Mac Mini from the above, ie. the Mac Mini flipped on its head.

Hey guys, I've got more salt to the open wounds.

Attempted installing 8GB Corsair on a 2GB Mac Mini Mid 2010. These are the memory sticks in front of me:

1 1GB Samsung which came on the lower slot, let's call it A.

1 1GB Samsung which came on the upper slot, let's call it B.

1 Corsair 4GB freshly purchased, let's call it C.

1 Corsair 4GB freshly purchased, exactly the same model as C, and came in the same package as C, let's call it D.

All of these memory sticks are tested and work. Firmware is at it's latest update, so is the OS. I have reset the SMC, PRAM, NVRAM, and held the On-button while plugging in the power cord, and any and all combinations of keys (although none of them worked, since the computer apparently can't produce screen picture without having a memory stick in it). I have tried each successful scenario in this and other even remotely relevant threads I could find among the first 50 hits from google on several search term keyword sets.

I have tried several combinations of stick combinations and actions between inserting sticks during the past 6 hours, only to find out that I am about to go insane with rage and foul language. I would greatly appreciate if I could get technical answers as to why each and every of the following facts are found to be true:

Fact 1: several people have succeeded AND recommended installing C/D type sticks on Mac Mini Mid 2010. I have not succeeded installing both C and D at the same time, because when I do, I get the "no RAM" beep.

Fact 2: memory stick A will always work on the lower slot, alone or not. If I replace it with the memory stick B alone, there will be a single beep each 5 seconds (the "no RAM" beep) - memory stick B has not successfully worked alone on the lower slot at any time, in combination with any other memory stick on the upper slot.

Fact 3: memory sticks A and B have exactly the same circuit layout, exactly the same model number, except for the last cipher. Also, the material of the circuit board is lighter green (towards yellow) on A, than on B, which is just a plain green.

Fact 4: memory sticks C and D have been successfully installed (alone) on either the upper or the lower slot. Sometimes they worked (alone) sometimes they did not. They have never worked together, or with B (one beep fail).

Fact 5: I have successfully installed sticks C and D on the upper slot, alone. At first it did not work (one beep fail), then I went to lunch, and turned the computer on, and then it worked. And then it worked repeatedly.

Fact 6: I have successfully installed sticks C and D on the lower slot, alone. Occasionally. On other occasions, they just didn't work. When it worked, it worked repeatedly, when it didn't, it failed repeatedly (one beep / 5 secs).

Fact 7: I have failed installing sticks C and D together (one beep fail). I have succeeded installing A in lower slot, and C in upper slot. Now I have 5GB. That is not what Apple advertises.

What is wrong?

Please help. If possible, someone from Apple, please advise.

This is still fairly fresh in my mind, so thought I'd add a little more info. The memory I was using was this:

Kingston Technology 8GB Kit (2x4 GB Modules) 1066MHz DDR3 SODIMM Notebook Memory for Select Apple iMac's and Macbooks KTA-MB1066K2/8G

Also, I was running Lion, whichever release was current at the time.

As I mentioned, I tried a few things that weren't successful but when I tried the following, my install went very easy. Put one module in the lower slot, booted up and it was recognized. Shut down and added the other module in the upper slot. Booted up and both were recognized.

I had done the PRAM/NVRAM reset prior but can't say whether that was necessary or not as I didn't test before and after.

It may be a memory speed issue you have if your memory is 1333MHz, as vinesnob alludes to in his/her last paragraph in the thread just above. Both he and you mention your 4GB module will only work in tandem with a 1GB module.

All of the memory sticks are 1066MHz. I do however agree that this may be time-based, and that there is a slight possiblity that the time to "start up" a memory stick or the synchronization between the memory sticks could be an issue. However, I am still baffled at the fact that memory sticks I named A and B (Samsung) are so similar, yet, one of them consistently succeeds paired with any other memory stick while the other one won't even work alone.

I have just attempted your approach, and it did not, this time, accept, the 4GB stick alone, for some reason. I will attempt again, just because I find this kind of defeat unacceptable, and because it sometimes does succeed (apparently not related to either praying and cursing, both of which I have tried plenty today). The inconsistency of results seems to indeed point to a timing issue, but I would still, oh so wish to have that one confirmed so that I can take action (or give up) accordingly.

Thank you very much for sharing. Made this day a bit lighter.

EDIT: while writing this post, my Mac Mini accepted the first of the two 4GB sticks at the lower slot. I don't know why it did, but it did. I'll try to feed it 4GB more on Monday.

To follow up on my attempts:

No, it did not work out. For some reason, only memory stick A (described in my first post here) in lower slot gives a stable configuration. Any of the memory sticks B, C, or D can then be put in upper slot, giving me either 2GB or 5GB. All other configurations, with either B, C or D in the lower slot will work after a while, but end up in an empty blue screen in the end (of death?). This is extremely weird, since A and B are essentially the same model. Also, one would expect C or D in the upper slot to cause instability, but that is not the case. Again, all of the memory sticks are 1066MHz, and A and B are also apparently the same model, which apparently came pre-installed.

This is all the time I can put into this issue. Still, it would be nice to get more info from Apple, about the causes to this oddity so that the 5 (or more) people in the world, who prefer to upgrade their Mac Mini to buying a new oneand who happen to have bad luck (with their motherboard? with their PSU? with an overly eager EFI, with what, really?) could avoid the apparent pitfalls.

I’m having the same problem: Kingston Technology 8GB Kit (2x4 GB Modules) fails to upgrade. One stick works alone in the bottom slot, the other works alone in the top slot, and they’ll work with one of my 1gig sticks to give me 5 gigs of RAM. But the two 4gig sticks won’t work together?

I see that some of you reset your NVRAM / PRAM / SMC. I’m a bit squeamish about doing that. Can someone please suggest what to do?

My two cents. I'm"spamming" all the threads that I had bookmarked in trying to fix this on my late 2009 mac mini:

What worked with me with 2 x 4GB ram from OWC:

1) Remove stock/old RAM from both slots.

2) Inserted new stick of 4GB ram on top slot (in my case, this slot had no problem recognizing the new sticks).

3) Leave the "buggy" RAM slot open.

4) Start the mac mini up, performing the NV/PRAM reset (holding down Option + Command + P + R)

5) When OS X boots up, shut down the mac mini.

6) Insert the other stick of 4GB in the buggy ram slot.

7) Restart the mac mini normally, not holding down any keys (normal boot).

8) Profit

Absolutely sailing on 8GB of OWC ram now. Sure, I've pulled hair out, RMA'd probably perfectly fine RAM with Newegg, and still clench when I restart the machine, but hey. This thing wasn't really meant to be opened, right?

;-)