Q: Late 2008 Unibody Macbook Memory Upgrade (is 8gb possible?)

I have a late 2008 unibody Macbook (model ID: Macbook 5,1), and I want to upgrade the memory. Apple says that the maximum memory I can have is 4gb but I have found some sources that say my laptop will support up to 8gb. OWC Macsales says that my computer can support up to 8 gb as long as I have a Boot ROM version of MB51.007D.B03, which I do. Can anyone confirm this? Should I go ahead and purchase 2-4gb modules? Or should I stick to what Apple says and go with 2-2gb modules instead?

If it helps in answering my question, I am upgrading my memory because I want to be able to run several Adobe CS4 programs at the same time without bogging down my machine. I am also looking into purchasing FCPX, which requires a minimum of 4gb.

I've never upgraded hardware before, so I am a little anxious. I don't want to screw up my Macbook. Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks.

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.7.3)

Posted on Feb 19, 2012 9:39 PM

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Q: Late 2008 Unibody Macbook Memory Upgrade (is 8gb possible?)

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by Cattus Thraex,

Cattus Thraex Feb 19, 2012 10:19 PM in response to regularmegs
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Feb 19, 2012 10:19 PM in response to regularmegs

I cannot test personally, but that model reportedly supports 8 GB, even if Apple says 4 GB.
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by mpumz,

mpumz Feb 20, 2012 12:09 AM in response to regularmegs
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Feb 20, 2012 12:09 AM in response to regularmegs

I hear it does though unofficially, also there is a block of some kind so initially you may be actually using 6 GB until you get the update for the machine to use the whole 8 GB
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by regularmegs,

regularmegs Feb 22, 2012 10:47 AM in response to regularmegs
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Feb 22, 2012 10:47 AM in response to regularmegs

I just called AppleCare and they confirmed that my computer should only be able to handle 4 gb. I left a comment about this on this OWC article and am waiting to see what they reply. I will update this discussion after I get this all figured out because I know others probably have this same question.

In the meantime, if anyone has the same model of Macbook that I do and has upgraded to 8 gb without any problems, please leave a comment. I would really appreciate it! Thanks!
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by Cattus Thraex,

Cattus Thraex Feb 22, 2012 10:49 AM in response to regularmegs
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Feb 22, 2012 10:49 AM in response to regularmegs

Apple Care will always say 4 GB.
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by regularmegs,

regularmegs Feb 22, 2012 10:51 AM in response to Cattus Thraex
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Feb 22, 2012 10:51 AM in response to Cattus Thraex

Why is that? What is the point if it can actually handle 8 gb?
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by regularmegs,

regularmegs Feb 22, 2012 10:57 AM in response to regularmegs
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Feb 22, 2012 10:57 AM in response to regularmegs

Wow, OWC responds quickly! Here is what they replied to my comment:
"We support the additional memory amount through our OWC MaxRAM Memory Certification Program.
The OWC ‘MaxRAM’ Certification Program determines the maximum amount of memory that can be installed in a Mac as validated by a series of comprehensive, in-house laboratory tests. While OWC “MaxRAM” configurations exceed Apple’s officially supported maximums, all OWC brand memory upgrades are assured to perform flawlessly and are covered by a Lifetime Advance Replacement Warranty and Money Back Guarantee."
I am going to trust them and go with the 8 gb. Thanks Cattus Thraex and mpumz for your help.
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by Cattus Thraex,

Cattus Thraex Feb 22, 2012 12:13 PM in response to regularmegs
Level 4 (1,714 points)

Notebooks

Feb 22, 2012 12:13 PM in response to regularmegs

Apple guarantees good functionality at that level, in fact it supports more, but not Apple-blessed. This is a quite frequent situation with many hardware configs.
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Q: Late 2008 Unibody Macbook Memory Upgrade (is 8gb possible?)

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by Cattus Thraex,

by mpumz,

by regularmegs,

by Cattus Thraex,

by regularmegs,

by regularmegs,

by Cattus Thraex,

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