2GB RAM sticks available for MacBook Pro? Anyone? Anyone?2GB RAM sticks ava

2GB RAM sticks available for MacBook Pro? Anyone? Anyone?

The Dell Precision M90, which uses the same Intel Core Duo processors as the MBP, can be configured with 4 GB of "2 DIMM"s of "DDR2-667 SDRAM" which [[b[I think is the same type of memory used in the MBP. IF so, this means that it's possible that there are some 2GB chips 'out there' and that they 'may be' useable in the MBP's, am I right? Or am I terribly amiss? (Rather reminds me of when I bought my 12" 867mHz G4 PowerBook which, with a 512MB chip was 'supposed' to have maximum RAM of 640MB yet when I slipped a 1GB chip in has been working perfectly well with 1.12GB of RAM for years now.)

But anyway... I've searched for 2GB DIMMs the Google-World over and can only find 2GB 'kits' - nothing that even seems to resemble a single 2GB stick. Is Dell 'doubling up' with piggy-backed slots or something to squeeze in that additional 2GBs of RAM (which, at $2,560, would be one expensive piggy-back ride) or are there, in fact, 2GB chips available that would fit in a MBP and I've simply not been Google-adept enough to find them?

And if I did find them - and bought them - do you think they'd work in MBPs? I'm fairly certain that the processor will address over 2GBs! (And they would work in the Intel iMac, too, I'm guessing.)

I would love to double my RAM... "double your pleasure, double your fun..."

20" 2GHz Intel Core Duo iMac 2Gb RAM 250Gb, G4 Dual 1 GHz PM & 12" 867 MHz PB,, Mac OS X (10.4.5), MacBook Pro Intel Core Duo 2 Gb RAM 100Gb 7200 RPM HD

Posted on Apr 13, 2006 1:54 PM

52 replies

nate13

Level 1

0 points

May 13, 2006 8:14 PM in response to myhighway

Have I just stumbled on the answer? I am in the immediate market for a iMac intel 20 inch or a MBP, so when shopping around i typed in 2GB SODIMM DDR2 in google, and found sticks for ~$860?! Sounds very promising and I would be very interested in the results, if anyone has deep pockets to test it out.
Link: http://www.techdepot.com/product.asp?productID=4701995&info=Over#tabs

Network 23

Level 6

12,351 points

May 13, 2006 9:00 PM in response to cbd2

Apple's tech docs are not necessarily gospel here. The PowerBook G3 FireWire specs still say it has a max RAM capacity of 512MB, but I and many owners know that 1GB works great and reliably. It's just that 2x256MB was all that was available when it shipped, and after it shipped, Apple did not update the specs when 2x512MB modules came out.

As far as whether going to 4GB will help. The RAM advantage is often mis-stated. RAM by itself speeds up nothing. The purpose of adding RAM is to ensure that RAM is not the bottleneck. Once you reach the point where your machine has enough RAM to handle the combined RAM demands of the number of apps you normally run simultaneously, more RAM does not cause any improvement in speed.

elenchus

Level 1

0 points

May 27, 2006 1:24 PM in response to myhighway

Possibly great news (for me, anyway) buried in this thread. I've been asking from time to time, on various discussion boards, about putting 4 1GB modules in my G4 MDD . . . whenever I ask this, I'm (politely) laughed at.

It seems to me not an utterly silly question, though I grant that it might just reveal the full measure of my ignorance: I have no idea what determines the maximum amount of RAM a machine can handle/exploit. Still, I've had something like 576MB in my Graphie Clam for years now, and one of the disscussants mentioned 1GB in an iMac as well as 2 1GB modules in a MDD.

My question: Does anyone know whether a MDD machine (w/ a 167MHz bus speed, if that's relevant) would read 4 1 GB sticks? If not, anyone care to speculate as to the odds? How about the risks?

Thanks.

Jeff Donald

Level 8

45,744 points

May 27, 2006 1:41 PM in response to elenchus

My understanding is the MDD G4 will support 1GB sticks but only up to the 2GB total ram limit. Have you posted your question in the G4 MDD forum? You might get a more definitive answer.

cbd2 Author

Level 1

105 points

May 27, 2006 8:51 PM in response to Jeff Donald

My thought as well - I only loaded my G4 MDD with 4 512MB modules for a total of 2 Gigs. As I presently understand the situation, the maximum amount of addressable RAM can be determined by either the hardware, the OS, or both.

I usually trust, for older machines anyway, MacTracker which, when there are 'discrepancies' between the "Apple" recommended maximum RAM and the "Actual" RAM that the machine/OS is capable of addressing. In the case of the original 12" PowerBook, for instance, MacTracker lists "Maximum RAM: 1152 MB (Actual) 640 MB (Apple)" yet for the MDD G4 PowerMac, MacTracker lists "Maximum RAM: 2.0 GB".

Yet I do think it's worth asking about in the PowerMac G4 forum - looking at the pricing at Crucial, the 1 GB sticks can be had for less than $10 over the 512MB sticks - and, if they work, spending $40 or so for 4GB vs 2GB of RAM is a bargain.

Good luck - I'e had to 'un-mothball' my G4 MDD but hope I won't need to use it for long... if I were going to bring it back as a production machine I would certainly look at the possibility, at this time, of making a similar upgrade.

May 28, 2006 3:45 PM in response to cbd2

I went to their web site "Dell" and also stole this from their site (4GB is available at 533MHz speed) if you like more Ram @ slower speeds go for it. here is the link, have at it.

http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/precn_m90?c=us&cs=04&l= en&s=bsd&~section=specs#tabtop

Quicksilver Dual 1GHZ Mac OS X (10.4.5) AMD 64

I have noticed PC manufactures selling the Core Solo & Duo using slower speed
Ram 533 Mhz rather than the preferred 667 Mhz which coincidentally the bus speed. Imagine that.

cbd2 Author

Level 1

105 points

May 29, 2006 7:51 AM in response to koolvicious

I went to their web site "Dell" and also stole this
from their site (4GB is available at 533MHz speed) if
you like more Ram @ slower speeds go for it. here is
the link, have at it.

I've been keeping an eye on the M90 since it was introduced because the specs were/are so close to the MBP and because it was configurable with (and could therefore utilize) 4GB of RAM. When first introduced, the 4GB option was for 667MHz RAM, but now I notice that the page you pointed to notes "4GB is available at 533MHz speed" - seems the cost of 667MHz got to be too much for Dell as well (and they're charging the same for the 533MHz RAM as they did for the 667MHz). Either 667MHz 2GB chips are a commodity being hoarded or they are being produced in such overcapacity that the wholesale price seems to have decreased and then increased by a factor of 3 within a couple of months. My theory (born out of both a fascination and loathing of conspiracy theories) is that Apple has cornered the market on 2GB 667MHz modules that will be standard (x2) in their to-be-released-this-year high-end Intel quad-core 'Macintosh Pro, a machine that will be slightly reminiscent of the NeXTcube (a mixture of exposed magnesium and the MacBook matte black?) A couple of things I'm sure of - it's not going to look like today's G5 tower, it's not going to look like anyone's other desktop, and its tremendous power and small form factor are going to pleasantly amaze everyone. But I digress...

I have noticed PC manufactures selling the Core Solo
& Duo using slower speed
Ram 533 Mhz rather than the preferred 667 Mhz which
coincidentally the bus speed. Imagine that.

I, as well. The price of 667MHz plummeted... and then skyrocketed. First Dell offers a configuration with 667MHz chips and then 533MHz... at the same price. Why? Oh, I think I've spelled out my reasoning! And I'm saving my pennies for that inevitable day (this year... or even if I must wait until the next!

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2GB RAM sticks available for MacBook Pro? Anyone? Anyone?2GB RAM sticks ava