Macbook late 2008 13" RAM upgrade?

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Level 1

8 points

Macbook late 2008 13" RAM upgrade?

So I have this old Macbook from 2008 called "Macbook Ultimo 2008".

The Macbook is not a pro model and the only aluminium from 2008.

Here's a guide on how to upgrade the RAM on my Mac from Apple: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1651#link2 .

Officially this Macbook was released with a maximum RAM capacity of 4GB in 2 slots. A new firmware update made it possible to upgrade all the way up to 8GB of memory. Article: http://blog.macsales.com/9102-secret-fir...ks-use-8gb .

Now i really want to know if i can just upgrade only 1 slot with a 4GB RAM card and keep one of my old RAM cards in there. This will let me have 6GB of memory.

I just don't know if the RAM are going to work together and if I have to upgrade to 8GB instead.

Yes, i could upgrade to only 4GB of memory but since i can upgrade all the way up to 8GB, I think I'm going to make it a bit faster than just 4GB. 🙂

The RAM I've looked at: http://translate.google.com/translate?sl...l7&act=url

Official memory card specifications:

"- Double Data Rate Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module (DDR SO-DIMM) format

- 30mm

- 1 GB or 2 GB (Now up to 4GB)

- 204-pin

- PC3-8500 DDR3 1066 MHz Type RAM".

I'm not wanting to spend more than $60 on this!

Thanks for the help. 🙂

MacBook, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Feb 3, 2013 8:15 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Eustace Mendis

Level 7

25,416 points

Feb 3, 2013 8:48 AM in response to Sebu123

You might find this thread of interest.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4616925?answerId=20646674022#20646674022

My MacBook7,1 is happy on 5 gB (five). Could not get 4 + 4 to work, and had to settle for 4 + 1. Would be interesting to see if you get it work with 4 + 2. (I do not have a 2 gB module to test.)

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Answer 2

Sebu123 Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 3, 2013 9:15 AM in response to Eustace Mendis

So a 5GB + 1GB works well? That would be working out for me too. What RAM did you bought?

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Answer 3

Feb 3, 2013 9:19 AM in response to Sebu123

I bought it at a local store (Toronto) - not Apple. I don't remember the brand, it was relatively inexpensive and came with a money back guarantee if it did not work in my computer.

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Answer 4

Sebu123 Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 3, 2013 10:37 AM in response to Eustace Mendis

Well, thanks!

So you just replaced one of the slots with a 4GB RAM card and then left one of the old RAM cards in the other slot?

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Answer 5

Feb 3, 2013 11:01 AM in response to Sebu123

That's how it ended. 4 + 4 did not work. Next I tried 4 + 0 with each module in turn in the first slot and the second slot empty. Then I did the same in the second slot. This way I tested the modules and the slots. 4 worked, 8 did not. Then I tried 4 + 1, and that worked. Which is where it is now, because as I posted I do not have a 2.

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Answer 6

Sebu123 Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 3, 2013 11:41 AM in response to Eustace Mendis

Thanks for the help. That's what I'm going to buy. 🙂

Buying tomorow!

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Answer 7

May 29, 2013 2:32 PM in response to Sebu123

I have the same MacBook model (5,1 Late 2008). I managed to install 8GB of RAM without problems.

You need to update your EFI Boot ROM to MB51.007D.B03 to install more than 5GB.

Check in System Profiler what version of EFI Boot you have, if it's MB51.007D.B03, you can install 4+4 GB of RAM. Once you have ensured that the EFI Boot is the correct version, make sure tour O.S. is updated to OSX 10.6.6 (or newer version). I have OSX 10.8.3 with 8GB, the manufacturer is Samsung. No problems at all. 🙂

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Answer 8

Apr 8, 2017 2:27 PM in response to Sebu123

Yes! It's work, my ram now is 4GB (2x2GB) runin in 1333ghz, thank you....

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