2 sticks of RAM (same manufacturer) fixes random crash?

I use CoreDuoTemp to monitor processor temps, i dont think the HD will get hot enough to worry about..

Matching RAM (from what i interpret) only has to do with the amount (MB) so that each processor can be allocated the same amount of memory.

If one of your chips is defective and causes restarts, then if you put another of that same chip in the other RAM slot, i suspect your computer won't even be able to boot.

Good luck though.

By crashes, do you mean individual programs crash or the MacBook pro kernel panics? (Or somethinge else...?)

It really shouldn't matter what brand your RAM is, as long as both SO-DIMMs are up to Apple specs. The most likely problem is that one or both of the SO-DIMMs you have installed aren't up to specs.

I would try removing one of them at a time to see if only one is causing the problems. If you can narrow it down to one, keep the good one and return the other one for a refund or replacement. (Reasons to always buy RAM from reputable dealers with good return policies.)

Of course, if you get crashes with each one, when it's the only RAM installed, you'll have to try to figure out it both are defective or if your problem is something else entirely. If neither SO-DIMM is the RAM that originally came with your MBP, try installing the RAM Apple shipped it with, by itself.

I don't worry about the internal (or external) temperature of my MBP. It's hot. They're all hot. PowerBooks are hot. Most modern notebook computers are hot. 😉

He means restarts, not crashes.

By the way to the original poster, how did you narrow it down to your RAM? restarts sound like a battery/power problem, not a RAM one. Kernel panics and programs crashing would sound more like RAM problems.

He means restarts, not crashes.

Ah, yes, so I see. Thanks!

Spontaneous restarts are actually a pretty common symptom of bad RAM, so I think Elric is on the right track suspecting the RAM. But again, it's not likely that being mismatched is an issue, as that shouldn't matter in itself.

Hi Elric,

You may have a bad ram module, but it is not nessesary to have matching brands. Most of us have matching amounts (1GB+1GB). But it's probably Apple installed, and another third party brand.

I have also had problem with random restarts with my MBP. I have one kington memory stick in there right now... maybe I should pull and see how I do...

Good luck everyone!

Hi, Eric,

I would pull one module out and test the remaining module with memtest, or with the hardware diagnostics program on the installation disk. You can run it in loop mode for longer periods if it doesn't pick up any errors at first. Then I would test the other module, installed by itself. Before you send anything back it seems good to find out if either module is bad RAM.

Best wishes,
Pip

The one consistent factor is heat

That's pretty much a consistent factor with all recent PowerBooks and MacBook Pros. 😉

When my system crashes it restarts - screen goes black then reboots.

...

It only does this when I have both RAM sticks installed.

And you can't narrow it down to being just one of the two SO-DIMMs? Everything points to it being RAM, and it's hard to believe the combination of the two different brands of RAM is the issue....

Of course, it can't hurt to test that theory. But I'm still leaning towards one of the SO-DIMMs being out of spec.

Hardware test says everything is okay.

That really doesn't mean the RAM isn't bad. The hardware tests often miss bad RAM.

I'll run the memtest on both RAM sticks, individually and together, and will post the results.

Don't just run the tests - they don't always reveal problems that are there.

Use the MacBook Pro as you normally would with one SO-DIMM for a period of time - as long as it would usually take to get a spontaneous restart, and then a bit longer. (A couple of days, if that's what it takes to be sure that SO-DIMM is working.) Then run with only the other SO-DIMM installed, doing the same.

It may sound tedious, but that kind of meticulous troubleshooting is your best bet, so you can definitively nail down the cause of the problem.

[Edit: If you do the memtest looping suggested elsewhere in this thread, you might be able to get the same results. But don't just run a quick test. Give it plenty of time to be certain of your results. And I'd still suggest "real world" testing if the memtest loops don't reveal problems.]

Is it worth testing the slots too?

I was just beginning to wonder about that. Yes, I think it would be. 🙂