Tatel

Q: Ram upgrade Macbook 5,2 early 2009 detecting only half of each slot of memory

Hi everyone,

I have recently bought a pair of 4GB DDR2 PC-6400 sticks to upgrade my Macbook. They are 2x4GB DDR2 800MHz.

I have seen a lot of people telling this kind of memory (800Mhz) works with this model, although it is stated to work with 667MHz.

The point is: I have already installed them, they seem to work correctly in "About my Mac" excepting one little thing...Onlye 2GB each are recognized!

So I have no errors, my Macbook recognizes 2 slots being used at 800MHz, but with half of their capacity.

I have tried almost everything:

Plugging in just one stick (detects 2GB@800MHz). Mixing them with my old 667Mhz (detects 2GB from de 4GB one at 800MHz and 2GB from the 2GB one at 667MHz, overall frequency 667MHz. Everything works fine if I put again my olds 2x2GB @667MHz, so it has nothing to do with the slot.

Resetting NVRAM, SMC

Memtests: al appear to be fine but half of the capacity (no errors stated).

Reinstalling a partition from scratch in Mountain Lion.

This is just the way it is? The 800MHz are like "cutting" the RAM capacity in half?

 

Thanks in advance

MacBook (13-inch Early 2009), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4), Also tried to El Capitan

Posted on Oct 24, 2015 6:42 AM

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Q: Ram upgrade Macbook 5,2 early 2009 detecting only half of each slot of memory

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  • by Mike Sombrio,

    Mike Sombrio Mike Sombrio Oct 25, 2015 5:20 AM in response to Tatel
    Level 6 (17,194 points)
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    Oct 25, 2015 5:20 AM in response to Tatel

    Two things: 1. Macbook 5,2 can only recognize a maximum of 6GB of ram. 2. You're using the wrong ram, that usually results in problems down the road if not immediately.

  • by Tatel,

    Tatel Tatel Oct 26, 2015 1:11 PM in response to Mike Sombrio
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    Oct 26, 2015 1:11 PM in response to Mike Sombrio

    Hi Mike,

    thanks for your answer. But I kind of disagree...

    First, you can fin here in Apple Forums more people working flawlessly with 8GB @800Mhz (any case, I tried with one stick at a time with same result)

    Secondly, I think my MB should drop some kind of error, not just recognizing half of the RAM at a correct frequency.

    But, above all, I have just tried a different brand stick, same specs (4GB, PC2-6400, 800MHz) and...it works.

    Flawless. 4GB @ 800MHz. And I can combine with my old one at it will display 6GB @ 667MHz. So, perfect.

     

    Can anybody explain that?
    Model not working:

    kingston-ram.JPG

    Model Working:

    hynix-ram.JPG

  • by stedman1,

    stedman1 stedman1 Oct 26, 2015 1:06 PM in response to Tatel
    Level 9 (73,345 points)
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    Oct 26, 2015 1:06 PM in response to Tatel

    What you are seeing is a classic example of using incorrect spec RAM. It will function when combined with one stick of correct spec RAM, but fail when using 2 of incorrect specs. Macs Are quite particular anout using correct spec RAM, as you've now seen.

  • by Tatel,

    Tatel Tatel Oct 26, 2015 1:22 PM in response to stedman1
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    Oct 26, 2015 1:22 PM in response to stedman1

    Hi @stedman1,

    Thanks for your answer!
    The thing is it didn't work properly alone either. When I plugged in just one stick, it worked apparently fine but recognize only 2 of 4 GB.
    Bottom line here is...why Kingston no and Hynix yes?

  • by Mike Sombrio,

    Mike Sombrio Mike Sombrio Oct 26, 2015 3:49 PM in response to Tatel
    Level 6 (17,194 points)
    Apple Watch
    Oct 26, 2015 3:49 PM in response to Tatel

    Disagree all you want, you're using the incorrect ram and a 5,2 Macbook will only recognize up to 6GB of ram. A 5,1 Macbook will use up to 8GB of ram, perhaps that's what you've seen.

  • by Tatel,

    Tatel Tatel Oct 26, 2015 5:13 PM in response to Mike Sombrio
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    Oct 26, 2015 5:13 PM in response to Mike Sombrio
  • by stedman1,

    stedman1 stedman1 Oct 26, 2015 5:17 PM in response to Tatel
    Level 9 (73,345 points)
    Apple Watch
    Oct 26, 2015 5:17 PM in response to Tatel

    Maybe you would have success as well, if you would use the correct spec RAM.

  • by Mike Sombrio,

    Mike Sombrio Mike Sombrio Oct 26, 2015 5:39 PM in response to Tatel
    Level 6 (17,194 points)
    Apple Watch
    Oct 26, 2015 5:39 PM in response to Tatel

    http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook/specs/macbook-core-2-duo-2.0-white -13-early-2009-nvidia-specs.html

    *Apple officially supports a maximum of 4 GB of RAM but third-parties have been able to upgrade the system to 6 GB of RAM using one 2 GB and one 4 GB memory module.

     

    http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/MacBook/DDR2/

    MacBook5,2 **2.0GHz Model Only** Install/uses up to 6.0GB total memory


    You're the doctor, believe what you will.

  • by Tatel,

    Tatel Tatel Oct 27, 2015 1:30 AM in response to stedman1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 27, 2015 1:30 AM in response to stedman1

    OK, thank you both. I'd really appreciate if you read my posts before answering. Really.
    Stedman1: I am just testing things here, I know my MB specs.

    Mike: thanks for the links, I had already read it.

    So, instead of focusing on how bad I am doing things, has any of you any idea of:

    1) Why my supposed-not-capabale MB is recognizing 800MHz and booting and working fine?

    2) Why the Kingston sticks aren't working properly and the Hynix ones are? (tested under same conditions).

     

    Thank you

  • by Mike Sombrio,

    Mike Sombrio Mike Sombrio Oct 27, 2015 3:29 AM in response to Tatel
    Level 6 (17,194 points)
    Apple Watch
    Oct 27, 2015 3:29 AM in response to Tatel

    We've told you.....repeatedly, you're not listening.

    1. When you mix two ram speeds sometimes it will seem to work ok as the system will read both modules at the slower speed.

    2. Kingston ram is junk, I wouldn't use it to prop a door open.

  • by Tatel,

    Tatel Tatel Oct 27, 2015 4:03 AM in response to Mike Sombrio
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 27, 2015 4:03 AM in response to Mike Sombrio

    So I'm the one not listening...OK.
    1) I have already told that on my last test, mixing 667MHz and 800MHz sticks resulted the expected way for me: a total memory of 6GB operating at 667MHz.

    And, I'm telling you again; I've tried separately the 4GB @ 800MHz sticks and they were recognized properly at 800Mhz.

    Oh, and BTW...all the tools I used to check that memory stated the same, included AHT (not only System Profile inside the OS).

    Here there are Nvidia chipset specs. Interesting it works at 800Mhz, isn't it?

    2) Nice to get some new info from you. I have been using Kingston for years without a problem, maybe just lucky.

     

    P.S. Just in case you (or someone else) wanna read more testimonials of people having success...Here and here

  • by Mike Sombrio,

    Mike Sombrio Mike Sombrio Oct 27, 2015 4:54 AM in response to Tatel
    Level 6 (17,194 points)
    Apple Watch
    Oct 27, 2015 4:54 AM in response to Tatel

    And yet YOU aren't having success ......wonder why? Oh yeah wrong ram. I'm done now good luck.

  • by Tatel,

    Tatel Tatel Oct 27, 2015 5:21 AM in response to Mike Sombrio
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 27, 2015 5:21 AM in response to Mike Sombrio

    I am not having success, indeed...

    Yet.

    But I am progressing. As I told you earlier, my attempt to plug in a 4GB PC2-6400s stick was successful. Don't worry, the moment I get another one and both of them are working properly I'll let you know

    Cheers.

  • by Tatel,Solvedanswer

    Tatel Tatel Nov 4, 2015 1:24 PM in response to Tatel
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 4, 2015 1:24 PM in response to Tatel

    Hi everybody,

    I'm glad to share that finally, I managed to install successfully 8GB @ 800MHz RAM in my Macbook 5,2 Early 2009 (2x4GB Hynix models).

    I'll be testing from now, specially the 6 to 8GB issue stated in Macsales, but everything seems to work smooth now and I definitely feel the upgrade working with heavy-duty RAM programs like Photoshop. Apparently, nothing weird happened when I start using that range of memory, but I need to do more tests.

     

    Special thanks to all the kind people that helped me without arrogance, with true support and good advices.

    Oh, wait, nobody here.

     

    I hope this helps someone else.


    Cheers!

    OSX-El-Capita-8GB.jpg

    Memory-8GB.jpg

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