How much memory can I put in my 15" MacBook Pro

[Mork]

I have a new 15" (unibody) MacBook Pro running 10.5.6. with 4 GB

Is it possible to add more memory beyond this 4GB? I read somewhere that I could have 4 GB and a 2GB module = 6 GB.

Has anyone done this successfully?

I seem to recall that the max advertised memory amount was 4 GB.

Thanks for any replies.

-- M

[Patriks7]

Originally Posted by Mork

I have a new 15" (unibody) MacBook Pro running 10.5.6. with 4 GB

Is it possible to add more memory beyond this 4GB? I read somewhere that I could have 4 GB and a 2GB module = 6 GB.

Has anyone done this successfully?

I seem to recall that the max advertised memory amount was 4 GB.

Thanks for any replies.

-- M

Max advertised is 4GB, but that doesn't mean it can't take more. In fact, if you would have done some search, one of the first threads to show up is a very, very, very (very, very) long thread on this.

[Mork]

Thanks.

[Jurwin]

This has been discussed to death. The 15 inch unibody for now can only use max 6 gig of ram successfully.

[Mork]

Originally Posted by Jurwin

This has been discussed to death. The 15 inch unibody for now can only use max 6 gig of ram successfully.

Sorry about the duplicate post!!!!

[xoggyux]

Originally Posted by Mork

I have a new 15" (unibody) MacBook Pro running 10.5.6. with 4 GB

Is it possible to add more memory beyond this 4GB? I read somewhere that I could have 4 GB and a 2GB module = 6 GB.

Has anyone done this successfully?

I seem to recall that the max advertised memory amount was 4 GB.

Thanks for any replies.

-- M

It could take 6GB (1x2GB and 1x4GB) but it does not wort the upgrade, 4GB modules are very expensive and anyway if you do upgrade to 6GB you lose the dual channel so you actually end up with an slower system with 6GB specially since you will hardly use more than 4GB at any given time (or I am wrong?) If you are looking for performance consider SSD drives after all OS X uses a great deal of virtual memory and the extra performance of SSD over HDD would help a lot (not to mention booting and loading times)
Take a look at this thread for a cheap SSD:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=661948

or if money is not an issue then take a look at Intel's and Samsungs'

[jjahshik32]

6GB Max. 17" Unibody can go up to 8GB.

[ayeying]

Originally Posted by xoggyux

It could take 6GB (1x2GB and 1x4GB) but it does not wort the upgrade, 4GB modules are very expensive and anyway if you do upgrade to 6GB you lose the dual channel so you actually end up with an slower system with 6GB specially since you will hardly use more than 4GB at any given time (or I am wrong?) If you are looking for performance consider SSD drives after all OS X uses a great deal of virtual memory and the extra performance of SSD over HDD would help a lot (not to mention booting and loading times)
Take a look at this thread for a cheap SSD:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=661948

or if money is not an issue then take a look at Intel's and Samsungs'

without dual channel, an user who does not need or even use the entire 6GB of ram would have a very slight slower experience vs someone with dual channel. However, if your line of work requires the ram, then you'll see a drastic improvement due to the extra 2GB of physical ram.

[jjahshik32]

Originally Posted by ayeying

without dual channel, an user who does not need or even use the entire 6GB of ram would have a very slight slower experience vs someone with dual channel. However, if your line of work requires the ram, then you'll see a drastic improvement due to the extra 2GB of physical ram.

I also read in a hardware review where with 8gb of RAM, each core couldnt handle 4gb each that well either. So its kind of a similar situation of the 6GB of RAM as well.

[Mork]

Maybe with 10.6 things will improve?

I read that 10.6 should be able to actually address 16,000 GB.

[xoggyux]

Originally Posted by ayeying

without dual channel, an user who does not need or even use the entire 6GB of ram would have a very slight slower experience vs someone with dual channel. However, if your line of work requires the ram, then you'll see a drastic improvement due to the extra 2GB of physical ram.

The thing is that if you would do something that requires that awful amount of ram to begin with (6GB++) you would start by buying a better laptop (definitively 17" that can handle the 8GB and therefore also the dual channel)

[Mork]

Right, agreed.

When I bought the 15", it had just come out and may be all I ever really need. I really wanted the 17" so maybe in a few months with 10.6 and things stabilize a bit....

Thanks.