Hey, just a quick question. If I put 3 gigs of ram in the macbook, does that void the warranty because apple only supports 2 gigs?
Thanks for the help
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3 gig Ram in Macbook!
- Thread starter moslayne
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I was just curious because they don't support it. Or is it they just don't recommend it bacause it kills the dual channel support? I don't know. I think i'll just get a MBP anyways...🙂
Eidorian
macrumors Penryn
There's no possible way to harm the machine with 3 GB in it. Dual channel support is immaterial compared to the gains in RAM.
Unless you can find 1.5gig sticks of ram, which I don't think they make... maybe somewhere... you won't get the benefits of dual channel. To get dual channel in most cases you need 2 sticks of like-kind (Speed, cas latency, etc..) brand doesn't necessarily make a difference. If you have the same two sticks by the same brand the compatability is higher.
Your question should be, is 3gigs of memory NOT running in dual channel mode better than 2gigs that ARE running dual channel... I'm sure it could be hashed out on both ends. I would say with that amount of memory IMHO I would run 3gigs of ram as opposed to 2gigs paired running dual channel. Good luck!
Your question should be, is 3gigs of memory NOT running in dual channel mode better than 2gigs that ARE running dual channel... I'm sure it could be hashed out on both ends. I would say with that amount of memory IMHO I would run 3gigs of ram as opposed to 2gigs paired running dual channel. Good luck!
Cybergypsy
macrumors 68040
LOL I had been running 4G in my macbook for a while just sold it and the MR member cant believe how fast it is ....
Eidorian
macrumors Penryn
Wayfarer
macrumors 65816
Oh man that's what I've been intending to do all these years, but I am the king of procrastination! Haha... have I been living under a rock?
Thanks for the wake up call. I will see to that sometime in the very near future. 😉
Can anyone confirm that you really can put 4gb into a regular C2D MacBook?
Because I keep reading that you can only do 3GB, and it looks like OWC and places like that only offer "3GB" upgrade packages.
What gives, anyway?
Is this possible to do with 2x2GB, or is it a 1x4GB thing that allows it?
What's the scoop?
Because I keep reading that you can only do 3GB, and it looks like OWC and places like that only offer "3GB" upgrade packages.
What gives, anyway?
Is this possible to do with 2x2GB, or is it a 1x4GB thing that allows it?
What's the scoop?
CanadaRAM
macrumors G5
There is a Guide on this... for the 23rd time....
Please give a bit of a Search before posting.
Short answer:
CoreDuo machines -- max 2 Gb ( 2 x 1 Gb)
Core2Duo machines -- max 3.3 Gb Dual Channel with 2 x 2 Gb or 3 Gb non-Dual-channel with 1 x 1 Gb + 1 x 2 Gb
Core2Duo Santa Rosa and Core2Extreme Santa Ros1 - max 4 Gb with 2 x 2 Gb
3.3 Gb Dual Channel rules if you are willing to spend the money. 3 Gb total RAM usually trumps 2 Gb Dual-channel but it depends how you are using the machine
There is nothing special you have to do to any Mac to get it to recognize RAM -- there are no BIOS settings or jumpers, for example.
The limitations on the different models on RAM are hardware based and will not be altered with a firmware upgrade nor OS upgrade.
Please give a bit of a Search before posting.
Short answer:
CoreDuo machines -- max 2 Gb ( 2 x 1 Gb)
Core2Duo machines -- max 3.3 Gb Dual Channel with 2 x 2 Gb or 3 Gb non-Dual-channel with 1 x 1 Gb + 1 x 2 Gb
Core2Duo Santa Rosa and Core2Extreme Santa Ros1 - max 4 Gb with 2 x 2 Gb
3.3 Gb Dual Channel rules if you are willing to spend the money. 3 Gb total RAM usually trumps 2 Gb Dual-channel but it depends how you are using the machine
There is nothing special you have to do to any Mac to get it to recognize RAM -- there are no BIOS settings or jumpers, for example.
The limitations on the different models on RAM are hardware based and will not be altered with a firmware upgrade nor OS upgrade.
Cybergypsy
macrumors 68040
it reads 3.3G someones on the fourum did read 4 she posted a pic of it.....search...
The Macbook can read up to 3.33GB Ram. The other 700ishMB will be discarded.
The reason only 2GB Ram is recommended, as Macbooks run better when they have equal Ram in both slots, although, you'll hardly notice the difference.
The reason only 2GB Ram is recommended, as Macbooks run better when they have equal Ram in both slots, although, you'll hardly notice the difference.
Eidorian
macrumors Penryn
It's not really discarded. The addressing space is just used by the video card and other components.
I searched the forums for 30 minutes before replying to this on-topic and very current post, so please quit replying "search before posting" to every post you think you know the answer to.
It's rude to say the least.
I even looked for info from the "guides" section of MR, and found the page you linked to, and found the information there lacking, not to mention contradictory to what has already been posted in this thread. It doesn't address all of the issues, and doesn't address c2d macbooks at all, only cd macbooks and c2d MBPs and santa-rosa MBPs. Hardly definitive.
I've read so far that:
1. you can only use .5, 1, or 2 gb chips in a C2D Macbook.
2. You can use only 2x1 gb for a total of 2gb
3. You can use 1x2gb + 1x1gb for a total of 3gb without dual channel speed bump
4. You can use 2x2gb but only 3gb will be readable, but you will have dual channel speed
5. (somehow my list skipped #5, so here it is🙂 macbooks are cool
6. If you put 2x2gb into a macbook, it will blackscreen, no dice, no way, no how
7. You can use 2x2gb and 3.33 gb will be usable, ~700 will just disappear
8. You can use 2x2gb, and 3.33 will be addressable, but the extra ~700 will be used for the onboard graphics' chunk of the RAM (since it's shared), so you will actually, truly HAVE 3.33 gb of usable RAM, no RAM tied up for the graphics system.
9. You can use 2x2gb, and all 4 gb will read.
Clear as mud. Because I searched the forums. OWC offers 1+2gb for the macbook, but not 2x2gb kits. That leads me to question whether or not you can even do the dual channel 3.33 gb setup as claimed in this thread and others. Someone mentioned a post where someone got 4gb of usable RAM and had a screenshot. I didn't find that while searching for all sorts of things:
macbook ram limits
macbook 4 gb
macbook 3+ gb
macbook c2d ram
macbook addressable ram
more than 2 gb macbook
this place isn't exactly wikipedia.
It's rude to say the least.
I even looked for info from the "guides" section of MR, and found the page you linked to, and found the information there lacking, not to mention contradictory to what has already been posted in this thread. It doesn't address all of the issues, and doesn't address c2d macbooks at all, only cd macbooks and c2d MBPs and santa-rosa MBPs. Hardly definitive.
I've read so far that:
1. you can only use .5, 1, or 2 gb chips in a C2D Macbook.
2. You can use only 2x1 gb for a total of 2gb
3. You can use 1x2gb + 1x1gb for a total of 3gb without dual channel speed bump
4. You can use 2x2gb but only 3gb will be readable, but you will have dual channel speed
5. (somehow my list skipped #5, so here it is🙂 macbooks are cool
6. If you put 2x2gb into a macbook, it will blackscreen, no dice, no way, no how
7. You can use 2x2gb and 3.33 gb will be usable, ~700 will just disappear
8. You can use 2x2gb, and 3.33 will be addressable, but the extra ~700 will be used for the onboard graphics' chunk of the RAM (since it's shared), so you will actually, truly HAVE 3.33 gb of usable RAM, no RAM tied up for the graphics system.
9. You can use 2x2gb, and all 4 gb will read.
Clear as mud. Because I searched the forums. OWC offers 1+2gb for the macbook, but not 2x2gb kits. That leads me to question whether or not you can even do the dual channel 3.33 gb setup as claimed in this thread and others. Someone mentioned a post where someone got 4gb of usable RAM and had a screenshot. I didn't find that while searching for all sorts of things:
macbook ram limits
macbook 4 gb
macbook 3+ gb
macbook c2d ram
macbook addressable ram
more than 2 gb macbook
this place isn't exactly wikipedia.
The Guide that CanadaRAM refers to is based on information by CanadaRAM, so its kind of circular. However, Ive seen a variety of posts that say the same thing, and I think what he says is correct.
Everyone seems to agree on the following: 2x1GB works in all Intel Macs, and provides dual-channel access which is a little bit faster than a single 2GB module. In Core2Duo MacBooks, 1GB+2GB works and provides extra memory but not dual channel, which is a net gain if you would get any page-outs with less RAM. In Santa Rosa MBPs, 2x2GB provides dual-channel access to 4GB. In C2D MBs, 2x2GB works, and provides dual-channel access to 3.3 GB, with the rest being unaddressable because the addresses are already being used by the system.
Some questions remain:
(1) There was a report here recently that someone put in 2x2GB in a C2D MB, that the system saw all 4 GB, and that it led to crashes. (I tried searching for the thread, couldnt find it.) I think that involved using a low-level tool, and that the tool was being used to address memory locations outside the OS controls, which led to the crashes. So, if you put in 2x2GB, and dont play with low-level stuff, will the system stay happy? Will you get memory crashes and conflicts if you put in 2x2GB?
(2) Does the 3.3 GB include the graphics memory, or is the graphics memory part of the 700 MB that the system is using? It sounds like the OS really cant see those memory locations at all, so the graphics memory should come out of the 3.3, I think.
(3) In a Santa Rosa MBP, is 4GB a hardware limitation, or is it just that we dont have 4GB modules yet? That is, in the future, will Santa Rosa MBPs be able to use 2x4GB?
Everyone seems to agree on the following: 2x1GB works in all Intel Macs, and provides dual-channel access which is a little bit faster than a single 2GB module. In Core2Duo MacBooks, 1GB+2GB works and provides extra memory but not dual channel, which is a net gain if you would get any page-outs with less RAM. In Santa Rosa MBPs, 2x2GB provides dual-channel access to 4GB. In C2D MBs, 2x2GB works, and provides dual-channel access to 3.3 GB, with the rest being unaddressable because the addresses are already being used by the system.
Some questions remain:
(1) There was a report here recently that someone put in 2x2GB in a C2D MB, that the system saw all 4 GB, and that it led to crashes. (I tried searching for the thread, couldnt find it.) I think that involved using a low-level tool, and that the tool was being used to address memory locations outside the OS controls, which led to the crashes. So, if you put in 2x2GB, and dont play with low-level stuff, will the system stay happy? Will you get memory crashes and conflicts if you put in 2x2GB?
(2) Does the 3.3 GB include the graphics memory, or is the graphics memory part of the 700 MB that the system is using? It sounds like the OS really cant see those memory locations at all, so the graphics memory should come out of the 3.3, I think.
(3) In a Santa Rosa MBP, is 4GB a hardware limitation, or is it just that we dont have 4GB modules yet? That is, in the future, will Santa Rosa MBPs be able to use 2x4GB?
This thread
shows both the Macbook C2D system profiler and activity viewer recognises the full 4GB RAM.
NB. It is a refurbished 2GHz C2D 'blackbook' model. If it is indeed physically impossible for a standard Macbook to recognise more than 3.3GB, then either the 'blackbook' uses different hardware to the white Macbooks, or they switched in a santa rosa logic board into it during refurbishment.
Or the specs are wrong.
shows both the Macbook C2D system profiler and activity viewer recognises the full 4GB RAM.
NB. It is a refurbished 2GHz C2D 'blackbook' model. If it is indeed physically impossible for a standard Macbook to recognise more than 3.3GB, then either the 'blackbook' uses different hardware to the white Macbooks, or they switched in a santa rosa logic board into it during refurbishment.
Or the specs are wrong.